• Source: Massachusetts Open

      • The Massachusetts Open is the Massachusetts state open golf tournament. The brothers Donald Ross and Alex Ross had much success early in the tournament's history, winning the first eight events between them. In the mid-1910s, the Massachusetts Golf Association opened the event to golfers outside the state. The tournament evolved into an event of national significance as legendary golfers like Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, and Byron Nelson won during the era. In the 1940s, the event evolved into more of a local affair though many of the top pros from Massachusetts played. In the late 20th and early 21st century, PGA Tour pros from the state like Paul Harney, Dana Quigley, and Geoffrey Sisk won the event several times each.


      History


      The early years of the tournament were dominated by the brothers Donald Ross and Alex Ross. Donald Ross won the first tournament, held at Vesper Country Club, defeating amateur Arthur G. Lockwood by a shot. His brother Alex won the next three events. In 1909, however, Donald Ross opened with the lead after the first three rounds. He possessed a four stroke lead over his brother entering the final round. However, Donald had several high scores early and lost the lead to Alex by the 4th hole. Alex had a two-stroke lead entering the 72nd hole but there were "visions of a tie and play-off when [he] got into trouble at the home hole." However, he managed to score a 5 to defeat his brother by one. The following year, at Essex Country Club, Alex Ross scored 305 to win for the 5th straight year, "a unique happening in the history of golf," according to The Boston Globe. The paper referred to it as "the best golf" ever played at the event. In 1911, the championship was held at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. In preparation for the event, the Boston Evening Transcript deemed Alex Ross the favorite again. However, it was his brother, Donald, who won the event. It was considered an even more "remarkable victory" as Ross had not played golf at all during the year, busy with his duties as a golf course designer. "Just taking a little vacation to play a few rounds of golf and to meet the boys," he said after the event. Donald Ross elected not to defend his championship the following year though. At the 1912 event, held at Oakley Country Club in Watertown, Massachusetts, Alex was the wire-to-wire leader and was victorious for the sixth time.
      In mid-1910s, the tournament began to evolve into an event of national significance. In 1915, the Massachusetts Golf Association decided to open the tournament to players from other states. Star players from outside Massachusetts like Jim Barnes and Walter Hagen decided to play. Hagen won the tournament. Hagen intended to defend his championship. Other top golfers that intended to play in the 1916 event were Alex Smith, Pat Doyle, and Macdonald Smith. However, it was Boston-born Mike Brady who won, defeating Doyle in an 18-hole playoff. Brady had much success in the 1910s and 1920s. In 1923, he won again, for the third time.
      In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the prestige of the tournament advanced. The Boston Globe noted that the 1927 tournament had "an entry list of National scope" including Walter Hagen, Johnny Farrell, and Joe Turnesa. Farrell led wire-to-wire and would go on to defeat Hagen by five. In 1928, Leo Diegel, who would win the U.S. Open a month later, recorded a "runaway" win at Wollaston Country Club, defeating the nearest competitors by 15 strokes. The following year, at Vesper Country Club, "a large field" of 96 players was at hand. Recent U.S. Amateur champion Jesse Guilford opened with a course record 70 to take lead. He led for the remainder of the tournament and defeated Mike Brady and Charles MacAndrew by two. The 1931 Massachusetts Open, held at Worcester Country Club, included a sizable field of 85 players. Wiffy Cox defeated Willie Macfarlane down the stretch. The following year's event was held at Oyster Harbor Club in Osterville, Massachusetts. The tournament consisted of 96 players. According to The Journal, the tournament "never... contained so many nationally prominent competitors" including former champions Guilford, Farrell, and Cox. In addition, the field included star amateur Francis Ouimet who was playing in the tournament for the first time in 16 years. Ouimet won the event. The 1935 event was held at Oak Hill Country Club in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Legend Gene Sarazen shot a second round 66, breaking the course record, to take a seven shot lead. He would go on to win by 14 strokes.
      In the late 1930s, transplanted professional Harold "Jug" McSpaden had much success at the event. McSpaden was the new club pro at Winchester Country Club in Winchester, Massachusetts, newly arrived from Kansas. At the 1936 event, in his "first major Eastern start," McSpaden closed with rounds of 71 and 75 to win by one. McSpaden played in the following year's event, once again held at Oyster Harbors in Cape Cod. According to The Associated Press, he was the favorite. He opened with "brilliant" rounds of 72 and 69 to take the joint lead. McSpaden would go on to win with an even-par total, defeating home pro Gene Anderson by three strokes. The following year's final round was a "repetition" of the duel between McSpaden and Andersen from the previous year. Once again, McSpaden defeated Andersen by three strokes. He also became the first "triple winner" of the event in thirty years since Alex Ross. The following two years, McSpaden was the "favorite." Byron Nelson and Horton Smith, respectively, defeated him though. However, in 1941, again at Oyster Harbor, McSpaden closed with a 67 (−5) to defeat Paul Runyan by three. His 280 total broke the aggregate tournament record. It was his fourth and final win at the event.
      In the mid-20th century, the tournament evolved into a more local event. In the 1960s and 1970s, Paul Harney, a PGA Tour pro from Massachusetts, had much success winning the event five times. Around the turn of the century, another PGA Tour pro from Massachusetts, Geoffrey Sisk, also had repeated success, becoming the first six-time winner since Alex Ross during the inaugural years of the event.


      Winners



      Source:
      1 Denotes playoff win
      2 Now called Cape Cod Country Club


      References




      External links


      Mass Golf

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