| 1961 U.S. Open | |
Gene Littler fired a final-round 68 to overtake Doug Sanders and Bob Goalby and win the 1961 U.S. Open by one stroke.
Littler began the final round three strokes off Sanders' lead. But a balky putter plagued Sanders, and Littler caught him on the 11th hole. Two holes later, Littler had a two-stroke lead. Goalby, meanwhile, was playing steadily in a group ahead of both Littler and Sanders, and posted 282.
The long-hitting amateur Jack Nicklaus finished tied for fourth with Mike Souchak. It was Nicklaus' second straight Top 4 finish as an amateur; the next year, Nicklaus turned pro and won the 1962 U.S. Open. Souchak never won a major, but his Top 4 finish here was his third straight such finish in a U.S. Open.
Sanders also never won a major, although he came close several more times including a playoff loss to Nicklaus at the 1970 British Open.
His win here proved to be Littler's only major championship among his 29 career PGA Tour wins. Littler later lost playoffs at the 1970 Masters and the 1977 PGA Championship.
Ben Hogan finished tied for 14th. Not counting two years in which he withdrew with illnesses, this was the first time since 1940 Hogan failed to finish in the Top 10 in a U.S. Open in which he played. He played 15 times during that span. Hogan skipped the tournament the following four years before returning for his final two appearances in 1966-67.
1961 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Scores
Results from the 1961 U.S. Open golf tournament played on the par-70 South Course of Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan (a-amateur):
| Gene Littler | 73-68-72-68--281 | $14,000 |
| Bob Goalby | 70-72-69-71--282 | $6,000 |
| Doug Sanders | 72-67-71-72--282 | $6,000 |
| a-Jack Nicklaus | 75-69-70-70--284 | |
| Mike Souchak | 73-70-68-73--284 | $4,000 |
| Dow Finsterwald | 72-71-71-72--286 | $2,616 |
| Doug Ford | 72-69-71-74--286 | $2,616 |
| Eric Monti | 74-67-72-73--286 | $2,616 |
| Jacky Cupit | 72-72-67-76--287 | $1,750 |
| Gardner Dickinson | 72-69-71-75--287 | $1,750 |
| Gary Player | 75-72-69-71--287 | $1,750 |
| a-Deane Beman | 74-72-72-70--288 | |
| Al Geiberger | 71-70-73-74--288 | $1,250 |
| Dave Douglas | 72-72-75-70--289 | $900 |
| Ben Hogan | 71-72-73-73--289 | $900 |
| Arnold Palmer | 74-75-70-70--289 | $900 |
| Billy Casper | 74-71-73-72--290 | $625 |
| Dutch Harrison | 74-71-76-69--290 | $625 |
| Kel Nagle | 71-71-74-74--290 | $625 |
| Sam Snead | 73-70-74-73--290 | $625 |
| Bob Rosburg | 72-67-74-78--291 | $500 |
| Tommy Bolt | 70-73-73-76--292 | $410 |
| Bob Brue | 69-72-73-78--292 | $410 |
| Bruce Crampton | 71-71-74-76--292 | $410 |
| Jim Ferrier | 74-72-71-75--292 | $410 |
| Billy Maxwell | 73-74-72-73--292 | $410 |
| Jack Fleck | 73-71-79-70--293 | $375 |
| Ted Kroll | 78-69-73-73--293 | $375 |
| a-Edward Brantly | 75-70-72-77--294 | |
| Chick Harbert | 75-71-69-79--294 | $350 |
| Robert Harrison | 79-70-71-74--294 | $350 |
| Milon Marusic | 75-74-71-74--294 | $350 |
| Jerry Steelsmith | 74-74-72-74--294 | $350 |
| Jerry Barber | 75-72-76-72--295 | $325 |
| Gene Coghill | 76-73-74-72--295 | $325 |
| Bob Harris | 75-67-78-75--295 | $325 |
| Herman Scharlau | 75-69-73-78--295 | $325 |
| Jim Ferree | 73-72-78-73--296 | $312 |
| Marty Furgol | 71-73-76-76--296 | $312 |
| Wes Ellis | 74-72-74-77--297 | $300 |
| Joe Taylor | 76-71-74-76--297 | $300 |
| Billy Farrell | 76-71-77-74--298 | $300 |
| a-Bill Hyndman | 73-75-73-77--298 | |
| Dick Mayer | 75-73-75-75--298 | $300 |
| Doug Higgins | 76-73-75-75--299 | $275 |
| Mason Rudolph | 78-70-72-79--299 | $275 |
| Robert Shave Jr. | 73-75-74-77--299 | $275 |
| Frank Stranahan | 73-76-76-74--299 | $275 |
| Jay Hebert | 77-71-77-75--300 | $275 |
| a-Edward Meister Jr. | 78-71-75-76--300 | |
| Rex Baxter | 71-78-75-77--301 | $250 |
| Bob Bruno | 78-71-77-75--301 | $250 |
| Dave Hill | 76-71-75-79--301 | $250 |
| Jackson Bradley | 75-73-78-76--302 | $250 |
| Paul Harney | 71-77-75-81--304 | $250 |
| Charles Malchaski | 76-73-77-78--304 | $250 |
| Jack Lumpkin | 73-76-81-79--309 | $250 |
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