Ranking the 5 U.S. Opens played at Pebble Beach
The U.S. Open returns to Pebble Beach for the sixth time this week, and the previous five tournaments have provided plenty of history-making moments
Along the shore of Monterey Bay in Northern California is one of the most iconic golf courses in the world.
Pebble Beach Golf Links, site of this week’s U.S. Open, is a short par-71 course whose length hides a dangerous test of golf. High winds, long rough and small greens highlight the 18 holes that will challenge the world’s best players beginning on Thursday.
The U.S. Open was first held at Pebble Beach in 1972, and since then has returned four times (another major, the 1977 PGA Championship won by Lanny Wadkins, was also held here). The list of names who have won here is a catalog of some of the best players of the era. Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Tom Kite, Tiger Woods and, most recently Graeme McDowell, have all conquered Pebble Beach.
The course has also played host to some of the most iconic moments in golf history. From Nicklaus’ 1-iron, Watson’s chip-in and Woods’ 15-shot victory, U.S. Open history has been made on the Monterey Peninsula.
Here is a ranking of the previous five U.S. Opens held at Pebble Beach.
5. 2010 – Graeme McDowell
The leaderboard at the start of the final round of the 2010 U.S. Open was crowded with some of the biggest names in golf. Dustin Johnson held a three-shot lead. Tiger Woods lurked in third place, while Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson were also in contention.
None of them lifted the trophy at the end of the round. Instead, it was a Northern Irishman ranked 37th in the Official World Golf Rankings who outlasted everyone on a difficult Sunday at Pebble Beach. Graeme McDowell came into the final round in second behind Johnson, but he wouldn’t remain there for long. Johnson, winner of the previous two Pebble Beach Pro-Ams, made a triple-bogey seven on the second hole. He followed that up with a double-bogey on the third hole on his way to a round of 82, falling back to eighth place.
McDowell made just one birdie the entire round, hitting a 7-iron to eight feet on the par-three fifth hole to take a lead he wouldn’t relinquish. Despite bogeys at the ninth and 10th holes, he still led by two. Coming to the par-five 18th hole needing only a par to win, McDowell laid up and hit his third shot to 30 feet, two-putting from there to finish at even par and a one-shot victory.
“To win at Pebble Beach, to join the names. Jack Nicklaus. Tom Watson, Tom Kite, Tiger Woods, me. Wow,” McDowell said right after the tournament. “I’m not quite sure if I belong in that list, but hey, I’m there now. It’s a pretty amazing feeling.”
The big names that seemed poised to make a run at the start of the round all wilted. Woods shot 75, Mickelson 73. Els got to two-under after birdies on three of his first six holes, but a double-bogey at the 10th dropped him to two-over for the tournament. It was Frenchman Gregory Havret, ranked 391nd in the world, who was McDowell’s biggest challenger, finishing a shot behind.
McDowell was the first Irish U.S. Open champion, and the first from Britain in 40 years.