1990 U.S. Open (golf)

1990 U.S. Open
Tournament information
Dates	June 14–18, 1990
Location	Medinah, Illinois
Course(s)	Medinah Country Club,; Course No. 3
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Statistics
Par	72
Length	7,195 yards (6,579 m)
Field	156 players, 68 after cut
Cut	145 (+1)
Prize fund	$1,200,000
Winner's share	$220,000
Champion
	Hale Irwin
	280 (–8), playoff
	← 1989 1991 →

Medinah CC

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Location in the United States

The 1990 U.S. Open was the 90th U.S. Open, held June 14–18 at Course No. 3 of Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois, a suburb northwest of Chicago. Hale Irwin became the oldest U.S. Open champion by defeating Mike Donald at the 91st hole, the first in sudden-death, after the two tied in the 18-hole Monday playoff. It was Irwin's third U.S. Open title, with previous wins in 1974 and 1979.^[1] Implemented decades earlier, it was the first use of sudden-death in the U.S. Open; the last tie in a playoff was in 1946. Sudden death was needed again in 1994 and 2008.

It was the third U.S. Open at Medinah, which previously hosted in 1949 and 1975. It later hosted the PGA Championship in 1999 and 2006, and the Ryder Cup in 2012.

Irwin was without a PGA Tour win in five years and 11 years removed from his last U.S. Open victory in 1979; he received a special exemption from the USGA to enter the tournament. Irwin began the final round in a tie for 20th place, four strokes back of leaders Billy Ray Brown and Donald. Playing well ahead of the leaders, Irwin fired a round of 67, which included a 45-foot (14 m) birdie putt at the 72nd hole. After the putt dropped, he provided the championship with its enduring image as he took a "victory lap" around the green, high-fiving spectators.^[2] Irwin, however, had not won the championship yet as there were still golfers on the course with a chance to overtake him. Donald made par saves from 35 feet (11 m) on the 12th and from 15 feet (5 m) on the 14th before making bogey at the 16th. A two-putt par on the last tied him with Irwin, forcing an 18-hole Monday playoff. Brown and Nick Faldo finished a stroke out of the playoff in a tie for third place.

In the playoff, Donald took a two-shot lead to the 16th tee. Needing a birdie, Irwin responded with a brilliant 2-iron approach and sank the putt to get within one. After both players parred the 17th, Irwin made par at the last, giving Donald a chance to win the championship. His par putt, however, narrowly slid by, implementing sudden-death for the first time in U.S. Open history. (Previous playoff ties went on to play additional full rounds, the last of which was in 1946.) Irwin needed just one more hole, recording a birdie at the par-4 1st to win the championship.

At 45 years and 15 days, Irwin became the oldest winner of the U.S. Open, surpassing the record set in 1986 by Raymond Floyd by fifteen months.

Curtis Strange attempted to win his third consecutive U.S. Open; he began the final round just two off the lead, but a final round 75 dropped him back to 21st place. Amateurs Phil Mickelson and David Duval made their major championship debuts, finishing in 29th and 56th place, respectively.

Scoring conditions were ideal throughout the week, with a record 39 under-par rounds in the first round and 47 in the second. A total of 28 players finished the tournament under-par, a new U.S. Open record.

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

Player	Country	Year(s) won	R1	R2	R3	R4	Total	To par	Finish
Hale Irwin	United States	1974, 1979	69	70	74	67	280	–8	1
Fuzzy Zoeller	United States	1984	73	70	68	73	284	–4	T8
Larry Nelson	United States	1983	74	67	69	75	285	–3	T14
Scott Simpson	United States	1987	66	73	73	73	285	–3	T14
Curtis Strange	United States	1988, 1989	73	70	68	75	286	–2	T21
Jack Nicklaus	United States	1962, 1967, 1972, 1980	71	74	68	76	289	+1	T33
Andy North	United States	1978, 1985	74	71	71	76	292	+4	T51
David Graham	Australia	1981	72	73	74	79	298	+10	64

Missed the cut

Player	Country	Year(s) won	R1	R2	Total	To par
Hubert Green	United States	1977	71	77	148	+4
Tom Watson	United States	1982	74	75	149	+5
Raymond Floyd	United States	1986	77	77	154	+10

Source:^[3]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 14, 1990

Place	Player	Country	Score	To par
T1	Scott Simpson	United States	66	–6
	Tim Simpson	United States
	Jeff Sluman	United States
T4	Mike Donald	United States	67	–5
T4	Steve Jones	United States	67	–5
T6	Mark Brooks	United States	68	–4
T6	John Huston	United States	68	–4
T8	Emlyn Aubrey	United States	69	–3
	Billy Ray Brown	United States
	Hale Irwin	United States
	Bob Tway	United States

Second round

Friday, June 15, 1990

Place	Player	Country	Score	To par
1	Tim Simpson	United States	66-69=135	–9
2	Jeff Sluman	United States	66-70=136	–8
3	Mike Donald	United States	67-70=137	–7
4	Mark Brooks	United States	68-70=138	–6
T5	Hale Irwin	United States	69-70=139	–5
T5	Scott Simpson	United States	66-73=139	–5
T7	Billy Ray Brown	United States	69-71=140	–4
	Jim Gallagher, Jr.	United States	71-69=140
	John Huston	United States	68-72=140
	Ian Woosnam	Wales	70-70=140

Amateurs: Duval (E), Mickelson (+1).

Third round

Saturday, June 16, 1990

Place	Player	Country	Score	To par
T1	Billy Ray Brown	United States	69-71-69=209	–7
T1	Mike Donald	United States	67-70-72=209	–7
T3	Mark Brooks	United States	68-70-72=210	–6
	Larry Nelson	United States	74-67-69=210
	Tim Simpson	United States	66-69-75=210
	Jeff Sluman	United States	66-70-74=210
T7	Larry Mize	United States	72-70-69=211	–5
	José María Olazábal	Spain	73-69-69=211
	Craig Parry	Australia	72-71-68=211
	Mike Reid	United States	70-73-68=211
	Curtis Strange	United States	73-70-68=211
	Fuzzy Zoeller	United States	73-70-68=211

Final round

Sunday, June 17, 1990

Place	Player	Country	Score	To par	Money ($)
T1	Hale Irwin	United States	69-70-74-67=280	–8	Playoff
T1	Mike Donald	United States	67-70-72-71=280	–8	Playoff
T3	Billy Ray Brown	United States	69-71-69-72=281	–7	56,878
T3	Nick Faldo	England	72-72-68-69=281	–7	56,878
T5	Mark Brooks	United States	68-70-72-73=283	–5	33,271
	Greg Norman	Australia	72-73-69-69=283
	Tim Simpson	United States	66-69-75-73=283
T8	Scott Hoch	United States	70-73-69-72=284	–4	22,236
	Steve Jones	United States	67-76-74-67=284
	José María Olazábal	Spain	73-69-69-73=284
	Tom Sieckmann	United States	70-74-68-72=284
	Craig Stadler	United States	71-70-72-71=284
	Fuzzy Zoeller	United States	73-70-68-73=284

Amateurs: Phil Mickelson (E), David Duval (+5).

Playoff

Monday, June 18, 1990

Place	Player	Country	Score	To par	Sudden death	Money ($)
1	Hale Irwin	United States	74	+2	3	220,000
2	Mike Donald	United States	74	+2	x	110,000

Irwin and Donald tied in the 18-hole playoff at 74 (+2).
The sudden-death playoff began on hole #1 (385 yd., par 4), which Irwin (3) birdied and Donald (x) did not.^[4]

Scorecard

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	4	3	4	4	5	4	5	3	4	5	4	4	3	5	4	4	3	4
Irwin	E	E	E	E	+1	+1	+1	+1	+2	+2	+3	+4	+4	+3	+3	+2	+2	+2
Donald	–1	E	E	+1	+1	+2	+2	+2	+1	+1	+2	+2	+2	+1	+1	+1	+1	+2
Sudden-death Playoff
Irwin	–1
Donald	x

Source:^[5]^[6]

References

^ Swift, E.M. (June 25, 1990). "Hail, Irwin". Sports Illustrated. p. 16.
^ "The 10 Best Duels in U.S. Open History". Golf.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2009. Retrieved March 18, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "1990 U.S. Open". databasegolf.com. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
^ Hackenberg, Dave (June 19, 1990). "Irwin's dream indeed comes true". Toledo Blade. p. 23.
^ "Irwin revises U.S. Open history". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. June 19, 1990. p. C1.
^ "U.S. Open - playoff cards". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. June 19, 1990. p. C4.

External links

Preceded by 1990 Masters	Major Championships	Succeeded by 1990 Open Championship

41°57′58″N 88°02′53″W / 41.966°N 88.048°W / 41.966; -88.048

[sijn90-1] Swift, E.M. (June 25, 1990). "Hail, Irwin". Sports Illustrated. p. 16.

[2] "The 10 Best Duels in U.S. Open History". Golf.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2009. Retrieved March 18, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[3] "1990 U.S. Open". databasegolf.com. Retrieved June 21, 2012.

[tolstry-4] Hackenberg, Dave (June 19, 1990). "Irwin's dream indeed comes true". Toledo Blade. p. 23.

[plffstry-5] "Irwin revises U.S. Open history". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. June 19, 1990. p. C1.

[plyffcard-6] "U.S. Open - playoff cards". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. June 19, 1990. p. C4.

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