Why isn’t a back-to-back winner of the US Open not in the World Golf Hall of Fame!

“Did You Know”
Why isn’t a back-to-back winner of the US Open not in the World Golf Hall of Fame!

Johnny McDermott was the first American born golfer to win the United States Open. He accomplished that rare feat in 1911 and then he did it again in 1912.

John Joseph McDermott was born in West Philadelphia August 12, 1891. As the age of nine he began caddying at the Aronimink Golf Club, which was then in Philadelphia not far from his home. Walter Reynolds, the Aronimink golf professional, saw McDermott’s potential and taught him the art of making golf clubs. McDermott created some rudimentary golf holes in a field near the course where he practiced with his closest friends.

By the summer of 1907 McDermott was playing in and winning the Philadelphia caddy championship with a scratch handicap. One year later, at the age of 17, he was playing in the 1908 Philadelphia Open as the professional at Merchantville Golf Club. And the year after that, while still only 17, he was playing in the US Open at Englewood, New Jersey, where he made the cut, but out of the money.

In 1910 the US Open was in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Cricket Club on a Friday and Saturday in the middle of June, with 36 holes each day. The Cricket Club had a new golf professional that year, a four-time US Open winner Willie Anderson.  In 1907 the Club had hosted the tournament amid much criticism. The golf course had been in poor condition, with bumpy greens and ragged cups that caused golf balls to hang on the edges. Playing in his fourteenth US Open and having finished in the top five eleven times, Anderson knew what a US Open golf course should look like. After each round he had the greens and fairways rolled.

With 18 holes to play McDermott held a two-stroke lead, but Alex Smith with a 73 and Alex’ youngest brother, Macdonald caught him with a 71. That left the tournament in a three-way tie for the title. With Pennsylvania’s “Blue Laws” in place there were no organized sporting events allowed on Sundays. (Pennsylvania’s “Blue Laws” were as set of laws that restricted activities on Sundays to allow people to rest and worship.)  An 18-hole playoff was held on Monday at 2:30. Alex Smith put together his lowest round of the tournament, a 71, to win by four strokes. With a 75 McDermott finished second and Macdonald Smith took 77 strokes.

The following year McDermott won the 1911 US Open at the Chicago Golf Club in another three-way playoff.  He successfully defended his US Open title in Buffalo the next year, winning the 1912 US Open. In winning, he became the first person to finish under par for the 72 holes of a US Open. McDermott had now come within one stroke of winning three straight US Opens.

In 1913 McDermott became one of the first two American born golfers to play in a British Open, where he tied for fifth. He returned home in time to play in the 72-hole Philadelphia Open on Merion Golf Club’s new East Course, winning it for a third time. In mid August he finished third in the Metropolitan Open.

The United States Golf Association moved the US Open from June to September in 1913, so the Europeans could enter, and the very best did.  As a preview to the US Open the second annual Shawnee Open was held at Shawnee-on-Delaware, PA in late August. With the great British players in the field, McDermott won by eight strokes.

The US Open, still 72 holes in two days, was at the Country Club in Brookline, MA. For a third time there was a three-way tie for the title. American born amateur Francis Ouimet was the victor over the British greats, Harry Vardon and Ted Ray. McDermott finished four strokes back in eighth place. With soft greens from wet weather, McDermott’s low flight approach shots that usually took one long skip before stopping, stopped on a dime and gathered mud. With cleaning your golf ball on the green not allowed at that time, putting a muddy ball made scoring difficult.

One month later in October McDermott won the 1913 Western Open in Memphis by seven strokes, against a quality field. At that time the Western Open was the second most important golf tournament in the United States. Today it would be called a “Major”. Professionals like Freddie McLeod, Macdonald Smith, Tom McNamara and Tom Brady were there.

In March 1914 McDermott finished second at the North and South Open at Pinehurst to Wilmington Country Club (DE) professional Gil Nicholls, twice a runner-up in the US Open. In June McDermott was in Scotland for the British Open. Through some confusion he missed his starting time for the qualifying rounds. He headed home to the states on the Kaiser Wilhelm II, which in heavy fog struck a grain freighter. The ship made it back to port and McDermott headed home on another ship.

McDermott was home in time to defend his title at the Shawnee Open, but he didn’t enter the tournament, or the Metropolitan Open. In August he played in the US Open in Chicago, tying for ninth. Four days later the Western Open was in Minneapolis where McDermott was the defending champion, but he wasn’t there. In mid September he tied for seventh in the Philadelphia Open.

In October McDermott collapsed in his golf shop at the Atlantic City Country Club with a mental breakdown. Except for an attempted comeback in 1925 when he entered four tournaments without success, his competitive golf was over at the age of 23. The remainder of his life was spent in mental institutions.    

In the short span of four years McDermott won two US Opens, a Western Open, a Shawnee Open and three Philadelphia Opens, along with having high finishes in important tournaments. John J. McDermott was one of the first members of the PGA Hall of Fame.

Johnny McDermott should be in the World Golf Hall of Fame.