1988 U.S. Senior Open Winner and Scores
Winner: Gary Player, 288 (won playoff)
Where it was played: Medinah Country Club (No. 3 Course) in Medinah, Illinois
Tournament dates: August 4-8, 1988
Leaders after first round: Billy Casper, Walt Zembriski, 69
Leader after second round: Billy Casper, 140
Leaders after third round: Bob Charles, Gary Player, 215
What Happened in the 1988 U.S. Senior Open
Gary Player won the 1988 U.S. Senior Open, defeating Bob Charles in an 18-hole playoff. It was the second year in a row Player won this senior major. In his first three appearances in the U.S. Senior Open, Player finished second, first and first.He was just the second golfer to win the USSO twice, and the second to do so back-to-back. And when he won the Senior British Open later in the year, Player became the first golfer to have wins in both the U.S. and British senior opens.
Billy Casper held a three-stroke lead following the second round, with Player four behind. After the third round, Player and Charles shared the lead on 215. Casper, who had a 76 in Round 3, was tied for second, one behind, but scored 78 in the final round and finished six shots out of the playoff.
In the fourth round, Charles birdied the 14th hole to take a three-shot lead over Player with four holes to go. But Charles bogeyed the next three holes, falling back into a tie with Player. When they both parred the 72nd hole, they finished tied on 288. And at the time, that meant an 18-hole playoff the next day.
In the playoff, Player went out in front early. With a birdie on the third hole, he took a two-stroke lead over Charles. And Player led the rest of the way, ultimately winning by two strokes, 68 to 70.
In a tough scoring week on the Medinah No. 3 course, Player's playoff 68 was the second-lowest score of the week. Only three sub-60s scores were recorded in the four tournament rounds proper. And the 288 total for 72 holes remains tied for the second-highest winning score in any U.S. Senior Open.
1988 U.S. Senior Open Final Scores
| Gary Player | 74-70-71-73—288 (68) |
| Bob Charles | 75-70-70-73—288 (70) |
| Bruce Crampton | 73-74-70-72—289 |
| Orville Moody | 72-73-72-73—290 |
| Peter Thomson | 72-73-72-73—290 |
| Chi Chi Rodriguez | 73-76-75-67—291 |
| Harold Henning | 70-73-76-72—291 |
| Lou Graham | 72-71-73-76—292 |
| Al Geiberger | 73-71-77-71—292 |
| Butch Baird | 73-75-73-73—294 |
| Billy Casper | 69-71-76-78—294 |
| Don Bies | 77-71-76-71—295 |
| Gene Littler | 73-72-76-74—295 |
| Gene Borek | 73-75-75-72—295 |
| Walter Zembriski | 69-75-74-78—296 |
| Dave Hill | 73-74-75-74—296 |
| J.C. Goosie | 75-72-74-75—296 |
| Charles Coody | 76-74-74-73—297 |
| Doug Dalziel | 72-73-80-73—298 |
| Dale Douglass | 80-73-72-74—299 |
| Homero Blancas | 78-74-70-77—299 |
| Bob Brue | 76-78-72-75—301 |
| Arnold Palmer | 75-74-75-77—301 |
| Paul Moran | 83-70-73-75—301 |
| Ken Still | 78-74-74-76—302 |
| Don Massengale | 77-74-76-75—302 |
| a-Robert Housen | 77-76-75-74—302 |
| Gay Brewer | 75-79-78-71—303 |
| Jim Ferree | 75-75-73-80—303 |
| Dick Hendrickson | 77-74-75-77—303 |
| Dean Sheetz | 75-77-76-75—303 |
| a-Richard Sucher | 75-77-74-78—304 |
| John Frillman | 77-78-74-75—304 |
| Tommy Aaron | 75-78-76-75—304 |
| Gordon Jones | 77-76-75-76—304 |
| Jim King | 76-79-72-77—304 |
| Bobby Nichols | 78-75-75-76—304 |
| Earl Puckett | 78-75-79-73—305 |
| Bob Goalby | 73-78-75-79—305 |
| Billy Maxwell | 74-72-80-80—306 |
| a-John Harbottle | 79-76-74-78—307 |
| a-Dick Siderowf | 76-74-80-77—307 |
| a-John Paul Cain | 78-74-78-78—308 |
| Larry Mowry | 77-79-70-82—308 |
| a-Robert Wylie | 77-76-79-76—308 |
| Jay Hyon | 76-79-78-76—309 |
| Al Chandler | 75-75-78-82—310 |
| Dick Plummer | 77-78-78-78—311 |
| Bob Rawlins | 77-78-80-76—311 |
| Bob Boldt | 76-78-79-78—311 |
| Paul Thomas | 78-75-80-80—313 |
| a-Jim Keim | 74-82-79-78—313 |
| Kel Nagle | 79-76-80-79—314 |
| Linden Meade | 74-82-82-77—315 |
| Dean Lind | 73-79-80-83—315 |
| a-Jackie Cummings | 76-80-80-80—316 |
| Don Hoenig | 79-77-83-77—316 |
| Foster Bradley | 76-80-80-81—317 |
| Jack O'Keefe | 75-75-86-82—318 |
| a-Marshall Trammell | 82-74-80-83—319 |
| Dick McNeill | 74-77-79-91—321 |
Sources:
Litke, James. "Player shoots down Charles," Associated Press, The (Missoula, Mont.) Missoulian, August 9, 1988.
PGATour.com. U.S. Senior Open Championship, Past Results, https://www.pgatour.com/pgatour-champions/tournaments/2026/u.s-senior-open-championship/S2026512/past-results.
The (Springfield, Mass.) Republican. "Charles stumbles, Player gains tie," Associated Press, August 8, 1988.
Tri-City Herald (Pasco, Wash.). "Charles, Player top field in U.S. Senior Open," Associated Press, August-7, 1988.
United States Golf Association. U.S. Senior Open, Tournament Records, https://championships.usga.org/content/championships/ussenioropen/u-s--senior-open-records.html.