The 1996 U.S. Open was the 96th U.S. Open, held June 13–16 at Oakland Hills Country Club in Birmingham, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit. Steve Jones won his only major title, one stroke ahead of runners-up Tom Lehman and Davis Love III.

Jones went through an incredible journey just to get to Oakland Hills. He had won four PGA Tour events, the last in 1989, but in November 1991 he was involved in a dirt bike accident that threatened to end his career. He separated his shoulder and sprained an ankle, as well as suffering ligament damage in his left ring finger. Jones was sidelined for three years, not making it back on tour until 1994. His win here came in his first U.S. Open since 1991, and he was the first champion to go through sectional qualifying since tour rookie Jerry Pate in 1976. After this win, Jones won three additional events on tour.

This was the eighth major championship at the South Course, which previously hosted the U.S. Open in 1924, 1937, 1951, 1961, and 1985, and the PGA Championship in 1972 and 1979. It later hosted the PGA Championship in 2008.

It was Lehman's third close call in a major (1994 Masters, 1995 U.S. Open); he regrouped and won the next, The Open Championship in England. Love won the PGA Championship the following year at Winged Foot.

Course layout

South Course Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal Yards4335231944304553564054402203,4564503995601704714004032004653,5186,974Par453444443354453444343570 Lengths of the course for previous majors: , par 70 - 1985 U.S. Open , par 70 - 1979 PGA Championship , par 70 - 1972 PGA Championship , par 70 - 1961 U.S. Open , par 70 - 1951 U.S. Open , par 72 - 1937 U.S. Open , par 72 - 1924 U.S. Open

Round summaries First round Thursday, June 13, 1996

Woody Austin, playing in his first U.S. Open, and Payne Stewart each shot a 3-under-par 67 for a 1-stroke lead over Lee Janzen and John Morse. Frank Nobilo, Philip Walton and Paul Azinger were among the group at 1-under 69 as well as two club professionals, Bob Ford and Gary Trivisonno.

20-year-old amateur Tiger Woods was 3-under thru his first 13 holes and held a share of the lead, but would play the last five holes at 9-over-par for a first round 76.

PlacePlayerScoreTo parT1 Woody Austin67−3 Payne StewartT3 Lee Janzen68−2 John MorseT5 Paul Azinger69−1 David Berganio Jr. Stewart Cink Bob Ford Frank Nobilo Masashi Ozaki Philip Walton Gary Trivisonno

Second round Friday, June 14, 1996

Payne Stewart shot a second round 71 to hold sole possession of the lead. Greg Norman moved up into a tie for 2nd after shooting a 66. There were only four golfers with sub-par scores through 36 holes after 12 players broke par on Thursday. A total of 108 players in the field of 156 made the cut, a U.S. Open record. The previous record was 88 at Baltusrol in 1993.

PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 Payne Stewart67-71=138−2T2 Woody Austin67-72=139−1 Ernie Els72-67=139 Greg Norman73-66=139T5 Ken Green73-67=140E Steve Jones74-66=140 Davis Love III71-69=140 Frank Nobilo69-71=140 Sam Torrance71-69=140T10 Billy Andrade72-69=141+1 David Berganio Jr.69-72=141 John Cook70-71=141 John Daly72-69=141 Jim Furyk72-69=141 Neal Lancaster74-67=141 Masashi Ozaki69-72=141 Scott Simpson70-71=141 Tom Watson70-71=141

Amateurs: Scott (+4), Woods (+5), Kuehne (+8), Leen (+8), Hobby (+10), Edstrom (+14).

Third round Saturday, June 15, 1996 PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 Tom Lehman71-72-65=208−22 Steve Jones74-66-69=209−1T3 Davis Love III71-69-70=210E John Morse68-74-68=210 Frank Nobilo69-71-70=210T6 Woody Austin67-72-72=211+1 Ernie Els72-67-72=211 Jim Furyk72-69-70=211 Colin Montgomerie70-72-69=211 Sam Torrance71-69-71=211

Final round Sunday, June 16, 1996

In the final pairing, Tom Lehman had a three-stroke lead over Steve Jones after eight holes, but bogeyed 10 and 12 and Jones led by two strokes with six holes remaining. Tied at the 18th tee, Lehman drove into a bunker and missed a putt to save par. Davis Love III made a charge, recording birdies at 11, 12, and 15; he bogeyed the final two holes, missing a 3-footer (0.9 m) for par at the last. John Morse came to the 18th tee 1-under needing birdie to tie Jones and Lehman for the lead; he hit the green in two on the par-4 finishing hole, but 3-putted from 30 feet to finish at even par for the tournament and end up alone in fourth place. Unlike Love, Morse and Lehman, Jones did not bogey the last; he hit his approach to and two-putted for par to prevail by one.

PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)1 Steve Jones 74-66-69-69=278 −2 425,000T2 Tom Lehman 71-72-65-71=279 −1 204,801 Davis Love III 71-69-70-69=2794 John Morse 68-74-68-70=280 E 111,235T5 Ernie Els 72-67-72-70=281 +1 84,965 Jim Furyk 72-69-70-70=281T7 Ken Green 73-67-72-70=282 +2 66,295 Scott Hoch 73-71-71-67=282 Vijay Singh 71-72-70-69=282T10 Lee Janzen 68-75-71-69=283 +3 52,591 Colin Montgomerie 70-72-69-72=283 Greg Norman 73-66-74-70=283 Amateurs: Leen (+11), Kuehne (+13), Woods (+14), Scott (+21)

Scorecard Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718Par453444443 445344434 Jones−1−1−1−1−1−1−1−1−2−3−3−4−3−3−3−3−2−2 Lehman−1−2−2−2−2−3−4−4−4−3−3−2−2−2−2−2−2−1 LoveE−1−1EEEE−1−1E−1−2−2−2−3−3−2−1 Morse E E E E E −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −2 −1 −1 −2 −1 −1 E Els +1 +1 +1 +1 +2 +1 E +1 +2 +2 +3 +2 +2 +3 +2 +2 +1 +1 Furyk +1 E E E E E +1 +2 +2 +2 +1 E E E E −1 E +1 Nobilo −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −2 −2 −2 −1 −1 −1 E +2 +3 +3 +4 Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par BirdieBogeyDouble Bogey Source:

References

External links USGA Championship Database