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1950 US OPEN "MIRACLE at MERION"

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Wed, Sep 12 2018 2:51 AM (0 replies)
  • CurtissAngell
    1,213 Posts
    Wed, Sep 12 2018 2:51 AM

     

    I have recreated (as close as possible) the 1950 US OPEN yardages & wind conditions from both Wikipedia (score card) and the book "MIRACLE AT MERION". When, the real yardage fell between 2 wgt tee boxes I chose the one that was closest to the real yardage used in 1950.

    This is the tool that I created to actually navigate the custom tee box settings during the advanced setup:

    NOTICE!! there is only a 3 yard difference in the total yardage wheeeeeeeee!  

    Pin placements don't exist in any records that I can find.

    The 1950 US OPEN was won by Ben Hogan in an epic feat of guts and endurance after his devastating car wreck. Many thought his comeback was near impossible and that he could never win another US Open. Back in these days the 1st round was played on Thursdays, the 2nd on Fridays, BUT on Saturday they played a total of 36 holes completing both the 3rd and 4th rounds. And in this tournament (as many US Opens in the past) there would be an 18 hole playoff to decide the winner on the following day. That's 90 holes of golf in 4 DAYS!

    Hogan had to have vascular reconstruction surgery on his legs (very dangerous in 1949) when he developed blood clots during his recovery from the car crash in February 1949. He had an extensive "pre-game" routine every morning just so he could walk 18 holes on the golf course. He soaked his legs in a hot bath for 2 hours and then wrapped his legs in elastic bandages from the groin to the ankles. He would immediately return to a hot bath as soon as possible after completing his rounds. 

    Many players and writers of the period hoped he could DO IT but the realistic view was that walking 36 holes on Saturday would "kill him" (figuratively of course). Hogan proved them all wrong and added too his already legendary career. He added 5 more major victories to his resume after his 1950 "MIRACLE at MERION".

     

    For the most recent US OPENS--2017 @ Erin Hills, 2015 Chambers Bay, 2013 Merion--  (Erin Hills will be my example), the yardages for each of the 4 rounds are available through Wikipedia. There are also very many news stories containing the wind  conditions for these tournaments as well. Once again, I'm unable to find any records of the pin placements.


    Round Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out
    Par 5 4 4 4 4 3 5 4 3 36
    1 Yards 613 330 497 451 514 252 604 490 150 3,901
    2 Yards 597 360 515 456 498 249 578 487 153 3,893
    3 Yards 609 331 516 432 504 239 613 499 123 3,866
    4 Yards 605 329 484 399 500 199 632 486 172 3,806
    Round Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
    Par 4 4 4 3 5 4 3 4 5 36 72
    1 Yards 514 451 448 227 599 368 179 526 632 3,944 7,845
    2 Yards 525 468 437 198 603 348 179 512 676 3,946 7,839
    3 Yards 521 467 465 208 599 288 214 523 667 3,952 7,818
    4 Yards 492 452 433 216 588 356 184 513 681 3,915

    7,721

    When I create the 4 round 18h Single Play tournament for my club, I will be using the custom tee settings that are closest to the yardages used in each round: if the real yardage falls between 2 wgt tee boxes I will choose the one that is closest to the real yardage. 

     


     

     

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