1956 U.S. Open (golf)

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1956 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesJune 14–16, 1956
LocationRochester, New York
Course(s)Oak Hill Country Club
East Course
Organized byUSGA
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70
Length6,902 yards (6,311 m)[1]
Field159 players, 51 after cut
Cut149 (+9)
Prize fund$24,000
Winner's share$6,000
Champion
United States Cary Middlecoff
281 (+1)
← 1955
1957 →
Rochester is located in the United States
Rochester
Rochester
Location in the United States
Oak Hill CC is located in New York
Oak Hill CC
Oak Hill CC
Location in New York

The 1956 U.S. Open was the 56th U.S. Open, held June 14–16 at the East Course of Oak Hill Country Club near Rochester, New York. Cary Middlecoff won his second U.S. Open title, one stroke ahead of runners-up Julius Boros and Ben Hogan, both former champions.[1][2][3][4]

Middlecoff began the final round with a two-stroke lead over Hogan, Ted Kroll, and Wes Ellis. After an erratic finish where he bogeyed 16 and 17, he carded a third consecutive round of even-par 70 to post a 281 (+1) total and waited. Hogan, pursuing his record fifth U.S. Open, had a chance to tie Middlecoff but missed a 4-foot (1.2 m) par putt on the 17th to finish one back. Boros also had a chance to catch Middlecoff, but missed a 15-foot (4.5 m) birdie on the last and also finished a stroke behind. The last contender on the course, Kroll led by a stroke after a birdie at the 14th hole, but immediately followed it with a bogey and triple bogey and finished four strokes back.[1][4]

Reigning British Open champion Peter Thomson made a rare appearance in the United States and finished tied for fourth, his best finish at any other major. He was the 36-hole leader by a stroke over Hogan,[5][6] but fell back after a four-over 39 on the back nine in the third round.[7] Thomson won five British Opens, and his third consecutive (1954–56) came three weeks later at Royal Liverpool.

Several future champions made their mark at this U.S. Open. Arnold Palmer, 26, recorded the first of his thirteen top ten finishes at the U.S. Open, six strokes back in seventh place. Ken Venturi captured low-amateur honors in eighth place, two months after he lost a four-stroke lead at The Masters with an 80 in the final round. Billy Casper, 24, made his major championship debut and finished 14th.

Defending champion Jack Fleck, who upset Hogan in a Sunday playoff the year before at Olympic, shot 76-74 and missed the cut by a stroke. Jack Burke Jr., winner of the Masters two months earlier, also missed with a 152.[6]

A record-setting 13,914 were in attendance for the final two rounds on Saturday.[1]

This was the first of three U.S. Opens at the East Course at Oak Hill; Lee Trevino won in 1968 and Curtis Strange successfully defended in 1989. It also hosted the PGA Championship in 1980, 2003, and 2013, and the Ryder Cup in 1995.

Past champions in the field[]

Made the cut[]

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 R3 R4 Total To par Finish
Cary Middlecoff  United States 1949 71 70 70 70 281 +1 1
Julius Boros  United States 1952 71 71 71 69 282 +2 T2
Ben Hogan  United States 1948, 1950,
1951, 1953		 72 68 72 70 282 +2 T2
Ed Furgol  United States 1954 71 70 73 71 285 +5 T4

Source:[2]

Missed the cut[]

Player Country Year won R1 R2 Total To par
Jack Fleck  United States 1955 76 74 150 +10
Lew Worsham  United States 1947 83 72 155 +15

Source:[5]

Round summaries[]

First round[]

Thursday, June 14, 1956

Place Player Country Score To par
1 Bob Rosburg  United States 68 −2
2 Peter Thomson  Australia 70 E
T3 Errie Ball  Wales 71 +1
Julius Boros  United States
Wes Ellis  United States
Doug Ford  United States
Ed Furgol  United States
Jay Hebert  United States
Cary Middlecoff  United States
T10 Jerry Barber  United States 72 +2
Al Brosch  United States
Dave Douglas  United States
Fred Haas  United States
Dutch Harrison  United States
Ben Hogan  United States
Bill Hyndman (a)  United States
Ted Kroll  United States
Billy Maxwell  United States
Arnold Palmer  United States
Bud Taylor (a)  United States

Source:[8]

Second round[]

Friday, June 15, 1956

Place Player Country Score To par
1 Peter Thomson  Australia 70-69=139 −1
2 Ben Hogan  United States 72-68=140 E
T3 Jerry Barber  United States 72-69=141 +1
Wes Ellis  United States 71-70=141
Ed Furgol  United States 71-70=141
Cary Middlecoff  United States 71-70=141
T7 Julius Boros  United States 71-71=142 +2
Ted Kroll  United States 72-70=142
Arnold Palmer  United States 72-70=142
T10 Fred Haas  United States 72-71=143 +3
Billy Maxwell  United States 72-71=143
Bud Taylor (a)  United States 72-71=143

Source:[5][6]

Amateurs: Taylor (+3), Ward (+7), Hyndman (+8), Patton (+8), Venturi (+8), Garrett (+9), Magee (+10), Ervasti (+11), Rodgers (+11), Simmons (+11), Dahlbender (+12), Holland (+12), Croonquist (+15), Shields (+16), Kuntz (+17), Moore Jr (+18), Aldrich (+19), Dixon (+20), Kelly (+23), Beman (+24), Myers (+25), Kleist (+27), Deal (+30), Watson (+34), Mandeville (+35), Brownell (WD).

Third round[]

Saturday, June 16, 1956 (morning)

Place Player Country Score To par
1 Cary Middlecoff  United States 71-70-70=211 +1
T2 Wes Ellis  United States 71-70-71=212 +2
Ben Hogan  United States 72-68-72=212
Ted Kroll  United States 72-70-70=212
5 Julius Boros  United States 71-71-71=213 +3
T6 Ed Furgol  United States 71-70-73=214 +4
Arnold Palmer  United States 72-70-72=214
Peter Thomson  Australia 70-69-75=214
T9 Jerry Barber  United States 72-69-74=215 +5
Fred Haas  United States 72-71-72=215

Source:[2][4][9]

Final round[]

Saturday, June 16, 1956 (afternoon)

Place Player Country Score To par Money ($)
1 Cary Middlecoff  United States 71-70-70-70=281 +1 6,000
T2 Julius Boros  United States 71-71-71-69=282 +2 2,650
Ben Hogan  United States 72-68-72-70=282
T4 Ed Furgol  United States 71-70-73-71=285 +5 1,033
Ted Kroll  United States 72-70-70-73=285
Peter Thomson  Australia 70-69-75-71=285
7 Arnold Palmer  United States 72-70-72-73=287 +7 600
8 Ken Venturi (a)  United States 77-71-68-73=289 +9 0
T9 Jerry Barber  United States 72-69-74-75=290 +10 416
Wes Ellis  United States 71-70-71-78=290
Doug Ford  United States 71-75-70-74=290

Source:[2][4][9]

Amateurs: Venturi (+9), Patton (+12), Taylor (+18), Hyndman (+20), Ward (+25), Garrett (+29).

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d "Middlecoff wins US Open with 281". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. June 17, 1956. p. 1-sports.
  2. ^ a b c d Bartlett, Charles (June 17, 1956). "Middlecoff wins Open by stroke". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, sec. 2.
  3. ^ Drum, Bob (June 17, 1956). "Middlecorr edges Hogan, Boros for Open title". Pittsburgh Press. p. 1, sec. 4.
  4. ^ a b c d Wind, Herbert Warren (June 25, 1956). "The Chase of the Doc at Oak Hill". Sports Illustrated. p. 6.
  5. ^ a b c Bartlett, Charles (June 16, 1956). "Thomson leads Hogan by stroke in Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 3.
  6. ^ a b c "Peter Thomson shoots 139, leads Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 16, 1956. p. 11.
  7. ^ "US Open led by Middlecoff". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. June 16, 1956. p. 10.
  8. ^ Bartlett, Charles (June 15, 1956). "Rosburg scores 68 for lead in National Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 4.
  9. ^ a b "Middlecoff edges Hogan, Boros to win US Open golf". Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. June 18, 1956. p. 26.

External links[]

Coordinates: 43°06′47″N 77°31′59″W / 43.113°N 77.533°W / 43.113; -77.533

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