When: Thursday-Sunday, June 14-17
Where: Oakmont CC, Oakmont, Pa.
Yardage/Par: 7,230 yards; par 70
2006 champion: Geoff Ogilvy

"The United States Open Championship is the annual men's open golf tournament of the United States. It is staged by the United States Golf Association each June, scheduled such that the final round is always played on the 3rd Sunday of that month (Father's Day). It is one of the four major championships in men's golf and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour."

"The U.S. Open is open to any professional, or to any amateur with an up-to-date USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 1.4. Players may obtain a place by being fully exempt or by competing successfully in Qualifying. The field is 156 players."

"Oakmont remains perhaps the most difficult course in North America, with 180 deep bunkers (personified by the Church Pews), hard and slick greens that slope away from the player, and tight fairways requiring the utmost precision. Oakmont was the site of “the greatest round of the 20th century”: Johnny Miller’s final round 63 at the 1973 U.S. Open. Golf Digest ranks Oakmont #5 in its most recent version of America’s Top 100 courses."

View the course Hole by Hole HERE.

"Surprisingly -- considering his shocking loss in the 1962 U.S. Open -- Arnold Palmer loves the place, and he enjoys his honorary membership. During the summers, when he's home in nearby Latrobe, Pa., it isn't unusual for Palmer to drive down for the day and play the course. Last July, teeing off with Ford, he hit his drive on the first hole and received an ovation from the members in the clubhouse and at the swimming pool. Palmer gave the admirers his best presidential wave and thumbs-up sign, and then turned to Ford. "Bob," Palmer said, "that's what keeps me going."


Historical Notes
On Oct. 4, 1895, the first U.S. Open Championship was conducted by the United States Golf Association on the nine-hole course of Newport (R.I.) Golf and Country Club.

Round For The Ages: Miller's U.S. Open Victory
Revisited 30 Years Later

"It arguably was one of the greatest final rounds ever in a major championship. Nobody had ever shot a 63 in the final round of a major prior to 1973 and certainly nobody figured to do it at Oakmont. But the stage had been set two days earlier when unheralded club pro Gene Borek shot a course-record 65, thanks to rains that softened the greens. Johnny Miller then upstaged that performance with a sizzling 8-under-par round on Sunday to win the championship by a stroke over John Schlee."

"Players from world number one Tiger Woods on have been calling Oakmont one of the toughest course they ever played and view the eight-under 63 Miller shot with wonder."

"Seventy-three was just a dream round. I'm out there with Tiger and I'm out with different players and they go, 'how the heck did you shoot 63?'

Labels: Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, Oakmont CC, Professional Golf, Tiger Woods, U S Open, USGA

The Masters Golf Tournament


The Masters has grown to become the most prestigious tournament in all of Golf. On March 22, 1934 Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts decided to hold an annual golf tournament in honour of golf's greatest players. Early on it was called the The Augusta National Invitation Tournament. It wasn't until 1939 that the event became known as The Masters. The Masters paved the way for modern golf tournaments. They instituted many rules that are still in use today. The tournament would be held over 4 days rather than three. They eliminated qualifying rounds, and only limited access to the playing area for players and caddies only. Since 1940 the Masters has always been held the first week of April at the Augusta National Golf Club. More on the Masters History.

History of Masters Champions



Jack Nicklaus waves to the gallery on the 8th hole during second round play of the 2005 Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Saturday, April 9, 2005. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)


Payne Stewart begins to celebrate after making a 15-foot putt to clinch the 1999 U.S. Open, held at Pinehurst No.2 in Pinehurst, N.C. (Getty Images)


AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF COURSE

Amen Corner - "The Fateful Corner," by Herbert Warren Wind, Sports Illustrated, 1958

It's one of the most eagerly awaited stretches of holes in golf -- Nos. 11, 12 and 13 at Augusta National Golf Club.


"Amen Corner" was so christened following the 1958 Masters by writer Herbert Warren Wind in an article in Sports Illustrated. That was the Masters where Arnold Palmer earned his first major championship with the help of a ruling that, even decades later, runner-up Ken Venturi was still challenging.

Wind borrowed the name from an old jazz recording "Shouting at Amen Corner" by a band under the direction of Milton (Mezz) Mezzrow, a Chicago clarinetist. (Courtesy Masters.org)

Labels: Amen Corner, Arnold Palmer, Augusta National, Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Professional Golf, The Masters, USGA