1987 U.S. Open (golf)

1987 U.S. Open
Tournament information
Dates June 18–21, 1987
Location San Francisco, California
Course(s) Olympic Club, Lake Course
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Format Stroke play
Statistics
Par 70
Length 6,709 yards (6,135 m)[1]
Field 156 players, 77 after cut
Cut 147 (+7)
Prize fund $825,000
Winner's share $150,000
Champion
United States Scott Simpson
277 (–3)
«1986
1988»
Olympic Club
Location in the United States

The 1987 U.S. Open was the 87th U.S. Open, held June 18–21 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California. Scott Simpson passed and held off 1982 champion Tom Watson on the Lake Course to win his only major title by one stroke.

Eleven former champions were in the field and only four made the 36-hole cut.

This was the third U.S. Open at the Lake Course of the Olympic Club, the previous two in 1955 and 1966 ended in playoffs. The U.S. Open returned in 1998 and 2012; both were won by one stroke.

Course layout

Olympic Club - Lake Course[1]

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards5333942234384574372881324333,3354224303901864171496094283433,3746,709
Par543444434354443435443570

Lengths of the course for previous major championships:

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 R3 R4 Total To par Finish
Tom Watson  United States 1982 72 65 71 70 278 –2 2
Raymond Floyd  United States 1986 68 73 76 73 290 +10 T43
Jack Nicklaus  United States 1962, 1967,
1972, 1980
70 68 76 77 291 +11 T46
David Graham  Australia 1981 71 76 72 73 292 +12 T51

Missed the cut

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 Total To par
Andy North  United States 1978, 1985 74 74 148 +8
Johnny Miller  United States 1973 71 77 148 +8
Hale Irwin  United States 1974, 1979 79 71 150 +10
Larry Nelson  United States 1983 76 75 151 +11
Lee Trevino  United States 1968, 1971 73 78 151 +11
Hubert Green  United States 1977 77 75 152 +12
Fuzzy Zoeller  United States 1984 77 75 152 +12

Source:[2]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 18, 1987

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Ben Crenshaw United States67–3
T2Seve Ballesteros Spain68–2
Raymond Floyd United States
Tsuneyuki Nakajima Japan
T5Bernhard Langer West Germany69–1
Nick Price Zimbabwe
Denis Watson Zimbabwe
T8Jay Don Blake United States70E
Lennie Clements United States
John Cook United States
Dale Douglass United States
David Frost South Africa
Sandy Lyle Scotland
Jack Nicklaus United States
Jim Thorpe United States
Bob Tway United States
Mark Wiebe United States

Second round

Friday, June 19, 1987

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Tom Watson United States72-65=137–3
Mark Wiebe United States70-67=137
T3John Cook United States70-68=138–2
Bernhard Langer West Germany69-69=138
Tsuneyuki Nakajima Japan68-70=138
Jack Nicklaus United States70-68=138
Jim Thorpe United States70-68=138
T8Ben Crenshaw United States67-72=139–1
Bob Eastwood United States73-66=139
Larry Mize United States71-68=139
Scott Simpson United States71-68=139

Amateurs: Alexander (+13), Parker (+13).

Third round

Saturday, June 20, 1987

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Tom Watson United States72-65-71=208–2
T2Keith Clearwater United States74-71-64=209–1
Scott Simpson United States71-68-70=209
4Lennie Clements United States70-70-70=210E
T5Seve Ballesteros Spain68-75-68=211+1
Ben Crenshaw United States67-72-72=211
Bernhard Langer West Germany69-69-73=211
John Mahaffey United States72-72-67=211
Larry Mize United States71-68-72=211
Jim Thorpe United States70-68-73=211

Final round

Sunday, June 21, 1987

Watson held a share of the lead after 36 holes, then took a one-shot lead over Simpson and Keith Clearwater into the final round. Clearwater, 27, shot a six-under 64 on Saturday to get into the final pair with Watson.[3] Watson struggled out of the gate on Sunday on Olympic's difficult start; he bogeyed the first two holes and the fifth as well. Simpson birdied the first but then had three bogeys in four holes. With consecutive birdies at 8 and 9, Watson carried a one-stroke lead to the back nine. Simpson, a group ahead on the course, took the lead with a 30-footer (9 m) for birdie at 15, but Watson responded with a birdie at 14 to tie. At 16, Simpson sank a 9-footer (2.7 m) for his third straight birdie to take the lead, then Watson missed his from 12 feet (3.7 m) to match. Simpson found a greenside bunker at 17, then hit his sand shot to 6 feet (1.8 m) and saved par. With a par on 18, Simpson was in the clubhouse with a 68 and Watson needed a birdie to a force a Monday playoff. His 35-foot (11 m) putt narrowly missed and Simpson was the champion by a stroke. In the final pairing, Clearwater had trouble both early and late and shot a 79 (+9) to fade to a tie for 31st.[4] Seve Ballesteros finished in solo third place, his best career finish in a U.S. Open.[5][6]

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
1Scott Simpson  United States 71-68-70-68=277 –3 150,000
2 Tom Watson  United States 72-65-71-70=278 –2 75,000
3 Seve Ballesteros  Spain 68-75-68-71=282 +2 46,240
T4 Ben Crenshaw  United States 67-72-72-72=283 +3 24,542
Bernhard Langer  West Germany 69-69-73-72=283
Larry Mize  United States 71-68-72-72=283
Curtis Strange  United States 71-72-69-71=283
Bobby Wadkins  United States 71-71-70-71=283
T9 Lennie Clements  United States 70-70-70-74=284 +4 15,004
Tsuneyuki Nakajima  Japan 68-70-74-72=284
Mac O'Grady  United States 71-69-72-72=284
Dan Pohl  United States 75-71-69-69=284
Jim Thorpe  United States 70-68-73-73=284

Scorecard

Final round

Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718
Par543444434 444343544
United States Simpson –2–2–1EE+1EEEEEEE–1–2–3–3–3
United States Watson –1EEE+1+1+1E–1–1–1–1–1–2–2–2–2–2

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par
Source:[5]

References

  1. 1 2 "What they'll face at Olympic". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. June 18, 1987. p. 5D.
  2. "1987 U.S. Open". databasegolf.com. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  3. Downey, Mike (June 21, 1987). "Watson leads, by one putt". Eugene Register-Guard. Los Angeles Times. p. 1B.
  4. Parascenzo, Marino (June 22, 1987). "Simpson takes close Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 11.
  5. 1 2 "Olympic magic taps Simpson's putter". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. June 22, 1987. p. 1B.
  6. Reilly, Rick (June 29, 1987). "An Open and shut case". Sports Illustrated. p. 20.

External links

Preceded by
1987 Masters
Major Championships Succeeded by
1987 Open Championship

Coordinates: 37°42′32″N 122°29′42″W / 37.709°N 122.495°W / 37.709; -122.495

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