Did you know? US Open 2014
Published:
Get up to speed with the history of the US Open before the tournament starts this week, with our facts and figures about the course and previous champions – become a US Open geek!
Justin Rose became the first Englishman since Tony Jacklin in 1970 to win the U.S. Open Championship. Rose shot a final-round 70 at Merion Golf Club’s East Course, in Ardmore, Pa. He finished at 1-over 281, two strokes ahead of Australian Jason Day and Phil Mickelson, the 54-hole leader. Mickelson added to his record total with his sixth runner-up finish. Jason Dufner, who carded a 3-under 67 for the day’s low round, two U.S. Open titlist Ernie Els, Billy Horschel and Hunter Mahan tied for fourth at 5-over 285. Five players figured in the top of the leaderboard changing 19 times in the final round. Rose managed to avoid any double-bogeys during the championship. He made five birdies and five bogeys through 16 holes during the final round, then managed clutch pars at the brutal 17th and 18th — the latter from just off the back of the green after a clutch approach from more than 250 yards out.
Players in field with most US Open appearances (2014 included):
Phil Mickelson (24), Ernie Els (22), Jim Furyk (20), Stewart Cink (19) and Steve Stricker (19).
Active consecutive US Open appearances (2014 included):
Ernie Els (22), Phil Mickelson (21), Stewart Cink (19) and Jim Furyk (19).
Since 1991, only four champions have finished better than 15th in trying to defend their U.S. Open crowns. Tiger Woods tied for sixth in 2009 after capturing his third Open title at Torrey Pines G.C. (South Course) the previous year. Woods also tied for 12th in 2001 after winning his first Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Retief Goosen tied for 11th in 2005 following his second Open championship at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Graeme McDowell tied for 14th last year after winning the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Seven champions missed the cut the next year during this period, including Rory McIlroy in 2012.
What the winner receives
Among the benefits enjoyed by the U.S. Open winner are:
A U.S. Open exemption for the next 10 years
An invitation to the next five Masters Tournaments
An invitation to the next five British Open Championships
An invitation to the next five PGA Championships
An invitation to the next five Players Championships
Exempt status on the PGA Tour for five years
The top 10 finishers (and ties) are exempt for the following year’s U.S. Open. The top four finishers (and ties) are invited to next year’s Masters Tournament.
This is the 114th U.S. Open Championship. The U.S. Open, which was first played in 1895, was not contested for two years (1917-18) during World War I and for four years (1942-45) during World War II. The youngest winner of the U.S. Open was 19-year-old John McDermott, who won in 1911; he is among eight players age 21 or younger who have won the U.S. Open. The oldest winner is Hale Irwin, who was 45 and playing on a special exemption when he won his third U.S. Open title in 1990. Irwin also won in 1974 and 1979.
There are four four-time U.S. Open winners: Willie Anderson (1901, 1903, 1904, 1905), amateur Robert T. Jones Jr. (1923, 1926, 1929, 1930), Ben Hogan (1948, 1950, 1951, 1953), Jack Nicklaus (1962, 1967, 1972, 1980).
Only five players have won the Masters and U.S. Open titles in the same year: Craig Wood (1941), Hogan (1951, 1953), Arnold Palmer (1960), Nicklaus (1972) and Tiger Woods (2002).
This is the third U.S. Open Championship and the seventh USGA championship to be conducted at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Course No. 2).
In 1999, Payne Stewart made a par-saving putt from 18 feet on the final hole to defeat Phil Mickelson by a single stroke en route to his second U.S. Open Championship. With an even-par round of 70, Stewart was the only player to finish under par for the championship, with a 1-under total of 279. Mickelson finished at even-par 280. Tiger Woods and Vijah Singh made bids for the lead in what was a four-man race on Sunday, but they each ended up two back at 1-over 281. Stewart used just 24 putts during the final round and one-putted the last three greens when it mattered most. He won two U.S. Opens and posted two runner-up finishes in the 1990s.
In 2005, Michael Campbell became the first New Zealander to win the U.S. Open when he made an important birdie from 25 feet on the par-3 17th that helped him off Tiger Woods by two strokes. He also was the first sectional qualifier to win the Open since Steve Jones in 1996. As 54-hole leader Retief Goosen slipped back, it quickly became a two-man battle, with Woods playing in the third-to-last group, just ahead of Campbell. Woods had struggled with his putting all week, but found the hole for birdies on holes 10, 11 and 15 to pull within two strokes of Campbell. Campbell answered the challenge with his birdie on No. 17, the third time he had birdied that hole in the championship.
