1961 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesJune 15–17, 1961
LocationBirmingham, Michigan
Course(s)Oakland Hills Country Club, South Course
Organized byUSGA
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70
Length6,907 yards (6,316 m)[1][2]
Field149 players, 57 after cut
Cut149 (+9)
Prize fund$60,500[3]
Winner's share$14,000
Champion
United States Gene Littler
281 (+1)
Oakland Hills Country Club is located in the United States
Oakland Hills Country Club
Oakland Hills Country Club
Location in the United States
Oakland Hills Country Club is located in Michigan
Oakland Hills Country Club
Oakland Hills Country Club
Location in Michigan

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
1United States Bobby Brue69−1
T2United States Tommy Bolt70Even
United States Bob Goalby
T4United States Rex Baxter71+1
Australia Bruce Crampton
United States Marty Furgol
United States Al Geiberger
United States Paul Harney
United States Ben Hogan
Australia Kel Nagle

Source:[8][9]

Second round

Friday, June 16, 1961

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
T1United States Bob Rosburg72-67=139−1
United States Doug Sanders72-67=139
T3United States Bobby Brue69-72=141+1
United States Gardner Dickinson72-69=141
United States Doug Ford72-69=141
United States Al Geiberger71-70=141
United States Gene Littler73-68=141
United States Eric Monti74-67=141
T9Australia Bruce Crampton71-71=142+2
United States Bob Goalby70-72=141
Australia Kel Nagle71-71=141
United States Bob Harris75-67=141

Source:[2][7]

Third round

Saturday, June 17, 1961   (morning)

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Doug Sanders72-67-71=210Even
T2United States Jacky Cupit72-72-67=211+1
United States Bob Goalby70-72-69=211
United States Mike Souchak73-70-68=211
T5United States Gardner Dickinson72-69-71=212+2
United States Doug Ford72-69-71=212
T7United States Gene Littler73-68-72=213+3
United States Eric Monti74-67-72=213
United States Bob Rosburg72-67-74=213
T10United States Bobby Brue69-72-73=214+4
United States Dow Finsterwald72-71-71=214
United States Al Geiberger71-70-73=214
United States Jack Nicklaus (a)75-69-70=214
(a) denotes amateur

Source:[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 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 ($)
1United States Gene Littler73-68-72-68=281+114,000
T2United States Bob Goalby70-72-69-71=282+26,000
United States Doug Sanders72-67-71-72=282
T4United States Jack Nicklaus (a)75-69-70-70=284+40
United States Mike Souchak73-70-68-73=2844,000
T6United States Dow Finsterwald72-71-71-72=286+62,616
United States Doug Ford72-69-71-74=286
United States Eric Monti74-67-72-73=286
T9United States Jacky Cupit72-72-67-76=287+71,750
United States Gardner Dickinson72-69-71-75=287
South Africa Gary Player75-72-69-71=287
(a) denotes amateur

Source:[4][5]

References

  1. "Palmer, Player top Open field". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. June 15, 1961. p. 7-part 2.
  2. 1 2 3 "Open lead's shared by Rosburg, Sanders". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. June 17, 1961. p. 8.
  3. "U.S. Open history: 1961". USGA. Archived from the original on June 7, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 Bartlett, Charles (June 18, 1961). "Gene Littler takes Open with 281". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, sec. 2.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Weiss, Don (June 18, 1961). "Gene Littler charges to U.S. Open victory". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press.
  6. 1 2 Wright, Alfred (June 26, 1961). "Littler eases to a hard win". Sports Illustrated. p. 10.
  7. 1 2 Bartlett, Charles (June 17, 1961). "Sanders ties Rosburg in U.S. Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 5.
  8. ""Little Boy Brue's" putter true; leads Open after scrambling 69". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. June 16, 1961. p. 16.
  9. Bartlett, Charles (June 16, 1961). "Bobby Brue takes Open lead". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 4.

42°32′38″N 83°16′37″W / 42.544°N 83.277°W / 42.544; -83.277

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