1982 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Winner and Scores
The 1982 U.S. Open was the 82rd time the tournament was played. Tom Watson outduelled Jack Nicklaus for the win, with a late, and now-famous, chip-in sending him to victory.
Winner: Tom Watson, 282
Where it was played: Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California
Tournament dates: June 17-20, 1982
Leader after first round: Bill Rogers and Bruce Devlin, 70
Leader after second round: Bruce Devlin, 139
Leader after third round: Bill Rogers and Tom Watson, 212
What Happened in the 1982 U.S. Open
The 1982 U.S. Open will always be remembered as the site of Tom Watson's chip-in. It is one of the best-known shots in golf history, not only because it helped Watson win, but also because of who it helped him beat: Jack Nicklaus.Nicklaus won the Open in 1972, the last time it was played at Pebble Beach. Pebble Beach was one of his favorite courses. Likewise for Watson, who played Pebble Beach many times as a student at Stanford University. Watson was the best golfer in the world in 1982, but Nicklaus still had to be contended with.
Watson began the final round tied with Bill Rogers, the reigning British Open champ, for the lead. Nicklaus was three behind. Bogeys greeted both Watson and Nicklaus early, but in the middle part of the front nine Nicklaus reeled off five consecutive birdies to tie Rogers for the lead.
Rogers ran into trouble in the middle of his round, fell back, and although he finished tied for third was never a factor over the second half of the final day. That left Watson and Nicklaus to battle it out.
And battle they did, each leading at different points. Nicklaus was playing a couple groups in front of Watson, and when he parred the 72nd hole to complete a round of 69, he got into the clubhouse at 284. That was 4-under par, which was tied with Watson for the lead.
Watson was starting the 17th hole as Nicklaus finished the 18th, and Watson's tee ball on the par-3 was off-target. His ball came to rest in deep rough on a downslope with the green running away from him toward the hole. It appeared to be a desperate situation, with bogey looking likely and double-bogey a distinct possibility.
Nicklaus was being interviewed by the 18th green by one of the broadcast announcers who, knowing of Watson's predicament, said that it appeared Nicklaus was going to win. If Nicklaus did win, he'd be the first 5-time winner in U.S. Open history.
Watson had other plans. As he was sizing up the extremely delicate chip, Watson's caddie, Bruce Edwards, said to Watson, "Get it close." To which Watson replied, "I'm not going to get it close, I'm going to make it!"
And that's what Watson improbably did, plopping the ball up with a sand wedge. The ball ran toward the hole, hit the flagstick, and dropped into the cup. Watson jumped into an excited sprint and pointed at caddie Edwards, as if to say, "I told you so."
Nicklaus said afterward that a golfer could drop 1,000 balls in the position Watson's was in on the 17th and not get any of them close, much less get one into the hole.
Watson went on to birdie the final hole, too, to finish at 282, two strokes ahead of Nicklaus. It was Watson's first (and only) U.S. Open victory, and the sixth major championship win of his career.
It was the 18th time Nicklaus finished second in a major.
The low amateur was Nathaniel Crosby, son of legendary entertainer Bing Crosby. Bing Crosby was the founder of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on the PGA Tour. Fifty-two-year-old Gene Littler, winner of the 1961 U.S. Open, tied for 22nd in his final U.S. Open appearance.
1982 U.S. Open Final Scores
| Tom Watson | 72-72-68-70—282 |
| Jack Nicklaus | 74-70-71-69—284 |
| Bobby Clampett | 71-73-72-70—286 |
| Dan Pohl | 72-74-70-70—286 |
| Bill Rogers | 70-73-69-74—286 |
| David Graham | 73-72-69-73—287 |
| Jay Haas | 75-74-70-68—287 |
| Gary Koch | 78-73-69-67—287 |
| Lanny Wadkins | 73-76-67-71—287 |
| Bruce Devlin | 70-69-75-74—288 |
| Calvin Peete | 71-72-72-73—288 |
| Chip Beck | 76-75-69-69—289 |
| Danny Edwards | 71-75-73-70—289 |
| Lyn Lott | 72-71-75-71—289 |
| Larry Rinker | 74-67-75-74—290 |
| Scott Simpson | 73-69-72-76—290 |
| J.C. Snead | 73-75-71-71—290 |
| Fuzzy Zoeller | 72-76-71-71—290 |
| Ben Crenshaw | 76-74-68-73—291 |
| Larry Nelson | 74-72-74-71—291 |
| Hal Sutton | 73-76-72-70—291 |
| Mike Brannan | 75-74-71-72—292 |
| Joe Hager | 78-72-72-70—292 |
| Gene Littler | 74-75-72-71—292 |
| John Mahaffey | 77-72-70-73—292 |
| Gil Morgan | 75-75-68-74—292 |
| Andy North | 72-71-77-72—292 |
| Craig Stadler | 76-70-70-76—292 |
| Tom Kite | 73-71-75-74—293 |
| Isao Aoki | 77-74-72-71—294 |
| Don Bies | 73-74-74-73—294 |
| George Burns | 72-72-70-80—294 |
| Peter Oosterhuis | 73-78-67-76—294 |
| Greg Powers | 77-71-74-72—294 |
| Jack Renner | 74-71-77-72—294 |
| Jim Thorpe | 72-73-72-77—294 |
| Terry Diehl | 71-77-75-72—295 |
| Bob Gilder | 73-76-74-72—295 |
| Lou Graham | 75-73-74-74—296 |
| Hale Irwin | 76-75-68-77—296 |
| Rod Nuckolls | 78-73-69-76—296 |
| Curtis Strange | 74-73-74-75—296 |
| Tom Weiskopf | 74-77-73-72—296 |
| Kermit Zarley | 75-74-69-78—296 |
| Woody Blackburn | 75-73-73-76—297 |
| Lon Hinkle | 73-75-69-80—297 |
| Johnny Miller | 78-69-78-72—297 |
| Dave Stockton | 79-71-73-74—297 |
| Raymond Floyd | 78-73-75-72—298 |
| Skeeter Heath | 73-74-74-77—298 |
| Clarence Rose | 73-78-73-74—298 |
| Bob Shearer | 75-75-72-76—298 |
| Butch Baird | 72-75-78-74—299 |
| Vance Heafner | 75-74-74-76—299 |
| Larry Ziegler | 77-74-73-75—299 |
| Tom Sieckmann | 77-73-75-76—301 |
| Ron Streck | 72-77-75-77—301 |
| Mark O'Meara | 77-74-77-74—302 |
| a-Nataniel Crosby | 77-73-76-77—303 |
| a-Corey Pavin | 77-74-78-75—304 |
| Bobby Wadkins | 73-74-82-75—304 |
| Jim King | 71-77-80-77—305 |
| Kenny Knox | 76-75-77-77—305 |
| Lloyd Monroe | 79-70-78-78—305 |
| Bill Israelson | 76-69-80-83—308 |
| Doug Tewell | 75-75-79-90—319 |
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