1956 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesJune 14–16, 1956
LocationRochester, New York
Course(s)Oak Hill Country Club
East Course
Organized byUSGA
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70
Length6,902 yards (6,311 m)[1]
Field159 players, 51 after cut
Cut149 (+9)
Prize fund$24,000
Winner's share$6,000
Champion
United States Cary Middlecoff
281 (+1)
Rochester is located in the United States
Rochester
Rochester
Location in the United States
Oak Hill CC is located in New York
Oak Hill CC
Oak Hill CC
Location in New York

The 1956 U.S. Open was the 56th U.S. Open, held June 14–16 at the East Course of Oak Hill Country Club near Rochester, New York. Cary Middlecoff won his second U.S. Open title, one stroke ahead of runners-up Julius Boros and Ben Hogan, both former champions.[1][2][3][4]

Middlecoff began the final round with a two-stroke lead over Hogan, Ted Kroll, and Wes Ellis. After an erratic finish where he bogeyed 16 and 17, he carded a third consecutive round of even-par 70 to post a 281 (+1) total and waited. Hogan, pursuing his record fifth U.S. Open, had a chance to tie Middlecoff but missed a 4-foot (1.2 m) par putt on the 17th to finish one back. Boros also had a chance to catch Middlecoff, but missed a 15-foot (4.5 m) birdie on the last and also finished a stroke behind. The last contender on the course, Kroll led by a stroke after a birdie at the 14th hole, but immediately followed it with a bogey and triple bogey and finished four strokes back.[1][4]

Reigning British Open champion Peter Thomson made a rare appearance in the United States and finished tied for fourth, his best finish at any other major. He was the 36-hole leader by a stroke over Hogan,[5][6] but fell back after a four-over 39 on the back nine in the third round.[7] Thomson won five British Opens, and his third consecutive (1954–56) came three weeks later at Royal Liverpool.

Several future champions made their mark at this U.S. Open. Arnold Palmer, 26, recorded the first of his thirteen top ten finishes at the U.S. Open, six strokes back in seventh place. Ken Venturi captured low-amateur honors in eighth place, two months after he lost a four-stroke lead at The Masters with an 80 in the final round. Billy Casper, 24, made his major championship debut and finished 14th.

Defending champion Jack Fleck, who upset Hogan in a Sunday playoff the year before at Olympic, shot 76-74 and missed the cut by a stroke. Jack Burke Jr., winner of the Masters two months earlier, also missed with a 152.[6]

A record-setting 13,914 were in attendance for the final two rounds on Saturday.[1]

This was the first of three U.S. Opens at the East Course at Oak Hill; Lee Trevino won in 1968 and Curtis Strange successfully defended in 1989. It also hosted the PGA Championship in 1980, 2003, and 2013, and the Ryder Cup in 1995.

Course layout

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards4453902085714401704234324163,4954201923806023271334414634493,4076,902
Par443543444354345434443570

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 14, 1956

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Bob Rosburg68−2
2Australia Peter Thomson70E
T3Wales Errie Ball71+1
United States Julius Boros
United States Wes Ellis
United States Doug Ford
United States Ed Furgol
United States Jay Hebert
United States Cary Middlecoff
T10United States Jerry Barber72+2
United States Al Brosch
United States Dave Douglas
United States Fred Haas
United States Dutch Harrison
United States Ben Hogan
United States Bill Hyndman (a)
United States Ted Kroll
United States Billy Maxwell
United States Arnold Palmer
United States Bud Taylor (a)

Source:[8]

Second round

Friday, June 15, 1956

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1Australia Peter Thomson70-69=139−1
2United States Ben Hogan72-68=140E
T3United States Jerry Barber72-69=141+1
United States Wes Ellis71-70=141
United States Ed Furgol71-70=141
United States Cary Middlecoff71-70=141
T7United States Julius Boros71-71=142+2
United States Ted Kroll72-70=142
United States Arnold Palmer72-70=142
T10United States Fred Haas72-71=143+3
United States Billy Maxwell72-71=143
United States Bud Taylor (a)72-71=143

Source:[5][6]

Amateurs: Taylor (+3), Ward (+7), Hyndman (+8), Patton (+8), Venturi (+8), Garrett (+9), Magee (+10), Ervasti (+11), Rodgers (+11), Simmons (+11), Dahlbender (+12), Holland (+12), Croonquist (+15), Shields (+16), Kuntz (+17), Moore Jr (+18), Aldrich (+19), Dixon (+20), Kelly (+23), Beman (+24), Myers (+25), Kleist (+27), Deal (+30), Watson (+34), Mandeville (+35), Brownell (WD).

Third round

Saturday, June 16, 1956 (morning)

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Cary Middlecoff71-70-70=211+1
T2United States Wes Ellis71-70-71=212+2
United States Ben Hogan72-68-72=212
United States Ted Kroll72-70-70=212
5United States Julius Boros71-71-71=213+3
T6United States Ed Furgol71-70-73=214+4
United States Arnold Palmer72-70-72=214
Australia Peter Thomson70-69-75=214
T9United States Jerry Barber72-69-74=215+5
United States Fred Haas72-71-72=215

Source:[2][4][9]

Final round

Saturday, June 16, 1956 (afternoon)

PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)
1United States Cary Middlecoff71-70-70-70=281+16,000
T2United States Julius Boros71-71-71-69=282+22,650
United States Ben Hogan72-68-72-70=282
T4United States Ed Furgol71-70-73-71=285+51,033
United States Ted Kroll72-70-70-73=285
Australia Peter Thomson70-69-75-71=285
7United States Arnold Palmer72-70-72-73=287+7600
8United States Ken Venturi (a)77-71-68-73=289+90
T9United States Jerry Barber72-69-74-75=290+10416
United States Wes Ellis71-70-71-78=290
United States Doug Ford71-75-70-74=290

Source:[2][4][9]

Amateurs: Venturi (+9), Patton (+12), Taylor (+18), Hyndman (+20), Ward (+25), Garrett (+29).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Middlecoff wins US Open with 281". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. June 17, 1956. p. 1-sports.
  2. 1 2 3 Bartlett, Charles (June 17, 1956). "Middlecoff wins Open by stroke". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, sec. 2.
  3. ↑ Drum, Bob (June 17, 1956). "Middlecorr edges Hogan, Boros for Open title". Pittsburgh Press. p. 1, sec. 4.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Wind, Herbert Warren (June 25, 1956). "The Chase of the Doc at Oak Hill". Sports Illustrated. p. 6.
  5. 1 2 Bartlett, Charles (June 16, 1956). "Thomson leads Hogan by stroke in Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 3.
  6. 1 2 3 "Peter Thomson shoots 139, leads Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 16, 1956. p. 11.
  7. ↑ "US Open led by Middlecoff". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. June 16, 1956. p. 10.
  8. ↑ Bartlett, Charles (June 15, 1956). "Rosburg scores 68 for lead in National Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 4.
  9. 1 2 "Middlecoff edges Hogan, Boros to win US Open golf". Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. June 18, 1956. p. 26.

43°06′47″N 77°31′59″W / 43.113°N 77.533°W / 43.113; -77.533

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