1968 U.S. Open (golf)

Coordinates: 43°06′47″N 77°31′59″W / 43.113°N 77.533°W / 43.113; -77.533
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1968 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesJune 13–16, 1968
LocationRochester, New York
Course(s)Oak Hill Country Club
East Course
Organized byUSGA
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70
Length6,962 yards (6,366 m)[1]
Field149 players, 64 after cut
Cut148 (+8)
Prize fund$188,800[2]
Winner's share$30,000
Champion
United States Lee Trevino
275 (−5)
← 1967
1969 →
Oak Hill CC is located in the United States
Oak Hill CC
Oak Hill CC
Oak Hill CC is located in New York
Oak Hill CC
Oak Hill CC

The 1968 U.S. Open was the 68th U.S. Open, held June 13–16 at the East Course of Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. Lee Trevino equaled the tournament scoring record and won the first of his six major titles, four strokes ahead of runner-up Jack Nicklaus.[3][4] It was also the first win on the PGA Tour for Trevino, age 28.

This was the second of three U.S. Opens at the East Course; Cary Middlecoff won the first in 1956 and Curtis Strange successfully defended in 1989. It also hosted the PGA Championship in 1980, 2003, and 2013, and the Ryder Cup in 1995.

Final round[edit]

Bert Yancey held the 54-hole lead after a tournament record 205 (−5) in the first three rounds. Trevino was a stroke behind at 206, after three rounds in the 60s, and made par saves at 5 and 6. After Yancey bogeyed the 5th, Trevino took the lead, then recorded birdies at 11 and 12, while Yancey bogeyed the 11th to fall out of contention. Nicklaus started the round seven strokes back at 212 (+2); he got two quick birdies, but did not record another until the 14th, by which time Trevino already had a commanding lead. Trevino's total of 275 tied the tournament record that Nicklaus established the year before at Baltusrol; his four rounds in the 60s was a tournament first,[4] and did not happen again for a quarter century, until Lee Janzen won at Baltusrol in 1993. It was also the first of Trevino's 29 victories on the PGA Tour.[5] Of Trevino's six major victories, Nicklaus was the runner-up four times.

Sam Snead, age 56, finished in a tie for 9th place, his final top-10 finish at the U.S. Open.

Round summaries[edit]

First round[edit]

Thursday, June 13, 1968

Place Player Score To par
1 United States Bert Yancey 67 −3
T2 United States Charles Coody 69 −1
United States Lee Trevino
T4 Canada Al Balding 70 E
United States Don Bies
United States Billy Farrell
United States John Felus
United States Labron Harris Jr.
United States Dave Marr
T10 United States Julius Boros 71 +1
United States Gay Brewer
United States Bill Collins
Australia Bruce Devlin
United States Gardner Dickinson
United States Don January
United States Dick Siderowf (a)
United States Dan Sikes
United States Larry Ziegler

Second round[edit]

Friday, June 14, 1968

Place Player Score To par
1 United States Bert Yancey 67-68=135 −5
2 United States Lee Trevino 69-68=137 −3
T3 United States Don Bies 70-70=140 E
United States Charles Coody 69-71=140
Australia Bruce Devlin 71-69=140
United States Jerry Pittman 73-67=140
T7 United States Miller Barber 74-68=142 +2
United States Julius Boros 71-71=142
United States Gay Brewer 71-71=142
New Zealand Bob Charles 73-69=142
United States Billy Farrell 70-72=142
United States Labron Harris Jr. 70-72=142
United States Dave Hill 74-68=142
United States Dave Marr 70-72=142
United States Jack Nicklaus 72-70=142
United States Dan Sikes 71-71=142
United States Larry Ziegler 71-71=142

Third round[edit]

Saturday, June 15, 1968

Place Player Score To par
1 United States Bert Yancey 67-68-70=205 −5
2 United States Lee Trevino 69-68-69=206 −4
T3 United States Charles Coody 69-71-72=212 +2
United States Jack Nicklaus 72-70-70=212
T5 United States Julius Boros 71-71-71=213 +3
United States Bobby Nichols 74-71-68=213
T7 United States Billy Casper 75-68-71=214 +4
New Zealand Bob Charles 73-69-72=214
United States Al Geiberger 72-74-68=214
United States Jerry Pittman 73-67-74=214
United States Dave Stockton 72-73-69=214

Final round[edit]

Sunday, June 16, 1968

Place Player Score To par Money ($)
1 United States Lee Trevino 69-68-69-69=275 −5 30,000
2 United States Jack Nicklaus 72-70-70-67=279 −1 15,000
3 United States Bert Yancey 67-68-70-76=281 +1 10,000
4 United States Bobby Nichols 74-71-68-69=282 +2 7,500
T5 United States Don Bies 70-70-75-69=284 +4 5,500
United States Steve Spray 73-75-71-65=284
T7 New Zealand Bob Charles 73-69-72-71=285 +5 3,750
United States Jerry Pittman 73-67-74-71=285
T9 United States Gay Brewer 71-71-75-69=286 +6 2,516
United States Billy Casper 75-68-71-72=286
Australia Bruce Devlin 71-69-75-71=286
United States Al Geiberger 72-74-68-72=286
United States Sam Snead 73-71-74-68=286
United States Dave Stockton 72-73-69-72=286

Source:[6][7]

Scorecard[edit]

Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 4 3 5 4 3 4 4 4 4 3 4 5 4 3 4 4 4
United States Trevino −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −4 −5 −5 −5 −5 −5 −5 −5
United States Nicklaus +2 +2 +1 E E E E E E E E E E −1 −1 −1 −1 −1
United States Yancey −4 −4 −3 −3 −2 −3 −3 −3 −2 −1 −1 −1 E −1 −1 E E +1
United States Nichols +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +2 +2 +2 +2 +1 +1 +2
United States Bies +5 +6 +6 +5 +5 +5 +5 +5 +5 +4 +4 +4 +4 +5 +4 +4 +4 +4
United States Spray +9 +10 +9 +8 +8 +7 +8 +9 +9 +8 +8 +7 +7 +6 +5 +4 +4 +4

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

Birdie Bogey

Source:[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Steady Yancey shoots 68, holds 2-stroke Open lead". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. June 15, 1968. p. 13.
  2. ^ "U.S. Open history: 1968". USGA. Archived from the original on April 17, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  3. ^ Jenkins, Dan (June 24, 1968). "Eyes right...but wrong". Sports Illustrated. p. 16.
  4. ^ a b Grimsley, Will (June 17, 1968). "Trevino's 4 subpar rounds set mark in Open victory; 275 total ties another". Youngstown Vindicator. Associated Press. p. 15.
  5. ^ Stambaugh, Phil (July 29, 2013). "Q&A: Lee Trevino on historic win at Oak Hill". PGA Tour. Archived from the original on August 10, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  6. ^ "National Open golf scores". Youngstown Vindicator. Associated Press. June 17, 1968. p. 15.
  7. ^ a b "U.S. Open History – 1968". USGA. Retrieved May 20, 2019.

External links[edit]

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