1990 U.S. Open Tournament Winner and Scores

The 1990 U.S. Open was the 90th time the tournament was played. It ended with an 18-hole playoff that still didn't settle the issue, so continued into sudden-death holes.

Winner: Hale Irwin, 280

Where it was played: Medinah Country Club (No. 3 Course) in Medinah, Illinois

Tournament dates: June 14-18, 1990

Leader after first round: Jeff Sluman, Scott Simpson and Tim Simpson, 66

Leader after second round: Tim Simpson, 135

Leader after third round: Mike Donald and Billy Ray Brown, 209

What Happened in the 1990 U.S. Open

The "victory lap" — that's what the 1990 U.S. Open is best-remembered for, even though Hale Irwin's sprint around the 18th green wasn't actually in celebration of a win. That had to wait one more day.

Irwin, 45 years old and a 2-time champion of this event, only got into the tournament through a special invite from the USGA. He made the most of his opportunity, firing a final-round 67 to get in the clubhouse at 8-under 280.

He achieved that score by rolling in a 45-foot birdie on the 72nd hole. When the ball dropped into the cup, giving Irwin the clubhouse lead, the crowd exploded, and Irwin took off on a sprint around the perimeter of Medinah No. 3's 18th green, slapping hands with spectators. It was an unusual outburst for a player previously regarded as stoic.

But there were still others on the course who could catch Irwin. Nick Faldo and Billy Ray Brown each came up one stroke short. But journeyman Mike Donald, shooting 71, managed to tie Irwin at 8-under. That meant Irwin and Donald had to face off in an 18-hole playoff the following day.

But once again, the scheduled number of holes wasn't enough for these two. After 18 holes of the playoff, Irwin and Donald were again tied at 74. They kept going, switching to a sudden-death playoff format, and Irwin finally won the title with a birdie on the 19th hole.

It was Irwin's third U.S. Open victory, and he set a record as the U.S. Open's oldest winner at 45 years and 15 days old.

At the opposite end of the scales were two amateurs making their major championship debuts and making the cut. Phil Mickelson turned 20 during the tournament and finished tied for 29th. David Duval was just shy of 19, and finished tied for 56th.

Curtis Strange, trying to win a third consecutive U.S. Open title, was two strokes off the lead after three rounds, but shot 75 in the final round and finished tied for 21st.

1990 U.S. Open Final Scores

Hale Irwin 69-70-74-67—280 (74-3)
Mike Donald 67-70-72-71—280 (74-x)
Billy Ray Brown 69-71-69-72—281
Nick Faldo 72-72-68-69—281
Mark Brooks 68-70-72-73—283
Greg Norman 72-73-69-69—283
Tim Simpson 66-69-75-73—283
Craig Stadler 71-70-72-71—284
Scott Hoch 70-73-69-72—284
Jose Maria Olazabal 73-69-69-73—284
Fuzzy Zoeller 73-70-68-73—284
Tom Sieckmann 70-74-68-72—284
Steve Jones 67-76-74-67—284
John Inman 72-71-70-72—285
Scott Simpson 66-73-73-73—285
John Huston 68-72-73-72—285
Jim Benepe 72-70-73-70—285
Larry Mize 72-70-69-74—285
Jeff Sluman 66-70-74-75—285
Larry Nelson 74-67-69-75—285
Steve Elkington 73-71-73-69—286
Ian Woosnam 70-70-74-72—286
Curtis Strange 73-70-68-75—286
Paul Azinger 72-72-69-74—287
Jumbo Ozaki 73-72-74-68—287
Billy Tuten 74-70-72-71—287
Corey Pavin 74-70-73-70—287
Webb Heintzelman 70-75-74-68—287
Chip Beck 71-71-73-73—288
a-Phil Mickelson 74-71-71-72—288
Brian Claar 70-71-71-76—288
Mike Hulbert 76-66-71-75—288
David Frost 72-72-72-73—289
Bob Tway 69-72-74-74—289
Bobby Wadkins 71-73-71-74—289
Bob Lohr 71-74-72-72—289
Isao Aoki 73-69-74-73—289
Tom Byrum 70-75-74-70—289
Kirk Triplett 72-70-75-72—289
Steve Pate 75-68-72-74—289
Jack Nicklaus 71-74-68-76—289
Seve Ballesteros 73-69-71-76—289
Jim Gallagher Jr. 71-69-72-77—289
Ted Schulz 73-70-69-77—289
Mike Reid 70-73-68-78—289
Craig Parry 72-71-68-79—290
Robert Thompson 71-73-72-75—291
Dave Barr 74-71-75-71—291
Mark McCumber 76-68-74-73—291
Dave Rummells 73-71-70-77—291
Ray Stewart 70-74-73-75—292
Bill Glasson 71-73-72-76—292
Andy North 74-71-71-76—292
Greg Twiggs 72-70-73-77—292
Lanny Wadkins 72-72-70-78—292
Blaine McCallister 71-72-75-75—293
Tom Kite 75-70-74-74—293
a-David Duval 72-72-72-77—293
Gil Morgan 70-72-73-78—293
Bob Gilder 71-70-74-78—293
Robert Gamez 72-73-73-76—294
Scott Verplank 72-69-77-76—294
Ronan Rafferty 75-70-73-78—296
David Graham 72-73-74-79—298
Howard Twitty 73-72-77-77—299
Brad Faxon 70-74-76-81—301
Mike Smith 72-72-82-80—306
Randy Wylie 70-75-81-82—308

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1989 U.S. Open - 1991 U.S. Open

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