| 1994 U.S. Open | |
A controversial ruling played a role in the 1994 U.S. Open, a tournament that ended in an 18-hole playoff that stretched to 20 holes.
Ernie Els held a two-stroke lead as the final round began, on the strength of a third-round 66. But he badly mis-hit his first tee shot of the final round, deep into trouble off the first fairway of Oakmont Country Club.
Still, it's important to note that the ruling did not win the tournament for Els. Els still bogied the hole, and it was the overnight leader's very first hole of the day.
Els wound up shooting 73 in the fourth round, while Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie both fired rounds of 70 to catch Els and force a Monday playoff.
Els started the playoff very shaky, too, with a bogey and then a triple-bogey. But while Montgomerie faded, Els and Roberts kept battling. Both recorded 74s, which led to sudden-death (Monty had a 78 and dropped out after 18 holes).
Els and Roberts continued on for two more holes, until Roberts bogied the 20th hole of the day and Els parred it for the victory. It was Els' first major championship victory - and also his first PGA Tour win.
Two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange finished one stroke out of the playoff after posting four straight rounds of even-par 70.
The 1994 U.S. Open was the last played by Arnold Palmer. Palmer hadn't played a U.S. Open since 1983 - the most recent time the U.S. Open visited Oakmont - but was granted a special exemption by the USGA because Oakmont was again the host course. Palmer grew up in Latrobe, Pa., and Oakmont was always a special place to Palmer. His very first U.S. Open in 1953 was also at Oakmont.
1994 U.S. Open Scores
Results from the 1994 U.S. Open golf tournament played at the par-71 Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa. (x-won playoff; a-amateur):
| x-Ernie Els | 69-71-66-73--279 | $320,000 |
| Colin Montgomerie | 71-65-73-70--279 | $141,827 |
| Loren Roberts | 76-69-64-70--279 | $141,827 |
| Curtis Strange | 70-70-70-70--280 | $75,728 |
| John Cook | 73-65-73-71--282 | $61,318 |
| Clark Dennis | 71-71-70-71--283 | $49,485 |
| Greg Norman | 71-71-69-72--283 | $49,485 |
| Tom Watson | 68-73-68-74--283 | $49,485 |
| Jeff Maggert | 71-68-75-70--284 | $37,179 |
| Frank Nobilo | 69-71-68-76--284 | $37,179 |
| Jeff Sluman | 72-69-72-71--284 | $37,179 |
| Duffy Waldorf | 74-68-73-69--284 | $37,179 |
| David Edwards | 73-65-75-72--285 | $29,767 |
| Scott Hoch | 72-72-70-71--285 | $29,767 |
| Jim McGovern | 73-69-74-69--285 | $29,767 |
| Fred Couples | 72-71-69-74--286 | $25,899 |
| Steve Lowery | 71-71-68-76--286 | $25,899 |
| Seve Ballesteros | 72-72-70-73--287 | $22,477 |
| Hale Irwin | 69-69-71-78--287 | $22,477 |
| Scott Verplank | 70-72-75-70--287 | $22,477 |
| Steve Pate | 74-66-71-77--288 | $19,464 |
| Sam Torrance | 72-71-76-69--288 | $19,464 |
| Bernhard Langer | 72-72-73-72--289 | $17,223 |
| Kirk Triplett | 70-71-71-77--289 | $17,223 |
| Chip Beck | 73-73-70-74--290 | $14,705 |
| Craig Parry | 78-68-71-73--290 | $14,705 |
| Mike Springer | 74-72-73-71--290 | $14,705 |
| Lennie Clements | 73-71-73-75--292 | $11,514 |
| Jim Furyk | 74-69-74-75--292 | $11,514 |
| Davis Love III | 74-72-74-72--292 | $11,514 |
| Jack Nicklaus | 69-70-77-76--292 | $11,514 |
| Jumbo Ozaki | 70-73-69-80--292 | $11,514 |
| Fulton Allem | 73-70-74-76--293 | $9,578 |
| Mark Carnevale | 75-72-76-70--293 | $9,578 |
| Ben Crenshaw | 71-74-70-78--293 | $9,578 |
| Brad Faxon | 73-69-71-80--293 | $9,578 |
| Tom Kite | 73-71-72-77--293 | $9,578 |
| Tom Lehman | 77-68-73-75--293 | $9,578 |
| Peter Baker | 73-73-73-75--294 | $8,005 |
| Bradley Hughes | 71-72-77-74--294 | $8,005 |
| Gordon J. Brand | 73-71-73-77--294 | $8,005 |
| Brandt Jobe | 72-74-68-80--294 | $8,005 |
| Fran Quinn | 75-72-73-75--295 | $7,222 |
| Fred Funk | 74-71-74-77--296 | $6,595 |
| Paul Goydos | 74-72-79-71--296 | $6,595 |
| Don Walsworth | 71-75-73-77--296 | $6,595 |
| David Berganio Jr. | 73-72-76-76--297 | $5,105 |
| Olin Browne | 74-73-77-73--297 | $5,105 |
| Tim Dunlavey | 76-70-78-73--297 | $5,105 |
| Mike Emery Jr. | 74-73-75-75--297 | $5,105 |
| Jim Gallagher Jr. | 74-68-77-78--297 | $5,105 |
| Barry Lane | 77-70-76-74--297 | $5,105 |
| Wayne Levi | 76-70-73-78--297 | $5,105 |
| Phil Mickelson | 75-70-73-79--297 | $5,105 |
| Tommy Armour III | 73-73-79-73--298 | $4,324 |
| Hugh Royer III | 72-71-77-78--298 | $4,324 |
| Scott Simpson | 74-73-73-78--298 | $4,324 |
| Steven Richardson | 74-73-76-76--299 | $4,105 |
| Fuzzy Zoeller | 76-70-76-77--299 | $4,105 |
| Doug Martin | 76-70-74-81--301 | $3,967 |
| Dave Rummells | 71-74-82-74--301 | $3,967 |
| Emlyn Aubrey | 72-69-81-80--302 | $3,800 |
| Ed Humenik | 74-72-81-75--302 | $3,800 |
| Mike Smith | 74-73-78-77--302 | $3,800 |
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