Julian Graubart entitled his book about the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills Country Club, “Golf’s Greatest Championship”. And, apparently, readers of the USGA’s website tend to agree with a scaled-down version of that bold proclamation.
During this month, when March Madness in college basketball is all the rage among sports fans, USGA.org has been running a U.S. Open Bracket Challenge that recently concluded.
The USGA asked readers to rank the most memorable moments in U.S. Open history. Sixteen videos of the top candidates were set up, bracket style, and over the course of eight days, the field was narrowed down to one.
And the winner was none other than the ’60 Open at Cherry Hills, where three generations of golf greats battled it out down the stretch. Forty-seven-year-old Ben Hogan, a four-time U.S. Open champ, was tied for the lead on the 71st tee, But he found water on both 17 and 18, going bogey-triple bogey to finish ninth. Twenty-year-old Jack Nicklaus, winner of the U.S. Amateur the previous year in Colorado, placed second, two back of the champ.
And of course, Arnold Palmer rallied from seven shots back going into the final round, driving the green on the par-4 first hole and chipping in for birdie at No. 2 en route to a 65. It would turn out to be his only victory in the U.S. Open — one he punctuated with his famous visor toss on the 18th green (pictured).
Also making the USGA’s final 16 was another U.S. Open with strong local connections. That was the 1990 version, where University of Colorado grad Hale Irwin made a 60-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole and won in a playoff to become the oldest U.S. Open champion at age 45, a distinction he still holds. Irwin, who claimed his third U.S. Open title, made it into the field via a special exemption.
For the entire USGA U.S. Open bracket, CLICK HERE.
