| 1955 U.S. Open | |
The 1955 U.S. Open is the year that David slew Goliath - little-known Jack Fleck defeated Ben Hogan in a playoff for the championship.
It was also a tournament with a significant last and a significant first. The last: Byron Nelson played in a U.S. Open for the final time. The first: Arnold Palmer made the cut in a U.S. Open for the first time.
Fleck and Hogan pulled away from the field in the final round, moving five strokes clear of runners-up Tommy Bolt and Sam Snead. But Hogan finished well before Fleck did, and most everyone assumed Hogan would win in regulation.
When Hogan - trying to win a record fifth U.S. Open - posted his 287 total, Fleck was only on the 14th hole, and only a stroke behind. After a bogey to drop two behind, Fleck birdied the 16th, parred the 17th and birdied the last hole to tie Hogan and force the 18-hole playoff.
At the time, Fleck had never won on the PGA Tour, or any other significant professional tournament. Surely he couldn't stand up to Hogan in a head-to-head playoff. Except that he did, beating Hogan 69 to 72. Fleck led by one as they reached the 18th hole of the playoff, but Hogan hit a terrible drive after slipping during his swing and double-bogied the hole. Fleck was the winner. It is considered one of the biggest surprise wins in golf history.
Fleck went on to win two PGA Tour titles, and many years later won the 1979 Senior PGA Championship. Hogan never did achieve a fifth U.S. Open victory, although he came close a couple more times, and won only one more PGA Tour event after this.
1955 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Scores
Results from the 1955 U.S. Open golf tournament played at the par-70 Olympic Club (Lake Course) in San Francisco, California (x-won playoff; a-amateur):
| x-Jack Fleck | 76-69-75-67--287 | $6,000 |
| Ben Hogan | 72-73-72-70--287 | $4,000 |
| Tommy Bolt | 67-77-75-73--292 | $1,500 |
| Sam Snead | 79-69-70-74--292 | $1,500 |
| Julius Boros | 76-69-73-77--295 | $870 |
| Bob Rosburg | 78-74-67-76--295 | $870 |
| Doug Ford | 74-77-74-71--296 | $540 |
| Bud Holscher | 77-75-71-73--296 | $540 |
| a-Harvie Ward | 74-70-76-76--296 | |
| Jack Burke Jr. | 71-77-72-77--297 | $390 |
| Mike Souchak | 73-79-72-73--297 | $390 |
| Shelley Mayfield | 75-76-75-72--298 | $226 |
| Frank Stanahan | 80-71-76-71--298 | $226 |
| Walker Inman | 70-75-76-78--299 | $226 |
| Gene Littler | 76-73-73-78--300 | $226 |
| Al Mengert | 76-76-72-77--301 | $226 |
| Smiley Quick | 76-74-74-77--301 | $226 |
| Art Wall | 77-78-72-74--301 | $226 |
| Fred Hawkins | 73-78-75-76--302 | $226 |
| George Schnieter | 78-74-77-73--302 | $226 |
| Bob Harris | 77-71-78-77--303 | $226 |
| Cary Middlecoff | 76-78-74-75--303 | $226 |
| Arnold Palmer | 77-76-74-76--303 | $226 |
| Ernie Vossler | 77-76-76-74--303 | $226 |
| Marty Furgol | 76-77-78-73--304 | $180 |
| Leland Gibson | 76-78-76-74--304 | $180 |
| Billy Maxwell | 77-74-75-79--305 | $180 |
| Art Bell | 74-76-81-75--306 | $180 |
| Max Evans | 77-73-76-80--306 | $180 |
| Dow Finsterwald | 84-71-74-77--306 | $180 |
| Eric Monti | 76-76-78-76--306 | $180 |
| Byron Nelson | 77-74-80-75--306 | $180 |
| Charles Rotar | 76-75-80-75--306 | $180 |
| Errie Ball | 81-74-78-74--307 | $180 |
| Pete Cooper | 75-77-81-74--307 | $180 |
| Fred Haas | 75-76-79-77--307 | $180 |
| Chick Harbert | 77-75-80-75--307 | $180 |
| Johnny Palmer | 80-74-75-78--307 | $180 |
| Bud Ward | 76-76-80-77--309 | $180 |
| Zell Eaton | 81-74-78-77--310 | $180 |
| Babe Lichardus | 73-80-81-76--310 | $180 |
| Skee Riegel | 75-79-78-78--310 | $180 |
| Frank Harned | 78-77-80-76--311 | $180 |
| Ted Neist | 79-75-76-81--311 | $180 |
| Ed Furgol | 76-79-80-77--312 | $180 |
| Charles Scally | 77-76-79-80--312 | $180 |
| Ralph Blomquist | 79-76-79-79--313 | $180 |
| Dave Douglas | 79-75-76-83--313 | $180 |
| Ralph Evans | 76-78-78-81--313 | $180 |
| Elmer Reed | 74-79-81-79--313 | $180 |
| Bo Wininger | 75-79-75-84--313 | $180 |
| Al Zimmerman | 78-74-85-77--314 | $180 |
| Jerry Kesselring | 79-76-79-81--315 | $180 |
| George Puetz | 78-77-79-81--315 | $180 |
| Jimmy Ukauka | 76-76-82-81--315 | $180 |
| George Keyes | 80-75-79-82--316 | $180 |
| a-William Thornton | 79-75-82-81--317 | |
| Fred Annon | 75-78-85-82--320 | $180 |
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