The 150th U.S. Open will be contested at historic Oakmont Country Club, near Pittsburgh, Pa. on June 12-15, 2025. This sesquicentennial event marks the tenth occasion on which Oakmont has hosted America’s national championship, a record. (Baltusrol Golf Club is second-most, with seven.) Oakmont has been witness to many historical moments over the years:
1927: The Silver Scot prevailed over Henry Cooper in a playoff. Tommy Armour birdied the 72nd hole to tie Cooper and force an 18-hole playoff. Armour carded a 4-over 76 and beat Cooper by three shots. Other notables: Gene Sarazen was third, Walter Hagen finished sixth and Bobby Jones tied for 11th place, his worst career U.S. Open finish. Tommy Armour Wins 1927 U.S. Open.
1935: Sam Parks Jr survived severe weather to record his only pro tour victory. Parks, 25, the head pro at the nearby South Hills Country Club, was the only player to navigate Oakmont’s tough test in fewer than 300 strokes. Walter Hagen made his penultimate appearance in the U.S. Open. The Haig led briefly during the final round but four consecutive bogeys derailed his chances. He finished third. It was the last time that Hagen contended in a major championship. Sir Walter finished 33rd the following year at Baltusrol; it was the last time he played in the U.S. Open.
1953: The Hawk holds off Slammin’ Sammy. Ben Hogan, four years after a life-threatening car crash, captured the second title in his historic “Triple Crown of Golf” victories. Hogan fired a five-under 67 in the opening round and led wire-to-wire, holding off Sam Snead to win by six shots. It was Hogan’s fourth U.S. Open win; only Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones and Jack Nicklaus have won as many. Also, he’d won the Masters in April and went on to win The Open Championship at Carnoustie, becoming the first man to win three professional majors in a single season, a feat matched only by Tiger Woods in 2000. Hogan remains the only golfer in history to win the Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship in the same calendar year. Hogan Beats Snead to win 1953 U.S. Open.
1962: The “Changing of the Guard.” PGA Tour rookie Jack Nicklaus beat Arnold Palmer, “The King,” in an 18-hole playoff by four shots. Palmer, from nearby Latrobe, Pa., hoped to earn his second U.S. Open win but suffered from poor putting. This loss notwithstanding, Arnie had a great year in 1962; he’d won the Masters in April and would go on to win The Open Championship at Troon Golf Club in Scotland in July. For Jack, a two-time U.S Amateur champion, this was his first major. The first of four U.S. Open wins and a record 18 career major championships. Nicklaus defeats Palmer in 1963 U.S. Open.
1973: Johnny Miller’s Sunday 63 does it. After the third round, Miller was in 12th place, six shots behind the four co-leaders, including two Hall of Famers, Arnold Palmer and Julius Boros. In the final round, Miller shot a scorching eight-under 63 and totaled a five-under score of 279. He finished one better than John Schlee, two strokes ahead of Tom Weiskopf and three shots lower than golf legends Nicklaus, Palmer and Lee Trevino. Miller’s Sunday 63 was the lowest round in the history of a major championship, a record that was tied by 38 others but not broken until Branden Grace shot a 62 at the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. 1973: Johnny Miller’s Final-Round 63 Puts Him in the History Books.
1983: Larry Nelson unseats defending champion Tom Watson. Watson was attempting to become the first to successfully defend a U.S. Open title in thirty-two years, last accomplished in 1951 by Ben Hogan. After three rounds, Watson and Seve Ballasteros shared a one-shot lead over Nelson and Calvin Peete. Watson seemed in control on Sunday, firing a front-nine 31. Then Mother Nature intervened. Torrential storms postponed play until the following day. When play resumed on Monday, Watson stumbled and shot a three-over 38 on the incoming nine. That opened the door for Nelson, whose third round 65 and final round 67 led to a four-under total of 280, good enough to nip Watson by one stroke. Nelson’s 65-67 (132) score over the last 36 holes set a record that has never been equaled. It was Nelson’s second (of three) major championships. Also that week, Oakmont professional Bob Ford made history by becoming just the third host professional to make the cut in the U.S. Open. He finished tied for 26th. Larry Nelson Wins 1983 U.S. Open.
1994: Ernie Els wins in a rare sudden death playoff. Els, Colin Montgomerie and Loren Roberts finished in a three-way tie at five-under 279. All three players struggled during Monday’s playoff, with Els and Roberts finishing with three-over 74s. Montgomerie finished with a 78 (+7) and was eliminated. Els and Roberts faced off in the U.S. Open’s second sudden death playoff , a format first implemented in 1990. Els’ par on the second hole was good enough to prevail. This was the first of four major championships for “the Big Easy,” including another U.S. Open win three years later at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. Notably, this marked The King’s final appearance. Arnold Palmer, then 64, had not played in the championship in eleven years but was given a special exemption by the USGA to play his final U.S. Open in his hometown. Ernie Els (1994 U.S. Open).
2007: Cabrera’s five-over finish is good enough. Argentina’s Angel Cabrera successfully navigated Oakmont’s recently treeless “inland links” course to become the first South American to win the U.S. Open. It was his first major championship. He finished one stroke ahead of runners-up Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods. 2007 U.S. Open: Cabrera Wins at Oakmont.
2016: Johnson comes from behind for first major. Ireland’s Shane Lowry had a four-shot lead over Dustin Johnson after three rounds but blew up on Sunday with a six-over 76. Johnson took advantage of this golden opportunity, firing a final round 69 to finish four under par for the championship and three shots ahead of Lowry, Furyk and Scott Piercy. The amateur ranks gave fans a glimpse of the future; John Rahm was low amateur, followed by Scottie Scheffler. Champion’s Journey: Dustin Johnson- 2016 U.S. Open
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