Starting from the Beginning of the US Open History
When we go back to the beginning of the US Open History we have to go to October 4th of 1895. This is when the first tournament happened and it was a 36 hole event on a 9 hole course in Rhode Island. This first tournament was delayed one month due to a very large Yacht race called the America’s Cup.
The tournament did not become popular until Francis Ouimet upset Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in 1913. At this point the tournament started to gain some serious popularity and began to gain important in the United States. This is when the American born players began to dominate the tournament completely.
Continuing with the US Open History
Bobby Jones was another one that was able to help put the US Open on the map when he won it four times as an amateur. In 1922 tickets to watch the tournament were sold for the first time in US Open History. Two years later the USGA introduced sectional qualifying because there were too many people entering the tournament.
The last amateur player to win in US Open History was John Goodmen in 1933. He was the fifth of the amateurs to win the tournament and he joined the list that included Ouiment, Jerome D. Travers, Charles Evans Jr., and of course Bobby Jones. This is a pretty good list to be a part of and Goodman was the last to join it.
Ben Hogan won 4 times in US Open History and there have been many historic wins in the history of the tournament. Jack Nicklaus also won four times and the two are half of the golfers that have won the tournament four times in total. This is a pretty amazing feat considering that only four men have ever accomplished it.
In 1954 they roped off the course for the first time in US Open History and this was also the first time it was nationally televised. This did not include the entire tournament, but in 1977 ABC Sports expanded the coverage to include the last two full rounds of the tournament. It was not until 1982 when they started to broadcast the entire tournament from beginning to end. NBC took over in 1995 and they have had the contract ever since.
The Tournament has changed formats many times and it has gone from a 36 hole tournament to a 72 hole championship. It also used to be only a two day tournament and now it covers four days. They even used to play 18 holes the first two days, then 36 on the final day until 1965. In 2002 they use the two-tee start for the first time during the first two rounds and they played the course on the first public course in US Open History.
A Full List of the US Open History of Winners
U.S. Open Champions
Year – Champion – Course
• 2010 – Graeme McDowell, Pebble Beach Golf Links
• 2009 – Lucas Glover, Bethpage State Park – Black Course
• 2008 – Tiger Woods, Torrey Pines – South Course
• 2007 – Angel Cabrera, Oakmont Country Club
• 2006 – Geoff Ogilvy, Winged Foot Golf Club
• 2005 – Michael Campbell, Pinehurst No. 2
• 2004 – Retief Goosen, Shinnecock Hills Golf Course
• 2003 – Jim Furyk, Olympia Fields Country Club
• 2002 – Tiger Woods, Bethpage State Park Black Course
• 2001 – Retief Goosen, Southern Hills Country Club
• 2000 – Tiger Woods, Pebble Beach Golf Links
• 1999 – Payne Stewart, Pinehurst No. 2
• 1998 – Lee Janzen, The Olympic Club
• 1997 – Ernie Els, Congressional Country Club
• 1996 – Steve Jones, Oakland Hills Country Club
• 1995 – Corey Pavin, Shinnecock Hills G.C.
• 1994 – Ernie Els, Oakmont Country Club
• 1993 – Lee Janzen, Baltusrol Golf Club
• 1992 – Tom Kite, Pebble Beach Golf Links
• 1991 – Payne Stewart, Hazeltine National Golf Club
• 1990 – Hale Irwin, Medinah Country Club
• 1989 – Curtis Strange, Oak Hill Country Club
• 1988 – Curtis Strange, The Country Club
• 1987 – Scott Simpson, The Olympic Club
• 1986 – Ray Floyd, Shinnecock Hills Golf Course
• 1985 – Andy North, Oakland Hills Country Club
• 1984 – Fuzzy Zoeller, Winged Foot Golf Course
• 1983 – Larry Nelson, Oakmont Country Club
• 1982 – Tom Watson, Pebble Beach Golf Links
• 1981 – David Graham, Merion Golf Club
• 1980 – Jack Nicklaus, Baltusrol Golf Club
• 1979 – Hale Irwin, Inverness Club
• 1978 – Andy North, Cherry Hills Country Club
• 1977 – Hubert Green, Southern Hills C.C.
• 1976 – Jerry Pate, Atlanta Athletic Club
• 1975 – Lou Graham, Medinah Country Club
• 1974 – Hale Irwin, Winged Foot Golf Club
• 1973 – Johnny Miller, Oakmont Country Club
• 1972 – Jack Nicklaus, Pebble Beach Golf Links
• 1971 – Lee Trevino, Merion Golf Club
• 1970 – Tony Jacklin, Hazeltine National Golf Club
• 1969 – Orville Moody, Champions Golf Club
• 1968 – Lee Trevino, Oak Hill Country Club
• 1967 – Jack Nicklaus, Baltusrol G.C.
• 1966 – Billy Casper, Olympic Club
• 1965 – Gary Player, Bellerive Country Club
• 1964 – Ken Venturi, Congressional Country Club
• 1963 – Julius Boros, The Country Club
• 1962 – Jack Nicklaus, Oakmont Country Club
• 1961 – Gene Littler, Oakland Hills Country Club
• 1960 – Arnold Palmer, Cherry Hills Country Club
• 1959 – Billy Casper, Winged Foot Golf Club
• 1958 – Tommy Bolt, Southern Hills Country Club
• 1957 – Dick Mayer, Inverness Club
• 1956 – Cary Middlecoff, Oak Hill Country Club
• 1955 – Jack Fleck, Olympic Club
• 1954 – Ed Furgol, Baltusrol Golf Club
• 1953 – Ben Hogan, Oakmont Country Club
• 1952 – Julius Boros, Northwood Club
• 1951 – Ben Hogan, Oakland Hills Country Club
• 1950 – Ben Hogan, Merion Golf Club
• 1949 – Cary Middlecoff, Medinah Country Club
• 1948 – Ben Hogan, Riviera Country Club
• 1947 – Lew Worsham, St. Louis Country Club
• 1946 – Lloyd Mangrum, Canterbury Golf Club
• 1942-45 – Tournament was not played due to World War II
• 1941 – Craig Wood, Colonial Country Club
• 1940 – Lawson Little, Canterbury Golf Club
• 1939 – Byron Nelson, Philadelphia Country Club
• 1938 – Ralph Guldahl, Cherry Hills Club
• 1937 – Ralph Guldahl, Oakland Hills Country Club
• 1936 – Tony Manero, Baltusrol Golf Club
• 1935 – Sam Parks Jr., Oakmont Country Club
• 1934 – Olin Dutra, Merion Cricket Club
• 1933 – Johnny Goodman, North Shore Golf Club
• 1932 – Gene Sarazen, Fresh Meadow Country Club
• 1931 – Billy Burke, Inverness Club
• 1930 – Bobby Jones, Interlachen Country Club
• 1929 – Bobby Jones, Winged Foot Golf Club
• 1928 – Johnny Farrell, Olympia Fields Country Club
• 1927 – Tommy Armour, Oakmont Country Club
• 1926 – Bobby Jones, Scioto Country Club
• 1925 – William MacFarlane, Worcester Country Club
• 1924 – Cyril Walker, Oakland Hills Country Club
• 1923 – Bobby Jones, Inwood Country Club
• 1922 – Gene Sarazen, Skokie Country Club
• 1921 – James M. Barnes, Columbia Country Club
• 1920 – Edward Ray, Inverness Club
• 1919 – Walter Hagen, Brae Burn Country Club
• 1917-18 – Tournament was not played due to World War I
• 1916 – Charles Evans Jr., Minikahda Club
• 1915 – Jerome Travers, Baltusrol Golf Club
• 1914 – Walter Hagen, Midlothian Country Club
• 1913 – Francis Ouimet, The Country Club
• 1912 – John McDermott, Country Club of Buffalo
• 1911 – John McDermott, Chicago Golf Club
• 1910 – Alex Smith, Philadelphia Cricket Club
• 1909 – George Sargent, Englewood Golf Club
• 1908 – Fred McLeod, Myopia Hunt Club
• 1907 – Alex Ross, Philadelphia Cricket Club
• 1906 – Alex Smith, Onwentsia Club
• 1905 – Willie Anderson, Myopia Hunt Club
• 1904 – Willie Anderson, Glen View Club
• 1903 – Willie Anderson, Baltusrol Golf Club
• 1902 – Laurence Auchterlonie, Garden City Golf Club
• 1901 – Willie Anderson, Myopia Hunt Club
• 1900 – Harry Vardon, Chicago Golf Club
• 1899 – Willie Smith, Baltimore Country Club
• 1898 – Fred Herd, Myopia Hunt Club
• 1897 – Joe Lloyd, Chicago Golf Club
• 1896 – James Foulis, Shinnecock Hills Golf Course
• 1895 – Horace Rawlins, Newport Country Club
Now you have everything you should need to talk about the US Open Golf Championship in an intelligent way. It is important to golf and you really need to know that the US Open History is very important to everybody in the golf world.
