1929 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Winner, Scores

The 1929 U.S. Open was the 33rd time the tournament was played. Bobby Jones blew a lead in the final round, but then dominated a 36-hole playoff for the victory.

Winner: Bobby Jones, 294

Where it was played: Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York

Tournament dates: June 27-30, 1929

Leader after first round: Bobby Jones, 69

Leader after second round: Al Espinosa and Gene Sarazen, 142

Leader after third round: Bobby Jones, 215

What Happened at the 1929 U.S. Open

Bobby Jones was involved in four playoffs in U.S. Opens. He won two and lost two. The 1929 U.S. Open is one of the two that Jones won in a playoff. This was the third consecutive year the U.S. Open ended in a playoff, and the fourth time in five years.

And it was Jones' third U.S. Open victory, but he nearly blew it in the final round. Jones had a 3-stroke lead over Gene Sarazen heading into Round 4, and led Al Espinosa by four. Then Jones did something uncharacteristic — he appeared to choke. Jones' round of 79 included two triple-bogeys, the second one on the 15th hole. A 3-putt bogey on the 16th followed.

Luckily for Jones, Sarazen wasn't doing much better, shooting 78. But Espinosa was in the clubhouse at 294, and Jones had to work to match that score. But the best way to stamp out accusations of choking is to recover from doing it. And that's what Jones did: He made a 12-foot par putt on the 18th hole to tie Espinosa and get into a 36-hole playoff.

And then Jones dominated that playoff like no other playoff, before or since, has been dominated. He beat Espinosa by 23 strokes, 141 to 164. Jones shot 72 to Espinosa's 84 in the opening 18, then shot 69 to Espinosa's 80 in the afternoon 18.

Espinosa was a gifted golfer of his time, credited with nine PGA Tour victories. He played on three Ryder Cup teams. He came close at one other major, losing to Leo Diegel in the championship match of the 1928 PGA Championship.

Defending champion Johnny Farrell — who beat Jones in a playoff in 1928 — missed the cut with rounds of 84 and 83. This was the first U.S. Open played at Winged Foot.

1929 U.S. Open Final Scores

a-Bobby Jones 69-75-71-79—294 (72-69-141)
Al Espinosa 70-72-77-75—294 (84-80-164)
Gene Sarazen 71-71-76-78—296
Denny Shute 73-71-76-76—296
Tommy Armour 74-71-76-76—297
a-George Von Elm 79-70-74-74—297
Henry Ciuci 78-74-72-75—299
Leo Diegel 74-74-76-77—301
Peter O'Hara 74-76-73-78—301
Horton Smith 76-77-74-75—302
Wiffy Cox 74-76-80-75—305
John Rogers 78-76-77-74—305
P.O. Hart 76-78-75-77—306
Charles Hilgendorf 72-79-75-80—306
Billy Burke 75-80-78-74—307
Louis Chiapetta 78-79-72-79—308
George Smith 77-77-77-77—308
Craig Wood 79-71-80-78—308
Walter Hagen 76-81-74-78—309
Joe Kirkwood 75-82-76-76—309
Jim Barnes 78-78-81-73—310
Massie Miller 75-82-75-78—310
Jack Forrester 77-76-75-83—311
Ted Longworth 74-82-73-82—311
Macdonald Smith 77-78-80-76—311
Willie Hunter Jr. 76-77-76-83—312
Jack Burke Sr. 77-80-74-81—312
Willie Macfarlane 79-78-76-79—312
Leonard Schmutte 73-75-89-75—312
Tom Boyd 79-80-74-80—313
Emerick Kocsis 79-76-77-81—313
Frank Ball 78-81-80-75—314
Johnny Golden 79-79-78-78—314
Willie Klein 81-78-77-78—314
Jack Sabol 76-78-79-81—314
Al Watrous 80-79-78-77—314
Dan Williams 78-76-78-82—314
Albert Alcroft 80-78-80-78—316
Jim Foulis 81-78-81-76—316
Harry Hampton 78-78-79-81—316
Jimmy Thomson 77-79-79-81—316
Bobby Cruickshank 75-81-83-78—317
Thomas Harmon 79-78-79-81—317
Larry Nabholtz 74-81-76-86—317
a-George Dawson 75-80-86-77—318
a-Johnny Goodman 75-80-78-85—318
Thomas Hughes 80-79-77-82—318
Fred Baroni 77-81-84-77—319
George Christ 78-74-82-85—319
a-Roland Mackenzie 78-79-84-78—319
Harry Cooper 78-81-78-83—320
Emmet French 76-78-80-86—320
Jack Leach 79-78-83-80—320
Arthur Andrews 76-79-82-84—321
Bill Mehlhorn 81-77-82-82—322
Tom Raklets 83-76-83-80—322
Bill Leach 79-79-80-85—323
Arthur Ham 79-79-83-83—324
Clarence Gamber 76-81-86-82—325
Rocky Rich 80-79-81-85—325
Neil Christian 77-81-85-83—326
Charles MacAndrew 78-80-88-83—329
a-Charles Clare 76-80-87-79—322

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