1964 U.S. Open (golf)

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1964 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesJune 18–20, 1964
LocationBethesda, Maryland
Course(s)Congressional Country Club
Blue Course
Organized byUSGA
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70
Length7,053 yards (6,449 m)[1]
Field150 players, 55 after cut
Cut150 (+10)
Winner's share$17,000[2]
Champion
United States Ken Venturi
278 (−2)
← 1963
1965 →
Congressional  Country Club is located in the United States
Congressional  Country Club
Congressional 
Country Club
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Location in the United States
Congressional  Country Club is located in Maryland
Congressional  Country Club
Congressional 
Country Club
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Location in Maryland

The 1964 U.S. Open was the 64th U.S. Open, held June 18–20 at the Blue Course of Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb northwest of Washington, D.C. Ken Venturi won his only major title, four strokes ahead of runner-up Tommy Jacobs.[3][4][5][6]

Jacobs held the 36-hole lead after shooting a 64 (−6) in the second round,[7] tying the U.S. Open record at the time for a round, set by Lee Mackey in 1950.[8] In the third round on Saturday morning, he carded an even-par 70 and retained the lead after 54 holes, two strokes ahead of Venturi, who made up four shots with a 66 (−4). Masters champion Arnold Palmer had led after the first round,[9] but hopes of a grand slam faded with a 75 in the third.

Before the final round began on Saturday afternoon, Venturi was advised by doctors to withdraw from the tournament. He was suffering dehydration due to an oppressive heat wave and had to take treatments with tea and salt tablets in between rounds. To play the final round, doctors warned, was to risk heat stroke.[6] Venturi, however, ignored the advice and played on, then shot a 70 to Jacobs' 76 to claim a four-stroke victory. Venturi's score of 206 over the final 54 holes set a new U.S. Open record, as did his score of 136 over the last 36. The win was his first on tour in four years.

Future champion Raymond Floyd made his U.S. Open debut this year at age 21 and finished in 14th place. He played the final two rounds on Saturday with Venturi. This was the last time the championship was scheduled for three days (the final two rounds scheduled on Saturday); the next year it was expanded to four days, concluding on Sunday.

The Blue Course at Congressional was the longest in U.S. Open history to date, at 7,053 yards (6,449 m).[10] A lack of rainfall in the previous six weeks reduced its effective length, and it played firm and fast.[11]

Course layout[]

Main article: Congressional Country Club
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Yards 405 195 459 423 408 456 168 362 599 3,475 459 399 188 448 434 564 211 410 465 3,578 7,053
Par 4 3 4 4 4 4 3 4 5 35 4 4 3 4 4 5 3 4 4 35 70

Source:[12][13]

Past champions in the field[]

Made the cut[]

Player Country Year won R1 R2 R3 R4 Total To par Finish
Billy Casper  United States 1959 71 74 69 71 285 +5 4
Arnold Palmer  United States 1960 68 69 75 74 286 +6 T5
Gene Littler  United States 1961 73 71 74 73 291 +11 T11
Ed Furgol  United States 1954 72 74 72 74 292 +12 T14
Jack Nicklaus  United States 1962 72 73 77 73 295 +15 T23

Missed the cut[]

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 Total To par
Julius Boros  United States 1952, 1963 77 77 154 +14

Round summaries[]

First round[]

Thursday, June 18, 1964

Place Player Country Score To par
1 Arnold Palmer  United States 68 −2
2 Bill Collins  United States 70 E
T3 William Campbell (a)  United States 71 +1
Billy Casper  United States
Tony Lema  United States
Johnny Pott  United States
Joe Zakarian  United States
T8 Bob Charles  New Zealand 72 +2
Bruce Crampton  Australia
Richard Crawford  United States
Ed Furgol  United States
Labron Harris  United States
Tommy Jacobs  United States
Billy Martindale  United States
Stan Mosel  United States
Bobby Nichols  United States
Jack Nicklaus  United States
Bob Panasiuk  Canada
Paul Scodeller  United States
Charlie Sifford  United States
Ken Venturi  United States

Source:[14]

Second round[]

Friday, June 19, 1964

Place Player Country Score To par
1 Tommy Jacobs  United States 72-64=136 −4
2 Arnold Palmer  United States 68-69=137 −3
3 Bill Collins  United States 70-71=141 +1
T4 Charlie Sifford  United States 72-70=142 +2
Ken Venturi  United States 72-70=142
T6 Bruce Crampton  Australia 72-71=143 +3
Raymond Floyd  United States 73-70=143
Tony Lema  United States 71-72=143
T9 William Campbell (a)  United States 71-73=144 +4
Bob Charles  New Zealand 72-72=144
Al Geiberger  United States 74-70=144
Gene Littler  United States 73-71=144
Bobby Nichols  United States 72-72=144
Johnny Pott  United States 71-73=144

Source:[8][7]

Third round[]

Saturday, June 20, 1964  (morning)

Place Player Country Score To par
1 Tommy Jacobs  United States 72-64-70=206 −4
2 Ken Venturi  United States 72-70-66=208 −2
3 Arnold Palmer  United States 68-69-75=212 +2
4 Billy Casper  United States 71-74-69=214 +4
T5 Bob Charles  New Zealand 72-72-71=215 +5
Bill Collins  United States 70-71-74=215
Raymond Floyd  United States 73-70-72=215
T8 Dow Finsterwald  United States 73-72-71=216 +6
Bob Rosburg  United States 73-73-70=216
10 Johnny Pott  United States 71-73-73=217 +7

Source:[3][4]

Final round[]

Saturday, June 20, 1964  (afternoon)

Place Player Country Score To par Money ($)
1 Ken Venturi  United States 72-70-66-70=278 −2 17,000
2 Tommy Jacobs  United States 72-64-70-76=282 +2 8,500
3 Bob Charles  New Zealand 72-72-71-68=283 +3 6,000
4 Billy Casper  United States 71-74-69-71=285 +5 5,000
T5 Gay Brewer  United States 76-69-73-68=286 +6 3,750
Arnold Palmer  United States 68-69-75-74=286
7 Bill Collins  United States 70-71-74-72=287 +7 3,000
8 Dow Finsterwald  United States 73-72-71-72=288 +8 2,500
T9 Johnny Pott  United States 71-73-73-72=289 +9 1,950
Bob Rosburg  United States 73-73-70-73=289

Source:[3][4][5]

Scorecard[]

Final round

Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 3 4 4 4 4 3 4 5 4 4 3 4 4 5 3 4 4
United States Venturi −2 −2 −2 −2 −2 −1 −1 −1 −2 −2 −2 −2 −3 −2 −2 −2 −2 −2
United States Jacobs −4 −2 −2 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 E +1 E E +1 +2 +3 +2 +2 +2
United States Palmer +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +2 +2 +2 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +6 +6

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

Birdie Bogey Double bogey

Source:[15]

Video[]

References[]

  1. ^ Wright, Alfred (June 29, 1964). "'Poor Ken' hits it rich again". Sports Illustrated. p. 12.
  2. ^ Gundelfinger, Phil, Jr. (June 22, 1964). "Ken Venturi fulfills golfdom's prophecy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 23.
  3. ^ a b c "Venturi wins Open tourney on comeback". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. June 21, 1964. p. 2B.
  4. ^ a b c Bartlett, Charles (June 21, 1964). "Exhausted Ken Venturi Open champ". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, section 2.
  5. ^ a b "Venturi beats heats, wins U.S. Open". Sunday Star-News. Wilmington, North Carolina. UPI. June 21, 1964. p. 1C.
  6. ^ a b Shedloski, Dave (May 29, 2011). "Californian overcomes heat exhaustion on steamy 36-hole marathon final day at Congressional C.C." USGA. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Bartlett, Charles (June 20, 1964). "Jacobs passes Palmer on 64 in Open!". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, section 2.
  8. ^ a b Gundelfinger, Phil (June 20, 1964). "Jacobs passes Arnie, shoots blistering 64". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
  9. ^ Gundelfinger, Phil (June 19, 1964). "Palmer fires 2-under 68, leads Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
  10. ^ "Palmer 198 holes from golf's Slam". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. June 19, 1964. p. 2B.
  11. ^ Gundelfinger, Phil (June 18, 1964). "Congressional set to resist golfing fraternity in 'Open'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 30.
  12. ^ Bartlett, Charles (June 14, 1964). "Hole-by-hole of U.S. Open site". Chicago Tribune. p. 3, section 2.
  13. ^ Wright, Alfred (June 15, 1964). "Congressional: where a small splash will cost big money". Sports Illustrated. p. 38.
  14. ^ "National Open scoreboard". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 19, 1964. p. 21.
  15. ^ "U.S. Open History". USGA. Retrieved April 4, 2020.

External links[]


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Coordinates: 38°57′58″N 77°10′35″W / 38.966°N 77.1765°W / 38.966; -77.1765

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