1972 U.S. Open (golf)

1972 U.S. Open
Tournament information
Dates June 15–18, 1972
Location Pebble Beach, California
Course(s) Pebble Beach Golf Links
Organized by USGA
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Statistics
Par 72
Length 6,812 yards (6,229 m)[1]
Field 150 players, 70 after cut
Cut 154 (+10)
Prize fund $194,600[2]
Winner's share $30,000
Champion
United States Jack Nicklaus
290 (+2)
«1971
1973»
Pebble Beach
Location in the United States
Pebble Beach
Location in California

The 1972 U.S. Open was the 72nd U.S. Open, held June 15–18 at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. Jack Nicklaus, age 32, captured his third U.S. Open title, three strokes ahead of runner-up Bruce Crampton.[3] This was the first of six major championships held to date at Pebble Beach: five U.S. Opens and the PGA Championship in 1977.

Scoring conditions during the final round were extremely difficult; the average was 78.8, the highest in post-war U.S. Open history. Nicklaus' 290 (+2) was the second-highest winning score during that span. It was Nicklaus' 11th career major championship as professional, tying the then-record of Walter Hagen. When combined with his two U.S. Amateur wins, it was his 13th major, equaling Bobby Jones for most all-time.[4][5]

It was the second consecutive major title for Nicklaus, who won the Masters in April. Previous winners of the first two majors of the year were Craig Wood (1941), Ben Hogan (1951, 1953), and Arnold Palmer (1960); later champions of both were Tiger Woods (2002) and Jordan Spieth (2015). In addition, he also held the PGA Championship title from February 1971; four weeks later, he was the runner-up by a single stroke at the Open Championship at Muirfield, Scotland.

Nicklaus won seven additional majors, the last at the Masters fourteen years later in 1986 at age 46.

Past champions in the field

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 R3 R4 Total To par Finish
Jack Nicklaus  United States 1962, 1967 71 73 72 74 290 +2 1
Arnold Palmer  United States 1960 77 68 73 76 294 +6 3
Lee Trevino  United States 1968, 1971 74 72 71 78 295 +7 T4
Billy Casper  United States 1959, 1966 74 73 79 74 300 +12 T11
Orville Moody  United States 1969 71 77 79 74 301 +13 T15
Gary Player  South Africa 1965 72 74 75 80 301 +13 T15
Julius Boros  United States 1952, 1963 77 77 74 77 305 +17 T29
Tony Jacklin  England 1970 75 78 71 83 307 +19 T40

Note: all eight former champions in the field made the cut.[6]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 15, 1972

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1 Jack Nicklaus  United States 71 –1
Orville Moody  United States
Chi-Chi Rodríguez  United States
Mason Rudolph  United States
Tom Shaw  United States
Kermit Zarley  United States
T7 Bobby Cole  South Africa 72 E
Don Massengale  United States
Gary Player  South Africa
Cesar Sanudo  United States

Second round

Friday, June 16, 1972

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1 Jack Nicklaus  United States 71-73=144 E
Bruce Crampton  Australia 74-70=144
Kermit Zarley  United States 71-73=144
Lanny Wadkins  United States 76-68=144
Homero Blancas  United States 74-70=144
Cesar Sanudo  United States 72-72=144
7 Arnold Palmer  United States 77-68=145 +1
T8 Lee Trevino  United States 74-72=146 +2
Lee Elder  United States 75-71=146
Ralph Johnston  United States 74-72=146
Rod Funseth  United States 73-73=146
Gary Player  South Africa 72-74=146
Chi-Chi Rodríguez  United States 71-75=146

Third round

Saturday, June 17, 1972

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1 Jack Nicklaus  United States 71-73-72=216 E
T2 Bruce Crampton  Australia 74-70-73=217 +1
Kermit Zarley  United States 71-73-73=217
Lee Trevino  United States 74-72-71=217
T5 Arnold Palmer  United States 77-68-73=218 +2
Johnny Miller  United States 74-73-71=218
T7 Homero Blancas  United States 74-70-76=220 +4
Tom Weiskopf  United States 73-74-73=220
T9 Don January  United States 76-71-74=221 +5
Gary Player  South Africa 72-74-75=221

Final round

Sunday, June 18, 1972

After making a double-bogey at the 6th in the final round, Nicklaus owned a two-shot lead over Arnold Palmer. Palmer had a chance to tie Nicklaus at the 14th, but he missed a 10-footer (3 m) for birdie while Nicklaus converted an 8-foot (2.4 m) bogey putt. Now trailing by just one, Palmer then bogeyed his next two holes and finished with a final-round 76, four strokes behind Nicklaus.

With a three-shot lead over Bruce Crampton, Nicklaus approached the par-3 17th and hit one of his most famous shots. His 1-iron approach was hit directly at the hole, bounced once on the green, then hit the flagstick and settled inches from the hole for a tap-in birdie.[7] He finished the round with a 74 (+2), enough to preserve the three-stroke lead over Crampton, who carded a 76.[8][4]

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
1 Jack Nicklaus  United States 71-73-72-74=290 +2 30,000
2 Bruce Crampton  Australia 74-70-73-76=293 +5 15,000
3 Arnold Palmer  United States 77-68-73-76=294 +6 10,000
T4 Homero Blancas  United States 74-70-76-75=295 +7 7,500
Lee Trevino  United States 74-72-71-78=295
6 Kermit Zarley  United States 71-73-73-79=296 +8 6,000
7 Johnny Miller  United States 74-73-71-79=297 +9 5,000
8 Tom Weiskopf  United States 73-74-73-78=298 +10 4,000
T9 Chi-Chi Rodríguez  United States 71-75-78-75=299 +11 3,250
Cesar Sanudo  United States 72-72-78-77=299

Source:[3][6][8]

References

  1. "Nicklaus breaks U.S. Open logjam". Toledo Blade. Ohio. Associated Press. June 18, 1972. p. E1.
  2. "U.S. Open history: 1972". USGA. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  3. 1 2 "Nicklaus wins US Open by 3". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. June 19, 1972. p. 1, part 2.
  4. 1 2 Jenkins, Dan (June 26, 1972). "The glorius quest". Sports Illustrated. p. 22.
  5. "Nicklaus a wizard in US Open wind". Milwaukee Journal. press dispatches. June 19, 1972. p. 8, part 2.
  6. 1 2 "1972 U.S. Open". databasegolf.com. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  7. Green, Bob (June 19, 1972). "'Super Sweep' half complete as Nicklaus wins U.S. Open". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. p. 10.
  8. 1 2 Loomis, Tom (June 19, 1972). "Jack's mettle stands test on crotchety Pebble Beach". Toledo Blade. Ohio. p. 16.

External links

Preceded by
1972 Masters
Major Championships Succeeded by
1972 Open Championship

Coordinates: 36°34′05″N 121°57′00″W / 36.568°N 121.950°W / 36.568; -121.950

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