Oakland Hills Country Club is located in the United States
Location in the United States
Oakland Hills Country Club is located in Michigan
Location in Michigan

The 1996 U.S. Open was the 96th U.S. Open, held June 13–16 at Oakland Hills Country Club in Birmingham, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit. Steve Jones won his only major title, one stroke ahead of runners-up Tom Lehman and Davis Love III.

Jones went through an incredible journey just to get to Oakland Hills. He had won four PGA Tour events, the last in 1989, but in November 1991 he was involved in a dirt bike accident that threatened to end his career. He separated his shoulder and sprained an ankle, as well as suffering ligament damage in his left ring finger. Jones was sidelined for three years, not making it back on tour until 1994. His win here came in his first U.S. Open since 1991, and he was the first champion to go through sectional qualifying since tour rookie Jerry Pate in 1976. After this win, Jones won three additional events on tour.

This was the eighth major championship at the South Course, which previously hosted the U.S. Open in 1924, 1937, 1951, 1961, and 1985, and the PGA Championship in 1972 and 1979. It later hosted the PGA Championship in 2008.

It was Lehman's third close call in a major (1994 Masters, 1995 U.S. Open); he regrouped and won the next, The Open Championship in England. Love won the PGA Championship the following year at Winged Foot.

Course layout

South Course

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards4335231944304553564054402203,4564503995601704714004032004653,5186,974
Par453444443354453444343570

Lengths of the course for previous majors:

6,996 yards (6,397 m), par 70 - 1985 U.S. Open 7,014 yards (6,414 m), par 70 - 1979 PGA Championship 7,054 yards (6,450 m), par 70 - 1972 PGA Championship 6,907 yards (6,316 m), par 70 - 1961 U.S. Open 6,927 yards (6,334 m), par 70 - 1951 U.S. Open 7,037 yards (6,435 m), par 72 - 1937 U.S. Open 6,880 yards (6,291 m), par 72 - 1924 U.S. Open

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 13, 1996

Woody Austin, playing in his first U.S. Open, and Payne Stewart each shot a 3-under-par 67 for a 1-stroke lead over Lee Janzen and John Morse. Frank Nobilo, Philip Walton and Paul Azinger were among the group at 1-under 69 as well as two club professionals, Bob Ford and Gary Trivisonno.

20-year-old amateur Tiger Woods was 3-under thru his first 13 holes and held a share of the lead, but would play the last five holes at 9-over-par for a first round 76.

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
T1United States Woody Austin67−3
United States Payne Stewart
T3United States Lee Janzen68−2
United States John Morse
T5United States Paul Azinger69−1
United States David Berganio Jr.
United States Stewart Cink
United States Bob Ford
New Zealand Frank Nobilo
Japan Masashi Ozaki
Republic of Ireland Philip Walton
United States Gary Trivisonno

Second round

Friday, June 14, 1996

Payne Stewart shot a second round 71 to hold sole possession of the lead. Greg Norman moved up into a tie for 2nd after shooting a 66. There were only four golfers with sub-par scores through 36 holes after 12 players broke par on Thursday. A total of 108 players in the field of 156 made the cut, a U.S. Open record. The previous record was 88 at Baltusrol in 1993.

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Payne Stewart67-71=138−2
T2United States Woody Austin67-72=139−1
South Africa Ernie Els72-67=139
Australia Greg Norman73-66=139
T5United States Ken Green73-67=140E
United States Steve Jones74-66=140
United States Davis Love III71-69=140
New Zealand Frank Nobilo69-71=140
Scotland Sam Torrance71-69=140
T10United States Billy Andrade72-69=141+1
United States David Berganio Jr.69-72=141
United States John Cook70-71=141
United States John Daly72-69=141
United States Jim Furyk72-69=141
United States Neal Lancaster74-67=141
Japan Masashi Ozaki69-72=141
United States Scott Simpson70-71=141
United States Tom Watson70-71=141

Amateurs: Scott (+4), Woods (+5), Kuehne (+8), Leen (+8), Hobby (+10), Edstrom (+14).

Third round

Saturday, June 15, 1996

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Tom Lehman71-72-65=208−2
2United States Steve Jones74-66-69=209−1
T3United States Davis Love III71-69-70=210E
United States John Morse68-74-68=210
New Zealand Frank Nobilo69-71-70=210
T6United States Woody Austin67-72-72=211+1
South Africa Ernie Els72-67-72=211
United States Jim Furyk72-69-70=211
Scotland Colin Montgomerie70-72-69=211
Scotland Sam Torrance71-69-71=211

Final round

Sunday, June 16, 1996

In the final pairing, Tom Lehman had a three-stroke lead over Steve Jones after eight holes, but bogeyed 10 and 12 and Jones led by two strokes with six holes remaining. Tied at the 18th tee, Lehman drove into a bunker and missed a 15-foot (4.5 m) putt to save par. Davis Love III made a charge, recording birdies at 11, 12, and 15; he bogeyed the final two holes, missing a 3-footer (0.9 m) for par at the last. John Morse came to the 18th tee 1-under needing birdie to tie Jones and Lehman for the lead; he hit the green in two on the par-4 finishing hole, but 3-putted from 30 feet to finish at even par for the tournament and end up alone in fourth place. Unlike Love, Morse and Lehman, Jones did not bogey the last; he hit his approach to 12 feet (3.7 m) and two-putted for par to prevail by one.

PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)
1United States Steve Jones74-66-69-69=278−2425,000
T2United States Tom Lehman71-72-65-71=279−1204,801
United States Davis Love III71-69-70-69=279
4United States John Morse68-74-68-70=280E111,235
T5South Africa Ernie Els72-67-72-70=281+184,965
United States Jim Furyk72-69-70-70=281
T7United States Ken Green73-67-72-70=282+266,295
United States Scott Hoch73-71-71-67=282
Fiji Vijay Singh71-72-70-69=282
T10United States Lee Janzen68-75-71-69=283+352,591
Scotland Colin Montgomerie70-72-69-72=283
Australia Greg Norman73-66-74-70=283

Amateurs: Leen (+11), Kuehne (+13), Woods (+14), Scott (+21)

Scorecard

Hole123456789101112131415161718
Par453444443445344434
United States Jones−1−1−1−1−1−1−1−1−2−3−3−4−3−3−3−3−2−2
United States Lehman−1−2−2−2−2−3−4−4−4−3−3−2−2−2−2−2−2−1
United States LoveE−1−1EEEE−1−1E−1−2−2−2−3−3−2−1
United States MorseEEEEE−1−1−1−1−1−1−2−1−1−2−1−1E
South Africa Els+1+1+1+1+2+1E+1+2+2+3+2+2+3+2+2+1+1
United States Furyk+1EEEEE+1+2+2+2+1EEEE−1E+1
New Zealand Nobilo−1−1−1−1−1−1−1−2−2−2−1−1−1E+2+3+3+4

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

BirdieBogeyDouble Bogey

Source:

External links

42°32′38″N 83°16′37″W/42.544°N 83.277°W/ 42.544; -83.277