| 1976 U.S. Open | |
Jerry Pate, just 22 years old, won the 1976 U.S. Open at the beginning of what appeared to be a career of unlimited potential.
It was John Mahaffey who made noise early, however, taking the lead after a second-round 68. Mahaffey added a 69 in the third round, and led by two strokes over Pate, with Al Geiberger three behind and Tom Weiskopf four back.
When Pate and Mahaffey reached the 72nd hole, they were the last golfers on the course, and Pate led Mahaffey, Geiberger (who shot 69) and Weiskopf (who carded 68) by one stroke each.
The par-4 final hole at Atlanta Athletic Club required a carry over a lake that fronted the green. Mahaffey hit his approach into that lake, ending his hopes. But Pate, playing from the rough, hit a 5-iron to two feet from cup. Pate sank the birdie putt to win the championship by two strokes over Geiberger and Weiskopf. Mahaffey finished tied for fourth.
Pate won the U.S. Amateur Championship in 1974, was low amateur at the 1975 U.S. Open, and then won the 1976 U.S. Open - a steep career path. The first win of his pro career was this one, and the last of his eight PGA Tour victories was at the 1982 Players Championship - the first one played at TPC Sawgrass. Shoulder injuries limited his winning ways to a short timespan, but Pate managed to get a couple big wins in while healthy.
Pate had two runner-up finishes at later majors, the 1978 PGA Championship and the 1979 U.S. Open.
This tournament marks the first appearance in any major for future U.S. Open and Masters champion Fuzzy Zoeller, who finished tied for 38th.
1976 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Scores
Results from the 1976 U.S. Open golf tournament played on the par-70 Highlands Course of Atlanta Athletic Club in Duluth, Georgia (a-amateur):
| Jerry Pate | 71-69-69-68--277 | $42,000 |
| Al Geiberger | 70-69-71-69--279 | $18,000 |
| Tom Weiskopf | 73-70-68-68--279 | $18,000 |
| Butch Baird | 71-71-71-67--280 | $11,250 |
| John Mahaffey | 70-68-69-73--280 | $11,250 |
| Hubert Green | 72-70-71-69--282 | $9,500 |
| Tom Watson | 74-72-68-70--284 | $8,500 |
| Lyn Lott | 71-71-70-73--285 | $7,000 |
| Ben Crenshaw | 72-68-72-73--285 | $7,000 |
| Johnny Miller | 74-72-69-71--286 | $5,500 |
| Rod Funseth | 70-70-72-75--287 | $4,000 |
| Jack Nicklaus | 74-70-75-68--287 | $4,000 |
| Raymond Floyd | 70-75-71-72--288 | $3,000 |
| Andy North | 74-72-69-74--289 | $2,310 |
| Mark Hayes | 74-74-70-71--289 | $2,310 |
| Don January | 71-74-69-75--289 | $2,310 |
| J.C. Snead | 73-69-71-76--289 | $2,310 |
| Mike Morley | 71-71-70-77--289 | $2,310 |
| Danny Edwards | 73-75-70-72--290 | $1,875 |
| Randy Glover | 72-74-76-68--290 | $1,875 |
| Dave Eichelberger | 73-70-74-74--291 | $1,775 |
| Larry Nelson | 75-74-70-72--291 | $1,775 |
| Joe Inman | 75-73-74-70--292 | $1,650 |
| Calvin Peete | 76-69-74-73--292 | $1,650 |
| Gary Player | 72-77-73-70--292 | $1,650 |
| Tom Jenkins | 72-74-75-72--293 | $1,540 |
| Hale Irwin | 75-72-75-71--293 | $1,540 |
| Wayne Levi | 74-73-74-73--294 | $1,412 |
| Bob E. Smith | 72-75-74-73--294 | $1,412 |
| Lou Graham | 75-74-72-73--294 | $1,412 |
| Barry Jaeckel | 74-77-69-74--294 | $1,412 |
| Grier Jones | 76-69-71-78--294 | $1,412 |
| Terry Diehl | 71-72-76-76--295 | $1,330 |
| Rik Massengale | 70-78-70-77--295 | $1,330 |
| Victor Regalado | 75-76-71-74--296 | $1,280 |
| Bobby Wadkins | 76-72-72-76--296 | $1,280 |
| Lee Elder | 72-75-78-71--296 | $1,280 |
| Charles Coody | 75-76-70-76--297 | $1,200 |
| Fuzzy Zoeller | 72-75-73-77--297 | $1,200 |
| John Gentile | 77-74-73-73--297 | $1,200 |
| Lon Hinkle | 75-74-70-78--297 | $1,200 |
| Miller Barber | 76-72-79-70--297 | $1,200 |
| Mike Shea | 72-73-72-80--297 | $1,200 |
| Kermit Zarley | 75-73-75-75--298 | $1,150 |
| Tom Purtzer | 73-75-73-77--298 | $1,150 |
| Tim Collins | 73-76-72-77--298 | $1,150 |
| Tommy Aaron | 75-73-76-75--299 | $1,120 |
| Bruce Lietzke | 76-73-77-73--299 | $1,120 |
| Eddie Pearce | 80-71-76-72--299 | $1,120 |
| Arnold Palmer | 75-75-75-75--300 | $1,090 |
| Carlton White | 75-75-75-75--300 | $1,090 |
| Gene Littler | 76-75-71-78--300 | $1,090 |
| a-John Fought | 79-72-72-77--300 | |
| a-Mike Reid | 67-81-80-72--300 | |
| Joey Dills | 77-73-74-77--301 | $1,060 |
| Jim Colbert | 74-76-73-78--301 | $1,060 |
| Peter Oosterhuis | 73-75-74-79--301 | $1,060 |
| Bob Gilder | 75-74-75-78--302 | $1,035 |
| John Jacobs | 75-75-74-78--302 | $1,035 |
| George Cadle | 79-71-77-76--303 | $1,015 |
| Bruce Devlin | 75-73-81-74--303 | $1,015 |
| a-Martin West | 73-73-80-79--305 | |
| a-Bruce Douglass | 73-76-75-81--305 | |
| Bobby Stroble | 77-70-82-76--305 | $1,000 |
| Gene Borek | 74-74-76-83--307 | $1,000 |
| Jim Ferree | 76-73-80-82--311 | $1,000 |
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