1978 U.S. Open Winner and Scores

The 1978 U.S. Open was the 78th time the tournament was played. Andy North held on to win by one stroke over Dave Stockton and J.C. Snead. Stockton missed a par putt on the final hole to make it easier for North, and Snead missed a birdie putt that would have made it tougher for North. North made it hard enough on himself, however, bogeying the last.

Winner: Andy North, 285

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

Tournament dates: June 15-18, 1978

Leader after first round: Hale Irwin, 69

Leader after second round: Andy North, 140

Leader after third round: Andy North, 211

What Happened in the 1978 U.S. Open

Two months earlier at the 1978 Masters, 42-year-old Gary Player shot a blistering 64 in the final round to surge to the championship. At the 1978 U.S. Open, however, Player went the opposite direction. Trailing Andy North by one stroke entering the final round, Player blew up with a 77. And that opened the door for North to win the championship.

North took the lead after shooting 70-70 in the first two rounds. At 140, he was two in front of Player, Jack Nicklaus and J.C. Snead at the midway point. North carded a 71 in the third round and maintained a one-stroke edge on Player. (Nicklaus shot 74-73 on the weekend and finished tied for sixth place.)

For North, it was just his second win on the PGA Tour. In fact, North finished his career with only three PGA Tour wins — but two of them were U.S. Opens (he also won the 1985 U.S. Open).

North was known as a poor driver but excellent putter, and those facets of his game were on display on the tournament's final hole, a par-4 on which he needed to make 5 to win.

North hit his drive into the rough, then his approach fell short and into the rough on the opposite side of the fairway. He flubbed the pitch to the green and found a bunker instead. But then he blasted out and — despite stepping away from the ball twice after taking his address — sank the 4-foot putt to win.

Player finished tied for sixth, four strokes behind. The runners-up were Snead (Sam Snead's nephew), one of his four Top 10 finishes in majors; and two-time major winner Dave Stockton, recording his final Top 10 finish in a major.

Arnold Palmer, playing at Cherry Hills, site of his famous 1960 U.S. Open charge to victory, missed the cut.

1978 U.S. Open Final Scores

Andy North 70-70-71-74—285
J.C. Snead 70-72-72-72—286
Dave Stockton 71-73-70-72—286
Hale Irwin 69-74-75-70—288
Tom Weiskopf 77-73-70-68—288
Andy Bean 72-72-71-74—289
Billy Kratzert 72-74-70-73—289
Jack Nicklaus 73-69-74-73—289
Tom Watson 74-75-70-70—289
Gary Player 71-71-70-77—289
Johnny Miller 78-69-68-74—289
Joe Inman 72-72-74-73—291
Lee Trevino 72-71-75-73—291
Mike McCullough 75-75-73-68—291
Raymond Floyd 75-70-76-70—291
Jerry Pate 73-72-74-73—292
Artie McNickle 74-75-70-73—292
Seve Ballesteros 75-69-71-77—292
Bob Shearer 78-72-71-71—292
Wally Armstrong 73-73-74-73—293
Phil Hancock 71-73-75-74—293
Bruce Lietzke 72-73-72-76—293
Tom Kite 73-73-70-77—293
Dale Douglass 74-75-74-72—295
Victor Regalado 74-72-73-76—295
Tom Purtzer 75-72-72-76—295
Jerry McGee 74-76-71-75—296
Pat McGowan 74-73-72-77—296
Peter Oosterhuis 72-72-78-74—296
Charles Coody 74-76-76-71—297
Lee Elder 76-73-73-75—297
Billy Casper 71-76-73-77—297
Rod Curl 78-72-74-73—297
a-Bobby Clampett 70-73-80-74—297
Miller Barber 74-73-76-75—298
Leonard Thompson 74-76-73-75—298
Gene Littler 73-75-77-73—298
Ed Fiori 74-73-74-77—298
Lou Graham 78-72-74-74—298
Mark Hayes 73-70-76-79—298
Steve Melnyk 79-71-69-79—298
Ray Cragun 79-71-76-72—298
Mac McLendon 75-73-69-81—298
Bob Gilder 76-74-74-75—299
Bill Rogers 79-69-73-78—299
Chi Chi Rodriguez 74-73-77-76—300
Wayne Levi 76-73-74-77—300
Bobby Wadkins 71-78-77-74—300
George Burns 74-76-78-72—300
Ed Sneed 78-70-75-77—300
Tom Ulozas 73-73-75-79—300
Bobby Nichols 74-72-80-75—301
Nate Starks 74-75-78-75—302
Al Geiberger 71-74-78-79—302
Harry Toscano 74-75-75-79—303
Dick McClean 78-71-72-82—303
Bill Brask Jr. 71-76-78-79—304
a-Jim Holtgrieve 79-71-78-76—304
Dave Eichelberger 77-71-80-77—305
Mike Morley 77-73-78-80—308
Walter Zembriski 76-73-84-76—309
Bob E. Smith 74-73-82-81—310
Al Chandler 75-75-76-86—312

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