1965 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesJune 17–21, 1965
LocationTown and Country, Missouri
Course(s)Bellerive Country Club
Organized byUSGA
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70
Length7,191 yards (6,575 m)[1]
Field150 players, 51 after cut
Cut150 (+10)
Prize fund$123,890[2]
Winner's share$26,000
Champion
South Africa Gary Player
282 (+2), playoff
Bellerive Country Club is located in the United States
Bellerive Country Club
Bellerive 
Country Club
Location in the United States
Bellerive Country Club is located in Missouri
Bellerive Country Club
Bellerive 
Country Club
Location in Missouri

The 1965 U.S. Open was the 65th U.S. Open, held June 17–21 at Bellerive Country Club in Town and Country, Missouri, a suburb west of St. Louis. Gary Player of South Africa defeated Kel Nagle of Australia in an 18-hole playoff to win his only U.S. Open title. Player was the first foreign-born winner of the U.S. Open since 1927, and the win completed his career Grand Slam at age 29.[3] It was the fourth of his nine major titles. The 1965 U.S. Open was the first U.S. Open broadcast on color television.

The five-year-old course at Bellerive was the U.S. Open's longest to date at 7,191 yards (6,575 m), and had the potential to reach 7,500 yards (6,860 m).[4] The quality of the young course's turf varied, with burned out or diseased areas which the USGA did not allow relief from.[4] The field consisted of 136 professionals and 14 amateurs, with the top fifty and ties advancing after 36 holes.[1][5] This was the first time that the U.S. Open was scheduled for four days, with the final round on Sunday. Previously the third and fourth rounds were both played on Saturday.[4] The U.S. Women's Open also changed to this format, held two weeks later in early July.

Course layout

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards4354461644704651954015804163,5624603734601984054562186064533,6297,191
Par443443454354443443543570

Final round and playoff

In the final round on Sunday, Player owned a three-stroke lead over Nagle with just three holes to play. But while Player double-bogeyed the par-3 16th hole, Nagle birdied the 17th. As Player reached the 18th tee, he knew he needed a birdie to win outright, as Nagle had parred the final hole for 282 (+2). Player had a 28-foot (8.5 m) putt for birdie, but left it 4 inches (10 cm) short and tapped in for a 72-hole tie.[3][6] In the 18-hole playoff on Monday afternoon, Player built a five-shot lead after eight holes and held on to win by three strokes, 71 to 74. He won the championship with fiberglass-shafted golf clubs.[7]

With his win, Player joined Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan as the only to win all four professional major championships, the career Grand Slam. Jack Nicklaus completed the feat himself the next year at the 1966 British Open. Player was also the first foreign-born winner of the U.S. Open in 38 years, since Scotland's Tommy Armour won in 1927.

Arnold Palmer missed the 36-hole cut by two strokes, the only time from 1962 to 1967 that he placed outside the top-5 at the U.S. Open. Defending champion Ken Venturi was hampered by numbed fingers[4][8] and missed the cut by ten strokes.[9]

Purse donated

The winner's share was $25,000 and both playoff participants received a $1,000 bonus, taken from the gate receipts of the Monday gallery of 6,790. Player donated his winner's share to cancer research ($5,000) and junior golf ($20,000) in the United States, fulfilling an earlier pledge to thank the people of America;[10] his mother died of cancer when he was eight years old.[7] Player paid his caddy $2,000 with his playoff bonus and $1,000 from his pocket.[11]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 17, 1965

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1Australia Kel Nagle68−2
T2United States Deane Beman (a)69−1
United States Mason Rudolph
T4United States Rex Baxter70E
United States Lou Graham
South Africa Gary Player
7United States Gordon Jones71+1
T8United States Miller Barber72+2
United States Julius Boros
United States Gay Brewer
Australia Bruce Devlin
United States Raymond Floyd
United States Ron Howell
United States Steve Opperman
United States Dudley Wysong

Source:[12]

Second round

Friday, June 18, 1965

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1South Africa Gary Player70-70=140E
T2Australia Kel Nagle68-73=141+1
United States Mason Rudolph69-72=141
4United States Deane Beman (a)69-73=142+2
5United States Frank Beard74-69=143+3
T6United States Raymond Floyd72-72=144+3
United States Gene Littler73-71=144
T8United States Rex Baxter70-75=145+5
Australia Bruce Devlin72-73=145
United States Gordon Jones71-74=145

Source:[13][14]

Third round

Saturday, June 19, 1965

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1South Africa Gary Player70-70-71=211+1
T2United States Frank Beard74-69-70=213+3
Australia Kel Nagle68-73-72=213
4United States Mason Rudolph69-72-73=214+4
5United States Al Geiberger70-76-70=216+6
T6United States Julius Boros72-75-70=217+7
United States Gay Brewer72-74-71=217
Australia Bruce Devlin72-73-72=217
United States Gene Littler73-71-73=217
United States Dudley Wysong72-75-70=217

Source:[9]

Final round

Sunday, June 20, 1965

PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)
T1South Africa Gary Player70-70-71-71=282+2Playoff
Australia Kel Nagle68-73-72-69=282
3United States Frank Beard74-69-70-71=284+49,000
T4United States Julius Boros72-75-70-70=287+76,500
United States Al Geiberger70-76-70-71=287
T6Australia Bruce Devlin72-73-72-71=288+84,500
United States Raymond Floyd72-72-76-68=288
T8United States Tony Lema72-74-73-70=289+92,500
United States Gene Littler73-71-73-72=289
United States Dudley Wysong72-75-70-72=289

Scorecard

Hole123456789101112131415161718
Par443443454444344354
South Africa Player+1+1+1+1+1+1EEE+1+1EEEE+2+2+2
Australia Nagle+3+2+2+3+3+3+3+3+3+2+2+1+1+1+3+3+2+2

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

Birdie Bogey Double bogey

Source:[15]

Playoff

Monday, June 21, 1965

PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)
1South Africa Gary Player33-38=71+126,000
2Australia Kel Nagle38-36=74+413,500
  • Included in earnings is a playoff bonus of $1,000 each, from the playoff gate receipts.[11]

Scorecard

Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718
Par443443454444344354
South Africa PlayerE−1−2−1−1−1−1−2−2−1−1−1−1−1−1−1E+1
Australia Nagle+1EEE+2+2+3+3+3+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4
Birdie Bogey Double bogey

Source:[7]

References

  1. 1 2 MacDonald, Jim (June 17, 1965). "Open could become putt, putt, putt, putt". Toledo Blade. p. 40.
  2. ↑ "U.S. Open history: 1965". USGA. Archived from the original on April 17, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Wright, Alfred (June 28, 1965). "Two foreign blokes shock the slammers". Sports Illustrated. p. 24.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Gundelfinger, Phil Jr. (June 17, 1965). "Palmer fires 67 in final Open tuneup". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 32.
  5. ↑ MacDonald, Jim (June 18, 1965). "Banjo". Toledo Blade. Ohio. p. 40.
  6. ↑ Gudelfinger, Phil (June 21, 1965). "Player, Nagle finish in tie for Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 25.
  7. 1 2 3 MacDonald, Jim (June 22, 1965). "Foreign aid plan reversed: Player repays 'American kindness' by donating purse". Toledo Blade. Ohio. p. 20.
  8. ↑ "Will Venturi ever be right?". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. June 20, 1965. p. 3B.
  9. 1 2 "South Africa's Black Knight unhorses hungry challengers". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. June 20, 1965. p. 3B.
  10. ↑ "Grateful Gary gives $25,000 purse to USGA". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 22, 1965. p. 18.
  11. 1 2 Gundelfinger, Phil (June 22, 1965). "Player wins Open playoff by 3 strokes". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
  12. ↑ "National Open scores". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 18, 1965. p. 20.
  13. ↑ "Open scores (second round)". Toledo Blade. June 19, 1965. p. 18.
  14. ↑ "National Open golf scoreboard". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 19, 1965. p. 13.
  15. ↑ "U.S. Open History". USGA. Retrieved May 21, 2019.

38°39′36″N 90°28′59″W / 38.66°N 90.483°W / 38.66; -90.483

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