| 1976 U.S. Open | |
| Dates: | June 17–20, 1976 |
| Location: | Duluth, Georgia |
| Course: | Atlanta Athletic Club, Highlands Course |
| Org: | USGA |
| Tour: | PGA Tour |
| Par: | 70 |
| Yardage: | [1] |
| Field: | 150, 66 after cut |
| Cut: | 151 (+11) |
| Purse: | $253,000[2] |
| Winners Share: | $42,000 |
| Champion: |  Jerry Pate |
| Score: | 277 (−3) |
| Previous: | 1975 |
| Next: | 1977 |
The 1976 U.S. Open was the 76th U.S. Open, held June 17–20 at the Highlands Course of the Atlanta Athletic Club in Duluth, Georgia, a suburb northeast of Atlanta. Tour rookie Jerry Pate won his only major championship, two strokes ahead of runners-up Al Geiberger and Tom Weiskopf.[3] [4] [5] [6]
John Mahaffey, who lost the U.S. Open in a playoff the year before, took the lead with a 68 in the second round. He followed that up with a 69 in the third round on Saturday for a two-stroke lead over Jerry Pate after 54 holes, with Geiberger three back and Weiskopf four back.[7] The gap was still two strokes after fourteen holes, but Pate hit a one-iron close and birdied the par-3 15th;[8] and when Mahaffey bogeyed 16, the two were tied. Mahaffey three-putted for bogey on 17 and Pate took a one-stroke lead as Mahaffey fell into a tie for second with Geiberger and Weiskopf, both in the clubhouse with 279.
Both Mahaffey and Pate found the rough off the 18th tee. Mahaffey, behind by a shot and trying for birdie, hit his approach shot into the water fronting the green and made bogey, and fell into a tie for fourth. Having a better lie in the rough, Pate gambled that he could clear the water and then hit one of the most memorable shots in U.S. Open history. His 5-iron approach from flew directly on to the green and stopped 3feet from the hole, and he made the birdie putt for a two-stroke victory.[5] [9]
The U.S. Amateur champion two years earlier in 1974, Pate was only 22 in 1976 and appeared to have a bright future ahead of him, but shoulder injuries significantly shortened his career. He won seven more PGA Tour tournaments, the last in 1982, and finished runner-up in two additional majors in the late 1970s.
Future champion Fuzzy Zoeller made his major championship debut at this U.S. Open and finished in 38th place. Mike Reid, a 21-year-old amateur, led by three shots after the first round, but a second-round 81 dashed any hope of an amateur champion. He shared low-amateur honors with John Fought at 300 (+20).
Jack Nicklaus finished tied for eleventh and saw his streak of 13 consecutive top-10s in majors come to an end. He began a new streak and finished in the top-10 in the next nine majors. Only Harry Vardon made more consecutive major top-10s when he made sixteen in a row – fifteen Open Championships (1894–1908) and the U.S. Open in 1900.
This was the first of four majors held at the Highlands Course; it hosted the PGA Championship in 1981, 2001, and 2011.
This was the first year that players were allowed to have their own caddies at the U.S. Open.[10] [11] The other majors and some PGA Tour events had traditionally disallowed players from using their own caddies.[12] [13] [14] The Masters required club caddies from Augusta National through 1982.[15] [16] [17]
Atlanta Athletic Club, Highlands Course
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yards | 455 | 450 | 460 | 205 | 540 | 440 | 175 | 420 | 415 | 3,560 | 370 | 480 | 510 | 390 | 415 | 215 | 410 | 205 | 460 | 3,455 | 7,015 | |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 70 |
Thursday, June 17, 1976
Amateur Mike Reid, age 21, grabbed the first round lead with a three-under 67, while the rest of the field posted no better than par. Several professionals voiced their concerns over the playing conditions of the course.[3] [18] [19]
| Place | Player | Score | To par |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 67 | −3 | |
| T2 | 70 | E | |
| John Mahaffey | |||
| Rik Massengale | |||
| T7 | 71 | +1 | |
| Mike Morley | |||
Friday, June 18, 1976
John Mahaffey shot a 68 and grabbed the lead, while amateur Reid fell into a tie for 32nd place with an 81.[21] [22]
| Place | Player | Score | To par |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70-68=138 | −2 | |
| 2 | 70-69=139 | −1 | |
| T3 | 72-68=140 | E | |
| 70-70=140 | |||
| 71-69=140 | |||
| T6 | 71-71=142 | +2 | |
| 72-70=142 | |||
| 71-71=142 | |||
| 71-71=142 | |||
| 73-69=142 |
Saturday, June 19, 1976
Mahaffey kept the lead with a 69, two strokes ahead of Pate, with Al Geiberger and Tom Weiskopf in third and fourth place. After nine holes, Mahaffey opened up a six-stroke lead but struggled on the back nine and, with Pate making a remarkable eagle on 12, the lead was cut to two when the day ended.[23]
| Place | Player | Score | To par |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70-68-69=207 | −3 | |
| 2 | 71-69-69=209 | −1 | |
| 3 | 70-69-71=210 | E | |
| 4 | 73-70-68=211 | +1 | |
| T5 | 72-68-72=212 | +2 | |
| 70-70-72=212 | |||
| 71-71-70=212 | |||
| 71-71-70=212 | |||
| T9 | 71-71-71=213 | +3 | |
| 72-70-71=213 | |||
| 73-69-71=213 |
Sunday, June 20, 1976
| Place | Player | Score | To par | Money ($) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jerry Pate | 71-69-69-68=277 | −3 | 42,000 | |
| T2 | 70-69-71-69=279 | −1 | 18,000 | ||
| 73-70-68-68=279 | |||||
| T4 | 71-71-71-67=280 | E | 11,250 | ||
| 70-68-69-73=280 | |||||
| 6 | 72-70-71-69=282 | +2 | 9,500 | ||
| 7 | 74-72-68-70=284 | +4 | 8,500 | ||
| T8 | 72-68-72-73=285 | +5 | 7,000 | ||
| 71-71-70-73=285 | |||||
| 10 | 74-72-69-71=286 | +6 | 5,500 |
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | |
| Pate | −1 | −1 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −1 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −3 | |
| Geiberger | E | +1 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +1 | E | E | −1 | −1 | |
| Weiskopf | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | E | +1 | +1 | +1 | E | −1 | −2 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | |
| Mahaffey | −3 | −3 | −3 | −3 | −3 | −3 | −3 | −4 | −3 | −3 | −3 | −3 | −3 | −3 | −3 | −2 | −1 | E |
| Birdie | Bogey |