U.S. Open Golf History

The initial Open occurred on Oct. 4, 1895, at Newport Golf and Country Club in Rhode Island. The tournament took a backseat to the more prominent U.S. Amateur. Horace Rawlins from England won with a score of 173 over 36 holes.

Not until 1911 did someone born on American soil win the U.S. Open, with John J. McDermott taking the title over the more accomplished British players in the field.

In 1913, the tournament came into its own as 20-year-old American Francis Ouimet upset heavily favored Harry Vardon of England in an exciting playoff.

The success of amateur Bobby Jones during the 1920s sparked greater interest in the U.S. Open. In 1924, the tournament added sectional qualifying to its format because of the large numbers of golfers that tried to enter the event.

Among the players to win the U.S. Open four times are Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Willie Anderson and Jack Nicklaus.

Up until 1965, the tournament consisted of two rounds of 18 holes followed by a rigorous third day of 36 holes. As of 2009, it is four rounds of 18 holes held over four days.