Low Amateurs in the U.S. Open: The Full List
Below you'll find the list of all the golfers who have earned low amateur honors at the U.S. Open golf championship. The list goes back to the very first U.S. Open played in 1895, when exactly one amateur completed the tournament, thus earning the low amateur honor.
And it is an honor: the low amateur each year gets to take part in a trophy presentation ceremony and receives a medal commemorating the achievement. Some of the biggest names in golf history have been U.S. Open low amateurs.
But not every year on the list below has a low amateur. That's because a golfer not just beat every other amateur in the field, but must complete all four rounds. If no amateurs make the cut, the low amateur honor (and medal) isn't bestowed that year. A year without a low amateur didn't happen until 1963, but it is not uncommon in recent times.
Related article: Amateur winners and tournament records for amateurs at the U.S. Open
The List: Every Low Amateur at the U.S. Open
Low ams are listed along with their scores and their placement in the tournament. Click on a year to read more about that U.S. Open, including the final scores. ("None" means that no amateur made the cut.)
2023 — Gordon Sargent, 284, tied 39th
2022 — Travis Vick, 288, tied 43rd
2021 — none
2020 — John Pak, 298, tied 51st
2019 — Viktor Hovland, 280, tied 12th
2018 — (tie) Luis Gagne, Matt Parziale, 296, tied 48th
2017 — Scottie Scheffler, 287, tied 27th
2016 — none
2015 — Beau Hossler, 292, tied 58th
2014 — none
2013 — C.T. Pan, 295, tied 45th
2012 — Beau Hossler, 289, tied 29th
2011 — Patrick Cantlay, 284, tied 21st
2010 — Russell Henley, 292, tied 16th
2009 — Nick Taylor, 288, tied 36th
2008 — Michael Thompson, 292, tied 29th
2007 — Pablo Martin, 287, tied 30th
2006 — none
2005 — Matt Every, 291, tied 28th
2004 — Spencer Levin, 288, tied 13th
2003 — Trip Kuehne, 290, tied 57th
2002 — Kevin Warrick, 307, 72nd
2001 — Bryce Molder, 288, tied 30th
2000 — none
1999 — Hank Kuehne, 306, 65th
1998 — Matt Kuchar, 289, tied 14th
1997 — none
1996 — Randy Leen, 291, tied 60th
1995 — none
1994 — none
1993 — Justin Leonard, 288, tied 68th
1992 — none
1991 — Phil Mickelson, 300, tied 55th
1990 — Phil Mickelson, 288, tied 29th
1989 — Greg Lesher, 296, tied 63rd
1988 — Billy Mayfair, 287, tied 25th
1987 — none
1986 — Scott Verplank, 288, tied 15th
1985 — Scott Verplank, 289, tied 34th
1984 — Rick Fehr, 294, tied 43rd
1983 — Brad Faxon, 302, tied 50th
1982 — Nathaniel Crosby, 303, 59th
1981 — Joe Rassett, 294, tied 65th
1980 — Gary Hallberg, 285, tied 22nd
1979 — Fred Couples, 302, tied 48th
1978 — Bobby Clampett, 297, tied 30th
1977 — Lindy Miller, 299, tied 54th
1976 — (tied) John Fought, Mike Reid, 300, tied 50th
1975 — Jay Haas, 293, tied 18th
1974 — Jay Haas, 307, tied 54th
1973 — Vinny Giles, 290, 17th
1972 — Jim Simons, 301, tied 15th
1971 — Jim Simons, 283, tied fifth
1970 — Ben Crenshaw, 301, tied 36th
1969 — none
1968 — Dick Siderowf, 300, tied 57th
1967 — Marty Fleckman, 289, tied 18th
1966 — Johnny Miller, 290, tied eighth
1965 — Deane Beman, 290, tied 11th
1964 — (tie) John Farquhar, Labron Harris Jr., 297, tied 28th
1963 — none
1962 — Deane Beman, 293, tied 14th
1961 — Jack Nicklaus, 284, tied fourth
1960 — Jack Nicklaus, 282, second
1959 — Jim English, 299, tied 32nd
1958 — Charles Coe, 295, tied 13th
1957 — Billy Joe Patton, 290, tied eighth
1956 — Ken Venturi, 289, eighth
1955 — Harvie Ward, 296, tied seventh
1954 — Billy Joe Patton, 289, tied sixth
1953 — Frank Souchak, 296, tied ninth
1952 — Jim Jackson, 296, tied 19th
1951 — Chuck Kocsis, 297, tied 16th
1950 — Frank Stranahan, 306, tied 46th
1949 — Skee Riegel, 294, tied 14th
1948 — Ken Rogers, 294, 34th
1947 — Bud Ward, 287, fifth
1946 — Smiley Quick, 295, tied 26th
1942-45: US Open not played due to World War II
1941 — Harry Todd, 296, tied 13th
1940 — Wilford Wehrle, 297, tied 23rd
1939 — Bud Ward, 284, fourth
1938 — Arthur Doering, 310, tied 41st
1937 — Johnny Goodman, 290, eighth
1936 — Chuck Kocsis, 293, tied 14th
1935 — Christian Brinke, 315, tied 32nd
1934 — Mark Fry, 302, 16th
1933 — Johnny Goodman, 287, won
1932 — Johnny Goodman, 302, tied 14th
1931 — Philip Perkins, 297, tied seventh
1930 — Bobby Jones, 287, won
1929 — Bobby Jones, 294, won
1928 — Bobby Jones, 294, second (lost in playoff)
1927 — Bobby Jones, 309, tied 11th
1926 — Bobby Jones, 293, won
1925 — Bobby Jones, 291, second (lost in playoff)
1924 — Bobby Jones, 300, second
1923 — Bobby Jones, 296, won
1922 — Bobby Jones, 289, tied second
1921 — Chick Evans, 302, fourth
1920 — Chick Evans, 298, tied sixth
1919 — Chick Evans, 313, tied ninth
1917-18: US Open not played due to World War I
1916 — Chick Evans, 286, won
1915 — Jerry Travers, 297, won
1914 — Chick Evans, 291, second
1913 — Francis Ouimet, 304, won
1912 — Walter Travis, 307, tied 10th
1911 — Albert Seckel, 313, 11th
1910 — Fred Herreshoff, 311, 20th
1909 — Walter Travis, 300, tied seventh
1908 — Walter Travis, 347, tied 23rd
1907 — Jerry Travers, 324, tied 26th
1906 — Chandler Egan, 313, tied eighth
1905 — Arthur Lockwood, 325, tied 11th
1904 — Chandler Egan, 329, tied 20th
1903 — Findlay S. Douglas, 322, eighth
1902 — Walter Travis, 313, tied second
1901 — Arthur Lockwood, 351, tied 17th
1900 — Charles B. Macdonald, 355, 30th
1899 — Herbert Harriman, 339, tied 13th
1898 — Herbert Leeds, 347, tied eighth
1897 — Henry Whigham, 173 (36 holes), tied eighth
1896 — Andrew Smith, 158 (36 holes), tied third
1895 — Andrew Smith, 176 (36 holes), tied third
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