1926 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Winner, Scores
Winner: Bobby Jones, 293
Where it was played: Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio
Tournament dates: July 8-10, 1926
Leader after first round: Bill Mehlhorn, 68
Leader after second round: Bill Mehlhorn, 143
Leader after third round: Joe Turnesa, 217
What Happened in the 1926 U.S. Open
The amateur legend Bobby Jones won the 1926 U.S. Open, claiming the second of his eventual four titles in this professional major. And it happened two weeks after Jones won the 1926 British Open, making him the first golfer ever to win the U.S. Open and Open Championship in the same year.Entering the final round, Jones was three strokes behind the leader, Joe Turnesa. But Turnesa stumbled on the back nine, reeling off five bogeys in six holes on Nos. 12 through 17, finishing with a 77.
That opened the door for Jones, who played steadily and reached the 72nd hole needing a par of 5 to tie, a birdie 4 to win.
Jones smashed a 310-yard drive, a very long drive for the time. Going for the green in two, Jones hit the flagstick with his approach, the ball bouncing away and stopping 15 feet from the hole. He 2-putted for his birdie, a round of 73, and the U.S. Open championship.
This was one of two runner-up finishes in majors by Turnesa, who is credited with 14 PGA Tour wins. While Joe never won a major, his brother Jim Turnesa won the 1952 PGA Championship; and another brother, Willie Turnesa, won the U.S. Amateur twice, plus the British Amateur. In all, there were eight Turnesa brothers who eventually played in PGA Tour events.
The tournament was played at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, which, decades later, would become closely associated with Jack Nicklaus. Nicklaus took lessons at Scioto from instructor (and sometime-U.S. Open player) Jack Grout. At the 1926 U.S. Open, Charlie Nicklaus, Jack's father, was part of the gallery following Jones.
The USGA adopted the 18-18-36 schedule of play at this U.S. Open, meaning 18 holes on the first day, 18 holes on the second, then, following the cut, 36 holes (third and final rounds) on the third day. With rare exceptions, that schedule was used through 1964.
Future 3-time major winner Denny Shute played in his first major here, finishing tied for 43rd as an amateur. "Lighthorse" Harry Cooper, a 29-time PGA Tour winner, made his U.S. Open debut here with a missed cut. And Alex Ross, winner of the 1907 U.S. Open, played for the final time, tying for 34th.
1926 U.S. Open Final Scores
| a-Bobby Jones | 70-79-71-73—293 |
| Joe Turnesa | 71-74-72-77—294 |
| Leo Diegel | 72-76-75-74—297 |
| Johnny Farrell | 76-79-69-73—297 |
| Bill Mehlhorn | 68-75-76-78—297 |
| Gene Sarazen | 78-77-72-70—297 |
| Walter Hagen | 73-77-74-74—298 |
| Willie Hunter Jr. | 75-77-69-79—300 |
| Tommy Armour | 76-76-74-75—301 |
| Willie Klein | 76-74-75-76—301 |
| Macdonald Smith | 82-76-68-75—301 |
| Dan Williams | 72-74-80-75—301 |
| Al Espinosa | 71-79-78-74—302 |
| a-Chick Evans | 75-75-73-79—302 |
| Jack Forrester | 76-73-77-76—302 |
| Laurie Ayton | 76-78-76-76—306 |
| Mike Brady | 77-82-76-71—306 |
| George McLean | 74-74-79-79—306 |
| Jimmy Thomson | 77-82-73-74—306 |
| Willie Macfarlane | 72-79-75-81—307 |
| John Rogers | 80-79-75-73—307 |
| Clarence Hackney | 77-77-74-80—308 |
| Arthur DeMane | 76-80-78-75—309 |
| P.O. Hart | 76-81-76-76—309 |
| a-Jimmy Johnston | 79-76-77-77—309 |
| Tom Stevens | 79-78-76-76—309 |
| Emmet French | 74-79-76-81—310 |
| Harry Hampton | 81-75-78-76—310 |
| Thomas Harmon | 73-81-76-80—310 |
| Bob Macdonald | 77-79-77-77—310 |
| Eddie Murphy | 74-77-80-79—310 |
| Johnny Golden | 81-74-76-81—312 |
| Bill Leach | 79-74-79-80—312 |
| Abe Espinosa | 75-81-78-79—313 |
| James Gullane | 73-85-76-79—313 |
| Alex Ross | 81-75-79-78—313 |
| Charles Hall | 79-79-77-79—314 |
| Eddie Loos | 78-81-76-79—314 |
| Ralph Beach | 79-80-78-78—315 |
| Larry Nabholtz | 80-78-78-79—315 |
| Charles Rowe | 78-78-78-81—315 |
| George Smith | 75-79-78-83—315 |
| Lou Goldbeck | 80-78-78-80—316 |
| a-Denny Shute | 75-78-81-82—316 |
| Frank Sprogell | 81-75-80-80—316 |
| a-Jack Westland | 75-79-79-83—316 |
| Charles Mayo | 75-83-76-83—317 |
| Frank Walsh | 76-83-76-82—317 |
| Bobby Cruickshank | 76-76-83-83—318 |
| John Junor | 70-80-84-84—318 |
| James Kenney | 79-76-83-80—318 |
| Emil Loeffler Jr. | 76-82-78-82—318 |
| Pat Doyle | 72-83-82-83—320 |
| Harold Long | 79-79-84-78—320 |
| Joe Brennan | 75-79-83-84—321 |
| Cyril Walker | 78-81-80-82—321 |
| Clarence Mainero | 77-79-81-85—322 |
| John O'Connor | 74-84-87-83—328 |
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