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36-667: For its first three years, it was an alternate event in late August, concurrent with the NEC World Series of Golf at Firestone in Akron, Ohio . In 1999 , the new Reno-Tahoe Open became the alternate event for the WGC-NEC Invitational at Firestone. The Vancouver tournament was promoted to a regular tour event and scheduled a week later, as the Greater Milwaukee Open moved up to July. Renamed

72-586: A 2007 renovation alone. Greens are planted with Poa annua , and par for members is 71. The course is also noted for its slope. In particular, on holes 1, 3, 10, and 12, the greens pitch away from the fairway. One of Oakmont's most famous hazards is the Church Pews bunker that comes into play on the 3rd and 4th holes. It measures approximately 100 by 40 yards (91 by 37 m) and features twelve grass covered traversing ridges that resemble church pews . For many years, Oakmont's bunkers were groomed with

108-485: A fourth competitor was not added. Palmer shot a course record 65 in the first round on Saturday, but fell back with a 74 on Sunday. Nicklaus won with 135, four strokes ahead of Palmer and Player. Nicklaus, age 22, won a then-staggering $ 50,000, with $ 15,000 for second and $ 5,000 each for third and fourth, split between the other two for $ 12,500 each. Opposite this competition was the regular tour event in Denver , which had

144-560: A major that year was $ 45,000 at the PGA Championship . The World Series of Golf quickly became a leading event on the tour. For many years a victory in it gave a 10-year exemption on the PGA Tour, the same as was granted for a victory in a major championship at that time, and twice as long as is given even for winning a major now. The field consisted of the winners of all the high status men's professional golf tournaments around

180-458: A rake with wider than normal tines, creating deep furrows. The rakes were last used in U.S. Open competition in 1962 and eliminated from the club in 1964. The course has been consistently ranked as one of the five best by Golf Digest 100 Greatest Golf Courses in America. In 2007 Oakmont was placed in 5th by the magazine. It is one of only a few courses ranked in the top ten every year of

216-619: A rookie, but he won the next two events at Seattle ($ 4,300) and Portland ($ 3,500). In 1963 , Nicklaus won two majors, so a fourth player was added to the World Series via an 18-hole playoff between the three men who had lost playoffs in that year's majors; Palmer and Jacky Cupit in the U.S. Open and Phil Rodgers in the Open Championship . Palmer prevailed by five strokes in the August playoff. Nicklaus repeated as

252-607: A short putt on the 18th hole to win outright, so they kept playing as a sudden-death playoff. On the second extra hole, Roberts bogeyed, and Els made par to win the championship. The par 71 course played at 6,946 yards (6,351 m) in 1994, and the average score for the field was 74.25 (+ 3.25); the field recorded 62 rounds under par. The purse was $ 1.75 million and the champion earned $ 320,000 ($ 3.6 million and $ 657,818 in 2023 dollars). Ángel Cabrera of Argentina shot 285 (+5) in 2007 , one stroke ahead of runners-up Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk . A course renovation had deepened

288-508: A stroke to 71 (the first hole became a par-4) and the course length was slightly reduced to 6,893 yards (6,303 m); the average score for the field was 75.86 (+ 4.86) and the field recorded 19 rounds under par. The purse was $ 81,600 and the champion earned $ 17,500 ($ 821,925 and $ 176,271 in 2023 dollars). Johnny Miller shot a final round 63 (–8) to set a record low score at a U.S. Open, and finished at 279 (–5) to win by one stroke in 1973 . Following an overnight rainstorm, Miller entered

324-530: A winner's share of $ 1,000 ($ 22,223 in 2023 dollars). Ben Hogan won the second of his three straight majors in 1953 at Oakmont by six strokes, coming in at five under par. Scheduling conflicts made it impossible to win all four majors that year, as the late rounds of the PGA Championship , then a match play event, and the mandatory 36-hole qualifier directly preceding the British Open overlapped in early July. Hogan won The Masters by five strokes and

360-456: A winner's share of $ 4,300. The highest paying major at the time was the Masters with a winner's share of $ 20,000; Nicklaus had won $ 17,500 at the U.S. Open at Oakmont , which included a sizable $ 2,500 playoff bonus from the extra day's gate receipts, well-attended due to the presence of favorite son Palmer. At the time of his big Akron payday, the U.S. Open was Nicklaus' only tour victory as

396-614: Is a country club in the eastern United States , located mostly in Plum with only a very small portion of the property located in Oakmont , suburbs of Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania . Established 121 years ago in 1903, its golf course is regarded as the "oldest top-ranked golf course in the United States." It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The Pennsylvania Turnpike separates seven holes (2–8) from

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432-520: Is generally regarded in the golf community as one of the most difficult in the United States. It features large, extremely fast, and undulating greens. All are original, but the 8th was moved several yards to the left to make way for the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the late 1940s. Originally a links course, trees were added in the 1950s-1960s. Most were removed beginning after the 1994 U.S. Open, with between 5,000 and 8,000 eliminated during

468-572: Is not defined and the number of championships listed below is only 19 ], it also far outranks any other course [ need citation] . Photo galleries of the U.S. Opens at Oakmont from the USGA's official site can be seen here [3] The first U.S. Open at Oakmont was won by Tommy Armour , who defeated Harry Cooper in an 18-hole Friday playoff. Their 72-hole score was 301 (+13); the par-72 course played to 6,929 yards (6,336 m) in 1927 (the first and ninth holes were both par 5). [4] The average score for

504-647: The American Golf Classic on the South course. It was not played in the years of the PGA Championship ( 1960 , 1966 , 1975 ), and the final edition in 1976 was played on the par-72 North course, with the World Series on the South course the following week. In 1976 , it became a 72-hole, $ 300,000 PGA Tour event and its field was initially expanded to twenty; the victory and $ 100,000 winner's share went to Nicklaus. The largest first prize at

540-512: The " Air Canada Championship," sponsored by the country's leading airline, it was coupled with the Canadian Open for consecutive tournaments north of the U.S. border in early September. Mike Weir won that year for the first of his eight tour wins; he became the first Canadian to win a PGA Tour event on home soil in 45 years. The purses grew substantially during the run of the event, from $ 1 million to $ 3.5 million in six years. It

576-484: The British Open at Carnoustie by four strokes. The par-72 Oakmont course played at 6,916 yards (6,324 m) in 1953, and the average score for the field was 77.12 (+ 5.12); the field recorded 20 rounds under par. The purse was $ 14,900 and the champion earned $ 5,000 ($ 169,682 and $ 56,940 in 2023 dollars). At the 1962 U.S. Open , an up-and-coming 22-year-old named Jack Nicklaus defeated the world's top player at

612-608: The World Series winner in September, one stroke ahead of Julius Boros , with Palmer in third and Bob Charles in fourth. The opposite tour event in 1963 was the Utah Open in Salt Lake City , with a winner's share of $ 6,400. The first year with four players as reigning major champions was 1964 , the first without Nicklaus. Tony Lema took the top spot, followed by Ken Venturi , Bobby Nichols , and Palmer. This

648-461: The average score for the field was 76.13 (+ 5.13), and the field recorded 27 rounds under par. The purse was $ 506,184 and the champion earned $ 72,000 ($ 1.55 million and $ 220,258 in 2023 dollars). In 1994 , a 24-year-old Ernie Els outlasted Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie in another Monday playoff round to capture the U.S. Open, his first major and first victory in the U.S. It was

684-453: The bunkers and removed over 4,000 trees that had been planted mostly in the 1960s, returning the course to its original links-style appearance. The course was lengthened to 7,230 yards (6,611 m) and par was reduced by a stroke to 70, as the uphill 9th hole became a par-4. The par-3 8th hole played at 300 yards (274 m) in Round 4, the par-5 12th hole at over 660 yards (604 m), and

720-534: The event, Nicklaus played in ten, won four, and finished as runner-up in six. In subsequent years, if one had won multiple majors, the alternate was the winner of the Western Open or Canadian Open . The format of the four major winners in a 36-hole competition was later adopted by the PGA of America in 1979 for its PGA Grand Slam of Golf , last held in 2014. From 1961 through 1976, Firestone also hosted

756-432: The field was 78.6 (+ 6.6) and the field recorded just 2 rounds under par. The total purse of prize money was $ 800 ($ 14,032 in 2023 dollars). [5] Won by Sam Parks Jr. at 11 strokes over par. The par 72 course played to 6,981 yards (6,383 m) in 1935 and the average score for the field was 80.55 (+ 8.55) and the field recorded 3 rounds under par. The total purse of prize money was $ 5,000 ($ 111,117 in 2023 dollars) with

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792-412: The final round in 12th place at three-over, six strokes behind the four co-leaders. Miller had carded a disappointing five-over 76 on Saturday, and his tee time on Sunday was about an hour ahead of the final pairing, which included Arnold Palmer . Miller birdied the first four holes and hit all 18 greens in regulation, and used only 29 putts. Miller and four others were the only ones to break par during

828-523: The final round in 1973. The par 71 course played at 6,921 yards (6,329 m) and the average score for the field was 75.45 (+ 4.45) and the field recorded 40 rounds under par. The purse was $ 219,400 and the champion earned $ 35,000 ($ 1.51 million and $ 240,225 in 2023 dollars). Miller's low score (9 birdies with 1 bogey) led the USGA to set up the course at the following year's championship, now known as The Massacre at Winged Foot , in an extremely challenging manner; Hale Irwin 's winning score in 1974

864-473: The first three rounds and 90 °F (32 °C) for the final round, and there were no weather delays in any of the rounds. The total purse was $ 7.0 million and the champion earned $ 1.26 million ($ 10.3 million and $ 1.85 million in 2023 dollars). The club hosted the U.S. Open for a record ninth time in 2016 , and Dustin Johnson shot 276 (–4) to win his first major title by three strokes. Oakmont

900-424: The first three-way playoff at the U.S. Open since 1963 . The three in the playoff completed the four rounds at 279 (–5), but all were well over par early in the playoff round, played in oppressive heat and humidity , as temperatures approached 100 °F (38 °C). Montgomerie shot a 42 on the front nine, ending at 78 (+7) and was eliminated. However, Els and Roberts were tied at 3-over 74, with Roberts missing

936-410: The par-4 15th at 500 yards (457 m). The average score for the field in 2007 was 75.72 (+ 5.72), with every hole averaging an over-par score. The field recorded just 8 rounds under par, only two per round. Cabrera had two of these sub-par rounds, shooting a 69 (-1) on Thursday and Sunday. The weather was much more agreeable than in 1994: the high temperatures were 75–80 °F (24–27 °C) for

972-628: The publication's history. The top 50 toughest courses ranks Oakmont also at number 5, while GolfLink.com ranks it at #3 overall. A hole-by-hole course map from GOLF magazine (June 2007) can be viewed here [1] Flyovers of the holes can be seen here [2] Oakmont has hosted the U.S. Open nine times, more than any other course, most recently in 2016 , and is scheduled for its tenth in 2025. It has also hosted three PGA Championships , six U.S. Amateurs , three NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships , and two U.S. Women's Opens . In total championships hosted (21) [ need clarification - "championships"

1008-512: The rest of the course. The course, the only design by Henry Fownes, opened 121 years ago in 1903. With a crew of 150 men and a little under two dozen mule teams, Henry Fownes spent a year building Oakmont on old farmland, ideal for a links-style course. It straddles the Allegheny River Valley and uniquely has virtually no water hazards and, since 2007, almost no trees. With a USGA course rating of 77.5 and 175 bunkers, it

1044-452: The time, the 33-year-old Arnold Palmer , in a Sunday playoff round in Palmer's "backyard". Both competitors had completed the 72 holes with a 283 (–1). It was the first professional victory for Nicklaus, and the first of his 18 professional majors. Palmer won the next major, the 1962 British Open , and his fourth Masters in 1964 , but never another U.S. Open. In 1962, par was reduced by

1080-565: The world in the previous twelve months. The field was expanded in 1984 to include some international players, all tour event winners, and the top fifteen on the current money list, with 47 players eligible. The expansion wasn't well-received by all players, and a notable absence was Seve Ballesteros of Spain , who opted out. ^ Third place was $ 5,000 in the first three editions (1962–64) 41°00′29″N 81°30′29″W  /  41.008°N 81.508°W  / 41.008; -81.508 Oakmont Country Club Oakmont Country Club

1116-485: Was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour , played at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio . From its inception in 1962 through 1975, it was an unofficial 36-hole event matching the winners of the four major championships . In 1976 it became an official PGA Tour event; the field expanded to 20 players and the event was lengthened to 72 holes. the victory and $ 100,000 winner's share went to Nicklaus. The field

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1152-421: Was also the first year without a concurrent PGA Tour event. In the final year of the four-man format in 1975, Tom Watson won with a two-stroke advantage over runner-up Nicklaus. The money was the same as in 1962, except that third place received $ 7,500, claimed by Tom Weiskopf . Nicklaus had won his second major of the year, the PGA Championship , at the same course a month earlier. In the fourteen editions of

1188-435: Was founded as a four-man invitational event in 1962 , comprising the winners of the four major championships in a 36-hole event. In the made-for-television tournament, the competitors played in one group for $ 75,000 in unofficial prize money, televised by NBC . The inaugural edition in September 1962 included only the "Big Three" of Arnold Palmer , Jack Nicklaus , and Gary Player . Palmer had won two majors that year and

1224-488: Was increased to over 40 players in 1983 , though it never exceeded 50; NEC began sponsoring the event in 1984 . The tournament was last played in 1998 , but was replaced by the newly created WGC-NEC Invitational in 1999 . Firestone Country Club had hosted that tournament (now known as the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) every year until 2019 , except for 2002 . The World Series of Golf

1260-742: Was replaced on the schedule in 2003 by the Deutsche Bank Championship in Massachusetts , near Boston . This was not the first time the PGA Tour included a stop in British Columbia on their schedule. Dow Finsterwald won the unofficial 1955 British Columbia Open Invitational , and Jim Ferree was victorious at the 1958 Vancouver Open Invitational . 49°07′30″N 122°45′54″W  /  49.125°N 122.765°W  / 49.125; -122.765 NEC World Series of Golf The World Series of Golf

1296-629: Was seven strokes over par. Club selection and results - June 17, 1973 In 1983 , Larry Nelson was at 148 (+6) after the first two rounds. He then established the 36-hole record at the U.S. Open when he finished 65–67 to finish at 280 (–4), one stroke ahead of runner-up and defending champion Tom Watson . Nelson's two-round total of 132 (–10) broke the 51-year-old record by four shots, established by Gene Sarazen in 1932 . Nelson's record, although not receiving level acclaim to Miller's 63 finish, stood until 2011 when Rory McIlroy broke it. The par 71 course played at 6,972 yards (6,375 m) in 1983, and

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