A Legend Is Born

Palmer Establishes Legacy, While Miller Has Round For The Ages

March 8, 2007

With the U.S. Open returning to Oakmont this June for a remarkable eighth time - no course has held more U.S. Opens - we offer the third installment of a four-part series that examines all the USGA championships held there. Click here for part I and click here for part II.

By , USGA

Far Hills, N.J. - Coming into the 1962 U.S. Open at Oakmont, there was no doubt which player was the fan favorite. Arnold Palmer had won his third Masters the previous April and had notched 30 tournament titles over the past seven years. In 1953, he was a mere 23-year-old amateur when he competed at Oakmont, but now he was the charismatic, go-for-broke swashbuckler. Palmer's connection to the masses was remarkable. And the Open being played in his backyard created more appeal. He was a western native and Oakmont was this region's signature championship layout.

Arnold Palmer, left, offers a congratulatory handshake to Jack Nicklaus. (USGA Photo Archives)

was the anti-Palmer. Some people referred to him as "Fat Jack" because of the 22-year-old's physique. But he arrived at his first Open as a professional with plenty of fire. The former Ohio State University All-American had won the 1959 and '61 U.S. Amateur titles, and in between, he nearly took the 1960 U.S. Open, falling two strokes short of Palmer at Cherry Hills Country Club near Nicklaus, however, was still searching for his first victory as a pro.

When the Open commenced, Palmer and shared the 36-hole lead at 3-under 139. The final two rounds on Saturday produced plenty of twists, with Palmer, Nicklaus, Rosburg, , and all taking the lead at some point. Rodgers would see his title hopes end at the short par-4 17th hole, making an 8 after his tee shot got lodged in a pine tree. He wound up in third place at 1-over-par 285, two strokes behind Nicklaus and Palmer. Had it not been for his balky putter, Palmer might have won the title in regulation. He missed 12-foot birdie putts at 17 and 18. "Are there any good putters in the crowd?" asked Palmer. "He can give me a lesson tonight."

In the playoff, Palmer bogeyed the opening hole to Nicklaus' par, a lead the , native would never relinquish. Palmer gave the fans hope with short birdies at 11 (7 feet) and 12 (5 feet) to get within a stroke, but his three-putts damaged him. Palmer finished the championship with 11 three-putt greens as compared to just one for Nicklaus, who shot an even-par 71 to Palmer's 74.

Palmer finished 1962 with eight victories and two major titles (Masters and British Open). But Nicklaus would go on to win 17 more majors, including four U.S. Opens to tie the mark held by , and .

Gator Bait

For an eight-year period from 1965-72 the USGA decided to play the U.S. Amateur like a U.S. Open, employing a 72-hole stroke-play format. During this era, the Amateur returned to Oakmont in 1969.

Since the last major championship at Oakmont, the first hole had been reduced from a par 5 to a par 4. And with several other holes playing from the middle tees, the course measured just 6,670 yards. Nevertheless, just three players managed to better par, with only champion , a 22-year-old All-American from the , doing it twice. (69) and (70) were the other two competitors to better the par of 71.

, a two-time Oakmont club champion, missed the 36-hole cut after opening with an 81. "I can't remember the last time I didn't break 80 here," said .

The field also included future major-championship winners (1982 U.S. Open, six British Opens and two Masters), (1978 and '85 Open), Tom Kite (1982 Open) and Lanny Wadkins (1970 U.S. Amateur and '77 Championship). Also in the field was British Amateur champion of , who shot an opening-round 77 and could only shake his head at the difficulty of Oakmont. "We've got fast greens in ," he said, "but ours are mostly flat." In 1983, Bonallack would be named the Secretary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club and own five British Amateur titles.

Meanwhile, Melnyk got comfortable with Oakmont right from the outset, breaking par twice in going wire-to-wire for the victory. He led by three at the end of the first three rounds and eventually finished at 2-over 286 for a five-stroke win over Marvin "Vinny" Giles. Miller finished third at 293.

Melnyk, a future Tour player and television commentator for ABC, ESPN and The Golf Channel, did have one anxious moment during the final round. His 2-wood approach to the par-5 fourth hole rolled over the green into a bunker. At this point, his lead was down to two strokes and there was the legendary Palmer standing 15 feet away watching the action. "I thought, 'Oh lord, what's he doing here?' " said Melnyk. Palmer happened to be home in Latrobe and wanted to take in the action.

Facing a 60-foot bunker shot, Melnyk coolly holed out for an eagle 3 and a four-shot lead. He finished with rounds of 70-73-73-70.

"When I first saw the course, I was so intimidated - I didn't think a course could be so hard," said Melnyk. "But it played right into my hands, because I was never one to make a lot of birdies."

Miller Time

It arguably is one of the greatest rounds in golf. Period. People can talk about Palmer's closing 65 to win the 1960 U.S. Open and Nicklaus' marvelous 65 (30 on second nine) to win the 1986 Masters at the age of 46, but what Johnny Miller did at Oakmont in 1973 was simply unbelievable.

Johnny Miller had to overcome 12 players and six strokes on the final day to win the 1973 Open. (USGA Photo Archives)

No player in the history of the game had ever shot a 63 in a major championship and nobody figured to do it at Oakmont, let alone the 26-year-old Miller who had yet to make a major mark in the game.

As golf writer Marino Parascenzo put it in Oakmont's club history, "It was like breaking the 4-minute mile or [Sir] climbing [Mount] Everest."

The game's greats of that era included three-time Open champion Nicklaus, two-time winner Lee Trevino, 1965 champion Player and Tom Weiskopf, who would win the British Open a month later. At the time, Miller was best known for being the 19-year-old "kid" who tied for eighth as an amateur in the 1966 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club. Miller initially planned to caddie at his home club, but then qualified for the championship proper.

But the stage had been set for greatness two days earlier when unheralded club of , carded a course-record 65. In that second round, an Open-record 19 players broke par on a course that had been soaked by rain. Miller, however, spent the first three days of the championship in relative anonymity. Player led at the midway point by a stroke at 5-under 137. One local to miss the cut was of , who had been the low amateur at the 1971 and '72 U.S. Open. In '71, Simons held the 54-hole lead and wound up tied for fifth, the best showing by an amateur since Nicklaus in 1960.

Even with the storms softening conditions, Player carded a third-round 77 to fall out of contention. Local favorite Palmer, who shot a third-round 68, shared the 54-hole lead with two-time winner , and the unheralded .

Before the final round, Miller was so confident that he had his wife stay behind with 6-month-old daughter Kelly to pack their belongings. They had plans to catch an early plane out of . Twelve players and six strokes stood between him and the lead.

Overnight rains had softened the course some more, but even with the normally intimidating greens losing some of their bite, the course was playing at 6,921 yards. Only seven players managed to break par in that final round, with a scoring average of 74.

The first signs of nerves went to Schlee, who hit three tee shots at the opening hole. Even though his first ball was found by officials, he made a double-bogey 6. He wound up losing the Open by a stroke.

Playing without the final-round pressure of the leaders, Miller opened by collecting birdies on three of his first four holes to rocket up the leader board. His lone bogey came when he three-putted the eighth, but he quickly regained the stroke with a birdie at nine. Palmer missed a short birdie at the 11th and when he got to the 12th tee, he saw that he now trailed Miller. Palmer proceeded to bogey 12, 13 and 14 to shoot a 1-over 72 and tie for fourth with Trevino and Nicklaus at 2-under 282.

On the second nine, Miller birdied three in a row from the 11th, and added another at 15. All told, he had nine birdies and one bogey. "I was the winner of the U.S. Open after a round that must have been made in heaven," said Miller after rounds of 71-69-76-63-279.

Said a stunned Weiskopf, who finished third at 281 (73-69-69-70), " ? I didn't know he made the cut."

In the coming years, 63 would be the standard at major championships. No player has bettered the mark at any of the four professional majors, although shot a 62 at the 2006 U.S. Senior Open at Prairie Dunes Country Club and Floridian Billy Horschel carded a 60 in stroke-play qualifying at the '06 U.S. Amateur at Chaska ( ) Town Course, the second stroke-play course.

The Full Nelson

Not many expected Larry Nelson to separate from the pack, but the victory helped establish him on the tour. (USGA Photo Archives)

The setup for the 1983 U.S. Open was one of the most challenging in the U.S. Open era. It might not have reached Winged Foot proportions from 1974, but Oakmont was in that area. The rough was deep and dense, achieving the same results than what the old furrowed bunkers used to do. From 1983 onward, Oakmont became the gold standard for U.S. Open rough. Miller thought the conditions were a way to get back at him for his 1973 performance.

"Well, the members here have pride," said the two-time major winner, "and they don't want my low number . to be repeated. Hence the rough."

Said 1981 U.S. Open champion : "I will never, ever play an Open at Oakmont, even if I am lucky to be the defending champion. The rough is ridiculous."

From : "If , who can lift an elephant, can get a ball out [only] 30 feet from this stuff, it is unfair."

, who was in charge of getting Oakmont ready for the championship, said it was a matter of preserving the course's reputation. "Oakmont is a short course by modern standards, and it has some downhill holes," said Fuhrer. "But it wasn't the length of the rough, it was the thickness, and it was thick. These were the most brilliant, skillful players in the world. Each course has its own characteristics. They have to adapt. They said I took driver out of their hands. I didn't do that. They took it out themselves. The name of the game isn't who hits it the furthest, but who shoots the lowest score."

Oakmont club professional Bob Ford survived the difficult conditions to become the first host pro since Claude Harmon in 1959 at Winged Foot to make the 36-hole cut, shooting 76-73-75-72-296 to tie for 26th with Tour pros Curtis Strange, a future two-time U.S. Open champion, Ken Green and Japan's Tommy Nakajima. Forest Fezler, the runner-up in 1974, also made history by changing into a pair of shorts prior to the 72nd hole. The Tour had a no-shorts policy, so Fezler thought he was also tweaking his nose at the USGA. said there was no rule against wearing shorts (there is now). Fezler shot a 77.

Meanwhile, the event belonged to , a late-bloomer who didn't come to golf until he was in his 20s. Nelson first served in and then worked in an aircraft factory. At the time, he began visiting a driving range after work and became hooked on the game. By 22, he was proficient enough to earn a position as an assistant pro. He went from there to the mini-tours and eventually the Tour, where he would win two majors, including the rain-delayed '83 Open. Coming into the event, he had made just six of 16 cuts and earned just $30,000. Nelson wasn't a name that popped up among the pre-championship favorites.

The beauty of sports, though, is to expect the unexpected, especially at a U.S. Open. It would be a cross-country putt at the 70th hole and some untimely bogeys by defending champion Watson that would lead to Nelson's victory.

Nelson struggled through the first two rounds, shooting 75-73, but it was his third-round 65 that grabbed everyone's attention. He passed all but two men who were ahead of him - co-leaders Watson and at 1-under 212, and (70), for whom he was tied with a stroke back.

Watson looked like the first repeat winner since Hogan in 1951 when he shot a first-nine 31. But heavy rains late on Sunday forced six players to finish the final round on Monday morning. Nelson and Watson were tied at four under par, with Watson facing a 35-foot putt at 14 and Nelson on the tee of the long par-3 16th. Watson two-putted for his par, while Nelson found the green with a 4-wood, 62 feet from the hole. It was a tricky downhill putt that could roll off the green if not struck properly.  All Nelson did was bang the ball into the back of the hole for an improbable birdie 2 and a one-stroke lead. He then made a 4 at 17 and three-putted 18 from 50 feet for a 5 at the 72nd hole. He now owned the clubhouse lead at 4-under 280 following a final-round 67.

Watson now needed a birdie on the last two holes to win. But his 9-iron approach to the short 17th found a bunker and he missed a 5-foot par attempt. Now he needed a birdie at 18 to force a playoff. His approach was too bold and found rough beyond the green. Looking for the same magic he had at the 71st hole at the '82 Open at Pebble Beach, when he chipped in for a birdie, Watson was a bit strong with his third shot, but he holed the 40-foot come-backer for par to fall a stroke short (72-70-70-69-281). was third at 283, with Pete and reigning Masters champion Ballesteros sharing fourth at 286.

When he was later asked about the odds of holing that 62-foot putt, Nelson responded, "I couldn't even put odds on a 6-footer."

is a staff writer for the USGA. E-mail him with questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org.