1988 U.S. Open (golf)
![]() | |
Tournament information | |
---|---|
Dates | June 16–20, 1988 |
Location | Brookline, Massachusetts |
Course(s) |
The Country Club Composite Course |
Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
Statistics | |
Par | 71 |
Length | 7,010 yards (6,410 m)[1] |
Field | 156 players, 65 after cut |
Cut | 146 (+4) |
Prize fund | $1.0 miilion |
Winner's share | $180,000 |
Champion | |
![]() | |
278 (–6), playoff | |
«1987 1989» |




The 1988 U.S. Open was the 88th U.S. Open, held June 16–20 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, a suburb southwest of Boston. Curtis Strange defeated Nick Faldo in an 18-hole playoff for the first of two consecutive U.S. Open titles.
Final round
Strange took the 54-hole lead after a third-round 69, while Faldo was a stroke behind after a 68. Strange and Faldo battled back-and-forth during the final round. Strange three-putted from 15 feet on the 17th green to fall into a tie, then saved par from a greenside bunker on the 18th to force a Monday playoff.[2]
Playoff
In the playoff, Strange carried a one-stroke lead to the turn after birdies at the 4th and 7th holes. When Faldo bogeyed the 11th, the lead went to two, but Strange bogeyed the next hole to return it to one. Strange rebounded with a birdie on 13 and took a commanding three-shot lead when Faldo bogeyed. Faldo bogeyed three of his last four holes to card a 75, while Strange finished with an even-par 71 and a four-stroke victory.[1][3]
This was the third U.S. Open at The Country Club and all ended in playoffs. Julius Boros, age 43, defeated Arnold Palmer and Jacky Cupit in 1963, and 20-year-old amateur Francis Ouimet prevailed over Britons Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in 1913.[2][4]
Strange successfully defended his title in 1989, the first to win consecutive U.S. Opens since Ben Hogan in 1950 and 1951.[5] Through 2012, Strange remains the last to repeat as champion.
Past champions in the field
Made the cut
Player | Country | Year(s) won | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | To par | Finish |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scott Simpson | ![]() | 1987 | 69 | 66 | 72 | 74 | 281 | –3 | T6 |
Fuzzy Zoeller | ![]() | 1984 | 73 | 72 | 71 | 66 | 282 | –2 | T8 |
Raymond Floyd | ![]() | 1986 | 73 | 72 | 73 | 67 | 285 | +1 | T17 |
Hale Irwin | ![]() | 1974, 1979 | 71 | 71 | 72 | 71 | 285 | +1 | T17 |
Tom Watson | ![]() | 1982 | 74 | 71 | 69 | 75 | 289 | +5 | T36 |
Lee Trevino | ![]() | 1968, 1971 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 71 | 290 | +6 | T40 |
David Graham | ![]() | 1981 | 77 | 69 | 74 | 71 | 291 | +7 | T47 |
Larry Nelson | ![]() | 1983 | 78 | 67 | 80 | 72 | 297 | +13 | T62 |
Missed the cut
Player | Country | Year(s) won | R1 | R2 | Total | To par |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jack Nicklaus | ![]() | 1962, 1967, 1972, 1980 | 74 | 73 | 147 | +5 |
Gary Player | ![]() | 1965 | 77 | 72 | 149 | +7 |
Andy North | ![]() | 1978, 1985 | 74 | 75 | 149 | +7 |
Hubert Green | ![]() | 1977 | 76 | 79 | 155 | +13 |
Source:[6]
Course layout
The Country Club - Composite Course [7]
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yards | 452 | 185 | 448 | 338 | 439 | 312 | 201 | 385 | 510 | 3,270 | 439 | 453 | 450 | 433 | 527 | 434 | 185 | 381 | 438 | 3,740 | 7,010 |
Par | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 35 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 71 |
Round summaries
First round
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par |
---|---|---|---|---|
T1 | Bob Gilder | ![]() | 68 | –3 |
Sandy Lyle | ![]() | |||
Mike Nicolette | ![]() | |||
T4 | Paul Azinger | ![]() | 69 | –2 |
Seve Ballesteros | ![]() | |||
Dick Mast | ![]() | |||
Larry Mize | ![]() | |||
Scott Simpson | ![]() | |||
T9 | Craig Stadler | ![]() | 70 | –1 |
Curtis Strange | ![]() | |||
Lanny Wadkins | ![]() |
Second round
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Scott Simpson | ![]() | 69-66=135 | –7 |
2 | Larry Mize | ![]() | 69-67=136 | –6 |
T3 | Bob Gilder | ![]() | 68-69=137 | –5 |
Curtis Strange | ![]() | 70-67=137 | ||
T5 | Paul Azinger | ![]() | 69-70=139 | –3 |
Fred Couples | ![]() | 72-67=139 | ||
Nick Faldo | ![]() | 72-67=139 | ||
Sandy Lyle | ![]() | 68-71=139 | ||
T9 | Jay Haas | ![]() | 73-67=140 | –2 |
D. A. Weibring | ![]() | 71-69=140 |
Amateurs: Mayfair (+1), Tolles (+14), Duncan (+15), Rintoul (+16).
Third round
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Curtis Strange | ![]() | 70-67-69=206 | –7 |
T2 | Nick Faldo | ![]() | 72-67-68=207 | –6 |
Bob Gilder | ![]() | 68-69-70=207 | ||
Scott Simpson | ![]() | 69-66-72=207 | ||
T5 | Larry Mize | ![]() | 69-67-72=208 | –5 |
D. A. Weibring | ![]() | 71-69-68=208 | ||
7 | Mark O'Meara | ![]() | 71-72-66=209 | –4 |
8 | Fred Couples | ![]() | 72-67-71=210 | –3 |
9 | Lanny Wadkins | ![]() | 70-71-70=211 | –2 |
10 | Ken Green | ![]() | 72-70-70=212 | –1 |
Final round
Sunday, June 19, 1988
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par | Money ($) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
T1 | Curtis Strange | ![]() | 70-67-69-72=278 | –6 | Playoff |
Nick Faldo | ![]() | 72-67-68-71=278 | |||
T3 | Mark O'Meara | ![]() | 71-72-66-71=280 | –4 | 41,370 |
Steve Pate | ![]() | 72-69-72-67=280 | |||
D. A. Weibring | ![]() | 71-69-68-72=280 | |||
T6 | Paul Azinger | ![]() | 69-70-76-66=281 | –3 | 25,414 |
Scott Simpson | ![]() | 69-66-72-74=281 | |||
T8 | Bob Gilder | ![]() | 68-69-70-75=282 | –2 | 20,903 |
Fuzzy Zoeller | ![]() | 73-72-71-66=282 | |||
T10 | Fred Couples | ![]() | 72-67-71-73=283 | –1 | 17,870 |
Payne Stewart | ![]() | 73-73-70-67=283 |
Amateur: Billy Mayfair (+3).
Scorecard
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Par | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
![]() | –7 | –6 | –5 | –5 | –5 | –5 | –6 | –6 | –6 | –7 | –7 | –7 | –7 | –7 | –7 | –7 | –6 | –6 |
![]() | –6 | –6 | –6 | –6 | –6 | –6 | –6 | –6 | –6 | –6 | –6 | –6 | –6 | –6 | –7 | –6 | –6 | –6 |
Playoff
Monday, June 20, 1988
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par | Money ($) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Curtis Strange | ![]() | 34-37=71 | E | 180,000 |
2 | Nick Faldo | ![]() | 35-40=75 | +4 | 90,000 |
Scorecard
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Par | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
![]() | E | E | E | +1 | E | E | –1 | –1 | –1 | –1 | –1 | E | –1 | –1 | E | E | E | E |
![]() | E | E | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | E | E | E | E | +1 | +1 | +2 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +3 | +4 |
Source:[7]
References
- 1 2 White, Gordon S., Jr. (June 21, 1988). "Strange wins Open for dad". Spokesman-Review. New York Times. p. C-1.
- 1 2 Parascenzo, Marino (June 20, 1988). "Strange Open tied, playoff today". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 11.
- ↑ Reilly, Rick (June 27, 1988). "Strange finish". Sports Illustrated.
- ↑ "U.S. Open history: 1988". USGA. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
- ↑ "U.S. Open history: 1989". USGA. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
- ↑ "1988 U.S. Open". databasegolf.com. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
- 1 2 "U.S. Open: hole-by-hole". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. June 21, 1988.
External links
Preceded by 1988 Masters |
Major Championships | Succeeded by 1988 Open Championship |
Coordinates: 42°18′54″N 71°08′53″W / 42.315°N 71.148°W