1971 U.S. Open (golf)

1971 U.S. Open
Tournament information
Dates June 17–21, 1971
Location Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Course(s) Merion Golf Club,
East Course
Organized by USGA
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Statistics
Par 70
Length 6,544 yards (5,984 m)[1]
Field 150 players, 64 after cut
Cut 148 (+8)
Prize fund $192,200[2]
Winner's share $30,000
Champion
United States Lee Trevino
280 (E), playoff
Merion 
Location in the United States
Merion 
Location in Pennsylvania

The 1971 U.S. Open was the 71st U.S. Open, held June 17–21 at the East Course of Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia. Lee Trevino, the 1968 champion, won his second U.S. Open, defeating Jack Nicklaus by three strokes in an 18-hole playoff.[3][4][5] It was the second of Trevino's six major titles and the second of four times in which Nicklaus was the runner-up to Trevino in a major; Nicklaus won his third U.S. Open the following year.

The U.S. Open was just part of an outstanding year for Trevino in 1971 and following this playoff win, his confidence soared. Two weeks later he won the Canadian Open in a playoff;[6][7] the next week the British Open, and became the first to win those three national opens in the same year;[8][9] only Tiger Woods has done it since, in 2000. Trevino won six times on tour in 1971 with two majors and was PGA Player of the Year. He was named athlete of the year by the Associated Press and Sporting News, and was the Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year."[10] Trevino was the first to win the U.S. and British Opens in the same year in 18 years, last accomplished by Ben Hogan in 1953. The others were Gene Sarazen in 1932 and amateur Bobby Jones in 1926 and 1930, his grand slam year. Subsequent winners of both were Tom Watson in 1982 and Woods in 2000.

For Jim Simons, a Pennsylvania native entering his senior year at Wake Forest, his fifth-place finish remains the most recent top ten by an amateur at the U.S. Open. It is the best since Nicklaus' tie for fourth in 1961, following his runner-up finish the year before at age 20 in 1960.[5] The last victory by an amateur at any major was at the U.S. Open in 1933, won by Johnny Goodman of Omaha. Bobby Jones won four U.S. Opens as an amateur, the last in 1930 was part of his grand slam.

This was the third U.S. Open played at Merion, which previously hosted in 1934 and 1950. A fourth was played in 1981, and a fifth in 2013.

Course layout

East Course

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards3555351836004264203503601953,4243123704051294143784302244583,1206,544
Par453544443364443444343470

Source:[11]

Lengths of the course for previous U.S. Opens:

  • 1950: 6,694 yards (6,121 m), par 70
  • 1934: 6,694 yards (6,121 m), par 70

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2R3R4TotalTo parFinish
Lee Trevino United States196870726969280E1
Jack Nicklaus United States1962, 196769726871280E2
Arnold Palmer United States196073687374288+8T24
Orville Moody United States196971717671289+9T27
Gary Player South Africa196576717270289+9T27
Gene Littler United States196174747171290+10T37
Julius Boros United States1952, 196374717374292+12T42

Missed the cut

PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2TotalTo par
Billy Casper United States1959, 19667477151+11
Tony Jacklin England19707577152+12

Source:[12][13]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 17, 1971

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Labron Harris United States67−3
T2Bob Goalby United States68−2
Doug Sanders United States
Lanny Wadkins (a) United States
T5Jim Colbert United States69−1
Jack Nicklaus United States
Bobby Nichols United States
T8Gay Brewer United States70E
Charles Coody United States
Dale Douglass United States
Ralph Johnston United States
Johnny Miller United States
Chi-Chi Rodríguez United States
John Schlee United States
Leonard Thompson United States
Lee Trevino United States
Tom Weiskopf United States

Source:[14]

Second round

Friday, June 18, 1971

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Jim Colbert United States69-69=138−2
Bob Erickson United States71-67=138
3Jerry McGee United States72-67=139−1
4Gay Brewer United States70-70=140E
T5Arnold Palmer United States73-68=141+1
Bruce Devlin Australia72-69=141
George Archer United States71-70=141
Chi-Chi Rodríguez United States70-71=141
Bobby Nichols United States69-72=141
Jack Nicklaus United States69-72=141

Source:[12]

Third round

Saturday, June 19, 1971

Four strokes back after 36 holes, amateur Simons shot a five-under 65 in the third round, one off the U.S. Open record, to take the 54-hole lead.[15] He got out to a fast start on Saturday, and was five-under for the round after ten holes. Simons played even-par on the last eight and ended with seven birdies and two bogeys to lead Nicklaus by two strokes.[16]

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Jim Simons (a) United States71-71-65=207−3
2Jack Nicklaus United States69-72-68=209−1
3Bobby Nichols United States69-72-69=210E
T4Lee Trevino United States70-72-69=211+1
George Archer United States71-70-70=211
Jim Colbert United States69-69-73=211
Bob Erickson United States71-67-73=211
T8Ken Still United States71-72-69=212+2
Larry Hinson United States71-71-70=212
Bruce Devlin Australia72-69-71=212

Source:[17]

Scorecard

Third round

Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718
Par453544443444344434
United States Simons+2+1+1+1+1EE−1−2−3−3−2−3−3−3−4−3−3
United States NicklausEEEEE−1−1−1−1−1−1−1−1−1−1−1−1−1

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

Birdie Bogey

Source:[16]

Final round

Sunday, June 20, 1971

In the final pairing with Nicklaus, 21-year-old Simons retained the lead through the first nine holes of the final round, and was one shot back on the 18th tee. Needing a birdie to tie, his tee shot found the thick rough; a double bogey six yielded a 76 and he finished three strokes back in a tie for fifth place. Trevino took the lead with a birdie at 14, but then missed an 8-footer (2.4 m) for par at the last. He backed off before the putt after a disturbance in the gallery. Nicklaus' 15-foot (4.5 m) birdie putt for the win on the 72nd green also narrowly missed, and settled for par to force a Monday afternoon playoff. Bob Rosburg also had a chance to join the playoff with a birdie at the last, but he three-putted for bogey and finished two shots back.[18]

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
T1Lee Trevino United States70-72-69-69=280EPlayoff
Jack Nicklaus United States69-72-68-71=280
T3Jim Colbert United States69-69-73-71=282+29,000
Bob Rosburg United States71-72-70-69=282
T5George Archer United States71-70-70-72=283+36,500
Johnny Miller United States70-73-70-70=283
Jim Simons (a) United States71-71-65-76=2830
8Raymond Floyd United States71-75-67-71=284+45,000
T9Gay Brewer United States70-70-73-72=285+53,325
Larry Hinson United States71-71-70-73=285
Bobby Nichols United States69-72-69-75=285
Bert Yancey United States75-69-69-72=285
(a) denotes amateur

Scorecard

Final round

Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718
Par453544443444344434
United States Trevino+1EEEEEE+1+1+1+1EE−1−1−1−1E
United States Nicklaus−1−1−1−2EEEEEEEEEEEEEE
United States Simons−3−2−2−2−1−1−1−1−1EEEE+1+1+1+1+3

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

Birdie Bogey Double bogey

Source:[18][19]

Playoff

Monday, June 21, 1971

Prior to the playoff, the first at the U.S. Open since 1966, Trevino and Nicklaus, both 31, were involved in a famous incident on the first tee involving a toy rubber snake. Trevino had acquired it at a zoo gift shop and used it earlier in the week along with a pith helmet and hatchet during a whimsical photo shoot emphasizing Merion's thick and penal rough.[20] Hot and humid in the early afternoon, Trevino reached into his golf bag for a fresh glove and came across the snake and took it out to entertain the crowd. Nicklaus then asked him to toss it over, which Trevino did. Nicklaus picked it up, laughed with the crowd, then threw it back to Trevino.[21] It would later be written that Trevino had tossed the snake at Nicklaus in an attempt to unnerve his rival; in reality, Nicklaus was the one who asked him to throw the snake.[22]

When the playoff began, Trevino bogeyed the first hole and Nicklaus took the lead, but then hit two poor bunker shots on the next two, allowing Trevino to open a two-stroke lead. Although Nicklaus cut into the lead several times, to within one stroke as late as the 12th tee, Trevino never relinquished it. He carded a 68 to Nicklaus' 71 to win by three.[5] Nicklaus won his third U.S. Open the following year in 1972 at Pebble Beach, and a record-tying fourth at Baltusrol at age 40 in 1980.

Television coverage by ABC Sports for the Monday playoff was scheduled for just an hour, beginning at 4:30 p.m. EDT. A 35-minute weather delay after the sixth hole allowed for lengthened coverage.[3]

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
1Lee Trevino United States68−230,000
2Jack Nicklaus United States71+115,000

Scorecard

Playoff

Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718
Par453544443444344434
United States Trevino+1+1+1+1+1+1+1EEEE−1−1−1−2−2−2−2
United States NicklausE+1+3+3+2+2+2+2+1+2+1+1+1+1EE+1+1
Birdie Bogey Double bogey

Source:[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Grimmer-than-usual Lee carves up Jack Nicklaus". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. June 22, 1971. p. 11.
  2. ↑ "U.S. Open history: 1971". USGA. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Werden, Lincoln A. (June 22, 1971). "No fooling for Trevino in victory over Nicklaus". Milwaukee Journal. (New York Times). p. 11.
  4. ↑ Jenkins, Dan (June 29, 1971). "Remember the Battle of Merion". Sports Illustrated. p. 12.
  5. 1 2 3 Shedloski, Dave (June 5, 2013). "Looking Back...1971 U.S. Open at Merion". USGA. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
  6. ↑ Moss, Marv (July 5, 1971). "Lee charged; Wall came tumbling down". Montreal Gazette. p. 17.
  7. ↑ "Trevino wins Canadian test". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. July 5, 1971. p. 3B.
  8. ↑ Jenkins, Dan (July 19, 1971). "Now for the Mexican Open". Sports Illustrated.
  9. ↑ Harig, Bob (June 10, 2013). "Nicklaus and Trevino: Major history". ESPN. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  10. ↑ Kirkpatrick, Curry (December 20, 1971). "Sportsman of the year: a common man with an uncommon touch". Sports Illustrated. p. 34.
  11. ↑ "1971 U.S. Open: Par and yardage for the 71st U.S. Open" (PDF). Trenham Golf History. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  12. 1 2 "U.S. Open results (second round)". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. June 19, 1970. p. 10.
  13. ↑ "1971 U.S. Open". databasegolf.com. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  14. ↑ Loomis, Tom (June 18, 1971). "Surprise leader in Open". Toledo Blade. (Oregon). p. 26.
  15. ↑ "Amateur takes open lead". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 20, 1971. p. 1C.
  16. 1 2 "Jim Simons leads Open". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. June 20, 1971. p. 1-sports.
  17. ↑ Loomis, Tom (June 20, 1971). "Amateur fires 65, seizes Open lead". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). p. D-2.
  18. 1 2 Sixty, Billy (June 21, 1971). "Trevino, Nicklaus in playoff". Milwaukee Journal. p. 9.
  19. ↑ "Jack's tip helped Trevino". Palm Beach Post. Associated Press. June 21, 1971. p. C-3.
  20. ↑ "Favorite U.S. Open moments: 1971". Golf.com. (photo). June 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Just who was snakebit in Open? Not Lee" (PDF). Golf World. June 29, 1971.
  22. ↑ Juliano, Joe (April 8, 2013). "Fond memories of Merion from Lee Trevino as U.S. Open approaches". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
Preceded by
1971 Masters		 Major Championships Succeeded by
1971 Open Championship

Coordinates: 40°00′04″N 75°18′43″W / 40.001°N 75.312°W / 40.001; -75.312

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.