6 Favourite Moments at The US Open

By: Derek Clements | Tue 13 Jun 2023

Ahead of Matt Fitzpatrick's defence at the 2023 US Open, Golfshake's Derek Clements has shared his 10 Picks to Win AND 10 Outsiders to Watch.

But reflecting on the past history of this iconic championship, Derek has identified several of his favourite US Open moments.

Rory McIlroy, 2011, Congressional

McIlroy had thrown away The Masters in April 2011 when he finished with a final round of 80. Could he put that nightmare behind him at the season’s next major? On a brutal golf course, he opened with a 65 and took a three-shot lead. He followed it with a 66 to double his lead despite finishing with an ugly double-bogey. He came back for the third round and added a 68 and now led by eight. The final round was a procession as McIlroy shot a 69 to defeat Jason Day by eight strokes to land his first major. He set 11 US Open records, including the lowest total 72-hole score (268) and the lowest total under par (-16).

Tiger Woods, 2008, Torrey Pines

This was the tournament during which Rocco Mediate refused to go away. He finished on 283, one under par, and then watched Woods finish. Needing birdies to tie Mediate, Woods and Lee Westwood both found sand from the tee and had to lay up. They both found the par five in three. Westwood missed his putt. Woods holed a 12-footer to force an 18-hole playoff. Woods led after 10 holes but Mediate fought back and Woods had to hole another birdie putt at the last to take it into a sudden death playoff, which he won with a par. Woods was not at his best and limped throughout the tournament - it later emerged that he had won on a broken leg that required surgery. It was Woods’ 14th major, and turned out to be his last until his emotional success at The Masters in 2019.

Retief Goosen, 2004, Shinnecock Hills

The South African had already won the US Open in 2001 but his performance in winning at Shinnecock Hills was quite remarkable. With Phil Mickelson breathing down his neck ahead of him in the final round, Goosen produced a display of putting the likes of which has seldom been witnessed anywhere, and especially not at a US Open. He only hit six greens in regulation but, incredibly, he single-putted 12 greens. He knew the title was his when Mickelson three-putted from nowhere on the 17th.

Tiger Woods, 2000, Pebble Beach

This was the tournament where Woods lapped the field. Payne Stewart had won the event 12 months earlier but died in a plane crash later that year and his image loomed large over the tournament. It also marked the final time Jack Nicklaus would play in the US Open. Woods opened with a 65 to take a one-shot lead and followed it with a 69 to extend his lead to six strokes. He had a triple-bogey at the third hole in the third round but finished with a 71 and led by 10. He closed with a 67 to finish 15 shots ahead of Miguel Angel Jimenez and Ernie Els. It was, and remains, a record margin of victory in a major

Hale Irwin, 1990, Medinah

Nobody who witnessed it will ever forget Hale Irwin going off on a lap of honour and high-fiving the gallery after holing a birdie putt on the 18th green. It wasn’t to win the US Open but it did secure his place in an 18-hole playoff the following day with Mike Donald. Irwin would go on to win, although it took him 19 more holes to do so. And, at the age of 45, he became the tournament’s oldest winner.

Tony Jacklin, 1970, Hazeltine

Jacklin was the reigning Open champion, having picked up the Claret Jug at Royal Lytham 11 months earlier. He was also probably the best golfer in the world at the time - just one month later he would start the defence of his Open title by playing first nine holes at St Andrews in 29 shots. But his triumph at Hazeltine topped all of that as he destroyed a world-class field by seven shots. Runner-up Dave Hill was not a fan of the course, saying that cows should be grazing on it. Needless to say, Jacklin did not agree.