The U.S. Open begins its 125th iteration this Thursday as the world’s best and brightest golfers converge on Oakmont Country Club, just 20 minutes outside of Pittsburgh. Oakmont will host its record-setting 10th U.S. Open.
The first time the tournament took place at Oakmont was in 1927, when Scottish golfer Tommy Armour beat American Harry Cooper in a playoff after forcing the playoff on the final hole of regulation.
The tournament would not return back to the “inland links” until after the Great Depression had ended in 1935, when golf’s stars of the time Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen were entering the twilight of their careers. The eventual champion was Sam Parks Jr., a particularly interesting winner, who attended the University of Pittsburgh. Parks founded Pitt’s short-lived golf program and was a local professional at South Hills Golf Club who used his familiarity with the course to his advantage. It was Parks’ only major championship win and PGA Tour win.
Oakmont was created without trees, but between the second and third installments of the tournament, Oakmont planted trees across the entire course.
The tournament would then take an 18-year hiatus from Oakmont, returning for the 1953 tournament. Ben Hogan would dominate the tournament towards the end, with Hogan coming away with a six-shot victory. This was the final of the four U.S. Open Championships that Hogan would win. He would stop playing professionally at the end of the 1953 golf season.
The 1962 tournament was one of the more memorable major tournaments of the 20th century, as local legend Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus dueled for the title, with both finishing 72 holes — one under par. Nicklaus would then defeat Palmer in a playoff, winning his first of 18 major championships.
In 1973, Johnny Miller began his tournament with a respectable 71-69 start but fell six shots behind going into the last day of competition after posting a 76 in the third round. Miller then set a major championship record that stood for over 40 years, logging a 63 to win the 1973 U.S. Open by one stroke. Branden Grace’s round of 62 in the 2017 Open Championship was the first such round to score lower in a major.
Torrential rains helped Larry Nelson capture the trophy in 1983 over longtime great Tom Watson. Nelson won two other major championships — the PGA Championship in 1981 and 1987.
1994 was the last appearance for Palmer. He missed the cut while South African Ernie Els won his first of two U.S. Open Championships.
The 2007 tournament was the toughest of any U.S. Open in recent history, with the cut following the first two rounds coming in at +11. Ángel Cabrera beat both a surging Tiger Woods and a strong performance from Jim Furyk to clinch the victory. This tournament was the year that the long-standing trees were removed from the course, making the weather effects all the more punishing.
The most recent iteration of the tournament saw Dustin Johnson fire a final round of 69 and beat out Shane Lowry, who led after the first three days of competition.
Oakmont has also hosted a plethora of other major tournaments, as it has also hosted three PGA Championships, six U.S. Amateurs, two U.S. Women’s Opens and three NCAA men’s championships. The vast majority of these events, however, happened in the 20th century.
With the most entries into the opening qualifying round in U.S. Open history at 10,202 golfers, this year’s tournament offers an opportunity for another historic week at Oakmont. Eleven former champions will take on the tough course. Dustin Johnson is the only former champion at Oakmont to play this time around in what is his 18th-straight U.S. Open appearance.
Oakmont will also host the U.S. Open three more times in the near future, with the course booked for 2033, 2042 and 2049.
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