2014 Exclusive British Open Week Auction Featuring Stranahan Medals
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/20/2014
1951 US Open Tie For 5th Amateur 10k Medal - Oakland Hills - Frank Stranahan
To conquer the field of 162 golfers competing in the 1951 United States Open meant that you had to be a player of supreme talent it also required that you achieve at the long, narrow and rugged Oakland Hills Country Club. Ben Hogan did, in what he claimed was his greatest round of golf. Hogan was one of only two players to break par on the week shooting 67 on Sunday to claim the Open Championship.Frank Stranaahan also did to a far lesser extent that week as one of the 54 players to make the cut. His score of 306 aggregate was good for a tie for 42 place overall, and a tie for 5th low amateur. For his amateur efforts Stranahan received the 10k gold stamped medal offered in this lot from the United States Golf Association. Verso of medal is engraved:
1951 Open
Championship
Oakland Hills
Country Club
Birmingham, Mich.
Tie for 5th Amateur
Score - 306
Frank Stranahan
1 1/2" diameter
For nearly 20 years Frank Stranahan dominated the landscapes of golf, weightlifting, women, and even the heads of the Masters Tournament. Winning over 70 amateur tournaments wasn’t enough for this ‘Toledo Strongman’; on regular basis he would compete against and beat the day’s professionals including Hogan, Nelson and Snead. As a finalist in over a dozen national championships he won an astounding seven! Frankie was runner-up in five other major championships, including the British Amateur, the Masters Tournament, The Open Championship, and the U.S. Amateur. He won two major championships in the 1948 and 1950 British Amateurs. Throw in 3 Walker Cup Team Victories and this man was untouchable, the greatest amateur anyone had seen since Bobby Jones made his way around the fairways. This world travelling playboy and son of the founder of Champion Sparkplugs competed in over 200 tournaments across multiple continents, leaving his mark wherever he went.
The Golf Auction's Exclusive July Auction will end on July 20th, 2014 at 7:00pm EST with extended bidding to follow.
Please note: The British Open Week Auction Extended Bidding rules have changed. In this auction, extended bidding will continue after 7:00pm EST on July 20th until no items have received a bid within a 15 minute time period. All lots are free to be bid on until extended bidding has ended.
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