1988 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesJune 16–20, 1988
LocationBrookline, Massachusetts
Course(s)The Country Club
Composite Course
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par71
Length7,010 yards (6,410 m)[1]
Field156 players, 65 after cut
Cut146 (+4)
Prize fundUS$1.0 million
Winner's share$180,000
Champion
United States Curtis Strange
278 (−6), playoff
← 1987
1989 →
The Country Club  is located in the United States
The Country Club 
The Country Club 
Location in the United States
The Country Club  is located in Massachusetts
The Country Club 
The Country Club 
Location in Massachusetts

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.[2] Strange and Faldo battled back-and-forth during the final round. Strange three-putted from 15 feet (4.6 m) on the 17th green to fall into a tie, then saved par from a greenside bunker on the 18th to force a Monday playoff.[3][4][5]

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][6][7]

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.[3][8]

Strange successfully defended his title in 1989, the first to win consecutive U.S. Opens since Ben Hogan in 1950 and 1951.[9] Brooks Koepka became the first player since Strange to defend his title by winning the U.S. Open in 2017 at Erin Hills and again in 2018 at Shinnecock Hills.

Course

Main article: The Country Club

Composite Course

Hole Name Yards Par    Hole Name Yards Par
1 Polo Field 452 4 10 Stockton 439 4
2 Cottage 185 3 11 Primrose 1&2 453 4
3 Pond 448 4 12 Primrose 8 450 4
4 Hospital 338 4 13 Primrose 9 433 4
5 Newton 439 4 14 Quarry 527 5
6 Bakers 312 4 15 Liverpool 434 4
7 Plateau 201 3 16 Clyde 185 3
8 Corner 385 4 17 Elbow 381 4
9 Himalayas 510 5 18 Home 438 4
Out 3,270 35 In 3,740 36
Total 7,010 71

Source:[10]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 16, 1988

Place Player Score To par
T1 United States Bob Gilder 68 −3
Scotland Sandy Lyle
United States Mike Nicolette
T4 United States Paul Azinger 69 −2
Spain Seve Ballesteros
United States Dick Mast
United States Larry Mize
United States Scott Simpson
T9 United States Craig Stadler 70 −1
United States Curtis Strange
United States Lanny Wadkins

Source:[4][11]

Second round

Friday, June 17, 1988

Defending champion Scott Simpson shot 66 (−5) to lead after 36 holes.[12]

Place Player Score To par
1 United States Scott Simpson 69-66=135 −7
2 United States Larry Mize 69-67=136 −6
T3 United States Bob Gilder 68-69=137 −5
United States Curtis Strange 70-67=137
T5 United States Paul Azinger 69-70=139 −3
United States Fred Couples 72-67=139
England Nick Faldo 72-67=139
Scotland Sandy Lyle 68-71=139
T9 United States Jay Haas 73-67=140 −2
United States D. A. Weibring 71-69=140

Amateurs: Mayfair (+1), Tolles (+14), Duncan (+15), Rintoul (+16)

Source:[12][4][11]

Third round

Saturday, June 18, 1988

Place Player Score To par
1 United States Curtis Strange 70-67-69=206 −7
T2 England Nick Faldo 72-67-68=207 −6
United States Bob Gilder 68-69-70=207
United States Scott Simpson 69-66-72=207
T5 United States Larry Mize 69-67-72=208 −5
United States D. A. Weibring 71-69-68=208
7 United States Mark O'Meara 71-72-66=209 −4
8 United States Fred Couples 72-67-71=210 −3
9 United States Lanny Wadkins 70-71-70=211 −2
10 United States Ken Green 72-70-70=212 −1

Source:[2]

Final round

Sunday, June 19, 1988

Champion
Silver Cup winner (leading amateur)
(a) = amateur
(c) = past champion
Top 10
Place Player Score To par Money (US$)
T1 United States Curtis Strange 70-67-69-72=278 −6 Playoff
England Nick Faldo 72-67-68-71=278
T3 United States Mark O'Meara 71-72-66-71=280 −4 41,370
United States Steve Pate 72-69-72-67=280
United States D. A. Weibring 71-69-68-72=280
T6 United States Paul Azinger 69-70-76-66=281 −3 25,414
United States Scott Simpson (c) 69-66-72-74=281
T8 United States Bob Gilder 68-69-70-75=282 −2 20,903
United States Fuzzy Zoeller (c) 73-72-71-66=282
T10 United States Fred Couples 72-67-71-73=283 −1 17,870
United States Payne Stewart 73-73-70-67=283

Source:[3][4][5]

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
United States Strange −7 −6 −5 −5 −5 −5 −6 −6 −6 −7 −7 −7 −7 −7 −7 −7 −6 −6
England Faldo −6 −6 −6 −6 −6 −6 −6 −6 −6 −6 −6 −6 −6 −6 −7 −6 −6 −6
United States O'Meara −4 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −4 −5 −5 −5 −5 −5 −5 −5 −5 −4
United States Pate +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 E −1 −1 −3 −4 −4 −4 −3 −3 −4 −4 −4 −4
United States Weibring −5 −4 −4 −5 −6 −6 −6 −5 −5 −5 −5 −5 −5 −5 −5 −5 −4 −4
United States Azinger +2 +2 +1 E +1 E −1 −2 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −4 −3 −3
United States S Simpson −6 −6 −5 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −2 −2 −1 −2 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3
United States Gilder −5 −5 −5 −4 −4 −4 −3 −3 −4 −3 −3 −2 −2 −3 −2 −2 −1 −2
United States Zoeller +3 +3 +3 +2 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +2 +1 +1 E −1 −1 −1 −2 −2
United States Couples −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −3 −4 −3 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1
United States Stewart +2 +2 +1 +1 +1 E E E E E +1 +1 E −1 E E −1 −1

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

Eagle Birdie Bogey Double bogey

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par
Source:[4][11]

Playoff

Monday, June 20, 1988

Place Player Score To par Money (US$)
1 United States Curtis Strange 34-37=71 E 180,000
2 England 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
United States Strange E E E +1 E E −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 E −1 −1 E E E E
England Faldo E E +1 +1 +1 +1 E E E E +1 +1 +2 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4

Cumulative playoff scores, relative to par

Birdie Bogey

Source:[6][10]

References

  1. ^ a b White, Gordon S. Jr. (June 21, 1988). "Strange wins Open for dad". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. (New York Times). p. C-1.
  2. ^ a b Boswell, Thomas (June 19, 1988). "Strange takes one-shot lead at 88th Open". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. (Washington Post). p. 1C.
  3. ^ a b c Parascenzo, Marino (June 20, 1988). "Strange Open tied, playoff today". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 11.
  4. ^ a b c d e Bunch, Ken (June 20, 1988). "Strange, Faldo gain Open playoff". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
  5. ^ a b Boswell, Thomas (June 20, 1988). "U.S. Open title waits another Day". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. (Washington Post). p. 1C.
  6. ^ a b "Strange end to the Open comes at 13". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. (Los Angeles Times). June 21, 1988. p. 1D.
  7. ^ Reilly, Rick (June 27, 1988). "Strange finish". Sports Illustrated.
  8. ^ "U.S. Open history: 1988". USGA. Archived from the original on April 17, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  9. ^ "U.S. Open history: 1989". USGA. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  10. ^ a b "U.S. Open: hole-by-hole". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. June 21, 1988.
  11. ^ a b c "U.S. Open History". USGA. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  12. ^ a b Bonk, Thomas (June 18, 1988). "Simpson's no prophet, leads Open". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. (Los Angeles Times). p. 1C.

External links

42°18′54″N 71°08′53″W / 42.315°N 71.148°W / 42.315; -71.148

1988 Men's major golf championships
U.S. Open Championships
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