1965 U.S. Open (golf)

Coordinates: 38°39′36″N 90°28′59″W / 38.66°N 90.483°W / 38.66; -90.483
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1965 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesJune 17–21, 1965
LocationTown and Country, Missouri
Course(s)Bellerive Country Club
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70
Length7,191 yards (6,575 m)[1]
Field150 players, 51 after cut
Cut150 (+10)
Prize fund$123,890[2]
Winner's share$26,000
Champion
South Africa Gary Player
282 (+2), playoff
← 1964
1966 →

The 1965 U.S. Open was the 65th U.S. Open, held June 17–21 at Bellerive Country Club in Town and Country, Missouri, a suburb west of St. Louis. Gary Player of South Africa defeated Kel Nagle of Australia in an 18-hole playoff to win his only U.S. Open title. Player was the first foreign-born winner of the U.S. Open since 1927, and the win completed his career Grand Slam at age 29.[3]

The five-year-old course was the U.S. Open's longest to date at 7,191 yards (6,575 m), and had the potential to reach 7,500 yards (6,860 m).[4] The quality of the young course's turf varied, with burned out or diseased areas which the USGA did not allow relief from.[4] The field consisted of 136 professionals and 14 amateurs, with the top fifty and ties advancing after 36 holes.[1][5] This was the first time that the U.S. Open was scheduled for four days, with the final round on Sunday. Previously the third and fourth rounds were both played on Saturday.[4]

Final round and playoff

In the final round on Sunday, Player owned a three-stroke lead over Nagle with just three holes to play. But while Player double-bogeyed the par-3 16th hole, Nagle birdied the 17th. As Player reached the 18th tee, he knew he needed a birdie to win outright, as Nagle had parred the final hole for 282 (+2). Player had a 28-foot (8.5 m) putt for birdie, but left it 4 inches (10 cm) short and tapped in for a 72-hole tie.[3][6] In the 18-hole playoff on Monday afternoon, Player built a five-shot lead after eight holes and held on to win by three strokes, 71 to 74. He won the championship with fiberglass-shafted golf clubs.[7]

With his win, Player joined Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan as the only to win all four professional major championships, the career Grand Slam. Jack Nicklaus completed the feat himself the next year at the 1966 British Open. Player was also the first foreign-born winner of the U.S. Open in 38 years, since Scotland's Tommy Armour won in 1927.

Arnold Palmer missed the 36-hole cut by two strokes, the only time from 1962 to 1967 that he placed outside the top-5 at the U.S. Open. Defending champion Ken Venturi was hampered by numbed fingers[4] and missed the cut by ten strokes.

Purse donated

The winner's share was $25,000 and both playoff participants received a $1,000 bonus, taken from the gate receipts of the Monday gallery of 6,790. Player donated his winner's share to cancer research ($5,000) and junior golf ($20,000) in the United States, fulfilling an earlier pledge to thank the people of America;[8] his mother died of cancer when he was eight years old.[7] Player paid his caddy $2,000 with his playoff bonus and $1,000 from his pocket.[9]

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 R3 R4 Total To par Finish
Julius Boros  United States 1952, 1963 72 75 70 70 287 +7 T4
Gene Littler  United States 1961 73 71 73 72 288 +8 T8
Billy Casper  United States 1959 73 73 76 72 294 +14 T17
Jack Nicklaus  United States 1962 78 72 73 76 297 +17 T31

Missed the cut

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 Total To par
Arnold Palmer  United States 1960 76 76 152 +12
Ed Furgol  United States 1954 80 75 155 +15
Ken Venturi  United States 1964 81 79 160 +20

Source:[10]

Final round leaderboard

Place Player Country Score To par Money ($)
T1 Gary Player  South Africa 70-70-71-71=282 +2 Playoff
Kel Nagle  Australia 68-73-72-69=282
3 Frank Beard  United States 74-69-70-71=284 +4 9,000
T4 Julius Boros  United States 72-75-70-70=287 +7 6,500
Al Geiberger  United States 70-76-70-71=287
T6 Bruce Devlin  Australia 72-73-72-71=288 +8 4,500
Raymond Floyd  United States 72-72-76-68=288
T8 Tony Lema  United States 72-74-73-70=289 +9 2,500
Gene Littler  United States 73-71-73-72=289
Dudley Wysong  United States 72-75-70-72=289

Playoff

Monday, June 21, 1965

Place Player Country Score To par Money ($)
1 Gary Player  South Africa 33-38=71 +1 26,000
2 Kel Nagle  Australia 38-36=74 +4 13,500

Scorecard

Hole  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 4 3 4 4 3 4 5 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 3 5 4
South Africa Player E −1 −2 −1 −1 −1 −1 −2 −2 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 E +1
Australia Nagle +1 E E E +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +4 +4 +4 +4 +4 +4

Source:[7]

References

  1. ^ a b MacDonald, Jim (June 17, 1965). "Open could become putt, putt, putt, putt". Toledo Blade. p. 40.
  2. ^ "U.S. Open history: 1965". USGA. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  3. ^ a b Wright, Alfred (June 28, 1965). "Two foreign blokes shock the slammers". Sports Illustrated. p. 24.
  4. ^ a b c d Gundelfinger, Phil, Jr. (June 17, 1965). "Palmer fires 67 in final Open tuneup". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 32.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ MacDonald, Jim (June 18, 1965). "Banjo". Toledo Blade. p. 40.
  6. ^ Gudelfinger, Phil (June 21, 1965). "Player, Nagle finish in tie for Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 25.
  7. ^ a b c MacDonald, Jim (June 22, 1965). "Foreign aid plan reversed: Player repays 'American kindness' by donating purse". Toledo Blade. p. 20. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  8. ^ "Grateful Gary gives $25,000 purse to USGA". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 22, 1965. p. 18.
  9. ^ Gundelfinger, Phil (June 22, 1965). "Player wins Open playoff by 3 strokes". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
  10. ^ "Open scores (second round)". Toledo Blade. June 19, 1965. p. 18.

External links

Preceded by Major Championships Succeeded by

38°39′36″N 90°28′59″W / 38.66°N 90.483°W / 38.66; -90.483

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