1996 U.S. Open (golf)

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1996 U.S. Open
1996OpenLogo.jpg
Tournament information
DatesJune 13–16, 1996
LocationBloomfield Hills, Michigan
Course(s)Oakland Hills Country Club
South Course
Organized byUSGA
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70
Length6,974 yards (6,377 m)
Field156 players, 108 after cut
Cut148 (+8)
Prize fund$2.4 million
Winner's share$425,000
Champion
United States Steve Jones
278 (−2)
← 1995
1997 →
Oakland Hills Country Club is located in the United States
Oakland Hills Country Club
Oakland Hills Country Club
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Location in the United States
Oakland Hills Country Club is located in Michigan
Oakland Hills Country Club
Oakland Hills Country Club
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Location in Michigan

The 1996 U.S. Open was the 96th U.S. Open, held June 13–16 at Oakland Hills Country Club in Birmingham, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit. Steve Jones won his only major title, one stroke ahead of runners-up Tom Lehman and Davis Love III.[1][2][3][4][5]

Jones went through an incredible journey just to get to Oakland Hills. He had won four PGA Tour events, the last in 1989, but in November 1991 he was involved in a dirt bike accident that threatened to end his career. He separated his shoulder and sprained an ankle, as well as suffering ligament damage in his left ring finger.[1][4] Jones was sidelined for three years, not making it back on tour until 1994. His win here came in his first U.S. Open since 1991, and he was the first champion to go through sectional qualifying since tour rookie Jerry Pate in 1976.[4] After this win, Jones won three additional events on tour.

This was the eighth major championship at the South Course, which previously hosted the U.S. Open in 1924, 1937, 1951, 1961, and 1985, and the PGA Championship in 1972 and 1979. It later hosted the PGA Championship in 2008.

It was Lehman's third close call in a major (1994 Masters, 1995 U.S. Open);[4] he regrouped and won the next, The Open Championship in England. Love won the PGA Championship the following year at Winged Foot.

Course layout[]

See also: Oakland Hills Country Club

South Course [6]

Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Yards 433 523 194 430 455 356 405 440 220 3,456 450 399 560 170 471 400 403 200 465 3,518 6,974
Par 4 5 3 4 4 4 4 4 3 35 4 4 5 3 4 4 4 3 4 35 70

Lengths of the course for previous majors:

Past champions in the field[]

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 R3 R4 Total To par Finish
Ernie Els  South Africa 1994 72 67 72 70 281 +1 T5
Lee Janzen  United States 1993 68 75 71 69 283 +3 T10
Tom Watson  United States 1982 70 71 71 72 284 +4 T13
Curtis Strange  United States 1988, 1989 74 73 71 69 287 +7 T27
Jack Nicklaus  United States 1962, 1967,
1972, 1980		 72 74 69 72 287 +7 T27
Payne Stewart  United States 1991 67 71 76 73 287 +7 T27
Scott Simpson  United States 1987 70 71 76 72 289 +9 T40
Corey Pavin  United States 1995 73 70 72 74 289 +9 T40
Hale Irwin  United States 1974, 1979, 1990 72 71 73 74 290 +10 T50
Tom Kite  United States 1992 76 71 72 75 294 +14 T82

All ten former champions in the field made the cut.

Round summaries[]

First round[]

Thursday, June 13, 1996

Place Player Country Score To par
T1 Woody Austin  United States 67 −3
Payne Stewart  United States
T3 Lee Janzen  United States 68 −2
John Morse  United States
T5 Paul Azinger  United States 69 −1
David Berganio Jr.  United States
Stewart Cink  United States
 United States
Frank Nobilo  New Zealand
Masashi Ozaki  Japan
Philip Walton  Ireland
 United States

Second round[]

Friday, June 14, 1996

Place Player Country Score To par
1 Payne Stewart  United States 67-71=138 −2
T2 Woody Austin  United States 67-72=139 −1
Ernie Els  South Africa 72-67=139
Greg Norman  Australia 73-66=139
T5 Ken Green  United States 73-67=140 E
Steve Jones  United States 74-66=140
Davis Love III  United States 71-69=140
Frank Nobilo  New Zealand 69-71=140
Sam Torrance  Scotland 71-69=140
T10 Billy Andrade  United States 72-69=141 +1
David Berganio Jr.  United States 69-72=141
John Cook  United States 70-71=141
John Daly  United States 72-69=141
Jim Furyk  United States 72-69=141
Neal Lancaster  United States 74-67=141
Masashi Ozaki  Japan 69-72=141
Scott Simpson  United States 70-71=141
Tom Watson  United States 70-71=141

Amateurs: Scott (+4), Woods (+5), Kuehne (+8), Leen (+8), Hobby (+10), Edstrom (+14).

Third round[]

Saturday, June 15, 1996

Place Player Country Score To par
1 Tom Lehman  United States 71-72-65=208 −2
2 Steve Jones  United States 74-66-69=209 −1
T3 Davis Love III  United States 71-69-70=210 E
John Morse  United States 68-74-68=210
Frank Nobilo  New Zealand 69-71-70=210
T6 Woody Austin  United States 67-72-72=211 +1
Ernie Els  South Africa 72-67-72=211
Jim Furyk  United States 72-69-70=211
Colin Montgomerie  Scotland 70-72-69=211
Sam Torrance  Scotland 71-69-71=211

Final round[]

Sunday, June 16, 1996

In the final pairing, Tom Lehman had a three-stroke lead over Steve Jones after eight holes, but bogeyed 10 and 12 and Jones led by two strokes with six holes remaining. Tied at the 18th tee, Lehman drove into a bunker and missed a 15-foot (4.5 m) putt to save par. Davis Love III made a charge, recording birdies at 11, 12, and 15; he bogeyed the final two holes, missing a 3-footer (0.9 m) for par at the last. John Morse came to the 18th tee at 1-under needing a birdie to tie Jones and Lehman for the lead; he hit the green in two on the par-4 finishing hole, but 3-putted from 30 feet to finish at even par for the tournament and end up alone in fourth place. Unlike Love, Morse and Lehman, Jones did not bogey the last; he hit his approach to 12 feet (3.7 m) and two-putted for par to prevail by one.[4][5]

Place Player Country Score To par Money ($)
1 Steve Jones  United States 74-66-69-69=278 −2 425,000
T2 Tom Lehman  United States 71-72-65-71=279 −1 204,801
Davis Love III  United States 71-69-70-69=279
4 John Morse  United States 68-74-68-70=280 E 111,235
T5 Ernie Els  South Africa 72-67-72-70=281 +1 84,965
Jim Furyk  United States 72-69-70-70=281
T7 Ken Green  United States 73-67-72-70=282 +2 66,295
Scott Hoch  United States 73-71-71-67=282
Vijay Singh  Fiji 71-72-70-69=282
T10 Lee Janzen  United States 68-75-71-69=283 +3 52,591
Colin Montgomerie  Scotland 70-72-69-72=283
Greg Norman  Australia 73-66-74-70=283

Amateurs: Leen (+11), Kuehne (+13), Woods (+14), Scott (+21)

Scorecard[]

Hole  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 5 3 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 5 3 4 4 4 3 4
United States Jones −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −2 −3 −3 −4 −3 −3 −3 −3 −2 −2
United States Lehman −2 −2 −2 −2 −2 −3 −4 −4 −4 −3 −3 −2 −2 −2 −2 −2 −2 −1
United States Love E −1 −1 E E E E −1 −1 E −1 −2 −2 −2 −3 −3 −2 −1
United States Morse E E E E E −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −2 −1 −1 −2 −1 −1 E
South Africa Els +1 +1 +1 +1 +2 +1 E +1 +2 +2 +3 +2 +2 +3 +2 +2 +1 +1
United States Furyk +1 E E E E E +1 +2 +2 +2 +1 E E E E −1 E +1
New Zealand Nobilo −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −2 −2 −2 −1 −1 −1 E +2 +3 +3 +4

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

Birdie Bogey Double Bogey

Source:[1][4][7]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Sirak, Ron (June 17, 1996). "Virtual unknown Steve Jones tames 'The Monster'". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). Associated Press. p. 1B.
  2. ^ Dorman, Larry (June 17, 1996). "Inspired Jones claims U.S. Open title". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). (New York Times). p. C1.
  3. ^ Bonk, Thomas (June 17, 1996). "Stellar field humbled by a man named Jones". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). (Los Angeles Times). p. 1B.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Reilly, Rick (June 24, 1996). "Dear Mr. Hogan,". Sports Illustrated. p. 38.
  5. ^ a b Parascenzo, Marino (June 17, 1996). "Steve who?". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. B-1.
  6. ^ "1996 U.S. Open: Card of the course". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 13, 1996. p. D-2.
  7. ^ "U.S. Open History". USGA. Retrieved April 15, 2019.

External links[]

Preceded by
1996 Masters
 Major Championships Succeeded by
1996 Open Championship

Coordinates: 42°32′38″N 83°16′37″W / 42.544°N 83.277°W / 42.544; -83.277

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