1902 U.S. Open (golf)


The 1902 U.S. Open was the eighth U.S. Open, held October 10–11 at Garden City Golf Club in Garden City, New York, on Long Island, east of New York City. Laurie Auchterlonie established a new 72-hole U.S. Open scoring record to win his only major title, six strokes ahead of Stewart Gardner and amateur Walter Travis.
Auchterlonie posted rounds of 78-78-74-77 and became the first in U.S. Open history to card four sub-80 rounds. His 307 total was six shots better than the previous championship record, set by Harry Vardon in 1900.
Clear skies greeted the field on Friday for the first two rounds. The weather worsened on Saturday, with cloudy skies in the morning and a pouring rain in the afternoon. The adverse playing conditions didn't seen to affect the scoring; in fact many players played well in the final round in the rain. John Shippen, playing out of Marine Field Club in New York, became the first American-born player to finish in the money in a U.S. Open.
The improvement in scores were in large part due to the introduction of the Haskell golf ball, which soon replaced the gutta-percha ball as the prominent golf ball in use.

Past champions in the field

Source:
Did not play: Harry Vardon, Joe Lloyd.

Round summaries

First round

Friday, October 10, 1902
PlacePlayerCountryScore
1Jack Campbell77
2Laurie Auchterlonie78
T3Willie Anderson79
T3Arthur Griffiths79
T3Jack Park79
T3Alex Smith79
T3Harry Turpie79
T8David Brown80
T8Donald Ross80
T8Charles Thorn80

Source:

Second round

Friday, October 10, 1902
PlacePlayerCountryScore
1Laurie Auchterlonie78-78=156
2Stewart Gardner82-76=158
3Alex Ross80-83=160
T4Willie Anderson79-82=161
T4Willie Smith82-79=161
6Charles Thorn80-82=162
7Donald Ross80-83=163
T8David Hunter83-81=164
T8John Shippen83-81=164
T8Walter Travis 82-82=164
T8Harry Turpie79-85=164

Source:

Third round

Saturday, October 11, 1902
PlacePlayerCountryScore
1Laurie Auchterlonie78-78-74=230
2Stewart Gardner82-76-77=235
3Willie Anderson79-82-76=237
T4John Shippen83-81-75=239
T4Walter Travis 82-82-75=239
T6Donald Ross80-83-78=241
T6Willie Smith82-79-80=241
T8Jack Campbell77-87-79=243
T8Charles Thorn80-82-80=242
T8Harry Turpie79-85-78=242

Source:

Final round

Saturday, October 11, 1902
PlacePlayerCountryScoreMoney
1Laurie Auchterlonie78-78-74-77=307200
T2Stewart Gardner82-76-77-78=313150
T2Walter Travis 82-82-75-74=3130
4Willie Smith82-79-80-75=316125
T5Willie Anderson79-82-76-81=31890
T5John Shippen83-81-75-79=31890
7Charles Thorn80-82-80-77=31970
8Harry Turpie79-85-78-78=32050
9Donald Ross80-83-78-81=32240
10Alex Ross83-77-84-79=32330

Source:
Amateurs: Travis, Murphy, Watson, Livingston, Seeley,
Lockwood, Macdonald, Croker.