The 2001 United States Open Championship was the 101st U.S. Open, held June 14–18 at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The U.S. Open returned to Southern Hills for the first time since 1977. Retief Goosen won the first of his two U.S. Open titles in an 18-hole Monday playoff, two strokes ahead of runner-up Mark Brooks. The tournament was also notable for ending defending champion Tiger Woods' run of four consecutive major championship wins, the "Tiger Slam;" he finished seven strokes back in a tie for twelfth. Woods reclaimed the U.S. Open title the following year, and won the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in 2007.
The total purse was $5 million with a winner's share of $900,000.
At the end of the final round on Sunday, Brooks three-putted his way out of the lead on the 72nd hole. In the final pairing, co-leaders Goosen and Stewart Cink both had approach shots from the 18th fairway. Cink missed the green long and then three-putted from to double bogey. Goosen had for birdie, but also three-putted to tie Brooks, forcing the next-day playoff.
Course This U.S. Open was the third at Southern Hills and its sixth major championship. Former Open champions were Tommy Bolt in 1958, and Hubert Green in 1977. The course also previously hosted the PGA Championship in 1970, 1982, and 1994, all played in August, and later hosted the 2007 event.
Course layout Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotalYards4544674083686421753822253743,4953741654565342154124913654663,4786,973 Par444453434354345344443570 Lengths of the course in previous major championships: , par 70 - 1994 PGA Championship , par 70 - 1982 PGA Championship , par 70 - 1977 U.S. Open , par 70 - 1970 PGA Championship , par 70 - 1958 U.S. Open
Field Sixty-seven players were exempt and the remainder earned their place through sectional qualifying.
Exemptions 1. Last 10 U.S. Open Champions
Ernie Els (8,9,10,17) Lee Janzen Steve Jones Tom Kite Corey Pavin Tiger Woods (3,4,5,6,8,9,11,12,17)
2. The U.S. Amateur champion Jeff Quinney (a)
3. Last five Masters Champions
José María Olazábal (8,10,17) Mark O'Meara (4) Vijay Singh (5,8,9,11,17)
4. Last five British Open Champions
Paul Lawrie Tom Lehman (9,17) Justin Leonard (9,17)
5. Last five PGA Champions
Mark Brooks Davis Love III (9,11,17)
6. The Players Champion
7. The U.S. Senior Open Champion Hale Irwin
8. Top 15 finishers and ties in the 2000 U.S. Open
Paul Azinger (9,17) Michael Campbell (10,14,17) Stewart Cink (9,17) David Duval (9,17) Nick Faldo Retief Goosen (10,17) Pádraig Harrington (10,17) John Huston (9,17) Miguel Ángel Jiménez (10,17) Loren Roberts (9,17) Lee Westwood (10,17)
9. Top 30 leaders on the 2000 PGA Tour official money list
Robert Allenby (12,17) Stuart Appleby (17) Notah Begay III (12,17) Mark Calcavecchia (11,17) Chris DiMarco Steve Flesch Carlos Franco Jim Furyk (17) Franklin Langham Bob May (17) Phil Mickelson (11,12,17) Jesper Parnevik (12,17) Chris Perry (17) Nick Price (17) Hal Sutton (11,17) David Toms (11,12,17) Kirk Triplett (17) Scott Verplank (17) Mike Weir (17)
10. Top 15 on the 2000 European Tour Order of Merit
Thomas Bjørn (17) Ángel Cabrera (14,17) Darren Clarke (17) José Cóceres (17) Pierre Fulke (17) Colin Montgomerie (17) Gary Orr Phillip Price
11. Top 10 on the PGA Tour official money list, as of May 28Available at https://www.pgatour.com/stats/detail/109.
Joe Durant (12,17) Brad Faxon (17) Frank Lickliter (17)
12. Winners of multiple PGA Tour events from April 26, 2000, through June 3, 2001
13. Special exemptions selected by the USGA
14. Top 2 from the 2001 European Tour Order of Merit, as of May 28
15. Top 2 on the 2000 Japan Golf Tour money list, provided they are within the top 75 of the Official World Golf Rankings at that time
Shingo Katayama (17) Toru Taniguchi
16. Top 2 on the 2000–01 PGA Tour of Australasia money list, provided they are within the top 75 of the Official World Golf Rankings at that time Neither was inside the top 75.
17. Top 50 on the Official World Golf Rankings list, as of May 28Available for download at https://www.owgr.com/archive.
Sergio García Scott Hoch Toshimitsu Izawa Bernhard Langer Rocco Mediate Dennis Paulson Eduardo Romero Duffy Waldorf
Qualifiers Source: Location Venue Field Spots Qualifiers Tarzana, California El Caballero Country Club 76 4 Chris Anderson, Chris Gonzales, Thongchai Jaidee, Anthony Kang Denver, Colorado Columbine Country Club 29 2 Kyle Blackman, John Douma Tampa, Florida Old Memorial Golf Club 66 4 Jeff Barlow, Jason Dufner, Donnie Hammond, Gary Koch Atlanta, Georgia East Lake Golf Club 64 4 Billy Andrade, Joey Maxon, Bryce Molder (a), Charles Raulerson Chicago, Illinois Cantigny Golf Club 40 3 Jess Daley, John Harris (a), Marty Schiene Rockville, Maryland Woodmont Country Club 48 3 Ben Bates, Olin Browne, Joel Kribel Kansas City, Missouri Blue Hills Country Club 25 2 Matt Gogel, Tom Pernice Jr. Purchase, New York Old Oaks Country Club andCentury Country Club 81 5 Michael Allen, Scott Dunlap, George Frake II, Jim McGovern, Tim Petrovic Cleveland, Ohio Kirtland Country Club 22 2 Chad Campbell, Brad Klapprott Columbus, Ohio Lakes Golf and Country Club andDouble Eagle Golf Club 120 26 Fred Couples, Glen Day, Todd Fischer, Harrison Frazar, Jeff Freeman, Fred Funk, Robert Gamez, Stephen Gangluff, Dudley Hart, Tim Herron, Charles Howell III, Skip Kendall, Peter Lonard, Steve Lowery, John Maginnes, Gary Nicklaus, Carl Paulson, Brett Quigley, Jarmo Sandelin, Chris Smith, Mike Sposa, Steve Stricker, Kevin Sutherland, Esteban Toledo, Bob Tway, Dean Wilson Memphis, Tennessee Colonial Country Club 135 29 Briny Baird, Rich Beem, Ronnie Black, Jay Don Blake, Tom Byrum, Brandel Chamblee, K. J. Choi, Robert Damron, Bob Estes, Dan Forsman, Paul Goydos, Mathias Grönberg, Jeff Hart, Brian Henninger, Gabriel Hjertstedt, Mike Hulbert, Tripp Isenhour, Brandt Jobe, Kevin Johnson, Pete Jordan, J. L. Lewis, Jeff Maggert, Shaun Micheel, David Peoples, Dicky Pride, Mark Wiebe, Jay Williamson, Willie Wood, Richard Zokol Dallas, Texas Northwood Club 43 3 Clark Dennis, Jimmy Walker, Chris Wall Snoqualmie, Washington TPC Snoqualmie Ridge 21 2 Wes Heffernan, Scott Johnson
Round summaries
First round Thursday, June 14, 2001 Friday, June 15, 2001
Severe thunderstorms halted play Thursday afternoon with only 66 players completing their rounds. South Africa's Goosen completed an opening round of 66, four-under-par, to lead the way. Goosen resumed his unfinished round at three-under-par and raced to six-under, but bogeys at the 16th and 17th took the edge off his round. However, it was enough to earn him a one-stroke lead over three-time champion Hale Irwin and Canadian Mike Weir with tour journeyman J. L. Lewis one stroke further back. Irwin, age 56, won his last U.S. Open title in 1990; he capped his opening 67 (−3) with a birdie at the treacherous par-four 18th. Woods could only manage a first round of 74 (+4), eight shots off the lead. He bogeyed the ninth, before recording his first birdie of the round at the 15th. But even that could not spark a revival in his fortunes as he bogeyed the last.
PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 Retief Goosen66−4T2 Hale Irwin67−3 Mike Weir4 J. L. Lewis68−2T5 Stewart Cink69−1 Chris DiMarco Toshimitsu Izawa Jeff Maggert Loren RobertsT10 Ángel Cabrera70E Mark Calcavecchia José Cóceres David Duval Bob Estes Jim Furyk Sergio García Matt Gogel Phil Mickelson Corey Pavin Hal Sutton
Second round Friday, June 15, 2001 Saturday, June 16, 2001
The delay created by Thursday's thunderstorms meant 33 players could not finish the second round on Friday, and had to play Saturday morning. The cut line was 146 (+6) with 79 players making the cut. Brooks fired a 64 (−6) Friday to grab a share of the lead. Goosen, who led after the first round was completed Friday morning, and Lewis joined Brooks at 136 (−4). Sergio García and Stewart Cink were tied for fourth at two-under par. Phil Mickelson and David Duval, players who briefly flirted with the lead during Woods' run at the Masters in April, were knotted at 139 (−1) after each posted 69 on Friday. Woods shot a 71 for 145 (+5), one stroke ahead of the cut.
PlacePlayerScoreTo parT1 Mark Brooks 72-64=136 −4 Retief Goosen 66-70=136 J. L. Lewis 68-68=136T4 Stewart Cink69-69=138 −2 Sergio García 70-68=138T6 David Duval 70-69=139 −1 Rocco Mediate 71-68=139 Phil Mickelson 70-69=139 Matt Gogel70-69=13910 Jim Furyk 70-70=140 E
Amateurs: Molder (+6), Harris (+13), Quinney (+15).
Third round Saturday, June 16, 2001
Cink finished with a three-under 67 and a share of the third-round lead with Goosen. One of three leaders at the start of the day, Goosen parred each of the last nine holes despite a number of wayward shots down the stretch. The 32-year-old South African managed a 69 to push the leading total to 205 (−5). Brooks, a co-leader of Goosen's after a tournament-low 64 on Friday, shot even-par 70 to join Rocco Mediate and García in third place at 206 (−4). Mickelson, who ended the day three under, was the first big name to make a charge in the third round. Woods shot a 69 for 214 (+4), nine strokes back in tie for 23rd.
PlacePlayerScoreTo parT1 Stewart Cink 69-69-67=205 −5 Retief Goosen 66-70-69=205T3 Mark Brooks72-64-70=206−4 Sergio García70-68-68=206 Rocco Mediate71-68-67=2066 Phil Mickelson 70-69-68=207 −3T7 Paul Azinger 74-67-69=210 E David Duval 70-69-71=210T9 Jim Furyk 70-70-71=211 +1 Mike Weir 67-76-68=211
Final round Sunday, June 17, 2001
Goosen missed a par putt at the 72nd hole to fall back into a tie with Brooks, forcing an 18-hole playoff on Monday. Brooks was in the clubhouse when Goosen charged his birdie putt past the cup. Goosen, after watching his playing partner and co-leader Cink miss a putt for bogey, pushed his short par putt by the right edge of the cup. He then sank a short bogey putt to finish regulation alongside Brooks at four-under-par 276. When Goosen and Cink dialed it up to go to five-under, Brooks responded by two-putting for birdie at the par-five 13th. The lead was his after Cink drove into a creek for bogey at 13 and Goosen suffered his first three-putt of the championship at the 14th. Goosen, who stoically battled to hold on to a piece of the top spot all week, knocked his approach at the 15th to the back fringe and rolled in a 12-footer to return to minus-five with Brooks. Brooks' approach to 18 landed left of the right-side pin placement. His first putt was too hard and sped past the hole, and his par try stopped on the right edge. The bogey gave Brooks an even-par 70 and dropped him to four-under. Back at 17, Cink replaced Brooks as co-leader after a brilliant wedge approach over the flag landed past the pin before spinning back to two feet for birdie.
Two players who had been expected to make a charge in the final round - Mickelson and García - blew their chances with poor displays. The most eye-catching performances of the day came from Vijay Singh and Tom Kite, who both stormed to 64 (−6) - the best rounds of the week - and Olin Browne, who sank a hole-in-one at the 11th. Woods, winner of the previous four major championships, failed to make a charge on Sunday and saw his run come to an end. He turned in his second straight 69 to finish seven strokes back, tied for 12th at 283 (+3), snapping streaks of eight straight top-10s in majors and 40 consecutive events under par.
PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)T1 Retief Goosen 66-70-69-71=276 −4 Playoff Mark Brooks 72-64-70-70=2763 Stewart Cink 69-69-67-72=277 −3 340,3654 Rocco Mediate 71-68-67-72=278 −2 226,777T5 Paul Azinger 74-67-69-71=281 +1 172,912 Tom Kite 73-72-72-64=281T7 Ángel Cabrera 70-71-72-69=282 +2 125,172 Davis Love III 72-69-71-70=282 Phil Mickelson 70-69-68-75=282 Vijay Singh 74-70-74-64=282 Kirk Triplett 72-69-71-70=282 Amateurs: Molder (+8).
Scorecard Final round