1966 U.S. Open (golf)

1966 U.S. Open

Tournament information
Dates	June 16–20, 1966
Location	San Francisco, California
Course(s)	Olympic Club, Lake Course
Organized by	USGA
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Statistics
Par	70
Length	6,719 yards (6,144 m)[1]
Field	151 players, 64 after cut
Cut	151 (+11)
Prize fund	$147,490[2]
Winner's share	$26,500
Champion
Billy Casper
278 (−2), playoff
← 1965 1967 →

San Francisco

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Location in the United States

 Olympic
 Club

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Location in California

The 1966 U.S. Open was the 66th U.S. Open, held June 16–20 at the Lake Course of the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California. Billy Casper, the 1959 champion, staged one of the greatest comebacks in history by erasing a seven-stroke deficit on the final nine holes to tie Arnold Palmer; he then prevailed in an 18-hole playoff to win the second of his three major titles.^[3][4] It was the fourth playoff in five years at the U.S. Open, and the third for Palmer, the 1960 champion.

Of the fifteen sub-par rounds posted in this U.S. Open, four belonged to Casper. He one-putted 33 greens and did not three-putt a green until the 81st hole.^[3] The "continuous putting" rule was in effect for this Open. Once putting on a green, the players had to keep putting until holing out. There was no marking of balls on the green except for lifting to clean. The rule was put into effect to speed up play at the Open.^[5]

Three future champions made their major championship debuts and all made the cut: Lee Trevino and collegians Hale Irwin and Johnny Miller. Irwin was entering his senior year at Colorado, where he was also an all-conference defensive back for the Buffaloes in football. Miller was a San Francisco native and junior merit member of the Olympic Club entering his sophomore year at BYU; he finished tied for eighth and was the low amateur by three strokes.^[6]

It was the penultimate appearance at the U.S. Open for four-time champion Ben Hogan; he finished twelfth at age 53. Cary Middlecoff, champion in 1949 and 1956, made his final appearance this year but withdrew after the first round. Sam Snead, 54, failed to qualify for the U.S. Open for the first time in thirty years;^[7] he had played in every edition since 1937, but never won.

The winner's share was $25,000 and both playoff participants received a $1,500 bonus.^[8] Daily admission was five dollars for the first two rounds, seven dollars on the weekend, and five for the playoff.^[9]

This was the second U.S. Open at the Lake Course of the Olympic Club, the first was in 1955 and also ended in a playoff. The U.S. Open returned in 1987, 1998, and 2012; all three were won by one stroke.