1965 U.S. Open (golf)

1965 U.S. Open
Tournament information
Dates June 17–21, 1965
Location Town and Country, Missouri
Course(s) Bellerive Country Club
Organized by USGA
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Statistics
Par 70
Length 7,191 yards (6,575 m)[1]
Field 150 players, 51 after cut
Cut 150 (+10)
Prize fund $123,890[2]
Winner's share $26,000
Champion
South Africa Gary Player
282 (+2), playoff
Bellerive 
Country Club
Location in the United States
Bellerive 
Country Club
Location in Missouri

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] It was the fourth of his nine major titles. The 1965 U.S. Open was the first U.S. Open broadcast on color television.

The five-year-old course at Bellerive 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] The U.S. Women's Open also changed to this format, held two weeks later in early July.

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][8] and missed the cut by ten strokes.[9]

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;[10] 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.[11]

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2R3R4TotalTo parFinish
Julius Boros United States1952, 196372757070287+7T4
Gene Littler United States196173717372288+8T8
Billy Casper United States195973737672294+14T17
Jack Nicklaus United States196278727376299+19T32

Missed the cut

PlayerCountryYear wonR1R2TotalTo par
Arnold Palmer United States19607676152+12
Ed Furgol United States19548075155+15
Ken Venturi United States19648179160+20

Source:[12][13]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 17, 1965

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Kel Nagle Australia68−2
T2Deane Beman (a) United States69−1
Mason Rudolph United States
T4Rex Baxter United States70E
Lou Graham United States
Gary Player South Africa
7Gordon Jones United States71+1
T8Miller Barber United States72+2
Julius Boros United States
Gay Brewer United States
Bruce Devlin Australia
Raymond Floyd United States
Ron Howell United States
Steve Opperman United States
Dudley Wysong United States

Source:[14]

Second round

Friday, June 18, 1965

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Gary Player South Africa70-70=140E
T2Kel Nagle Australia68-73=141+1
Mason Rudolph United States69-72=141
4Deane Beman (a) United States69-73=142+2
5Frank Beard United States74-69=143+3
T6Raymond Floyd United States72-72=144+3
Gene Littler United States73-71=144
T8Rex Baxter United States70-75=145+5
Bruce Devlin Australia72-73=145
Gordon Jones United States71-74=145

Source:[12][13]

Third round

Saturday, June 19, 1965

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Gary Player South Africa70-70-71=211+1
T2Frank Beard United States74-69-70=213+3
Kel Nagle Australia68-73-72=213
4Mason Rudolph United States69-72-73=214+4
5Al Geiberger United States70-76-70=216+6
T6Julius Boros United States72-75-70=217+7
Gay Brewer United States72-74-71=217
Bruce Devlin Australia72-73-72=217
Gene Littler United States73-71-73=217
Dudley Wysong United States72-75-70=217

Source:[9]

Final round

Sunday, June 20, 1965

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
T1Gary Player South Africa70-70-71-71=282+2Playoff
Kel Nagle Australia68-73-72-69=282
3Frank Beard United States74-69-70-71=284+49,000
T4Julius Boros United States72-75-70-70=287+76,500
Al Geiberger United States70-76-70-71=287
T6Bruce Devlin Australia72-73-72-71=288+84,500
Raymond Floyd United States72-72-76-68=288
T8Tony Lema United States72-74-73-70=289+92,500
Gene Littler United States73-71-73-72=289
Dudley Wysong United States72-75-70-72=289

Playoff

Monday, June 21, 1965

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
1Gary Player South Africa33-38=71+126,000
2Kel Nagle Australia38-34=74+413,500
  • Included in earnings is a playoff bonus of $1,000 each, from the playoff gate receipts.[11]

Scorecard

Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718
Par443443454444344354
South Africa PlayerE−1−2−1−1−1−1−2−2−1−1−1−1−1−1−1E+1
Australia Nagle+1EEE+2+2+3+3+3+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4
Birdie Bogey Double bogey

Source:[7]

References

  1. 1 2 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. 1 2 Wright, Alfred (June 28, 1965). "Two foreign blokes shock the slammers". Sports Illustrated. p. 24.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Gundelfinger, Phil, Jr. (June 17, 1965). "Palmer fires 67 in final Open tuneup". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 32.
  5. ↑ MacDonald, Jim (June 18, 1965). "Banjo". Toledo Blade. Ohio. p. 40.
  6. ↑ Gudelfinger, Phil (June 21, 1965). "Player, Nagle finish in tie for Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 25.
  7. 1 2 3 MacDonald, Jim (June 22, 1965). "Foreign aid plan reversed: Player repays 'American kindness' by donating purse". Toledo Blade. Ohio. p. 20.
  8. ↑ "Will Venturi ever be right?". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. June 20, 1965. p. 3B.
  9. 1 2 "South Africa's Black Knight unhorses hungry challengers". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. June 20, 1965. p. 3B.
  10. ↑ "Grateful Gary gives $25,000 purse to USGA". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 22, 1965. p. 18.
  11. 1 2 Gundelfinger, Phil (June 22, 1965). "Player wins Open playoff by 3 strokes". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
  12. 1 2 "Open scores (second round)". Toledo Blade. June 19, 1965. p. 18.
  13. 1 2 "National Open golf scoreboard". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 19, 1965. p. 13.
  14. ↑ "National Open scores". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 18, 1965. p. 20.
Preceded by
1965 Masters		 Major Championships Succeeded by
1965 Open Championship

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

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