1973 U.S. Open (golf)

1973 U.S. Open
Tournament information
Dates June 14–17, 1973
Location Oakmont, Pennsylvania
Course(s) Oakmont Country Club
Organized by USGA
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Statistics
Par 71
Length 6,921 yards (6,329 m)[1]
Field 149 players, 65 after cut
Cut 150 (+8)
Prize fund $219,400[2]
Winner's share $35,000
Champion
United States Johnny Miller
279 (–5)
Oakmont 
Location in the United States
Oakmont
Location in Pennsylvania

The 1973 U.S. Open was the 73rd U.S. Open, held June 14–17 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, a suburb northeast of Pittsburgh. In one of the finest performances in tournament history, Johnny Miller fired a record, 8-under-par 63 in the final round to win his first major championship, one stroke ahead of runner-up John Schlee.[3][4][5][6][7]

Jack Nicklaus, the winner at Oakmont eleven years earlier, was the favorite entering the championship.[8] Daily admission on the weekend was ten dollars.[9]

Course layout

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards4693434255493791953952444803,4794623716031853604532303224563,4426,921
Par444543435364453443443571

Source:[10]

Lengths of the course for previous major championships:

Before 1962, the first hole was played as a par 5.

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2R3R4TotalTo parFinish
Jack Nicklaus United States1962, 1967, 197271697468282−2T4
Arnold Palmer United States196071716872282−2T4
Lee Trevino United States1968, 197170727070282−2T4
Julius Boros United States1952, 196373696873283−1T7
Gary Player South Africa196567707773287+312
Gene Littler United States196171747076291+7T18
Tony Jacklin England197075757377300+16T52

Source:[4][5]

Missed the cut

PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2TotalTo par
Orville Moody United States19697873151+9
Billy Casper United States1959, 19667979158+16

Source:[11][12]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 14, 1973

Underweight from recent surgeries, 1965 champion Gary Player shot 67 to lead by three strokes.[13]

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Gary Player South Africa67−4
T2Lee Trevino United States70−1
Jim Colbert United States
Raymond Floyd United States
T5Jack Nicklaus United States71E
Johnny Miller United States
Arnold Palmer United States
Gene Littler United States
Bob Charles New Zealand
Ralph Johnston United States

Source:[13]

Second round

Friday, June 15, 1973

Player shot 70 for 137 to lead by one at the midway point.[14]

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Gary Player South Africa67-70=137−5
2Jim Colbert United States70-68=138−4
T3Jack Nicklaus United States71-69=140−2
Johnny Miller United States71-69=140
Bob Charles New Zealand71-69=140
T6Gene Borek United States77-65=142E
Julius Boros United States73-69=142
Tom Weiskopf United States73-69=142
Arnold Palmer United States71-71=142
Lee Trevino United States70-72=142

Source:[11]

Third round

Saturday, June 16, 1973

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Jerry Heard United States74-70-66=210−3
John Schlee United States73-70-67=210
Arnold Palmer United States71-71-68=210
Julius Boros United States73-69-68=210
5Tom Weiskopf United States73-69-69=211−2
T6Lee Trevino United States70-72-70=212−1
Bob Charles New Zealand71-69-72=212
Jim Colbert United States70-68-74=212
T9Jack Nicklaus United States71-69-74=214+1
Gary Player South Africa67-70-77=214

Source:[15][16]

Final round

Sunday, June 17, 1973

Four players shared the 54-hole lead: Schlee, Jerry Heard, 1963 champion Julius Boros, and 1960 winner Arnold Palmer. After a 76 (+5) on Saturday, Miller started the final round six strokes back, in a four-way tie for 13th place at three strokes over par,[17][16][15] and few gave him any chance of winning. Miller birdied the first four holes,[18] but after a bogey at the eighth, it certainly did not appear like he was on the brink of the greatest round in U.S. Open history.

But he then birdied four of the next five holes, and after a par at 14 he was tied for the lead with Palmer, Boros, and Tom Weiskopf. At the 15th hole, Miller hit his approach to ten feet (3 m) and converted for birdie to take solo possession of the lead. After lipping out a twenty-foot (6 m) birdie putt at 18 (for a 62), Miller carded the first round of 63 in major championship history. Finishing over an hour ahead of the last pairing, Miller then waited to see if anyone would match him.[18] Palmer fell out of contention with three consecutive bogeys to finish in a tie for fourth. Boros and Heard both shot 73 and finished in a tie for seventh. Only Schlee had a chance to tie Miller, but his 40-footer (12 m) for birdie at the last stayed out; he opened his round with a double bogey.

In shooting 63, Miller hit all 18 greens in regulation and needed 29 putts. Ten of his approach shots wound up within 15 feet (4.6 m), while five were within 6 feet (1.8 m). His score was even more remarkable given that only three other players managed to even break 70 on the day.[7]

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
1Johnny Miller United States71-69-76-63=279−535,000
2John Schlee United States73-70-67-70=280−418,000
3Tom Weiskopf United States73-69-69-70=281−313,000
T4Jack Nicklaus United States71-69-74-68=282−29,000
Arnold Palmer United States71-71-68-72=282
Lee Trevino United States70-72-70-70=282
T7Julius Boros United States73-69-68-73=283−16,000
Jerry Heard United States74-70-66-73=283
Lanny Wadkins United States74-69-75-65=283
10Jim Colbert United States70-68-74-72=284E4,000

Source:[1][5][12]

Scorecard

Final round

Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718
Par444543435445344344
United States Miller+2+1E−1−1−1−1E−1−1−2−3−4−4−5−5−5−5
United States Schlee−1−1−1−3−2−3−3−2−3−3−3−4−3−3−3−4−4−4
United States Weiskopf−2−3−3−3−3−3−3−3−4−3−3−3−3−2−2−3−3−3
United States Nicklaus+1EEEEEE+1EEEEEEE−1−2−2
United States Palmer−3−3−3−4−4−3−3−3−4−4−4−3−2−1−1−1−1−2
United States TrevinoE−1−1−2−2−2−2−2−3−3−3−3−3−3−3−3−2−2
United States Wadkins+5+4+4+2+2+3+3+3+1+1+1E−1−1−1−1−2−1

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

Eagle Birdie Bogey Double bogey

Source:[3][19][20]

Miller's final round

Johnny Miller's 63: club selection and results - June 17, 1973

HoleYardsParClub selectionsScoreResult To par
14694Driver, 3-iron to 5 feet3birdie−1
23434Driver, 9-iron to 1 foot3birdie−2
34254Driver, 5-iron to 25 feet3birdie−3
45495Driver, 3-wood, bunker shot to 6 inches4birdie−4
53794Driver, 6-iron to 25 feet, 2 putts4par−4
619533-iron to 25 feet, 2 putts3par−4
73954Driver, 9-iron to 6 feet, 2 putts4par−4
824434-wood to 30 feet, 3 putts4bogey−3
94805Driver, 2-iron to 40 feet, 2 putts4birdie−4
Out3,4793632−4
104624Driver, 5-iron to 25 feet, 2 putts4par−4
113714Driver, wedge to 14 feet3birdie−5
126035Driver, 7-iron, 4-iron to 15 feet4birdie−6
1318534-iron to 5 feet2birdie−7
143604Driver, wedge to 12 feet, 2 putts4par−7
154534Driver, 4-iron to 10 feet3birdie−8
1623032-iron to 45 feet, 2 putts3par−8
1732241-iron, wedge to 10 feet, 2 putts4par−8
184564Driver, 5-iron to 20 feet, 2 putts4par−8
In3,4423531−4
Total6,9217163−8

Source:[10][17][18]

Video

  • You Tube - Miller on 72nd hole - USGA (ABC broadcast)

References

  1. 1 2 "Johnny Miller fires record 63 charging to U.S. Open victory". The Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. June 18, 1973. p. 32.
  2. ↑ "U.S. Open history: 1973". USGA. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Grimsley, Will (June 18, 1973). "John Miller fires record 63 in scorching finish to take Open at Oakmont". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. p. 14.
  4. 1 2 Gundelfinger, Phil (June 18, 1973). "Miller's record 63 wins Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
  5. 1 2 3 Tomashek, Tom (June 18, 1973). "Miller wins U.S. Open on record 63". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, section 3.
  6. ↑ Jenkins, Dan (June 25, 1973). "Battle of the Ages". Sports Illustrated. p. 16.
  7. 1 2 Dulac, Gerry (June 9, 2007). "Johnny Miller: the best round ever". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  8. ↑ Grimsley, Will (June 13, 1973). "Palmer aims to redeem himself". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. p. 63.
  9. ↑ "Golf fans take beating". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. June 17, 1973. p. 64.
  10. 1 2 Elling, Steve (June 12, 2007). "Miller's magical 63 in '73 a round to remember". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  11. 1 2 Tomashek, Tom (June 15, 1973). "Player keeps lead in Open". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, section 2.
  12. 1 2 "1973 U.S. Open". databasegolf.com. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  13. 1 2 "Ailing Player grabs Open lead". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). Associated Press. June 15, 1973. p. 11.
  14. ↑ Green, Bob (June 16, 1973). "Course the opponent, Player says". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). Associated Press. p. 5.
  15. 1 2 "The Open with one round left (scores)". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. June 17, 1973. p. 7C.
  16. 1 2 Tomashek, Tom (June 17, 1973). "A wide-open Open - 4 tied for lead". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, section 3.
  17. 1 2 Driscoll, Ron (May 24, 2016). "1973: Fact and fiction in the U.S. Open's most famous final round". USGA. Archived from the original on 2016-05-28. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  18. 1 2 3 Rapoport, Ron (June 13, 1983). "Miracle round". Beaver County Times. Pennsylvania. (Chicago Sun Times). p. B1.
  19. ↑ "Open scores". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 18, 1973. p. 18.
  20. ↑ "How they finished". St. Petersburg Times. Florida. June 18, 1973. p. 1C.
Preceded by
1973 Masters		 Major Championships Succeeded by
1973 Open Championship

Coordinates: 40°31′34″N 79°49′37″W / 40.526°N 79.827°W / 40.526; -79.827

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