1973 U.S. Open (golf)

The 1973 U.S. Open was the 73rd U.S. Open, held June 14–17 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, a suburb northeast of Pittsburgh. In one of the finest performances in tournament history, Johnny Miller fired a record, 8-under-par 63 in the final round to win his first major championship, one stroke ahead of runner-up John Schlee.

Jack Nicklaus, the winner at Oakmont eleven years earlier, was the favorite entering the championship. Daily admission on the weekend was ten dollars.

Course layout
Source:

Lengths of the course for previous major championships:


 * 6894 yd, par 71 - 1962 U.S. Open
 * 6916 yd, par 72 - 1953 U.S. Open
 * 6882 yd, par 72 - 1951 PGA Championship

Before 1962, the first hole was played as a par 5.
 * 6981 yd, par 72 - 1935 U.S. Open
 * 6965 yd, par 72 - 1927 U.S. Open
 * 6707 yd, par 74 - 1922 PGA Championship

First round
Thursday, June 14, 1973

Underweight from recent surgeries, 1965 champion Gary Player shot 67 to lead by three strokes. Source:

Second round
Friday, June 15, 1973

Player shot 70 for 137 to lead by one at the midway point. Source:

Third round
Saturday, June 16, 1973 Source:

Final round
Sunday, June 17, 1973

Four players shared the 54-hole lead: Schlee, Jerry Heard, 1963 champion Julius Boros, and 1960 winner Arnold Palmer. After a 76 (+5) on Saturday, Miller started the final round six strokes back, in a four-way tie for 13th place at three strokes over par, and few gave him any chance of winning. Miller birdied the first four holes, but after a bogey at the eighth, it certainly did not appear like he was on the brink of the greatest round in U.S. Open history.

But he then birdied four of the next five holes, and after a par at 14 he was tied for the lead with Palmer, Boros, and Tom Weiskopf. At the 15th hole, Miller hit his approach to 10 ft and converted for birdie to take solo possession of the lead. After lipping out a 20 ft birdie putt at 18 (for a 62), Miller carded the first round of 63 in major championship history. Finishing over an hour ahead of the last pairing, Miller then waited to see if anyone would match him. Palmer fell out of contention with three consecutive bogeys to finish in a tie for fourth. Boros and Heard both shot 73 and finished in a tie for seventh. Despite John Schlee taking a double-bogey on the 1st hole of the final round by the time he got to the 18th Tee he was only player left on the course with a chance to tie Miller. After finding the fairway, Schlee's second shot into 18 went just over the green and he was left having to hole a 45-foot chip for birdie. Schlee's chip to tie stopped a foot short and he finished 2nd alone at 4-under par 280.

In shooting 63, Miller hit all 18 greens in regulation and needed 29 putts. Ten of his approach shots wound up within 15 ft, while five were within 6 ft. His score was even more remarkable given that only three other players managed to even break 70 on the day.

Source:
 * Amateurs: Vinny Giles (+6), Gary Koch (+18)

Scorecard
Final round Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par
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Source:
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 * Eagle
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 * Birdie
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 * Bogey
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 * Double bogey
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Miller's final round
Johnny Miller's 63: club selection and results - June 17, 1973 Source:

Video

 * You Tube - Miller on 72nd hole - USGA (ABC broadcast)