Playoff
All three players shot even-par 72 during the first 18 holes on Sunday morning, which forced another 18-hole playoff in the afternoon. At the 9th, Mangrum nearly shot himself out of contention with an out of bounds tee shot, but a 70-foot (21 m) putt for bogey allowed him to minimize the damage. Nelson and Ghezzi were tied at the turn, with Mangrum two back. But Mangrum then collected two birdies, while Nelson bogeyed 13 and Ghezzi recorded bogeys at 14 and 15. Mangrum took a two-stroke lead with a birdie at 16, and despite a bogey-bogey finish, his 72 was good enough to hold off Nelson and Ghezzi by a stroke.
The purse was $8,000 and the winner's share was $1,500. The three participants received a playoff bonus of $333 each.
Nelson possibly cost himself the championship in the third round when his caddie accidentally kicked his ball and he was assessed a stroke penalty. Two months after the championship, Nelson announced his retirement from competitive golf.
Read more about this topic: 1946 U.S. Open (golf)