1960 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Winner and Scores

The 1960 U.S. Open was the 60th time the tournament was played, and it boasted an all-time great comeback. Arnold Palmer came from seven strokes off the lead at the start of the final round to win.

Winner: Arnold Palmer, 280

Where it was played: Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado

Tournament dates: June 16-18, 1960

Leader after first round: Mike Souchak, 68

Leader after second round: Mike Souchak, 135

Leader after third round: Mike Souchak, 208

What Happened at the 1960 U.S. Open

What is one of the most famous come-from-behind wins in golf history happened at the 1960 U.S. Open, and Arnold Palmer is the golfer who pulled it off. The leader after three rounds of play at Cherry Hills Country Club was Mike Souchak. In fact, Souchak had led wire-to-wire for the first three rounds. And Souchak was seven strokes ahead of Palmer at the start of the final round. Palmer was so far back he wasn't even considered among the contenders, who included Julius Boros and Dow Finsterwald, Ben Hogan and a 20-year-old amateur named Jack Nicklaus.

Nicklaus, in fact, took the lead about midway through the final round. Hogan, playing with Nicklaus, said afterward that Nicklaus should have won. But the Golden Bear was still just a cub, and he 3-putted the 13th and 14th holes. Nicklaus wound up second, the best finish by an amateur since Johnny Goodman won the 1933 U.S. Open. Nicklaus' 282 total set a U.S. Open record (since broken) for low score by an amateur.

Hogan kept himself in the mix most of the final round, too. He hit every green through the 16th hole (in total, over the final two rounds, Hogan hit 34 consecutive greens), but just couldn't make any putts. Then he found water on the last two holes, and fell back to a tie for ninth. Hogan could have tied Palmer at 280 with pars on the 71st and 72nd holes, but played them in 4-over.

But the story of the day was Palmer. Souchak struggled to a 75 and wound up tied for third, but Palmer immediately charged, driving the 346-yard first hole and making birdie. Birdies followed on the second, third and fourth holes, and more later as Palmer fashioned a front-nine 30. Unlike Hogan, Palmer didn't make a mess of the final two holes, parring both to record a 65 and post 280. Starting the last round seven strokes behind, Palmer wound up winning by two over Nicklaus.

Palmer's feat remains the best final-round comeback by a winner in tournament history. His victory in the 1960 U.S. Open wound up being Palmer's only win in this tournament, although he came close many more times. After this, Palmer recorded four second-place finishes in the tournament (which was a tournament record until surpassed by Phil Mickelson), including three losses in U.S. Open playoffs.

Palmer had earlier won the 1960 Masters, and with the first two legs of the Grand Slam in his possession, he traveled to the U.K. to play the 1960 British Open — something that was unusual, at the time, for American golfers. Palmer finished second in that Open Championship. But his decision to play and his explanation of wanting to win the Grand Slam cemented in the golfing world the idea of the modern Grand Slam as the four professional majors.

Lloyd Mangrum, winner of the 1946 U.S. Open, played this tournament for the final time. He made the cut and tied for 23rd place. Two-time U.S. Open champ Cary Middlecoff tied for 43rd place, the last time he made the cut in a U.S. Open.

1960 U.S. Open Final Scores

Arnold Palmer 72-71-72-65—280
a-Jack Nicklaus 71-71-69-71—282
Julius Boros 73-69-68-73—283
Dow Finsterwald 71-69-70-73—283
Jack Fleck 70-70-72-71—283
Dutch Harrison 74-70-70-69—283
Ted Kroll 72-69-75-67—283
Mike Souchak 68-67-73-75—283
Jerry Barber 69-71-70-74—284
a-Don Cherry 70-71-71-72—284
Ben Hogan 75-67-69-73—284
George Bayer 72-72-73-69—286
Billy Casper 71-70-73-72—286
Paul Harney 73-70-72-71—286
Bob Harris 73-71-71-72—287
Johnny Pott 75-68-69-75—287
Dave Marr 72-73-70-73—288
Donald Whitt 75-69-72-72—288
Jackson Bradley 73-73-69-74—289
Bob Goalby 73-70-72-74—289
Gary Player 70-72-71-76—289
Sam Snead 72-69-73-75—289
Al Feminelli 75-71-71-73—290
Lloyd Mangrum 72-73-71-74—290
Bob Rosburg 72-75-71-72—290
Ken Venturi 71-73-74-72—290
Claude Harmon Sr. 73-73-75-70—291
Lionel Hebert 73-72-71-75—291
Robert Shave Jr. 72-71-71-77—291
Richard Stranahan 70-73-73-75—291
Chick Harbert 72-74-69-77—292
Harold Kneece 76-71-71-74—292
Rex Baxter 79-67-76-71—293
Frank Boynton 73-72-75-73—293
Dave Douglas 75-71-76-71—293
Doug Ford 73-72-70-78—293
Huston Laclair 70-74-76-73—293
Bruce Crampton 70-71-75-78—294
Stan Dudas 71-74-73-76—294
Al Mengert 75-71-74-74—294
David Ragan 71-72-78-73—294
Bill Johnston 73-74-73-75—295
Cary Middlecoff 77-70-72-77—296
Henry Ransom 69-76-73-78—296
Art Wall 72-73-78-73—296
Doug Sanders 70-68-77-82—297
Charlie Sifford 74-70-77-76—297
Jim Turnesa 76-71-72-78—297
Walter Burkemo 74-72-72-80—298
Howie Johnson 72-75-74-77—298
Sam Penecale 73-73-77-75—298
Frank Stranahan 72-73-74-79—298
Bob Verwey 75-72-79-75—301
Robert Watson 72-73-73-84—302
Bob Goetz 73-74-74-85—306

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