1976 U.S. Open (golf)

1976 U.S. Open
Tournament information
Dates June 17–20, 1976
Location Duluth, Georgia
Course(s) Atlanta Athletic Club,
Highlands Course
Organized by USGA
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Statistics
Par 70
Length 7,015 yards (6,415 m)[1]
Field 150, 66 after cut
Cut 151 (+11)
Prize fund $253,000[2]
Winner's share $42,000
Champion
United States Jerry Pate
277 (−3)
Atlanta AC
Location in the United States

The 1976 U.S. Open was the 76th U.S. Open, held June 17–20 at the Highlands Course of the Atlanta Athletic Club in Duluth, Georgia, a suburb northeast of Atlanta. Tour rookie Jerry Pate won his only major championship, two strokes ahead of runners-up Al Geiberger and Tom Weiskopf.[3][4][5][6]

John Mahaffey, who lost the U.S. Open in a playoff the year before, took the lead with a 68 in the second round. He followed that up with a 69 in the third round on Saturday for a two-stroke lead over Jerry Pate after 54 holes, with Geiberger three back and Weiskopf four back.[7] The gap was still two strokes after fourteen holes, but Pate hit a one-iron close and birdied the par-3 15th;[8] and when Mahaffey bogeyed 16, the two were tied. Mahaffey three-putted for bogey on 17 and Pate took a one-stroke lead as Mahaffey fell into a tie for second with Geiberger and Weiskopf, both in the clubhouse with 279.

Both Mahaffey and Pate found the rough off the 18th tee. Mahaffey, behind by a shot and trying for birdie, hit his approach shot into the water fronting the green and made bogey, and fell into a tie for fourth. Having a better lie in the rough, Pate gambled that he could clear the water and then hit one of the most memorable shots in U.S. Open history. His 5-iron approach from 191 yards (175 m) flew directly on to the green and stopped three feet (0.9 m) from the hole, and he made the birdie putt for a two-stroke victory.[5][9]

The U.S. Amateur champion two years earlier in 1974, Pate was only 22 in 1976 and appeared to have a bright future ahead of him, but shoulder injuries significantly shortened his career. He won seven more PGA Tour tournaments, the last in 1982, and finished runner-up in two additional majors in the late 1970s.

Future champion Fuzzy Zoeller made his major championship debut at this U.S. Open and finished in 38th place. Mike Reid, a 21-year-old amateur, led by three shots after the first round, but a second-round 81 dashed any hope of an amateur champion. He shared low-amateur honors with John Fought at 300 (+20).

Jack Nicklaus finished tied for eleventh and saw his streak of 13 consecutive top-10s in majors come to an end. He began a new streak and finished in the top-10 in the next nine majors. Only Harry Vardon made more consecutive major top-10s when he made sixteen in a row – fifteen Open Championships (1894–1908) and the U.S. Open in 1900.

This was the first of four majors held at the Highlands Course; it hosted the PGA Championship in 1981, 2001, and 2011.

This was the first year that players were allowed to have their own caddies at the U.S. Open.[10][11] The other majors and some PGA Tour events had traditionally disallowed players from using their own caddies.[12][13][14] The Masters required club caddies from Augusta National through 1982.[15][16][17]

Course layout

Atlanta Athletic Club, Highlands Course

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards4554504602055404401754204153,5603704805103904152154102054603,4557,015
Par444354344354454434343570

Source:[1]

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2R3R4TotalTo parFinish
Johnny Miller United States197374726971286+610
Jack Nicklaus United States1962, 1967, 197274707568287+7T11
Gary Player South Africa196572777370292+12T23
Hale Irwin United States197475727571293+13T26
Lou Graham United States197575747273294+14T28
Gene Littler United States196176757178300+20T50
Arnold Palmer United States196075757575300+20T50

Missed the cut

PlayerCountryYears wonR1R2TotalTo par
Billy Casper United States1959, 19668177158+18

Source:[6][18]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 17, 1976

Amateur Mike Reid, age 21, grabbed the first round lead with a three-under 67, while the rest of the field posted no better than par. Several professionals voiced their concerns over the playing conditions of the course.[3][19][20]

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Mike Reid (a) United States67−3
T2Raymond Floyd United States70E
Rod Funseth United States
Al Geiberger United States
John Mahaffey United States
Rik Massengale United States
T7Butch Baird United States71+1
Terry Diehl United States
Don January United States
Lyn Lott United States
Mike Morley United States
Jerry Pate United States

Source:[21]

Second round

Friday, June 18, 1976

John Mahaffey shot a 68 and grabbed the lead, while amateur Reid fell into a tie for 32nd place with an 81.[22][23]

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1John Mahaffey United States70-68=138−2
2Al Geiberger United States70-69=139−1
T3Ben Crenshaw United States72-68=140E
Rod Funseth United States70-70=140
Jerry Pate United States71-69=140
T6Butch Baird United States71-71=142+2
Hubert Green United States72-70=142
Lyn Lott United States71-71=142
Mike Morley United States71-71=142
J. C. Snead United States73-69=142

Source:[22]

Third round

Saturday, June 19, 1976

Mahaffey kept the lead with a 69, two strokes ahead of Pate, with Al Geiberger and Tom Weiskopf in third and fourth place. After nine holes, Mahaffey opened up a six-stroke lead but struggled on the back nine and, with Pate making a remarkable eagle on 12, the lead was cut to two when the day ended.[24]

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1John Mahaffey United States70-68-69=207−3
2Jerry Pate United States71-69-69=209−1
3Al Geiberger United States70-69-71=210E
4Tom Weiskopf United States73-70-68=211+1
T5Ben Crenshaw United States72-68-72=212+2
Rod Funseth United States70-70-72=212
Lyn Lott United States71-71-70=212
Mike Morley United States71-71-70=212
T9Butch Baird United States71-71-71=213+3
Hubert Green United States72-70-71=213
J. C. Snead United States73-69-71=213

Source:[24]

Final round

Sunday, June 20, 1976

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
1Jerry Pate United States71-69-69-68=277−342,000
T2Al Geiberger United States70-69-71-69=279−118,000
Tom Weiskopf United States73-70-68-68=279
T4Butch Baird United States71-71-71-67=280E11,250
John Mahaffey United States70-68-69-73=280
6Hubert Green United States72-70-71-69=282+29,500
7Tom Watson United States74-72-68-70=284+48,500
T8Ben Crenshaw United States72-68-72-73=285+57,000
Lyn Lott United States71-71-70-73=285
10Johnny Miller United States74-72-69-71=286+65,500

Source:[6][18]

Scorecard

Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718
Par444354344445443434
United States Pate−1−1−2−2−2−2−2−2−2−2−2−2−2−1−2−2−2−3
United States GeibergerE+1+1+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+1+1+1EE−1−1
United States Weiskopf+1+1+1+1+1+1+1E+1+1+1E−1−2−1−1−1−1
United States Mahaffey−3−3−3−3−3−3−3−4−3−3−3−3−3−3−3−2−1E

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

Birdie Bogey

Source:[4]

References

  1. 1 2 "76th U.S. Open: course". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 17, 1976. p. 14.
  2. ↑ "U.S. Open history: 1976". USGA. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Jenkins, Dan (June 28, 1976). "You were great, Jerry Pate". Sports Illustrated. p. 18.
  4. 1 2 Husar, John (June 21, 1976). "Rookie Pate beats odds, wins Open". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, sec. 6.
  5. 1 2 Parascenzo, Marino (June 21, 1976). "Tour rookie Pate charges to victory". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 13.
  6. 1 2 3 "Pate decides 'to go for it,' charges to victory in Open". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 21, 1976. p. 2B.
  7. ↑ Warters, Jim (June 20, 1976). "Mahaffey manages 2-shot lead". Palm Beach Post. p. E1.
  8. ↑ Thomson, Ian (August 11, 2011). "Jerry Pate has a fond recollection of his 1976 U.S. Open victory at site of this week's PGA". Birmingham News. (Alabama). Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  9. ↑ Warters, Jim (June 21, 1976). "Rookie Pate captures U.S. Open". Palm Beach Post. p. D1.
  10. ↑ "Open golfers to pick own caddies in 1976". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. November 15, 1975. p. 17.
  11. ↑ "Break for some". Rome News-Tribune. (Georgia). Associated Press. January 18, 1976. p. 3B.
  12. ↑ Loomis, Tom (April 6, 1973). "Chi Chi prefers own caddy". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. p. 30.
  13. ↑ "Westchester winner may bypass events". Victoria Advocate. (Texas). Associated Press. August 26, 1974. p. 1B.
  14. ↑ "Touring golf pros prefer their own caddies". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. May 5, 1974. p. 76.
  15. ↑ "Tour caddies at Augusta?". Times-News. (Hendersonville, North Carolina). November 12, 1982. p. 14.
  16. ↑ Wade, Harless (April 6, 1983). "Tradition bagged at Masters". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. C1.
  17. ↑ Anderson, Dave (April 10, 1983). "New Masters caddies collide". Sunday Star-News. (Wilmington, North Carolina). p. 6D.
  18. 1 2 "1976 U.S. Open". databasegolf.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Amateur grabs lead while pros air gripes". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 18, 1976. p. 2D.
  20. ↑ "Mike Reid tops Open". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. June 18, 1976. p. 25.
  21. ↑ "A surprising pacesetter". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 18, 1976. p. 2D.
  22. 1 2 "'Chicken' Mahaffey turns tiger in Open". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 19, 1976. p. 1B.
  23. ↑ "Reid falls from U.S. Open pace". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). Associated Press. June 19, 1976. p. 1D.
  24. 1 2 "Mahaffey up by two after battling darkness". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 20, 1976. p. 1B.
Preceded by
1976 Masters		 Major Championships Succeeded by
1976 Open Championship

Coordinates: 34°00′14″N 84°11′35″W / 34.004°N 84.193°W / 34.004; -84.193

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