1959 U.S. Open (golf)

1959 U.S. Open
Tournament information
Dates June 11–14, 1959
Location Mamaroneck, New York
Course(s) Winged Foot Golf Club,
West Course
Organized by USGA
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Statistics
Par 70
Length 6,873 yards (6,285 m)[1]
Field 147 players, 61 after cut
Cut 150 (+10)
Prize fund $49,200[2]
Winner's share $12,000
Champion
United States Billy Casper
282 (+2)
«1958
1960»
Winged Foot Golf Club
Location in the United States

The 1959 U.S. Open was the 59th U.S. Open, held June 11–14 at the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, a suburb northeast of New York City. Billy Casper won the first of his two U.S. Open titles, a stroke ahead of runner-up Bob Rosburg on the West Course. It was the first of Casper's three major titles, which included the 1966 U.S. Open and the Masters in 1970.

Final round

Casper began the final round with a three-stroke lead over Ben Hogan, age 46, who struggled to a 76 and fell to 8th place. Rosburg made a run at Casper's lead when he holed out a bunker shot for birdie at 11 and made a 50-foot (15 m) putt for another birdie at 12 to draw even with Casper. A three-putt at the 13th meant Rosburg had to birdie the last to force a Monday playoff. His approach shot fell on the front of the green, 40 feet (12 m) short, and he two-putted to finish a stroke back.[3] Casper's final round 74 was enough. The difference for Casper proved to be his putting; he needed only 114 putts over 72 holes with 31 one-putts and just one three-putt.[4]

This U.S. Open was the first to be played over four days; thunderstorms and heavy rain delayed third round play on Saturday morning and the final round was postponed to Sunday.[2][5] The final round at the U.S. Open was first scheduled for Sunday in 1965.

Charlie Sifford, the pioneering African-American golfer, played in his first major championship, two years before the PGA of America allowed African-Americans to play on the PGA Tour; he finished in 32nd place.

Amateur Jack Nicklaus, 19, played in his third straight U.S. Open but missed the cut for the second time with two rounds of 77.[6] He would place second the following year in 1960 to Arnold Palmer and win the first of his four titles in 1962 in a playoff over Palmer. After 1959, Nicklaus made 25 consecutive cuts at the U.S. Open, through 1984, also at Winged Foot.

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 R3 R4 Total To par Finish
Ben Hogan  United States 1948, 1950,
1951, 1953		 69 71 71 76 287 +7 T8
Cary Middlecoff  United States 1949, 1956 71 73 73 77 294 +14 T19
Jack Fleck  United States 1955 74 74 69 77 294 +14 T19
Julius Boros  United States 1952 76 74 72 75 297 +17 T28
Tommy Bolt  United States 1958 75 73 77 76 301 +21 T38

Missed the cut

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 Total To par
Dick Mayer  United States 1957 77 80 157 +17
Ed Furgol  United States 1954 83 78 161 +21

Source:[6][7]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 11, 1959

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo Par
T1 Ben Hogan  United States 69 –1
Dow Finsterwald  United States
Gene Littler  United States
Dick Knight  United States
5 Hillman Robbins  United States 70 E
T6 Cary Middlecoff  United States 71 +1
Arnold Palmer  United States
Billy Casper  United States
Gary Player  South Africa
Don January  United States
Mike Souchak  United States
Lionel Hebert  United States
Ted Kroll  United States
Don Fairfield  United States
Bo Wininger  United States

Second round

Friday, June 12, 1959

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo Par
1 Billy Casper  United States 71-68=139 –1
T2 Arnold Palmer  United States 71-69=140 E
Gary Player  South Africa 71-69=140
Ben Hogan  United States 69-71=140
T5 Mike Souchak  United States 71-70=141 +1
Doug Ford  United States 72-69=141
T7 Ernie Vossler  United States 72-70=142 +2
Dow Finsterwald  United States 69-73=142
T9 Jay Hebert  United States 73-70=143 +3
Claude Harmon  United States 72-71=143
Gene Littler  United States 69-74=143

Third round

Saturday, June 13, 1959

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo Par
1 Billy Casper  United States 71-68-69=208 –2
2 Ben Hogan  United States 69-71-71=211 +1
T3 Sam Snead  United States 73-72-67=212 +2
Bob Rosburg  United States 75-70-67=212
Arnold Palmer  United States 71-69-72=212
T6 Claude Harmon  United States 72-71-70=213 +3
Mike Souchak  United States 71-70-72=213
Doug Ford  United States 72-69-72=213
9 Ernie Vossler  United States 72-70-72=214 +4
10 Lionel Hebert  United States 71-74-70=215 +5

Final round

Sunday, June 14, 1959

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo ParMoney ($)
1Billy Casper  United States 71-68-69-74=282 +2 12,000
2 Bob Rosburg  United States 75-70-67-71=283 +3 6,600
T3 Claude Harmon  United States 72-71-70-71=284 +4 3,600
Mike Souchak  United States 71-70-72-71=284
T5 Doug Ford  United States 72-69-72-73=286 +6 2,100
Arnold Palmer  United States 71-69-72-74=286
Ernie Vossler  United States 72-70-72-72=286
T8 Ben Hogan  United States 69-71-71-76=287 +7 1,350
Sam Snead  United States 73-72-67-75=287
10 Dick Knight  United States 69-75-73-73=290 +10 900

Source:[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Hogan in 4-way tie for U.S. Open lead". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. August 12, 1959. p. 3B.
  2. 1 2 "U.S. Open history: 1959". USGA. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Toughest 40 minutes: Casper waits and waits". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. June 15, 1959. p. 7-part 2.
  4. ↑ Wind, Herbert Warren (June 22, 1959). "The man with the devastating putter". Sports Illustrated.
  5. ↑ "Bill Casper still leads U.S. Open". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. June 14, 1959. p. 1-sports.
  6. 1 2 "National Open Scoreboard (second round)". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 13, 1959. p. 13.
  7. 1 2 "Greens wizard Billy Casper wins U.S. Open championship with 282". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. June 15, 1959. p. 10.

Coordinates: 40°57′29″N 73°45′14″W / 40.958°N 73.754°W / 40.958; -73.754

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