1959 U.S. Open (golf)

The 1959 U.S. Open was the 59th U.S. Open, held June 11–14 at the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, a suburb northeast of New York City. Billy Casper won the first of his two U.S. Open titles, a stroke ahead of runner-up Bob Rosburg on the West Course. It was the first of Casper's three major titles, which included the 1966 U.S. Open and the Masters in 1970.

1959 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesJune 11–14, 1959
LocationMamaroneck, New York
Course(s)Winged Foot Golf Club,
West Course
Organized byUSGA
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70
Length6,873 yards (6,285 m)[1]
Field147 players, 61 after cut
Cut150 (+10)
Prize fund$49,200[2]
Winner's share$12,000
Champion
Billy Casper
282 (+2)
Winged Foot Golf Club
Location in the United States

This was the second of six U.S. Opens at Winged Foot's West Course; it previously hosted in 1929, then returned in 1974, 1984, 2006, and 2020. It also hosted the PGA Championship in 1997.

Final round

Casper began the final round with a three-stroke lead over Ben Hogan, age 46, who struggled to a 76 and fell to 8th place. Rosburg made a run at Casper's lead when he holed out a bunker shot for birdie at 11 and made a 50-foot (15 m) putt for another birdie at 12 to draw even with Casper. A three-putt at the 13th meant Rosburg had to birdie the last to force a Monday playoff. His approach shot fell on the front of the green, 40 feet (12 m) short, and he two-putted to finish a stroke back.[3] Casper's final round 74 was enough. The difference for Casper proved to be his putting; he needed only 114 putts over 72 holes with 31 one-putts and just one three-putt.[4]

This U.S. Open was the first to be played over four days; thunderstorms and heavy rain delayed third round play on Saturday morning and the final round was postponed to Sunday.[2][5] The final round at the U.S. Open was first scheduled for Sunday in 1965.

Charlie Sifford, the pioneering African-American golfer, played in his first major championship, two years before the PGA of America allowed African-Americans to play on the PGA Tour; he finished in 32nd place.

Amateur Jack Nicklaus, 19, played in his third straight U.S. Open but missed the cut for the second time with two rounds of 77.[6] He would place second the following year in 1960 to Arnold Palmer and win the first of his four titles in 1962 in a playoff over Palmer. After 1959, Nicklaus made 25 consecutive cuts at the U.S. Open, through 1984, also at Winged Foot.

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2R3R4TotalTo parFinish
Ben Hogan United States1948, 1950,
1951, 1953
69717176287+7T8
Cary Middlecoff United States1949, 195671737377294+14T19
Jack Fleck United States195574746977294+14T19
Julius Boros United States195276747275297+17T28
Tommy Bolt United States195875737776301+21T38

Missed the cut

PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2TotalTo par
Dick Mayer United States19577780157+17
Ed Furgol United States19548378161+21

Source:[6][7]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 11, 1959

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo Par
T1Ben Hogan United States69–1
Dow Finsterwald United States
Gene Littler United States
Dick Knight United States
5Hillman Robbins United States70E
T6Cary Middlecoff United States71+1
Arnold Palmer United States
Billy Casper United States
Gary Player South Africa
Don January United States
Mike Souchak United States
Lionel Hebert United States
Ted Kroll United States
Don Fairfield United States
Bo Wininger United States

Second round

Friday, June 12, 1959

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo Par
1Billy Casper United States71-68=139–1
T2Arnold Palmer United States71-69=140E
Gary Player South Africa71-69=140
Ben Hogan United States69-71=140
T5Mike Souchak United States71-70=141+1
Doug Ford United States72-69=141
T7Ernie Vossler United States72-70=142+2
Dow Finsterwald United States69-73=142
T9Jay Hebert United States73-70=143+3
Claude Harmon United States72-71=143
Gene Littler United States69-74=143

Third round

Saturday, June 13, 1959

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo Par
1Billy Casper United States71-68-69=208–2
2Ben Hogan United States69-71-71=211+1
T3Sam Snead United States73-72-67=212+2
Bob Rosburg United States75-70-67=212
Arnold Palmer United States71-69-72=212
T6Claude Harmon United States72-71-70=213+3
Mike Souchak United States71-70-72=213
Doug Ford United States72-69-72=213
9Ernie Vossler United States72-70-72=214+4
10Lionel Hebert United States71-74-70=215+5

Final round

Sunday, June 14, 1959

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo ParMoney ($)
1Billy Casper United States71-68-69-74=282+212,000
2Bob Rosburg United States75-70-67-71=283+36,600
T3Claude Harmon United States72-71-70-71=284+43,600
Mike Souchak United States71-70-72-71=284
T5Doug Ford United States72-69-72-73=286+62,100
Arnold Palmer United States71-69-72-74=286
Ernie Vossler United States72-70-72-72=286
T8Ben Hogan United States69-71-71-76=287+71,350
Sam Snead United States73-72-67-75=287
10Dick Knight United States69-75-73-73=290+10900

Source:[7]

References

  1. "Hogan in 4-way tie for U.S. Open lead". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. August 12, 1959. p. 3B.
  2. "U.S. Open history: 1959". USGA. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  3. "Toughest 40 minutes: Casper waits and waits". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. June 15, 1959. p. 7-part 2.
  4. Wind, Herbert Warren (June 22, 1959). "The man with the devastating putter". Sports Illustrated.
  5. "Bill Casper still leads U.S. Open". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. June 14, 1959. p. 1-sports.
  6. "National Open Scoreboard (second round)". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 13, 1959. p. 13.
  7. "Greens wizard Billy Casper wins U.S. Open championship with 282". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. June 15, 1959. p. 10.

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