Oakmont History Vignettes

	1927 — The first U.S. Open at Oakmont in 1927 saw Scotsman Tommy Armour outlast Harry “Lighthorse” Cooper in a playoff. Armour birdied the 72nd hole to forge the tie and beat Cooper the next day. Since that victory, only one other European player, Tony Jacklin of England (1970), has won the U.S. Open title.
	1935 — Local club pro Sam Parks Jr. became a hometown hero when he was the surprise winner when the U.S. Open returned to Oakmont in 1935. A final-round 76 gave Parks a two-stroke win over Jimmy Thomson. The difference came on the greens where the astutely prepared Parks had just two three-putts over 72 holes.
	1953 — Ben Hogan enjoyed a magical season in 1953, becoming the first player to win three professional majors in a calendar year, including his fourth U.S. Open championship. Hogan went wire-to-wire in beating Sam Snead by six strokes to join Willie Anderson and Bobby Jones as the only four-time U.S. Open winners.
	1962 — Jack Nicklaus’ first victory as a professional came at the 1962 U.S. Open in a playoff over western Pennsylvania hero Arnold Palmer. While the fans clearly were on Palmer’s side, the King’s putter let him down with 11 three-putt greens over the 90 holes compared to only one for Nicklaus, who would add three more U.S. Open titles to his long list of remarkable achievements.
	1973 — It arguably was one of the greatest final rounds ever in a major championship. Nobody had ever shot a 63 in the final round of a major prior to 1973 and certainly nobody figured to do it at Oakmont. But the stage had been set two days earlier when unheralded club pro Gene Borek shot a course-record 65, thanks to rains that softened the greens. Johnny Miller then upstaged that performance with a sizzling 7-under-par round on Sunday to win the championship by a stroke over John Schlee.
	1983 — A long birdie putt at the par-3 16 th hole propelled Georgia native Larry Nelson to victory at the rain-delayed 1983 U.S. Open. A veteran of the Vietnam war, Nelson didn’t come to competitive golf until his 20s. He wound up stealing this Open at Oakmont by one shot over defending champion Tom Watson, who made a costly bogey at the 71st hole.
	1994 — Ernie Els of South Africa survived a 20-hole playoff with American Loren Roberts and Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie at the 1994 U.S. Open. Montgomerie dropped out after 18 holes and Els secured the title with a winning par putt at the second extra hole to beat Roberts, considered one of the best putters in the professional game. This would be the first of two U.S. Open championships for the smooth-swinging Els.