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1964 U.S. Open (golf)

1964 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesJune 18–20, 1964
LocationBethesda, Maryland
Course(s)Congressional Country Club
Blue Course
Organized byUSGA
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70
Length7,053 yards (6,449 m)[1]
Field150 players, 55 after cut
Cut150 (+10)
Winner's share$17,000[2]
Champion
United States Ken Venturi
278 (−2)
← 1963
1965 →
Congressional  Country Club is located in the United States
Congressional  Country Club
Congressional 
Country Club
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Location in the United States
Congressional  Country Club is located in Maryland
Congressional  Country Club
Congressional 
Country Club
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Location in Maryland

The 1964 U.S. Open was the 64th U.S. Open, held June 18–20 at the Blue Course of Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb northwest of Washington, D.C. Ken Venturi won his only major title, four strokes ahead of runner-up Tommy Jacobs.[3][4][5][6]

Jacobs held the 36-hole lead after shooting a 64 (−6) in the second round,[7] tying the U.S. Open record at the time for a round, set by Lee Mackey in 1950.[8] In the third round on Saturday morning, he carded an even-par 70 and retained the lead after 54 holes, two strokes ahead of Venturi, who made up four shots with a 66 (−4). Masters champion Arnold Palmer had led after the first round,[9] but hopes of a grand slam faded with a 75 in the third.

Before the final round began on Saturday afternoon, Venturi was advised by doctors to withdraw from the tournament. He was suffering dehydration due to an oppressive heat wave and had to take treatments with tea and salt tablets in between rounds. To play the final round, doctors warned, was to risk heat stroke.[6] Venturi, however, ignored the advice and played on, then shot a 70 to Jacobs' 76 to claim a four-stroke victory. Venturi's score of 206 over the final 54 holes set a new U.S. Open record, as did his score of 136 over the last 36. The win was his first on tour in four years.

Future champion Raymond Floyd made his U.S. Open debut this year at age 21 and finished in 14th place. He played the final two rounds on Saturday with Venturi. This was the last time the championship was scheduled for three days (the final two rounds scheduled on Saturday); the next year it was expanded to four days, concluding on Sunday.

The Blue Course at Congressional was the longest in U.S. Open history to date, at 7,053 yards (6,449 m).[10] A lack of rainfall in the previous six weeks reduced its effective length, and it played firm and fast.[11]

Course layout

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Main article: Congressional Country Club
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Yards 405 195 459 423 408 456 168 362 599 3,475 459 399 188 448 434 564 211 410 465 3,578 7,053
Par 4 3 4 4 4 4 3 4 5 35 4 4 3 4 4 5 3 4 4 35 70

Source:[12][13]

Round summaries

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First round

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Thursday, June 18, 1964

Place Player Score To par
1 United States Arnold Palmer 68 −2
2 United States Bill Collins 70 E
T3 United States William Campbell (a) 71 +1
United States Billy Casper
United States Tony Lema
United States Johnny Pott
United States Joe Zakarian
T8 New Zealand Bob Charles 72 +2
Australia Bruce Crampton
United States Richard Crawford
United States Ed Furgol
United States Labron Harris
United States Tommy Jacobs
United States Billy Martindale
United States Stan Mosel
United States Bobby Nichols
United States Jack Nicklaus
Canada Bob Panasiuk
United States Paul Scodeller
United States Charlie Sifford
United States Ken Venturi

Source:[14]

Second round

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Friday, June 19, 1964

Place Player Score To par
1 United States Tommy Jacobs 72-64=136 −4
2 United States Arnold Palmer 68-69=137 −3
3 United States Bill Collins 70-71=141 +1
T4 United States Charlie Sifford 72-70=142 +2
United States Ken Venturi 72-70=142
T6 Australia Bruce Crampton 72-71=143 +3
United States Raymond Floyd 73-70=143
United States Tony Lema 71-72=143
T9 United States William Campbell (a) 71-73=144 +4
New Zealand Bob Charles 72-72=144
United States Al Geiberger 74-70=144
United States Gene Littler 73-71=144
United States Bobby Nichols 72-72=144
United States Johnny Pott 71-73=144

Source:[8][7]

Third round

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Saturday, June 20, 1964  (morning)

Place Player Score To par
1 United States Tommy Jacobs 72-64-70=206 −4
2 United States Ken Venturi 72-70-66=208 −2
3 United States Arnold Palmer 68-69-75=212 +2
4 United States Billy Casper 71-74-69=214 +4
T5 New Zealand Bob Charles 72-72-71=215 +5
United States Bill Collins 70-71-74=215
United States Raymond Floyd 73-70-72=215
T8 United States Dow Finsterwald 73-72-71=216 +6
United States Bob Rosburg 73-73-70=216
10 United States Johnny Pott 71-73-73=217 +7

Source:[3][4]

Final round

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Saturday, June 20, 1964  (afternoon)

Place Player Score To par Money ($)
1 United States Ken Venturi 72-70-66-70=278 −2 17,000
2 United States Tommy Jacobs 72-64-70-76=282 +2 8,500
3 New Zealand Bob Charles 72-72-71-68=283 +3 6,000
4 United States Billy Casper 71-74-69-71=285 +5 5,000
T5 United States Gay Brewer 76-69-73-68=286 +6 3,750
United States Arnold Palmer 68-69-75-74=286
7 United States Bill Collins 70-71-74-72=287 +7 3,000
8 United States Dow Finsterwald 73-72-71-72=288 +8 2,500
T9 United States Johnny Pott 71-73-73-72=289 +9 1,950
United States Bob Rosburg 73-73-70-73=289

Source:[3][4][5]

Scorecard

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Final round

Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 3 4 4 4 4 3 4 5 4 4 3 4 4 5 3 4 4
United States Venturi −2 −2 −2 −2 −2 −1 −1 −1 −2 −2 −2 −2 −3 −2 −2 −2 −2 −2
United States Jacobs −4 −2 −2 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 E +1 E E +1 +2 +3 +2 +2 +2
United States Palmer +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +2 +2 +2 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +6 +6

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

Birdie Bogey Double bogey

Source:[15]

Video

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References

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  1. ^ Wright, Alfred (June 29, 1964). "'Poor Ken' hits it rich again". Sports Illustrated. p. 12.
  2. ^ Gundelfinger, Phil Jr. (June 22, 1964). "Ken Venturi fulfills golfdom's prophecy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 23.
  3. ^ a b c "Venturi wins Open tourney on comeback". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. June 21, 1964. p. 2B.
  4. ^ a b c Bartlett, Charles (June 21, 1964). "Exhausted Ken Venturi Open champ". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, section 2.
  5. ^ a b "Venturi beats heats, wins U.S. Open". Sunday Star-News. Wilmington, North Carolina. UPI. June 21, 1964. p. 1C.
  6. ^ a b Shedloski, Dave (May 29, 2011). "Californian overcomes heat exhaustion on steamy 36-hole marathon final day at Congressional C.C." USGA. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Bartlett, Charles (June 20, 1964). "Jacobs passes Palmer on 64 in Open!". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, section 2.
  8. ^ a b Gundelfinger, Phil (June 20, 1964). "Jacobs passes Arnie, shoots blistering 64". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
  9. ^ Gundelfinger, Phil (June 19, 1964). "Palmer fires 2-under 68, leads Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
  10. ^ "Palmer 198 holes from golf's Slam". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. June 19, 1964. p. 2B.
  11. ^ Gundelfinger, Phil (June 18, 1964). "Congressional set to resist golfing fraternity in 'Open'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 30.
  12. ^ Bartlett, Charles (June 14, 1964). "Hole-by-hole of U.S. Open site". Chicago Tribune. p. 3, section 2.
  13. ^ Wright, Alfred (June 15, 1964). "Congressional: where a small splash will cost big money". Sports Illustrated. p. 38.
  14. ^ "National Open scoreboard". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 19, 1964. p. 21.
  15. ^ "U.S. Open History". USGA. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
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38°57′58″N 77°10′35″W / 38.966°N 77.1765°W / 38.966; -77.1765