Sporting Highlights for 1946
Here are some of the sporting highlights in the world of sport for 1946. France, still recovering from the war, did not hold a Tour de France event this year. It was supposed to be the year of the quadrennial FIFA World Cup event but was canceled due to the Second World War. The event resumed four years later in 1950. Commonwealth Games (British Empire Games) were also due to be held, but were also postponed until 1950.
It was the first time the three grand slam events, Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, returned after a five year hiatus due to World War II. John Bromwich, the Australian, won the Australian Open for the second time and his second career title. Jack Kramer, who had a short stellar career took the US Open for his first career title and followed it up with two slam wins the next year.
Pauline Betz won the women's Wimbledon and US Open that year for her fourth and fifth career grand slam titles. Margaret Osborne duPont, the six time women's grand slam winner, won her first slam at the French Open that year.
It was the first time all major golf championships were conducted after a six year span in which one or more majors were canceled due to the Second World War. Ben Hogan the nine-time major winner, who has won multiple majors three times in his career, won the PGA Championship for his first career major title.
In women's golf, Louise Suggs, the 11-time major champion, won the Women's Western Open for her first career major and took the Titleholders Championship the same year for her second major win.
At an FA Cup Quarter-final second-leg tie clash between Stoke and Bolton Wanderers, the Burnden Park football stadium was over-crowded. When the crowd pressed forward on the embankment, two metal crush barriers broke leading to a crush that killed 33 fans and injured another 400.
Below is a timeline of some significant results in the world of sport for the year 1946.
| Date | Results |
|---|---|
| Jan | Tennis Australia Open won by Jack Bromwich and Nancye Bolton |
| April | Golf Masters won by Herman Keiser |
| May | Tennis French Open won by Marcel Bernard and Margaret Osborne |
| June | Golf US Open won by Lloyd Mangrum |
| July | Tennis Wimbledon won by Yvon Petra and Pauline Betz |
| July | Golf The Open Championship won by Sam Snead. |
| Aug | Golf US PGA won by Ben Hogan |
| Sep | Tennis US National Championship won by Jack Kramer and Pauline Betz |
| Oct | The Baseball World Series won by St. Louis Cardinals |
Please note that the dates for past events are not always known, and are sometimes just placed in the month that the current event is held. If no exact date is listed, then it is just an estimated month that it was held.
If you have a correction or know of events that should be included here, please let me know.
Related Pages
- Timeline (all years) in the world of sport
- For future sporting events, see the Calendar of Major Sporting Events
- More about the World of Sport
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