Willie Anderson, three-time defending champion and club pro at Onwentsia, was the heavy favorite.[3] He trailed Alex Smith by two strokes after the first 36 holes on Thursday,[4] and by three after the third round on Friday morning, but an 84 that afternoon dropped him to a distant fifth. Smith posted rounds of 73-74-73-75 for 295, a U.S. Open record and the first sub-300 winning score. Not only did his brother Willie finish in second, his brother-in-law James Maiden tied for third.[1]
Smith's win marked the end of a streak where Scottish-born players won seven consecutive major championships.
For the first time, no player from the inaugural U.S. Open in 1895 participated. Horace Rawlins, the first champion, had played in every edition until this year.