Men's Golf US Open History

The U.S. Open is one of four major championships in golf, with the others being the Masters, the British Open and the PGA Championship. The tradition of the U.S. Open, which is held annually in mid-June, dates back more than a century. The tournament is always played on among the most hallowed and challenging courses in the United States, and its list of champions includes some of the greatest names in golf history.

  1. First U.S. Open

    • The first U.S. Open was played on Oct. 4, 1895, on the nine-hole course of Newport Golf and Country Club in Rhode Island. It was put on by the U.S. Golf Association, as it continues to be. The field included 10 professionals and one amateur who played 36 holes on that one single day. The winner was 21-year-old Englishman Horace Rawlins, who won $150 for his efforts. The total purse size was $335. In 1898 the tournament was extended to 72 holes played over two days, and in 1965 the current format of four 18-hole rounds was adopted.

    Americans Take Over

    • In its early years the U.S. Open was dominated by Brits. But as Americans rose to prominence in the game, the U.S. Open started to attract better players from all over the world. In 1911, John J. McDermott became the tournament's first native-born American winner. He won again in 1912, and the next year 20-year-old American amateur Francis Ouimet beat two well-known British professionals. Americans have mostly dominated the tournament ever since. Since 1950, players from only five countries other than the United States have won, with South Africa claiming five titles since 1965. No European player has won since 1970.

    Amateurs Rule for a Short Time

    • Amateurs dominated the early years of the U.S. Open. Georgia legend Bob Jones won the tournament four times as an amateur, in 1923, 1926, 1929 and 1930. His popularity led to tickets being sold for the first time in 1922. John Goodman won the tournament as an amateur in 1933, and that was the last time a nonprofessional has won. The tournament remains open to any amateur who qualifies, but the field is limited to 156 players and the multimillion-dollar purses and prestige attract the world's best professionals.

    Great Names

    • The list of past U.S. Open champions includes the greatest golfers in the sport's history, including Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Gary Player and Tiger Woods. As of the start of the 2010 golf season, the only four-time winners are Willie Anderson, Jones, Hogan and Nicklaus. Hale Irwin (1990) is the tournament's oldest winner at 45 years, and 19-year-old John McDermott (1911) is the youngest. Woods' 12-under in 2000 is the best score recorded. Woods and Irwin have each won the tournament three times.

    Great Courses

    • Competition to host the U.S. Open is fierce, which ensures that only the best and most difficult courses are chosen. Champions have rarely scored much below par, and there have been winners who have finished over par. U.S. Open courses are usually long, with narrow fairways and thick rough, providing a true test of golf greatness. Most of golf's most legendary courses--Pebble Beach, Winged Foot, Medinah, Pinehurst, Torrey Pines and more--have hosted the tournament. Baltusrol in New Jersey and Oakmont in Pennsylvania have each hosted the tournament a record seven times.