1959 U.S. Open Winner and Scores
The 1959 U.S. Open was the 59th time the tournament was played, and a future Hall of Famer claimed his first major trophy, helped by a famous bit of course management.
Winner: Billy Casper, 282
Where it was played: Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York
Tournament dates: June 11-14, 1959
Leader after first round: Ben Hogan, Gene Littler, Dick Knight and Dow Finsterwald, 69
Leader after second round: Billy Casper, 139
Leader after third round: Billy Casper, 208
What Happened at the 1959 U.S. Open
Have you heard the story of the time Billy Casper laid up on a par-3 hole all four days of a tournament? The 1959 U.S. Open was that tournament.The hole was No. 3 on Winged Foot's West Course, the longest par-3 on the course then and now. In 1959, it played 216 yards for the pros. Not terrifically long for the period, but longish and to a heavily contoured green where keeping the ball below the hole is key.
Casper simply felt that the risk of bogey on the hole outweighed the possibility of birdie. So he decided to take bogey out of the equation. All four days of the 1959 U.S. Open, Casper laid up in front the green. Then, with his delicate short game, he chipped up to the green, leaving the ball below the hole, and made the uphill putt for par.
Casper's legendary putting prowess was on display all week. He had 31 1-putt greens, according to the USGA, and just one 3-putt for the week.
This was the first of Casper's three career wins in majors, the seventh of his 51 career PGA Tour wins, and the first of four wins in 1959 for him.
Casper led by three over Ben Hogan entering the final round, and by four over Bob Rosburg, Arnold Palmer and Sam Snead. Rosburg was the only one of those who challenged, though, despite Casper's closing 74. Hogan shot 76 and finished tied for eighth.
Rosburg, who won the 1959 PGA Championship a month later, pulled even with Casper at one point on the back nine in the final round. But when he reached the 72nd green, Rosburg needed a birdie to force a playoff and didn't get it.
The 1959 U.S. Open was the first one played over four days, although not by design. Thirty-six holes were scheduled for the final day on Saturday, as was the norm at the time. But the Saturday afternoon 18 was washed out by rain, forcing a Sunday conclusion.
Young amateur Jack Nicklaus, age 19, opened with consecutive 77s and missed the cut. Masters and PGA Championship winner Henry Picard played the U.S. Open for the final time this year.
Another significant development that occurred at the 1959 U.S. Open: Charlie Sifford played and finished 32nd. Sifford, an African-American, was in the field two years before the PGA of America removed a Caucasians-only clause from its tournament bylaws. It was Sifford's first appearance in one of golf's majors.
1959 U.S. Open Scores
| Billy Casper | 71-68-69-74—282 |
| Bob Rosburg | 75-70-67-71—283 |
| Claude Harmon | 72-71-70-71—284 |
| Mike Souchak | 71-70-72-71—284 |
| Doug Ford | 72-69-72-73—286 |
| Arnold Palmer | 71-69-72-74—286 |
| Ernie Vossler | 72-70-72-72—286 |
| Ben Hogan | 69-71-71-76—287 |
| Sam Snead | 73-72-67-75—287 |
| Dick Knight | 69-75-73-73—290 |
| Dow Finsterwald | 69-73-75-74—291 |
| Fred Hawkins | 76-72-69-74—291 |
| Ted Kroll | 71-73-73-74—291 |
| Gene Littler | 69-74-75-73—291 |
| Dave Marr | 75-73-69-75—292 |
| Gary Player | 71-69-76-76—292 |
| Gardner Dickinson | 77-70-71-75—293 |
| Jay Hebert | 73-70-78-72—293 |
| Jack Fleck | 74-74-69-77—294 |
| Mac Hunter | 75-74-73-72—294 |
| Don January | 71-73-73-77—294 |
| Cary Middlecoff | 71-73-73-77—294 |
| Johnny Pott | 77-72-70-75—294 |
| Bo Wininger | 71-73-72-78—294 |
| Joe Campbell | 73-71-75-76—295 |
| Chick Harbert | 78-68-76-74—296 |
| Billy Maxwell | 75-75-70-76—296 |
| Julius Boros | 76-74-72-75—297 |
| Lionel Hebert | 71-74-70-82—297 |
| Henry Ransom | 72-77-71-77—297 |
| Fred Wampler | 74-73-75-75—297 |
| Al Balding | 72-74-75-78—299 |
| a-James English | 74-75-77-73—299 |
| Charlie Sifford | 78-72-73-76—299 |
| Tommy Jacobs | 76-71-76-77—300 |
| Shelley Mayfield | 75-74-73-78—300 |
| Ewing Pomeroy | 72-72-76-80—300 |
| Tommy Bolt | 75-73-77-76—301 |
| a-Charles Coe | 72-78-75-76—301 |
| Vic Ghezzi | 75-71-78-77—301 |
| Bob Goalby | 73-76-74-78—301 |
| Ken Venturi | 78-69-76-78—301 |
| Wes Ellis | 77-70-76-79—302 |
| Don Fairfield | 71-78-73-80—302 |
| Jimmy Johnson | 76-74-75-77—302 |
| a-Robert Batdorff | 73-73-78-79—303 |
| Darrell Hickok | 76-72-73-82—303 |
| Alfred Smith | 75-75-75-78—303 |
| a-Don Cherry | 75-75-79-75—304 |
| Stan Dudas | 75-73-75-81—304 |
| Rex Baxter | 75-72-78-80—305 |
| Paul Harney | 74-76-76-79—305 |
| Charles Scally | 80-70-76-79—305 |
| a-Dick Chapman | 76-74-75-82—307 |
| Otto Greiner | 77-71-78-83—309 |
| a-Cobby Ware | 73-75-83-80—311 |
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