Dustin Johnson 2020 US Open Pinehurst 271

Lore & Background

The first U.S. Open was played on October 4, 1895, on a nine-hole course at the Newport Country Club in Newport, Rhode Island. It was a 36-hole competition and was played in a single day. Ten professionals and one amateur entered. The winner was Horace Rawlins, a 21-year-old Englishman, who had arrived in the U.S. earlier that year to take up a position at the host club. He received $150 cash out of a prize fund of $335, plus a $50 gold medal; his club received the Open Championship Cup trophy, which was presented by the USGA.

Reader's Guide

U.S. Open play is characterized by tight scoring at or around par by the leaders, with the winner usually emerging at around even par. A U.S. Open course is seldom beaten severely, and there have been many over-par wins (in part because par is usually set at 70, except for the very longest courses). Normally, an Open course is quite long and will have a high cut of primary rough (termed 'Open rough' by the American press and fans); undulating greens; pinched fairways; and two or three holes that are short par fives under regular play would be used as long par fours during the tournament.

Did You Know?

• Since 1898, the competition has been 72 holes of stroke play (four rounds on an 18-hole course).
• The U.S. Open is staged by the United States Golf Association (USGA) in mid-June, scheduled to conclude on the third Sunday, Father's Day.
• As of 2026, the U.S. Open awards a $22.5 million purse, the largest of the four major championships.
• The U.S. Open is open to any professional, or to any amateur with a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 0.4.