1920 U.S. Open (golf)

The 1920 U.S. Open was the 24th U.S. Open, held August 12–13 at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.

Isle of Jersey natives Harry Vardon and Ted Ray played in their first U.S. Open since their playoff loss to Francis Ouimet in 1913. The 50-year-old Vardon, the champion twenty years earlier in 1900, held a five-stroke lead with just five holes to play. He then proceeded to three-putt three holes in a row, then double-bogeyed the 17th after finding the water. He shot 42 (+6) on the second nine, giving him a 78 (+7) for the round and 296 total (+12), and finished in a tie for second, one stroke back. Ray also struggled in the final round, with four bogeys on the back nine. But he parred the 18th, giving him 295 total and a one-stroke victory over runners-up Vardon, Jock Hutchison, Leo Diegel, and Jack Burke Sr.^[1][4]

This Open marked the first appearance by Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Tommy Armour, and Johnny Farrell. Between them, they won eight of the next twelve U.S. Opens. This Open returned to the two-day format, with the first two rounds played on the same day; the three-day schedule was permanently adopted for 1926 and the present four-day schedule was first used in 1965.

The 1920 Open was also notable for its treatment of professional players. Prior to this tournament, only amateur players could use the clubhouse facilities of the host course at important events. Professional golfers were viewed as club employees rather than members and thus were forced to enter the clubhouse (if needed) using the back door and could not change clothes or shower there. Officials in Toledo were aware of how attitudes towards professionals were changing in other sports and convinced the USGA and the Inverness Club membership to allow all players to use the clubhouse during the tournament. Eleven years later, when the U.S. Open returned to Inverness, opening the clubhouse had become standard practice; as a token of gratitude for their forward thinking, qualifying pros took up a collection and donated a grandfather clock which remains in the clubhouse.

At the age of 43 years and 138 days, Ray became the oldest U.S. Open champion, a record he held for 66 years, until Raymond Floyd, a few months older, won in 1986. Julius Boros was also 43 when he won in 1963. Hale Irwin set the current record in 1990 at age 45.

This was the first of six major championships at Inverness, which later hosted the U.S. Open in 1931, 1957, and 1979. The PGA Championship was played at the course in 1986 and 1993.