| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | June 17–20, 1976 |
| Location | Duluth, Georgia |
| Course(s) | Atlanta Athletic Club, Highlands Course |
| Organized by | USGA |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 70 |
| Length | 7,015 yards (6,415 m)[1] |
| Field | 150, 66 after cut |
| Cut | 151 (+11) |
| Prize fund | $253,000[2] |
| Winner's share | $42,000 |
| Champion | |
 Jerry Pate | |
| 277 (−3) | |
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 191 yards (175 m) flew directly on to the green and stopped three feet (0.9 m) 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]
Course layout
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 |
Source:[1]
Round summaries
First round
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 | Mike Reid (a) | 67 | −3 |
| T2 | Raymond Floyd | 70 | E |
| Rod Funseth | |||
| Al Geiberger | |||
| John Mahaffey | |||
| Rik Massengale | |||
| T7 | Butch Baird | 71 | +1 |
| Terry Diehl | |||
| Don January | |||
| Lyn Lott | |||
| Mike Morley | |||
| Jerry Pate |
Source:[20]
Second round
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 | John Mahaffey | 70-68=138 | −2 |
| 2 | Al Geiberger | 70-69=139 | −1 |
| T3 | Ben Crenshaw | 72-68=140 | E |
| Rod Funseth | 70-70=140 | ||
| Jerry Pate | 71-69=140 | ||
| T6 | Butch Baird | 71-71=142 | +2 |
| Hubert Green | 72-70=142 | ||
| Lyn Lott | 71-71=142 | ||
| Mike Morley | 71-71=142 | ||
| J. C. Snead | 73-69=142 |
Source:[21]
Third round
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 | John Mahaffey | 70-68-69=207 | −3 |
| 2 | Jerry Pate | 71-69-69=209 | −1 |
| 3 | Al Geiberger | 70-69-71=210 | E |
| 4 | Tom Weiskopf | 73-70-68=211 | +1 |
| T5 | Ben Crenshaw | 72-68-72=212 | +2 |
| Rod Funseth | 70-70-72=212 | ||
| Lyn Lott | 71-71-70=212 | ||
| Mike Morley | 71-71-70=212 | ||
| T9 | Butch Baird | 71-71-71=213 | +3 |
| Hubert Green | 72-70-71=213 | ||
| J. C. Snead | 73-69-71=213 |
Source:[23]
Final round
Sunday, June 20, 1976
| Place | Player | Score | To par | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jerry Pate | 71-69-69-68=277 | −3 | 42,000 |
| T2 | Al Geiberger | 70-69-71-69=279 | −1 | 18,000 |
| Tom Weiskopf | 73-70-68-68=279 | |||
| T4 | Butch Baird | 71-71-71-67=280 | E | 11,250 |
| John Mahaffey | 70-68-69-73=280 | |||
| 6 | Hubert Green | 72-70-71-69=282 | +2 | 9,500 |
| 7 | Tom Watson | 74-72-68-70=284 | +4 | 8,500 |
| T8 | Ben Crenshaw | 72-68-72-73=285 | +5 | 7,000 |
| Lyn Lott | 71-71-70-73=285 | |||
| 10 | Johnny Miller | 74-72-69-71=286 | +6 | 5,500 |
Scorecard
| 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 |
Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par
| Birdie | Bogey |
Source:[4]
References
- 1 2 "76th U.S. Open: course". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 17, 1976. p. 14.
- ↑ "U.S. Open history: 1976". USGA. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
- 1 2 Jenkins, Dan (June 28, 1976). "You were great, Jerry Pate". Sports Illustrated. p. 18.
- 1 2 Husar, John (June 21, 1976). "Rookie Pate beats odds, wins Open". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, sec. 6.
- 1 2 Parascenzo, Marino (June 21, 1976). "Tour rookie Pate charges to victory". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 13.
- 1 2 "Pate decides 'to go for it,' charges to victory in Open". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 21, 1976. p. 2B.
- ↑ Warters, Jim (June 20, 1976). "Mahaffey manages 2-shot lead". Palm Beach Post. p. E1.
- ↑ Thomson, Ian (August 11, 2011). "Jerry Pate has a fond recollection of his 1976 U.S. Open victory at site of this week's PGA". Birmingham News. (Alabama). Retrieved April 14, 2014.
- ↑ Warters, Jim (June 21, 1976). "Rookie Pate captures U.S. Open". Palm Beach Post. p. D1.
- ↑ "Open golfers to pick own caddies in 1976". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. November 15, 1975. p. 17.
- ↑ "Break for some". Rome News-Tribune. (Georgia). Associated Press. January 18, 1976. p. 3B.
- ↑ Loomis, Tom (April 6, 1973). "Chi Chi prefers own caddy". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. p. 30.
- ↑ "Westchester winner may bypass events". Victoria Advocate. (Texas). Associated Press. August 26, 1974. p. 1B.
- ↑ "Touring golf pros prefer their own caddies". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. May 5, 1974. p. 76.
- ↑ "Tour caddies at Augusta?". Times-News. (Hendersonville, North Carolina). November 12, 1982. p. 14.
- ↑ Wade, Harless (April 6, 1983). "Tradition bagged at Masters". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. C1.
- ↑ Anderson, Dave (April 10, 1983). "New Masters caddies collide". Sunday Star-News. (Wilmington, North Carolina). p. 6D.
- ↑ "Amateur grabs lead while pros air gripes". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 18, 1976. p. 2D.
- ↑ "Mike Reid tops Open". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. June 18, 1976. p. 25.
- ↑ "A surprising pacesetter". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 18, 1976. p. 2D.
- 1 2 "'Chicken' Mahaffey turns tiger in Open". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 19, 1976. p. 1B.
- ↑ "Reid falls from U.S. Open pace". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). Associated Press. June 19, 1976. p. 1D.
- 1 2 "Mahaffey up by two after battling darkness". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 20, 1976. p. 1B.
- ↑ "1976 U.S. Open". databasegolf.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.