There aren’t too many tournaments in golf that have a more storied history than the US Open; the fever-pitched excitement around the greens and fairways is quite unique, and frankly, it’s an awe-inspiring experience to be a part of it.
The US Open or the United States Open Championship is played every year in June and is the third of four major championships in the calendar year. The event is also officially part of the PGA Tour and European PGA Tour schedule. The United States Golf Association host the event in mid-June, and if weather permits, the final round takes place on the second to last Sunday of the month.
From 1989 onwards, the US Open has been played using the traditional 72 hole stroke play format, crowning the players with the lowest number of strokes over the four days. Unlike the Masters, which is played every year at Augusta National, the other three Majors play on a different course each year; the courses go through a rigorous screening process to be selected.
The US Open is known for its challenging course layouts with high and deep rough, narrow fairways and greens as fast as glass. The courses generally demand pinpoint accuracy off the tee and ice in your veins when putting on the greens. The prize money on offer is the highest in all of golf, this year topping a massive $12 million.
The Early History of the US Open
Contents
The very first US Open took place back in 1895 in Newport, Rhode Island, and was played on a nine-hole course called the Newport Country Club. Back then, the tournament was played over 36 holes and was completed in a single day; a far cry from the 72 holes and four days of the current format.
Only 11 players entered the tournament, with ten professionals and one lonely amateur teeing it up. The first winner of the US Open was an Englishman named Horace Rawlins, who funnily enough worked at the host club.
Rawlings had only recently landed in the US, and the 21-year-old took home $150 and an additional gold medal worth $50 {; that same medal today would be worth roughly $1,700}. The Newport Country Club was also presented with the US Open Trophy and is still proudly displayed in the clubhouse today.
In the early years, the tournament was utterly dominated by professional English golfers, but in 1911, John J. McDermott ended that streak by becoming the first American-born player to lift the trophy. After McDermott’s win, the domination of the American players continued, and the US Open was officially designated as one of the four Major Championships.
From 1911 through to the 1950s, the American domination of the US Open continued; however, over time, the resurgence of the international players made a come back with several high profile players winning the event on multiple occasions. The most notable is the diminutive South African, Gary Player, who captured the title in 1965 and would become one the true legends of the games with the likes of Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus.
2004 saw a remarkable streak take place in which four international golfers won the US Open; the last time this occurred was back in 1910.
- 2004 won by South African Retief Goosen
- 2005 Micheal Campbell from New Zealand
- 2006 was won by the lovable Aussie Geoff Ogilvy
- 2007 captured by the Argentinian, Angel Cabrera
All these international players were from the Southern Hemisphere, but that changed in 2010 when Graeme McDowell from Northern Ireland took home the coveted trophy. From 2004 to ’11, only three American-born players would lay their hand on the US Open trophy.
The Most Challenging Layouts in Golf
The US Open golf courses are known to be notoriously challenging, with a premium being placed on accuracy, shot selection, and a rock-solid game plan. The scoring is high, and rarely do players break even, but this is partly because par is generally 70 as opposed to 72 for most golf tournaments. However, on the longer courses, par can be set a 71 or 72.
Typically speaking, the courses selected by the United States Golf Association or the USGA are incredibly long and challenging. The courses have what is now referred to as “Open rough,” which is a thick cut of rough that lines each fairway. The rough has been so deep players couldn’t find their balls on some courses. The greens are also notoriously undulating and are cut so fine players say they’re like putting on glass.
In 2005 legendary golfer turned commentator Jonny Miller said that trying to hit the greens at Pinehurst was like “trying to land your ball on the roof of a VW Beetle.” The fairways are narrowed on purpose, particularly on holes that would otherwise play “easier.”
The USGA also takes a couple of par 5s and turns them into long par 4s, which is why accuracy off the tee is always the foundation of any US Open game plan; miss the fairway by just one foot, and you could be looking at an unplayable lie.
Many of the courses looking to be selected to host the US Open undergo extensive and costly renovations in order to meet the stringent requirements set out by the USGA. These renovations and, in some cases, redesigns can cost millions and are overseen by renowned course architects like Rees Jones, son of the legendary designer Robert Trent Jones.
Jones has now become known as the “Open Doctor” for his extensive work on various courses to get them “US Open ready.” It’s not only the course layout though that needs to be considered; space for fans and temporary buildings such as players’ lounges and TV boxes also need to be considered.
How To Qualify for the US Open Championship
Remarkably the US Open is open to all professional and amateur players; now I know what you’re thinking; I’ll give it a crack myself; unfortunately, it’s not as simple as that. Amateurs, for example, need to hold a handicap of 1.4 or less.
Professional players can enter or qualify for the tournament in several different ways, and the requirements are the same for both men and women. A total of 156 players make up the field, with roughly half of the players fully exempt, meaning they gain automatic access to the US Open and are not required to meet any conditions or enter qualifying.
Below is a list of the current exemption pathways for players to receive an automatic entry into the US Open.
- All winners of the US Open for the previous ten years
- The winner and second-placed finisher at last year’s US Amateur, US Junior Amateur, and US Mid-Amateur [Note: these players must remain amateurs to play the US Open; only the US Amateur winner can turn pro before the US Open and still be eligible to play]
- Last years Amateur Winner
- The winner of last years, Mark H. McCormack Medal for No.1 ranked amateur in the world
- The last five years winners of the Open Championship, the Masters, and the PGA Championship
- The last three winners of the Players Championships
- The current holder of the BMW PGA Championship
- The winner of last year’s US Open Seniors Tournament
- Players who have won multiple PGA Tour tournaments in the calendar year provided the tournaments won offered 500 points or more
- The winner of the previous Olympic Gold Medal
- All top 10 placed golfers from last year’s US Open
- All players who played in last year’s Tour Championship
- Players ranked in the top 60 in the world up until two weeks before the event tees off
- The highest-ranked player on the PGA Tour second-tier tour
- The USGA will also hand a few special exemptions at their discretion.
- All remaining spots are taken by those who successfully came through qualifying
Again it’s important to note that amateurs must retain their amateur status until the event is played; only the US Amateur champion is exempt from the rule. HOWEVER, the US Open changed this rule in 2019, allowing all amateurs to turn professional and still keep their US Open exemption status.
The rule was changed because the US College season wraps up just before the start of the Open, allowing college players to earn points.
Up until 2011, exemptions were also granted to the prizemoney leaders from the Australasian, Japanese, and European Tours, but these were scrapped in favor of the top 60 ranked players in the world. In 2012 an exemption was put in place for the current winner of the BMW PGA Championship; this is comparable to the Players Championship in the US.
Two-stage qualifying events are also held at more than 100 courses across the US. The first stage is known as “Local Qualifying,” taking place over 18 holes. Most of the best amateurs are exempt from the first stage of qualifying and move automatically to the second stage, where they compete against all first-stage qualifiers.
The second stage is played in a single day over 36 holes at a few select courses across the US. The Japanese and Europeans also hold a US Open qualifying event.
US Open Prize Money and Privileges
The prize money for the 2021 US Open was 12.5 million dollars, with the winner taking home 2.5 million, a nice little payday if you can get it. This year the prize money is set at 10 million. The European Tour officials also include the winnings in their year-ending Race To Dubai tournament.
Apart from the life-changing prize money awarded, winning the US Open also affords the winner several privileges that go a long way to helping him secure his career if he hadn’t already done so.
For example, the winners are automatically exempt for the Open Championship, The Masters, and the PGA Championship for the next five years. Players are exempt from the Players Championship for five years and receive an automatic entry to the US Open for the next ten years.
The PGA Tour also offers a five-year exemption to all events for regular members. Non-regular members who win the US Open can turn pro within 60 days of winning the event or before any of the following five seasons gets underway.
After turning 50, winners also receive exemptions
- US Senior Open 5 years
- Senior PGA Championship lifetime
- Senior British Open lifetime
Fun Fact: Players who finish in the top ten receive an exemption from next year’s qualifying, while the top four placed finishers also receive an invitation to next year’s Masters.
The US Open Playoff Format
Until 2017, the US Open used an 18 hole playoff format played the next day, on a Monday. If, after playing the 18 holes, the players remained tied, a sudden-death playoff came into play.
In 1990, 1994, and 2008 the US Open ended in a sudden-death playoff, with the most recent occurring when the legendary Tiger Woods beat Rocco Mediate on the first hole of the playoff. Before the introduction of the sudden-death format, rounds of 18 holes were used for playoffs.; this occurred three times in 1925, 1939, and 1946. In 1931 the playoff lasted an epic 36 holes.
In 2018 the USGA heeded the advice from fans, players, and media outlets and decided to change the playoff format once again. Since 2018, the US Open Championship has used a “two-hole” aggregate format for playoffs. In the event players are still tied, a sudden-death format kicks in.
Notable moments in US Open history
Over the years, the US Open has played host to some of the most memorable moments in golf. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and take a look at some of the events that helped shape the US Open.
Amateur winners of the US Open
Remarkably, only one amateur golfer has ever held the US Open trophy above their head. John Goodman, who worked in insurance and was the last amateur to win the event way back in 1933
Miracles can happen
The “Miracle at Merion” took place in 1950, which saw Ben Hogan, one of the greatest players of all time, capture the US Open just 16 months after surviving a horrific car accident. Jonny Miller also made the US Open folklore in 1970 when he shot the single lowest round score in US Open history at 8-under par.
Tiger and one broken leg
Many golf experts believe that Tigers’ performance during the 2008 US Open was the single greatest and most awe-inspiring win in US Open history. Having just recovered from a knee operation, Tiger Woods hobbled his way around Torrey Pines visibly in pain.
Once the tournament had finished and Tiger held the trophy, the extent of his injuries came to light. It turns out that while undergoing rehabilitation for his knee injury, Tiger somehow managed to stress fracture his leg resulting in a break.
For me, though, the fact that Tiger was involved in an 18 hole playoff, meaning he played a total of 91 holes, was simply otherworldly.
Arnie’s comeback win
In 1960 the great Arnold Palmer was seven shots behind the leader going into the final round, but that wouldn’t stop the charismatic Palmer, who played a sizzling final round of golf leapfrogging to the top of the leader board to capture the US Open Championship.
Hinkle Tree
The Hinkle Tree is quite a funny story. In 1979, Lon Hinkle threaded the needle between two trees to the 17th green. The gap he had found in the fairway meant the hole was considerably easier and led to nearly every golfer making a birdie during the 1st round.
To combat this, in the 2nd round, tournament organizers uprooted and replanted a tree to “close” the gap, forcing players to go around or take their chances by blasting over the treetops.
Mickelson without a US Open
Phil Mickelson has been a runner-up 6 times, but the lovable lefty has yet to hold the US Open trophy up high. In 1999, Mickelson lost out to Payne Stewart. After the heartbreaking loss, Stewart showed what a gentleman he was and congratulated Mickelson on the birth of this daughter.
Sadly just months later, Stewart tragically died when his private jet lost air circulation, killing all on board. The crash was broadcast live on TV as the plane continued to fly with no one at the controls.
Spains first-ever winner of the US Open Championship
Last year Jon Rahm became the first Spaniard in the history of the US Open Championship to take the title. Amazingly Spanish golfing greats such as Seve Ballesteros, Sergio Garcia, and Jose Maria Olazabal were never able to achieve the feat; although Sergio still has plenty of time.
Rahm came from three shots behind in the final round to take an epic victory at Torrey Oines, one that he and the Spanish people will remember forever.
