The Cape Cod Open was a golf event in the early 1930s. The tournament was held at Eastward Ho!, a links course in

Chatham, Massachusetts Chatham () is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. Chatham is located at the southeast tip of Cape Cod and has historically been a fishing community. First settled by the English in 1664, the township was originally called M ...

on the

Cape Cod Peninsula Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mon ...

. The event was generally known for its strong fields and windy weather. The first event, won by English golfer

Jim Barnes James Martin Barnes (April 8, 1886 – May 24, 1966) was an English golfer and a leading figure in the early years of professional golf in the United States. He is one of three native Britons (with Tommy Armour and Rory McIlroy) to win three di ...

in 1930, was later deemed to be an official

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...

win.

History

The first event was held in 1930. It was hosted by Eastward Ho! in

. ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' featured a full-length preview of the inaugural event. The journalist W.A. Whitcomb deemed that the amateur

Jess Sweetser Jesse William Sweetser (April 18, 1902 – May 27, 1989) was an amateur golfer, best known as the first American-born player to win the British Amateur. Early life Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Sweetser later attended Phillips Exeter Academy and ...

and professional

Joe Turnesa Joseph R. Turnesa (January 31, 1901 – July 15, 1991) was an American professional golfer. Early life Turnesa was born in New York, New York. He was one of seven famous golfing brothers: Phil (1896–1987), Frank (1898–1949), Joe (1901–1 ...

were the favorites because they had the two lowest scores of all-time at the course. Other notable golfers scheduled to play were

Francis Ouimet Francis DeSales Ouimet () (May 8, 1893 – September 2, 1967) was an American amateur golfer who is frequently referred to as the "father of amateur golf" in the United States. He won the U.S. Open in 1913 and was the first non-Briton elected ...

and

Johnny Farrell John Joseph Farrell (April 1, 1901 – June 14, 1988) was an American professional golfer, best known for winning the U.S. Open in 1928. Over the course of his career, he won 22 PGA Tour events. Early life Born in White Plains, New York, Farrel ...

. The event was sanctioned by the Massachusetts Golf Association. It was intended to be 72-holes-long and held over two days, on Friday August 22 and Saturday August 23. The purse was $900. There were more than 60 players at the event. Late in the week, it was announced that

and

Bobby Cruickshank Robert Allan Cruickshank (16 November 1894 – 27 August 1975) was a prominent professional golfer from Scotland. He competed in the PGA of America circuit in the 1920s and 1930s, the forerunner of the PGA Tour. Early life Born in Grantown-on-S ...

were "among the late entries" for the tournament. On Friday, the tournament began. It was reported by the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. n ...

that a "strong northeast wind raised havoc with the scores." Barnes and Turnesa held the first round lead at 76. After a second round 73, Barnes was the solo leader. He held a seven-stroke lead over Silas Newton. Turnesa, Jack Curley, and Sweetser followed them respectively. In the third round, Barnes shot an 80 but playing against a "fierce northeast wind and rainstorm" it was enough to maintain the lead. In the final round, he shot a 76, the second best round of the day, to finish at 305 to defeat Sweetser by 12 shots. Curley finished at 319, in solo third place. The second Cape Cod Open was held the following August. According to the

, there was again a "strong field" as well as challenging, "wind-swept" weather. The event was two rounds long.

opened the tournament with a "brilliant" 33 on the outward half and ultimately scored a first round 72. He recorded a second round 78 to win. He defeated Charles McAndrew of

Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy ( ) is a coastal U.S. city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county and a part of Metropolitan Boston as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in 2020 was 101,636, making ...

by one shot. The third and final event was played at Eastward Ho! in August 1932. There were 77 players in the field. Defending champion

"was unable to play because of illness." Conditions were relatively similar as previous years with "heavy showers" and "gale swept" winds. Roland Hancock, a club pro from Unicorn Club in

Stoneham, Massachusetts Stoneham ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, nine miles (14.5 km) north of downtown Boston. Its population was 23,244 at the 2020 census. Its proximity to major highways and public transportation offer convenient access to Bos ...

, shot a one-over-par 73 to take the solo lead. He led by one over Jim Shephard,

, and Tom Kerrigan. Other notable names near the lead included

Ted Bishop Edward L. Bishop is a Canadian writer and academic. A professor of English literature and film studies at the University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edm ...

Mike Turnesa Michael C. Turnesa (June 9, 1907 – October 31, 2000) was one of seven golfing brothers: Phil (1896–1987), Frank (1898–1949), Joe (1901–1991), Mike (1907–2000), Doug (1909–1972), Jim (1912–1971), and Willie (1914–2001). All but W ...

, Jack Curley,

Leo Diegel Leo Harvey Diegel (April 20, 1899 – May 5, 1951) was an American professional golfer of the 1920s and early 1930s. He captured consecutive PGA Championships, played on the first four Ryder Cup teams, and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fa ...

, and

. In the second and final round, Curley shot a 71 (−1) to defeat Hancock by one shot. Farrell and Kerrigan finished another shot back at 149. A fourth tournament was scheduled for 1933. However, it was cancelled days before the event was supposed to begin. This event is different from the modern Cape Cod Open founded in 1992. That event is now entitled the Jim & Lois Gaquin Memorial Cape Cod Open.

Winners

References

{{reflist Golf in Massachusetts Defunct golf tournaments 1930 establishments in Massachusetts 1932 disestablishments in Massachusetts