It was the third week of June 1961, the Chattanooga Lookouts were in first place (sound familiar?) and on the way to winning the pennant and Signal Mountain golfer Ed Brantly was playing in the U.S. Open (then called the National Open championship) at Oakland Hills Country Club in Birmingham, Mich. outside of Detroit.
He would become the first Chattanooga golfer to make the cut at the U.S. Open – Gibby Gilbert would make the cut three times; in 1968 (T39), 1972 (T77), 1975 (T45) – as he tied for 27th at 16-over par, 294, 13 shots behind eventual winner Gene Littler (281).
U.S.
Open 2015: Former UTC golfer Stephan Jaeger shot a 4-over 74 in todays first round.
How He Qualified: Brantly (Baylor School '52), the 1957 Southern Amateur champion, played in two regional qualifying tournaments – Bell Meade Nashville) and East Lake (Atlanta) to make the field of 149, including 22 amateurs.
First Round – June 15: Ed Brantly shoots 5-over 75 (38-37) and is six strokes off the lead held by Bobby Brue (Wisc.) who has a 1-under, 69 (35-34) … Littler shoots a 3-over 73 and defending champion Arnold Palmer has a 4-over 74.
Brantly is tied for third low amateur with Jack Nicklaus, Coby Ware and Dick Siderowf. Also at 5-over 75 are Masters champion Gary Player, Gay Brewer and Jerry Barber, one stroke behind Billy Casper, Cary Middlecoff and Palmer.
Second Round – June 16: Brantly shoots even par 70 (75-70) to stay six strokes off the lead at 5-over 145 as Bob Rosburg and Doug Sanders are the new leaders, at 139 (72-67) … Littler is two back at 141 as is first day leader Bobby Brue. Palmer is 10 shots back of the leaders at 149.
Brantly is second low amateur behind Nicklaus who is at 144 (75-69) … while former U.S Open champs Cary Middlecoff and Julius Boros miss the cut.
Third Round – June 17: - 36 holes is the schedule for the final day … Brantly shoots a 2-over 72 in the morning for a 217, seven strokes off the lead held by Sanders (210), four back of Littler (214), but even with Sam Sneed (217), one back of Ben Hogan (216), three back of Nicklaus (214) two ahead of Palmer (219).
Fourth Round: In the afternoon, Brantly shot 7-over 77 and finishes tied for 27th, at 16-over 294 as third low amateur. Littler wins with a 281, one stroke ahead of Bb Goalby and Doug Sanders … Nicklaus is low amateur at 284, followed by Dean Beaman (287) and Brantly … Palmer finishes at 289 and Sneed at 290 ... second day co-leader Bob Rosburg finishes with 74-78 and a 72-hole score of 291 finishing 21st.
If he was a pro, Brantly would have earned $350. Littler took home a winners’ check worth $14,000
Driving in Style: “Several of us played in a tournament in Pennsylvania prior to the U.S. Open and a friend of mine Pete Green lived in Detroit and loaned me a Cadillac for the week with the agreement that I would drive it to Indianapolis after the Open and then I would fly to Knoxville for the Southern Open.
“That sounded like a nice trade out to me to have a great car to drive for a week.”
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net