1895 U.S. Open (golf)

1895 U.S. Open

Tournament information
Dates	October 4, 1895
Location	Newport, Rhode Island 41°27′43″N71°20′49″W / 41.462°N 71.347°W / 41.462; -71.347
Course	Newport Golf Club
Organized by	USGA
Format	Stroke play − 36 holes
Statistics
Length	5,510 yards (5,038 m) [1]
Field	11: 10 pros, 1 amateur [2]
Cut	none
Prize fund	$335
Winner's share	$150
Champion
Horace Rawlins
173
Location map
Newport Location in the United States Show map of the United States Newport Location in Rhode Island Show map of Rhode Island
1896  →

The 1895 U.S. Open was the first U.S. Open, held on Friday, October 4, at Newport Golf Club in Newport, Rhode Island. Horace Rawlins won the inaugural event, two strokes ahead of runner-up Willie Dunn. ^[3]

Eleven players began the tournament (three withdrew before play began), completing four loops around Newport's nine holes, which measured 2,755 yards (2,519 m). ^[1] At the end of the first 18-holes Willie Campbell, Willie Dunn, and James Foulis were tied for the lead with 89, with Horace Rawlins two back at 91. Rawlins shot 41 on each of the last two loops of the course to post an 82 and 173 total, two ahead of Dunn and three ahead of Foulis and Canadian Andrew Smith, the lone amateur in the field. Rawlins won a winner's share of $150 and a gold medal. ^{[1] [4]}

Background

The event was held as part of the first championship meeting of the United States Golf Association (USGA). The U.S. Amateur championship was contested by match-play and was held from October 1st to the 3rd. The Open Championship was held the following day. The two championships were held on the same course for the next two years, at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in 1896 and the Chicago Golf Club in 1897.

The USGA championships at Newport were originally scheduled for September, but were rearranged to avoid clashing with the America's Cup yacht races, held in early September. ^[5]

Course

The championship was played on the 9-hole course of the Newport Golf Club. ^[6]

Hole	Name	Yards
1	Plateau	240
2	Reef	385
3	Cop	165
4	Rock	190
5	Orchard	340
6	Quarry	485
7	Harbor	300
8	Meadow	360
9	Home	290
Total		2,755

Field

Four amateurs entered the event: Charles Blair Macdonald, Winthrop Rutherfurd, Andrew Smith and L. B. Stoddard. ^[6] However Macdonald, Rutherford and Stoddard withdrew before the event started, leaving only the Canadian amateur Andrew Smith in the event. Ten professionals entered, Newport being the only club with two entries. ^[6] It was also reported that George Strath had tried to enter. Strath had only arrived in the United States on September 28. ^[7]

Final leaderboard

Friday, October 4, 1895

Place	Player	Score	Money ($)
1	Horace Rawlins	91-82=173	150
2	Willie Dunn	89-86=175	100
T3	James Foulis	89-87=176	50
	Andrew Smith (a)	90-86=176	0
5	William Davis	94-84=178	25
6	Willie Campbell	89-90=179	10
T7	John Harland	93-90=183	0
	John Patrick	94-89=183
9	Samuel Tucker	97-88=185
10	John Reid	100-106=206
WD	Willie Norton	109

(a) denotes amateur

Scorecard

Hole	Round	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Score
Rawlins	1	4	5	4	4	6	5	7	5	5	45
	2	6	5	3	4	5	7	5	6	5	46
	3	3	5	4	4	6	7	4	3	5	41
	4	3	5	4	3	5	6	5	5	5	41
	Total										173
Dunn	1	3	5	5	4	6	5	5	5	5	43
	2	5	4	7	4	5	6	5	5	5	46
	3	5	5	4	4	6	7	4	5	4	44
	4	4	5	4	4	5	6	4	5	5	42
	Total										175

Source: ^[8]

References

1. Gola, Hank (June 15, 1995). "U.S. Open challenges golf's best". Wilmington Morning Star. (New York Daily News). p. 4C.
2. "10 pros, 1 amateur in first Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 13, 1983. p. 58.
3. "Rawlins is Champion". The Evening Star. Washington, D.C. October 25, 1895. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
4. "British dominate early history of Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 13, 1983. p. 44.
5. Gundelfinger, Phil (May 15, 1962). "The Open has grown up since 1895 Rawlins win". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 19.
6. "Now for Golf Champions". The New York Herald . September 30, 1895. p. 9 – via Newspaper.com.
7. "The Golf Championships". The New York Herald . October 1, 1895. p. 4 – via Newspaper.com.
8. "Beat the Cracks". The Boston Globe . October 5, 1895. p. 5 – via Newspaper.com.