[7][8] Through 54 holes, Snead and Guldahl trailed Ed Dudley by a stroke.

During the final round on Saturday afternoon, Dudley shot a 76 and fell out of contention, while Snead birdied the last to finish with a 71 and a 283 total.

Guldahl, playing well behind Snead, holed a 65-foot (20 m) putt for eagle at 8, then a birdie from 25 feet (8 m) at 9.

[5][9] Two years earlier, Guldahl had become so frustrated with the game that he quit to become a carpenter.

For Snead, age 25, this tournament was just the beginning of a hard-luck career in the U.S. Open; he finished runner-up four times at the only major he never won.