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Johnny Farrell

United States · born , White Plains, New York, USA · died

1major championship

Summary

  • First major 1928 U.S. Open
  • Ryder Cup 3 Cups · 3-2-1 · 3.5 points (58.3%)
  • Runner-up in majors 2 times

Wins

  1. 1928 U.S. Open Olympia Fields C.C. · 294 (+10) · won a playoff against Bobby Jones

Near misses

  1. 1929 PGA Championship Hillcrest Country Club · runner-up to Leo Diegel · lost the final 6 & 4
  2. 1929 The Open Muirfield · runner-up to Walter Hagen · 298
  3. 1931 The Open Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course) · finished T5 · 299

Ryder Cup

3 Cups, 6 matches: 3 won, 2 lost, 1 halved, 3.5 points. Foursomes 2-0-1, four-ball 0-0-0, singles 1-2-0.

  1. 1927 Worcester Country Club USA · USA won 9.5–2.5 · 2-0-0, 2 points
  2. 1929 Moortown Golf Club USA · GB won 7–5 · 0-1-1, 0.5 points
  3. 1931 Scioto Country Club USA · USA won 9–3 · 1-1-0, 1 point

Rivals

Beat him

Beaten in finals and playoffs

Ryder Cup partners

Ryder Cup opponents

Next in the chain: Leo Diegel's rivals →

Moments

  1. 1927 Ryder Cup Johnny Farrell and Joe Turnesa beat George Duncan and Archie Compston 8 & 6, the biggest foursomes margin of the first Cup.

Results by championship

    Best day

    1928 U.S. Open

    Olympia Fields C.C., Matteson, IL · 294 (+10) · won a playoff against Bobby Jones (36 holes, 143–144)

    Chosen by rule: his most recent major win. Year page: 1928.

    Career line, 1927–1931

    PGA Championship
    1929 PGA Championship: runner-up to Leo Diegel
    U.S. Open
    1928 U.S. Open: won
    The Open
    1929 The Open: runner-up to Walter Hagen1931 The Open: finished T5
    Ryder Cup
    1927 Ryder Cup (USA): 2-0-01929 Ryder Cup (USA): 0-1-11931 Ryder Cup (USA): 1-1-0
    192819301932

    7 results. Hover or tap a mark; click it for the year.

    • Major win
    • Runner-up
    • Top 10
    • Ryder Cup, USA

    Johnny Farrell was born on April 1, 1901, in White Plains, New York, USA. Farrell won one major championship: the 1928 U.S. Open. Farrell played in 3 Ryder Cups for USA (1927, 1929, 1931), winning 3, losing 2 and halving 1 of 6 matches for 3.5 points.

    See Johnny Farrell in our rooms: U.S. Open, The Open, Greatest Golfer by State and Every Ground.

    Cards you pull this visit stack here. Tap one to go back to it.

    The record

    Wins in the majors (1)

    1. 1928 U.S. Open Olympia Fields C.C., Matteson, IL · 294 (+10) · won a playoff against Bobby Jones (36 holes, 143–144)

    Near misses

    Top-10 finishes are listed for The Open, the one championship with a full top 10 every year.

    1. 1929 PGA Championship Hillcrest Country Club · runner-up to Leo Diegel · lost the final 6 & 4
    2. 1929 The Open Muirfield · runner-up to Walter Hagen · 298
    3. 1931 The Open Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course) · finished T5 · 299

    U.S. Open top-10 finishes in his career: 8 (GNN U.S. Open room data).

    Ryder Cup

    Farrell played 3 Ryder Cups for USA: 6 matches, 3 won, 2 lost, 1 halved, 3.5 points (58.3% of those available). By format: foursomes 2-0-1, four-ball 0-0-0, singles 1-2-0 (won-lost-halved).

    1. 1927 Worcester Country Club USA · USA won 9.5–2.5 · 2-0-0, 2 points
    2. 1929 Moortown Golf Club USA · GB won 7–5 · 0-1-1, 0.5 points
    3. 1931 Scioto Country Club USA · USA won 9–3 · 1-1-0, 1 point

    Partners, with matches played together: Joe Turnesa (2), Gene Sarazen (1).

    PGA Championship match play

    Every recorded match in our bracket file, 1916–1957: 23 won, 16 lost, including 0 of 1 finals.

    1. 1919 Round of 32 lost to George McLean 7 & 6
    2. 1921 Round of 32 lost to Ch. Mathersele won on 40th hole
    3. 1922 Round of 64 beat Jack Campbell 6 & 5
    4. 1922 Round of 32 beat Jim Barnes 1 up
    5. 1922 Round of 16 lost to Tom Kerrigan 4 & 3
    6. 1923 Round of 64 beat Dave McKay 1 up
    7. 1923 Round of 32 beat Willie Hunter 4 & 3
    8. 1923 Round of 16 lost to Joe Kirkwood 1 up
    9. 1924 Round of 32 beat Neil Christian 2 & 1
    10. 1924 Round of 16 beat Willie Macfarlane 2 & 1
    11. 1924 Quarterfinal lost to Walter Hagen 3 & 2
    12. 1925 Round of 32 beat Wm. Creavy 6 & 4
    13. 1925 Round of 16 beat Ray Derr won on 37th hole
    14. 1925 Quarterfinal lost to Harry Cooper 2 & 1
    15. 1926 Round of 32 beat Al Watrous 6 & 5
    16. 1926 Round of 16 beat Dick Linnars 6 & 5
    17. 1926 Quarterfinal beat Harry Hampton 3 & 1
    18. 1926 Semifinal lost to Walter Hagen 6 & 5
    19. 1927 Round of 32 lost to Tommy Armour 4 & 3
    20. 1929 Round of 32 beat John Golden 1 up
    21. 1929 Round of 16 beat Henry Ciuci 2 & 1
    22. 1929 Quarterfinal beat Craig Wood won on 37th hole
    23. 1929 Semifinal beat Al Watrous 6 & 5
    24. 1929 Final lost to Leo Diegel 6 & 4
    25. 1930 Round of 32 beat Norman Smith 7 & 5
    26. 1930 Round of 16 beat Denny Shute 1 up
    27. 1930 Quarterfinal lost to Tommy Armour 2 & 1
    28. 1931 Round of 32 lost to Jim Foulis 2 up
    29. 1933 Round of 32 beat Vic Ghezzi 1 up
    30. 1933 Round of 16 beat Olin Dutra 1 up
    31. 1933 Quarterfinal beat Johnny Golden 5 & 4
    32. 1933 Semifinal lost to Gene Sarazen 5 & 4
    33. 1934 Round of 32 lost to Paul Runyan 8 & 6
    34. 1937 Round of 64 beat George Schneiter 2 up
    35. 1937 Round of 32 beat Charles Schneider 1 up
    36. 1937 Round of 16 lost to Byron Nelson 5 & 4
    37. 1938 Round of 64 lost to Ed Dudley 3 & 2
    38. 1939 Round of 64 beat Charles Schneider 1 up
    39. 1939 Round of 32 lost to Dutch Harrison 3 & 2

    Sources

    Every fact on this page comes from Golf Network News data sets compiled in October 2026 (Masters, PGA Championship, The Open, U.S. Women's Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour 2024–2026, major host sites, Champions Dinner menus, and the U.S. Open and state rooms). These are the sources those rows cite.

    1. WP: List of American Ryder Cup golfers
    2. GNN U.S. Open room (champions data)
    3. R&A 1931
    4. PGA of America 2013 media guide, p. 112
    5. Golf Compendium 1922
    6. Golf Compendium 1923
    7. Golf Compendium 1924
    8. Golf Compendium 1925
    9. Golf Compendium 1926
    10. Golf Compendium 1929
    11. PGA of America winners & venues
    12. Golf Compendium 1930
    13. Golf Compendium 1933
    14. Golf Compendium 1934
    15. Golf Compendium 1937
    16. GC: 1927 ryder cup
    17. Wikipedia: 1927 Ryder Cup
    18. GC: 1929 ryder cup
    19. Wikipedia: 1929 Ryder Cup
    20. GC: 1931 ryder cup
    21. Wikipedia: 1931 Ryder Cup