The Associated Press lede said it all about the event on this date in 1965: NORTHFIELD, N.J. - Carol Mann of Towson, Maryland., shaking off an attack of the jitters, beat out a rallying Kathy Cornelius by two strokes Sunday and won the Women's National Open Golf Championship with a 290 score that stamped her as the sport's new Mickey Wright. The 24-year-old, 6-foot-3 Maryland girl broke into tears after she ran in a four-foot putt for a birdie on the final for an even-par 72. Mrs. Cornelius, 32-year-old Rancho Sane Fe, Calif., mother who led through the first two rounds, had finished a few moments before with a 69 for 292. It was Miss Mann's second tournament victory in as many weeks and made her the leading contender for the throne vacated by the long-hitting Miss Wright.
One of the most stirring results in golf history took place on this date in 1954. Babe Zaharias, battling cancer, won the U.S. Women’s Open at Salem Country Club in Peabody, Massachusetts. Her score of 291 won by 12 shots.
Amateur Catherine Lacoste shocked the golf world by winning the U.S. Women’s Open on this date in 1967. Her score of 294 at Virginia Hot Springs Golf & Tennis Club won by two shots over Susie Maxwell.
On this date in 1961, Mickey Wright, the greatest women’s player in history, won the U.S. Women’s Open at Baltusrol Golf Club’s Lower Course in Springfield, New Jersey. Her total of 293 was six shots better than runner-up Betsy Rawls.
Before Bobby Jones one of the American amateur stars was Charles (Chick) Evans Jr. On this date in 1916, he won the U.S. Open by two shots over Jock Hutchison, shooting two under par for four rounds at Minikahda Club in Minnesota. In early September, Evans would win the U.S. Amateur at Merion, making him the first amateur to win the U.S. Open and Amateur in the same year.
On this date in the 1906 U.S. Open, Alex Smith won at the Onwentsia Club in River Forest, Illinois, with a score of 295, seven shots ahead of his brother, Willie. To show the strength of non-Americans in global golf in the early stages of the sport, the first seven finishers were from Scotland and only one American, amateur Chandler Egan, was in the top 10.
Alf Perry won the 70th playing of the Open Championship on this date in 1935, with a score of five under par for 72 holes at Muirfield, Scotland.
On this date in 1950, a golfer with one of the coolest-sounding names won the PGA Championship, his only major. Chandler Harper defeated Henry Williams Jr., 4 and 3, at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, the course Jack Nicklaus grew up on.
Arguably the greatest female athlete of all time was born on this date in 1911. Babe Didrikson Zaharias was born in Port Arthur, Texas. Any sport she tried she mastered, beginning with track and field. She was a gold medalist in the 1932 Olympics. Another major sport was golf, where she became a World Golf Hall of Fame member.
On this date in 1932, Gene Sarazen won his second U.S. Open, 10 years after he won his first. Played at Fresh Meadow Country Club in Flushing, New York, this Open was the 36th played. Sarazen had his best score in the final round with a 66 for a final total of 286, six over par, and a three-shot victory. Also in June 1932, Sarazen won the Open Championship.
The University of Houston won an eighth team title in 10 years in the NCAA Tournament in 1965. The team’s Marty Fleckman set a 36-hole record.
The astounding William Lawson Little Jr. was born on this date in 1910 in Newport. A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, he won the U.S. Amateur and (British) Amateur Championship in 1934 and 1935, and later in 1940 won the U.S. Open. His tendency to use as many as 25 or more clubs in his bag was one of the reasons the USGA limited the number of clubs a golfer could use to 14.
On this day in 2009, Lucas Glover won the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black Golf Course at four under par, two ahead of Ricky Barnes, Phil Mickelson and David Duval. Rain forced having a Monday finish.
On this date in 1971, Lee Trevino took down Jack Nicklaus in a playoff at Merion Golf Club, 68-71, to win his second U.S. Open. Trevino memorably goofed around with a rubber snake he had in his golf bag with Nicklaus on the first tee and many thought it was a way to psyche out Jack before the playoff began. Lee always maintained it was an innocent goof and it was his great play that carried him through.
Four days ago, the golf world watched Kansan Gary Woodland hit a tremendous shot on the 17th hole at Pebble Beach in the final round of the U.S. Open en route to winning by two shots to spoil Brooks Koepka’s attempt for a record-tying third straight Open victory.. On this date in 1982, Missouri/Kansas native Tom Watson hit a tremendous shot on the 17th hole at Pebble Beach, for a birdie, en route to winning the U.S. Open and spoil Jack Nicklaus’ effort at winning a record fifth U.S. Open.
On this date in 1955, one of the biggest upsets in golf history took place when Jack Fleck defeated Ben Hogan in a playoff at the U.S. Open held on the Olympic Club Lake Course. Fleck shot 69 to Hogan’s 72, cementing his name in golf lore for defeating the mighty Hogan.
One of the special days in all of golf history took place on this day in 1960 when Arnold Palmer played his second 18 of the day, the final round, in 65 to overcome a seven-shot deficit and win his only U.S. Open, at Cherry Hills, in Colorado. View the “this day in golf history” home page photo and you’ll see the first hole at Cherry Hills from that Open, taken one day before Palmer’s final round heroics when he drove the first green and made birdie. He is in this photo, in orange shirt, alongside Cary Middlecoff, watching Jack Fleck tee off.
Two iconic U.S. Open championships held at Oakmont Country Club ended on this date. One was the 1962 event that ended in a playoff between Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, won by Jack, 71-74. The second was in 1973 when Johnny Miller shot a phenomenal final-round 63 to win by one over John Schlee. Nicklaus and Palmer tied for fourth in that one.
Lee Trevino won his first U.S. Open on this date in 1968 on the East Course at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. He tied the tournament scoring record and finished four shots ahead of second-place Jack Nicklaus. It was also the first PGA Tour win for Trevino, then 28.
With the drama that few can match, Jack Nicklaus won his fourth U.S. Open on this date in 1980, holding off Japan’s Isao Aoki at Baltusrol in Springfield, New Jersey. Nicklaus shot 63 in the first round then had to stay sharp the rest of the way with Aoki right on his heels all the way to the end, finishing second by two shots.