1961 U.S. Open (golf) explained

1961 U.S. Open
Dates:June 15–17, 1961
Location:Birmingham, Michigan
Course:Oakland Hills Country Club, South Course
Org:USGA
Tour:PGA Tour
Par:70
Yardage:[1] [2]
Field:149 players, 57 after cut
Cut:149 (+9)
Purse:$60,500[3]
Winners Share:$14,000
Champion: Gene Littler
Score:281 (+1)
Previous:1960
Next:1962

The 1961 U.S. Open was the 61st U.S. Open, held June 15–17 at the South Course of Oakland Hills Country Club in Birmingham, Michigan, a suburb north of Detroit. Gene Littler shot a final round 68 for 281 (+1) to win his sole major title, one stroke ahead of runners-up Bob Goalby and Doug Sanders, the 54-hole leader.[4] [5] [6]

Amateur Jack Nicklaus tied for fourth at age 21, the second of his three consecutive top-4 finishes at the U.S. Open. The runner-up the previous year, he turned professional in November and won the first of four U.S. Open titles the following year. Defending champion Arnold Palmer made the cut on the number at 149 (+9),[2] [7] then shot even-par twice and climbed into a tie for 14th place, eight strokes behind Littler. Four-time champion Ben Hogan also tied for 14th, the only time since 1940 that he was outside the top ten at this major. This course was the site of his third title a decade earlier in 1951, a rare successful defense. Hogan did not enter for five years and made his final U.S. Open appearances in 1966 and 1967.

The South Course previously hosted the U.S. Open in 1924, 1937, and 1951. It later hosted in 1985 and 1996, and the PGA Championship in 1972, 1979, and 2008.

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 15, 1961

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1 Bobby Brue 69 −1
T2 70 Even
Bob Goalby
T4 71 +1
Bruce Crampton
Source:[8] [9]

Second round

Friday, June 16, 1961

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
T1 72-67=139 −1
72-67=139
T3 Bobby Brue 69-72=141 +1
72-69=141
72-69=141
71-70=141
73-68=141
74-67=141
T9 71-71=142 +2
70-72=141
71-71=141
Bob Harris 75-67=141
Source:[2] [7]

Third round

Saturday, June 17, 1961   (morning)

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1 72-67-71=210 Even
T2 72-72-67=211 +1
70-72-69=211
73-70-68=211
T5 72-69-71=212 +2
72-69-71=212
T7 73-68-72=213 +3
74-67-72=213
72-67-74=213
T10 Bobby Brue 69-72-73=214 +4
72-71-71=214
71-70-73=214
Jack Nicklaus (a) 75-69-70=214

(a) denotes amateurSource:[4] [5]

Final round

Saturday, June 17, 1961   (afternoon)

At the start of the final round on Saturday afternoon, Littler was at 213 (+3), three strokes behind 54-hole leader Sanders. After a 34 on the front-nine, Littler tied for the lead with a birdie at 11. With a birdie at 13 combined with a Sanders bogey at the same hole, Littler was two strokes ahead. Sanders rebounded with a birdie at 16 to move within one. As Littler and Sanders reached the 18th, Goalby had already posted a 282 total, two off the pace. Littler needed no worse than bogey to get in ahead of Goalby, and that is what he shot, recording his lone bogey of the round for a 68 and a 281 total. Sanders, meanwhile, narrowly missed a birdie putt at 17, then almost chipped in for birdie at the last that would have forced a Sunday playoff. Sanders' putter cost him the championship, as he three-putted five of the last 36 greens. (He later missed a short putt to win The Open Championship in 1970.) Littler was the only player to break par twice.[5] [6]

PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)
1 73-68-72-68=281 +1 14,000
T2 70-72-69-71=282 +2 6,000
72-67-71-72=282
T4 Jack Nicklaus (a) 75-69-70-70=284 +4 0
73-70-68-73=284 4,000
T6 72-71-71-72=286 +6 2,616
72-69-71-74=286
74-67-72-73=286
T9 72-72-67-76=287 +7 1,750
72-69-71-75=287
75-72-69-71=287

(a) denotes amateurSource:[4] [5]

External links

42.544°N -83.277°W

Notes and References

  1. News: Palmer, Player top Open field . Milwaukee Sentinel . Associated Press . June 15, 1961 . 7-part 2 .
  2. News: Open lead's shared by Rosburg, Sanders . Spokesman-Review . (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press . June 17, 1961 . 8.
  3. Web site: U.S. Open history: 1961 . USGA . June 18, 2012 . http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20120607150529/http%3A//www.usopen.com/en_US/champ_experience/pastchamps/1961.html . June 7, 2012 . dead . mdy-all .
  4. News: Gene Littler takes Open with 281 . Chicago Sunday Tribune . Bartlett . Charles . June 18, 1961 . 1, sec. 2.
  5. News: Gene Littler charges to U.S. Open victory . Spokesman-Review . (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press . Weiss . Don . June 18, 1961.
  6. Littler eases to a hard win . Sports Illustrated . Wright . Alfred . June 26, 1961 . 10.
  7. News: Sanders ties Rosburg in U.S. Open . Chicago Daily Tribune . Bartlett . Charles . June 17, 1961 . 1, sec. 5.
  8. News: "Little Boy Brue's" putter true; leads Open after scrambling 69 . Spokesman-Review . (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press . June 16, 1961 . 16.
  9. News: Bobby Brue takes Open lead. Chicago Daily Tribune . Bartlett . Charles . June 16, 1961 . 1, sec. 4.