THE U.S. OPEN

JUNE 16-19

Next up will be Massachusetts and The Country Club at Brookline in Boston suburbia, for the U.S. Open. One of the five founders of the USGA back in 1895, this is a venue pulsating with history, highlighted by the U.S. Open of 1913, which signalled an end to the Old World’s dominance of golf.

Captured magnificently in Mark Frost’s masterpiece, The Greatest Game Ever Played, the tale of how a 20-year-old local upstart Francis Ouimet, an amateur, caddie and store assistant to boot, withstood the might of two of Britain’s greatest professionals to claim his home championship forever resonates.

Harry Vardon, with seven major titles, is to this day Britain’s most decorated golfer. Ted Ray, his compatriot from Jersey in the Channel Islands, was a mighty competitor who went on to win the U.S. Open in 1920. After the trio had tied over 72 holes, Ouimet showed them a clean pair of heels in the subsequent 18-hole playoff, which he won by five shots.

It took half a century before the U.S. Open returned to The Country Club, and again a playoff was needed to settle matters. This time it was contested by Palmer, his great friend Julius Boros and Jacky Cupit. Due to a stomach bug, Palmer felt out of sorts and was unable to mount much of a challenge in extra time as Boros cruised to victory.

The U.S. Open returned to Brookline for its third and most recent visit in 1988 when (surprise, surprise) another playoff was needed. This time it pitted Curtis Strange against Nick Faldo and, echoing Ouimet’s feat, the American comfortably saw off his British opponent.

All three U.S. Opens at The Country Club at Brookline went to playoffs; will this year be different?