On this date in 1956, Australia’s Peter Thomson won his third straight Open Championship, at Royal Liverpool, by three shots over Flory Van Donck of Belgium. Thomson would win two more Opens.
LIke his fellow American Ben Hogan born in 1912, Sam Snead won the Open Championship one time. Snead did it on this date in 1946 at St. Andrews, winning at two under par, four shots ahead of Bobby Locke and Johnny Bulla. Snead famously groused about how the trip over to Scotland was so expensive that he lost money on the trek even though he was awarded the winner’s share of $600.
It’s July, the traditional Open Championship month. On this date in 1947, Irishman Fred Daly won the Open at Royal Liverpool, one shot ahead of American amateur Frank Stranahan and England’s Reg Horne.
Two major events took place on this date in the 1950s. In 1954, Babe Didrikson Zaharias won the U.S. Women’s Open at Salem Country Club in Peabody, Massachusetts, by a record 12 shots, 18 months after having colon cancer surgery. And in 1959, Gary Player won his first major championship, at age 23, winning the Open Championship at Muirfield by two strokes over Fred Bullock and Flory Van Donck.
American legend Walter Hagen won the Western Open on this date in 1932 at Canterbury Golf Club near Cleveland. It was his fifth and final Western victory, coming 16 years after he won it the first time. He shot one-under-par 287 to win by one stroke over Olin Dutra.
On this date in 1920, George Duncan completed a comeback of trailing by 13 strokes after 36 holes to win the 55th Open Championship at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club. He finished with 303, two shots ahead of fellow Scotsman Sandy Herd.
On this date in 1916, Charles (Chick) Evans won the U.S. Open at the Minikahda Golf Club, two shots ahead of Jock Hutchison. Evans also won the U.S. Amateur in 1916, making him the first amateur to win both titles in the same year.
On this date in 1957, Jackie Pung had shot six-over 298 to apparently win the U.S. Women’s Open at Winged Foot East but because she had signed an incorrect scorecard, she was disqualified and Betsy Rawls, at 299, was declared the winner by six shots over Patty Berg.
On this date in 1953, Betsy Rawls won the U.S. Women’s Open at the Country Club of Rochester, taking an 18-hole playoff by six shots over runner-up Jackie Pung, 71-77.
This date is loaded with Walter Hagen moments. In 1924, he won his second of four Open Championships, by one stroke over Ernest Whitcombe at Royal Liverpool. In 1931, Hagen captained the U.S. team to a 9-3 victory in the Ryder Cup at Scioto Country Club, for a second captain win. And in 1933 he was captain at Southport when the Americans lost by a 6.5 to 5.5 count.
On this date in 1911, John McDermott made history by becoming the first American-born champion of the U.S. Open when he defeated George Simpson and Mike Brady in a playoff at Chicago Golf Club.
The 61st Open Championship ended on this date in 1926 with Bobby Jones winning his first title, at Royal Lytham and St. Annes, two strokes ahead of Al Watrous.
The 50th Open Championship ended on this date in 1910 with James Braid winning for his fifth and final time, by four strokes over Sandy Herd at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland.
One of Arnold Palmer’s rough days in golf took place on this date in 1963. He lost the second of three U.S. Open playoffs in his career. Julius Boros won at The Country Club in Massachusetts, shooting 70. Jacky Cupit was second with 73 and Arnold third with 76.
The rain-plagued 2009 U.S. Open ended on this date at Bethpage State Park Black Course on Long Island, with Lucas Glover winning his only major to date by two shots over Phil Mickelson, Ricky Barnes and David Duval.
One of golf history’s milestones took place on this date in 1965 when South African Gary Player defeated Australian star Kel Nagle, 71-74, in a playoff at Bellerive Country Club west of St. Louis to win the U.S. Open. The victory completed the career Grand Slam for Player at age 29. He had led by two shots after 54 holes over Frank Beard and Nagle, but Nagle shot 69 to Player’s 71 to force the playoff. Player led by three shots after nine holes of the playoff and kept that advantage to the end.
Of the many times the U.S. Open ended on this date, here are some of the highly memorable winners: Alex Smith winning a playoff in 1910 at the Philadelphia Cricket Club; Tom Watson pitching in on 17 in 1982 at Pebble Beach; Ken Venturi surviving searing heat at Congressional in 1964; Arnold Palmer losing a playoff to Billy Casper in 1966 at the Olympic Club; Larry Nelson making a bomb at 16 in 1983 at Oakmont to win over Watson on a Monday; Curtis Strange winning a playoff in 1988 at The Country Club over Nick Faldo; Lee Janzen shooting sub-70 all week at Baltusrol in 1993; Ernie Els winning a playoff in 1994 at Oakmont; Retief Goosen taking the title in 2004 at Shinnecock Hills; Graeme McDowell surviving over Gregory Havret at Pebble Beach in 2010. Elsewhere, Bobby Jones also won the 1930 Open Championship on this date at Royal Liverpool.
One of golf history’s unfathomable results took place on this date in 1955 when major underdog Jack Fleck defeated Ben Hogan in an 18-hole playoff by three shots, at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, thereby denying Hogan of a record fifth U.S. Open victory.
Today’s date in golf is memorable in the sport for what happened on the day, not known by the date itself. It was 60 years ago that Arnold Palmer won his only U.S. Open, at Cherry Hills Country Club, knocking off a seven-shot deficit with a round to go by shooting a 65 and winning a generational battle that included Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus. It was Arnold’s 19th PGA Tour victory and third overall major. He would be in contention for many more U.S. Open titles but never win again, losing three playoffs. The upside from 1960 was his elevation to a global golf superstar.
Of the many U.S. Opens that ended on this date, two happened in back to back years 1961 and 1962. In 1961, Gene Littler won his only pro major at Oakland Hills, and in 1962, the legendary playoff between Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus was played on this day at Oakmont, with Nicklaus winning his first major by three shots as a rookie.