Jack Nicklaus' U.S. Open Wins, Yearly Finishes, Tournament Records
Jack Nicklaus has one of the most-impressive records of all-time in the U.S. Open golf championship. Not surprising! Still, you might be surprised to see how many tournament records Nicklaus still holds.
Those records are listed at the bottom. Before, we'll go over Nicklaus' four U.S. Open wins, plus his scores and finishes for every year Nicklaus played the U.S. Open. And Nicklaus played this major championship 44 times, starting as a 17-year-old amateur in 1957, and finishing as a 60-year-old in 2000.
Jack Nicklaus' U.S. Open Wins
- 1962 U.S. Open: Not just Nicklaus' first U.S. Open and first major championship win, but also, in his rookie year as a pro, his first PGA Tour. Nicklaus trailed leader Arnold Palmer by three at the midway point, and by two following the third round. In the final round, Nicklaus shot 69 to Palmer's 71, tying them for the lead. In the 18-hole playoff, Nicklaus bested Palmer by three, 71 to 74.
- 1967 U.S. Open: Palmer again was the midway leader, and again finished runner-up to Nicklaus. Jack carded a 65 in the final round to finish at 275, the U.S. Open scoring record at the time.
- 1972 U.S. Open: Nicklaus' third U.S. Open win happened at Pebble Beach in the first major championship played on that famous golf course. And Nicklaus sealed it with a famous shot. Leading by three, Nicklaus bounced a 1-iron to the par-3 17th green off the flagstick, the ball stopping inches from the cup. It was Nicklaus' 11th win in a professional major.
- 1980 U.S. Open: Nicklaus tied the tournament's 18-hole scoring record with a 63 in the first round. And at the end, he established a new tournament record for winning score at 272, breaking his own record of 275 from 1967. He beat runner-up Isao Aoki by two strokes.
Jack Nicklaus' Yearly Scores, Finishes in U.S. Open
Finishes as an amateur:- 1957: 80-80—160 (+20), missed cut
- 1958: 79-75-73-77—304 (+24), tie 41st
- 1959: 77-77—154 (+14), missed cut
- 1960: 71-71-69-71—282 (-2), 2nd
- 1961: 75-69-70-70—284 (+4), tie 4th
- 1962: 72-70-72-69—283 (-1), win (playoff)
- 1963: 76-77—153 (+11), missed cut
- 1964: 72-73-77-73—295 (+15), tie 23rd
- 1965: 78-72-73-76—299 (+19), tie 32nd
- 1966: 71-71-69-74—285 (+5), 3rd
- 1967: 71-67-72-65—275 (-5), win
- 1968: 72-70-70-67—279 (-1), 2nd
- 1969: 74-67-75-73—289 (+9), tie 25th
- 1970: 81-72-75-76—304 (+16), tie 51st
- 1971: 69-72-68-71—280 (E), 2nd (playoff; lost to Lee Trevino, 68 to 71)
- 1972: 71-73-72-74—290 (+2), win
- 1973: 71-69-74-68—282 (-2), tie 4th
- 1974: 75-74-76-69—294 (+14), tie 10th
- 1975: 72-70-75-72—289 (+5), tie 7th
- 1976: 74-70-75-68—287 (+7), tie 11th
- 1977: 74-68-71-72—285 (+5), tie 10th
- 1978: 73-69-74-73—289 (+5), tie 6th
- 1979: 74-77-72-68—291 (+7), tie 9th
- 1980: 63-71-70-68—272 (-8), win
- 1981: 69-68-71-72—280 (E), tie 6th
- 1982: 74-70-71-69—284 (-4), 2nd
- 1983: 73-74-77-76—300 (+16), tie 43rd
- 1984: 71-71-70-77—289 (+9), tie 21st
- 1985: 76-73—149 (+9), missed cut
- 1986: 77-72-67-68—284 (+4), tie 8th
- 1987: 70-68-76-77—291 (+11), tie 46th
- 1988: 74-73—147 (+5), missed cut
- 1989: 67-74-74-75—290 (+10), tie 43rd
- 1990: 71-74-68-76—289 (+1), tie 33rd
- 1991: 70-76-77-74—297 (+9), tie 46th
- 1992: 77-74—151 (+7), missed cut
- 1993: 70-72-76-71—289 (+9), tie 72nd
- 1994: 69-70-77-76—292 (+8), tie 28th
- 1995: 71-81—152 (+12), missed cut
- 1996: 72-74-69-72—287 (+7), tie 27th
- 1997: 73-71-75-74—293 (+13), tie 52nd
- 1998: 73-74-73-75—295 (+15), tie 43rd
- 1999: 78-75—153 (+13), missed cut
- 2000: 73-82—155 (+13), missed cut
U.S. Open Tournament Records Held By Jack Nicklaus
These are the tournament records Nicklaus currently holds or shares:- Most wins: Nicklaus shares the record of four wins with Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan.
- Most wire-to-wire wins: Nicklaus shares the record of two with Tiger Woods (although Nicklaus' start-to-finish wins include ties, Woods' do not).
- First to win the NCAA Championship, U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open: Nicklaus won his first Amateur in 1959, won the NCAA in 1961, and won his first U.S. Open in 1962.
- Longest gap between first and last wins: 18 years (1962 to 1980).
- Lowest score, 18 holes, any round: Nicklaus' 63 in the first round in 1980 still shares this record.
- Lowest score, 18 holes, first round: 63, 1980.
- Lowest score in first round by eventual winner: 63, 1980.
- Most consecutive U.S. Opens started: 44.
- Most U.S. Opens completed: 35.
- Most U.S. Open rounds played: 160.
- Most Top 3 finishes: 9.
- Most Top 5 finishes: 11, shared with Willie Anderson.
- Most Top 10 finishes: 18.
- Most Top 25 finishes: 22.
- Most sub-par rounds, career: 37
- Most rounds in the 60s: 29.
- Most sub-par 72-hole totals: 7.
- Youngest to make the cut: Nicklaus held this record when he made the cut at age 18 years, 4 months, 25 days in 1958.
- Lowest 72-hole score by an amateur: Nicklaus held this record from 1960 until 2019 after scoring 282 in 1960.
- Lowest winning score: Nicklaus held this record twice, first with a 275 in 1967 that lowered Ben Hogan's record by one stroke; then with a 272 in 1980 that lowered his own record.
- Most strokes under par, 72 holes: His score of 8-under in 1980 was the record at that time.
- Lowest score by winner in final round: His 65 in the final round in 1967 tied Arnold Palmer's existing record at that time.
- Most times finishing second: 4 (1960, 1968, 1971, 1982)
