1990 U.S. Open (golf)


The 1990 U.S. Open was the 90th U.S. Open, held June 14–18 at Course No. 3 of Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois, a suburb northwest of Chicago. Hale Irwin became the oldest U.S. Open champion by defeating Mike Donald at the 91st hole, the first in sudden-death, after the two tied in the 18-hole Monday It was Irwin's third U.S. Open title, with previous wins in 1974 and 1979. Implemented decades earlier, it was the first use of sudden-death in the U.S. Open; the last tie in a playoff was in 1946. Sudden death was needed again in 1994 and 2008.
It was the third U.S. Open at Medinah, which previously hosted in 1949 and 1975. It later hosted the PGA Championship in 1999 and 2006, and the Ryder Cup in 2012.
Irwin was without a PGA Tour win in five years and 11 years removed from his last U.S. Open victory in 1979; he received a special exemption from the USGA to enter the tournament. Irwin began the final round in a tie for 20th place, four strokes back of leaders Billy Ray Brown and Donald. Playing well ahead of the leaders, Irwin fired a round of 67, which included a birdie putt at the 72nd hole. After the putt dropped, he provided the championship with its enduring image as he took a "victory lap" around the green, high-fiving spectators. Irwin, however, had not won the championship yet as there were still golfers on the course with a chance to overtake him. Donald made par saves from on the 12th and from on the 14th before making bogey at the 16th. A two-putt par on the last tied him with Irwin, forcing an 18-hole Monday playoff. Brown and Nick Faldo finished a stroke out of the playoff in a tie for third place.
In the playoff, Donald took a two-shot lead to the 16th tee. Needing a birdie, Irwin responded with a brilliant 2-iron approach and sank the putt to get within one. After both players parred the 17th, Irwin made par at the last, giving Donald a chance to win the championship. His par putt, however, narrowly slid by, implementing sudden-death for the first time in U.S. Open history. Irwin needed just one more hole, recording a birdie at the par-4 1st to win the championship.
At, Irwin became the oldest winner of the U.S. Open, surpassing the record set in 1986 by Raymond Floyd by fifteen months. The oldest winner of a major is Julius Boros, 48 at the PGA Championship in 1968.
Curtis Strange attempted to win his third consecutive U.S. Open; he began the final round just two off the lead, but a final round 75 dropped him back to 21st place. Amateurs Phil Mickelson and David Duval made their major championship debuts, finishing in 29th and 56th place, respectively.
Scoring conditions were ideal throughout the week, with a record 39 under-par rounds in the first round and 47 in the second. A total of 28 players finished the tournament under-par, a new U.S. Open record.

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

Missed the cut

Source:

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 14, 1990
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Scott Simpson66−6
T1Tim Simpson66−6
T1Jeff Sluman66−6
T4Mike Donald67−5
T4Steve Jones67−5
T6Mark Brooks68−4
T6John Huston68−4
T8Emlyn Aubrey69−3
T8Billy Ray Brown69−3
T8Hale Irwin69−3
T8Bob Tway69−3

Second round

Friday, June 15, 1990
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Tim Simpson66-69=135−9
2Jeff Sluman66-70=136−8
3Mike Donald67-70=137−7
4Mark Brooks68-70=138−6
T5Hale Irwin69-70=139−5
T5Scott Simpson66-73=139−5
T7Billy Ray Brown69-71=140−4
T7Jim Gallagher, Jr.71-69=140−4
T7John Huston68-72=140−4
T7Ian Woosnam70-70=140−4

Amateurs: Duval, Mickelson .

Third round

Saturday, June 16, 1990
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Billy Ray Brown69-71-69=209−7
T1Mike Donald67-70-72=209−7
T3Mark Brooks68-70-72=210−6
T3Larry Nelson74-67-69=210−6
T3Tim Simpson66-69-75=210−6
T3Jeff Sluman66-70-74=210−6
T7Larry Mize72-70-69=211−5
T7José María Olazábal73-69-69=211−5
T7Craig Parry72-71-68=211−5
T7Mike Reid70-73-68=211−5
T7Curtis Strange73-70-68=211−5
T7Fuzzy Zoeller73-70-68=211−5

Final round

Sunday, June 17, 1990
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney
T1Hale Irwin69-70-74-67=280−8Playoff
T1Mike Donald67-70-72-71=280−8Playoff
T3Billy Ray Brown69-71-69-72=281−756,878
T3Nick Faldo72-72-68-69=281−756,878
T5Mark Brooks68-70-72-73=283−533,271
T5Greg Norman72-73-69-69=283−533,271
T5Tim Simpson66-69-75-73=283−533,271
T8Scott Hoch70-73-69-72=284−422,236
T8Steve Jones67-76-74-67=284−422,236
T8José María Olazábal73-69-69-73=284−422,236
T8Tom Sieckmann70-74-68-72=284−422,236
T8Craig Stadler71-70-72-71=284−422,236
T8Fuzzy Zoeller73-70-68-73=284−422,236

Amateurs: Phil Mickelson, David Duval.

Scorecard

Final round
Hole123456789101112131415161718
Par434454534544354434
Irwin−3−2−2−2−2−2−3−3−3−3−4−5−6−7−7−7−7−8
Donald−8−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−8−8−8
Brown−7−7−7−7−8−8−6−7−6−6−7−7−7−7−7−6−7−7
Faldo−5−5−5−5−6−6−6−6−6−6−7−7−7−8−8−7−7−7
Brooks−6−6−5−5−5−4−4−4−5−5−5−6−5−5−4−4−5−5
Norman−2−2−2−2−3−4−4−5−5−6−6−6−7−6−6−6−5−5
Simpson−6−6−6−6−6−5−5−5−6−6−6−6−5−5−5−5−5−5
Nelson−6−6−6−4−5−3−3−2−2−2−3−3−2−1−1−2−3−3
Sluman−6−6−6−5−4−4−4−4−4−3−4−4−4−4−3−3−3−3

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par
BirdieBogeyDouble bogey

Source:

Playoff

Monday, June 18, 1990
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parSudden
death		Money
1Hale Irwin74+23220,000
2Mike Donald74+2x110,000

Source: