The recently completed Travelers Championship began its life in 1952 as the Insurance City Open, a fitting name for a tournament held near insurance capitol Hartford. On this date in 1956, Arnold Palmer shot a 66 at Wethersfield Country Club to take control of the tournament and never let go, adding 69–68–71 for 274. That score tied Ted Kroll, the inaugural champion, after 72 holes, and Arnie ended up winning a two-hole, sudden-death playoff and top prize of $4,000.
Scotland's Willie Anderson was the 1901 U.S. Open champion and was tied for fifth in 1902, but soon after he became a National Open legend. On this date in 1903, Anderson finished in a tie for first and then on the next day won the first of three in a row, defeating David Brown in an 18-hole playoff, 82-84. Anderson is still the lone golfer to have won three in a row.
David Frost of South Africa was never too far from Greg Norman in the 1994 Canon Greater Hartford Open. After two rounds, Frost was one ahead. They both shot 66 in Round 3 to stay one stroke apart, and when they matched 69s on this date in ’94, Frost came out ahead for his ninth tour victory.
Greg Norman led by three shots entering the final round after shooting 67-64-65 and barely hung on to win after a 71 on this date in 1995. Dave Stockton Jr., Grant Waite and Kirk Triplett were two shots back.
Marc Leishman blitzed the TPC River Highlands course in 62 on this date in 2012, and he won by a shot over Bubba Watson and Charley Hoffman. It was the first PGA Tour victory for the Australian. Also on this date, four-time Travelers Championship winner Billy Casper was born in 1931.
Popular Ken Duke won a playoff with Chris Stroud in the 2013 Travelers and earned the nearly $1.1 million payday. A disciple of legendary teacher Bob Toski, Duke shot 65-66 on the weekend to finish at 12 under par.
Kevin Streelman made one of the greatest charges on the weekend in tournament history, putting together back-to-back 64s to edge out Sergio Garcia and K.J. Choi by one shot in 2014.
Davis Love III shot a 64 to tie for the second-round lead in the 2002 Canon Greater Hartford Open with Jonathan Kaye and Briny Baird. The eventual winner, Phil Mickelson, was four behind but would shoot 66-64 on the weekend to win.
On this date in 2013, Charley Hoffman shot an incredible nine-under-par 61 in the first round of the Travelers, but it was just good enough for a one-shot lead. Alas, Charley couldn't keep up such strong play and in the end Ken Duke was the winner in a playoff with Chris Stroud.
Ben Hogan was denied his fifth U.S. Open on June 19, 1955, when unheralded Jack Fleck beat him in a playoff, 69-72, on the Olympic Club Lake Course. Fleck played well at the end of regulation to tie Hogan, who had finished ahead of him and seemed secure as the champion. He was so sure, in fact, he gave the USGA's Joe Dey his golf ball after finishing his round and said it was meant to go in the USGA's museum at Golf House.
Today's date in Open history makes note of a legend 7 shots back entering the final round of the U.S. Open on June 18, 1960. Arnold Palmer made his famous charge to victory with a 65, having started the final round 7 shots back of the leader Mike Souchak. Arnie boldly drove the green on the first hole, made birdie, and the charge was on, ending in a two-stroke victory over amateur Jack Nicklaus. You can see the view from behind that first hole on the home page; it's the photo used for This Day in Golf History.
One of the sweetest swingers of a golf club had his day in the sun on June 17, 1961. Gene Littler shot 72-68 in the final two rounds and beat Bob Goalby and Doug Sanders by one stroke at Oakland Hills. A San Diego native known for his love of classic cars and surviving cancer, Littler had nearly won the 1954 U.S. Open at Baltusrol, the year after he had won the U.S. Amateur. Known as Gene the Machine, he was enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Several players are among those who are considered “the best player to not win a major” starting today at The Country Club in the U.S. Open. A player who went down in history as one of the greatest to never win a major, Harry Cooper, was involved in today’s U.S. Open moment. He was in good shape to win the 1927 championship at Oakmont but shot 77 in the final round on June 16 and then lost the next day to Tommy Armour, 76-79, in a playoff.
In U.S. Open history, June 15 was the start of something good for one player and another sad day for another. In 1901, Willie Anderson and Alex Smith finished in a tie at Myopia Hunt Club in Hamilton, Mass., and two days later had a playoff, won by Anderson by a stroke. He won three in a row in 1903-1905 and is one of four men to win the Open four times. In 1947 at St. Louis Country Club, Sam Snead, never a winner of the Open, had one of his close calls, losing a playoff to Lew Worsham, 69-70. The final hole featured the infamous delayed putt by Snead. The players were tied, with short par putts. Snead was ready to putt a 30-incher when Worsham stopped him to say he felt it was his honor. It was, in fact, Snead’s honor but he was angry at having been stopped and missed the putt. Worsham made his 29-incher to win.
Tommy Bolt was a player who many felt was in the top echelon of all-time greatest ball-strikers. That he didn’t win more big events could likely be attributed to his infamous raging demeanor on the course. But the 1958 U.S. Open was the ultimate Bolt showcase of his talent. He played steadily on a demanding Southern Hills course, shooting 71-71-69-72-283 and winning by four over Gary Player, the South African newly arrived on the major golf stage.
Ben Hogan has one of the greatest records in the U.S. Open, most impressively tied for the most victories with four, discounting the Hale America National Open in 1942, which the USGA doesn't count. Hogan's fourth victory came on June 13, 1953, when he won by six over Sam Snead at Oakmont. During the next seven years, Hogan had finishes of 7th, 2nd, 2nd, 10th, 8th and 9th, but never did win the National Open again.
On this date in 1959, Billy Casper tied for the best score of the day, a two-under-par 68, to take the second-round lead at Winged Foot in the U.S. Open.
On June 11, 1938, Ralph Guldahl became the fourth person to win back-to-back U.S. Opens, following Willie Anderson, John McDermott and Bobby Jones to that point. Guldahl shot a 69 at Cherry Hills to finish six shots ahead of Dick Metz. In 1937 he had finished two shots ahead of Sam Snead at Oakland Hills.
Sam Snead infamously never won the U.S. Open, and one of his closest misses took place in 1939, at Philadelphia Country Club. Snead had led after the first two rounds, but on June 10, thinking he needed to be aggressive on the final hole, took a triple-bogey 8 when all he needed was a par 5 to win. He finished two behind Byron Nelson, Craig Wood and Denny Shute, who went on to decide a champion in a playoff. Nelson and Wood were tied after 18 holes, with Shute dropping out, then Nelson eventually prevailed in a second playoff round, 70-73.
Four years after Bobby Jones clinched the Grand Slam at Merion in 1930, the iconic club near Philadelphia was site of its first U.S. Open. It ended on June 9, with Olin Dutra winning by one shot over Gene Sarazen. Dutra shot a 72 in the final round to edge Sarazen, who was looking good with 18 to go but struggled to 76.