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 playoff.[1][2] It was Irwin's third U.S. Open title, with previous wins in 1974 and 1979.[3] 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.

1990 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesJune 14–18, 1990
LocationMedinah, Illinois
41.966°N 88.048°W / 41.966; -88.048
Course(s)Medinah Country Club,
Course No. 3
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par72
Length7,185 yards (6,570 m)
Field156 players, 68 after cut
Cut145 (+1)
Prize fund$1,200,000
Winner's share$220,000
Champion
United States Hale Irwin
280 (−8), playoff
Location Map
Medinah is located in the United States
Medinah
Medinah
Location in the United States
Medinah is located in Illinois
Medinah
Medinah
Location in Illinois

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 45-foot (14 m) 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.[4] 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 35 feet (11 m) on the 12th and from 15 feet (5 m) 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. (Previous playoff ties went on to play additional full rounds, the last of which was in 1946.) Irwin needed just one more hole, recording a birdie at the par-4 1st to win the championship.

At 45 years and 15 days, Irwin became the oldest winner of the U.S. Open, surpassing the record set in 1986 by Raymond Floyd by 15 months. The oldest winner of a major is Phil Mickelson, 50 at the 2021 PGA Championship.

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.

Course layout
Main article: Medinah Country Club
Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards3851804124345264455811904263,5825774024621995453844261684403,6037,185
Par434454534365443544343672

Source:[5]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 14, 1990

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
T1United States Scott Simpson66−6
United States Tim Simpson
United States Jeff Sluman
T4United States Mike Donald67−5
United States Steve Jones
T6United States Mark Brooks68−4
United States John Huston
T8United States Emlyn Aubrey69−3
United States Billy Ray Brown
United States Hale Irwin
United States Bob Tway

Second round

Friday, June 15, 1990

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Tim Simpson66-69=135−9
2United States Jeff Sluman66-70=136−8
3United States Mike Donald67-70=137−7
4United States Mark Brooks68-70=138−6
T5United States Hale Irwin69-70=139−5
United States Scott Simpson66-73=139
T7United States Billy Ray Brown69-71=140−4
United States Jim Gallagher Jr.71-69=140
United States John Huston68-72=140
Wales Ian Woosnam70-70=140

Amateurs: Duval (E), Mickelson (+1).

Third round

Saturday, June 16, 1990

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
T1United States Billy Ray Brown69-71-69=209−7
United States Mike Donald67-70-72=209
T3United States Mark Brooks68-70-72=210−6
United States Larry Nelson74-67-69=210
United States Tim Simpson66-69-75=210
United States Jeff Sluman66-70-74=210
T7United States Larry Mize72-70-69=211−5
Spain José María Olazábal73-69-69=211
Australia Craig Parry72-71-68=211
United States Mike Reid70-73-68=211
United States Curtis Strange73-70-68=211
United States Fuzzy Zoeller73-70-68=211

Final round

Sunday, June 17, 1990

PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)
T1United States Hale Irwin69-70-74-67=280−8Playoff
United States Mike Donald67-70-72-71=280
T3United States Billy Ray Brown69-71-69-72=281−756,878
England Nick Faldo72-72-68-69=281
T5United States Mark Brooks68-70-72-73=283−533,271
Australia Greg Norman72-73-69-69=283
United States Tim Simpson66-69-75-73=283
T8United States Scott Hoch70-73-69-72=284−422,236
United States Steve Jones67-76-74-67=284
Spain José María Olazábal73-69-69-73=284
United States Tom Sieckmann70-74-68-72=284
United States Craig Stadler71-70-72-71=284
United States Fuzzy Zoeller73-70-68-73=284

Amateurs: Phil Mickelson (E), David Duval (+5).

Scorecard

Final round

Hole123456789101112131415161718
Par434454534544354434
United States Irwin−3−2−2−2−2−2−3−3−3−3−4−5−6−7−7−7−7−8
United States Donald−8−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−8−8−8
United States Brown−7−7−7−7−8−8−6−7−6−6−7−7−7−7−7−6−7−7
England Faldo−5−5−5−5−6−6−6−6−6−6−7−7−7−8−8−7−7−7
United States Brooks−6−6−5−5−5−4−4−4−5−5−5−6−5−5−4−4−5−5
Australia Norman−2−2−2−2−3−4−4−5−5−6−6−6−7−6−6−6−5−5
United States Simpson−6−6−6−6−6−5−5−5−6−6−6−6−5−5−5−5−5−5
United States Nelson−6−6−6−4−5−3−3−2−2−2−3−3−2−1−1−2−3−3
United States 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

Birdie Bogey Double bogey

Source:[6]

Playoff

Monday, June 18, 1990

PlacePlayerScoreTo parSudden
death		Money ($)
1United States Hale Irwin38-36=74+23220,000
2United States Mike Donald37-37=74+2x110,000
  • Irwin and Donald tied in the 18-hole playoff at 74 (+2).
  • The sudden-death playoff began on hole #1 (385 yd., par 4), which Irwin (3) birdied and Donald (x) did not.[7]

Scorecard
Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718
Par434454534544354434
United States IrwinEEEE+1+1+1+1+2+2+3+4+4+3+3+2+2+2
United States Donald−1EE+1+1+2+2+2+1+1+2+2+2+1+1+1+1+2
Sudden-death Playoff
United States Irwin−1
United States Donaldx
Birdie Bogey

Source:[8][9]

References
  1. Parascenzo, Marino (June 19, 1990). "Irwin rules U.S. Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 27.
  2. Bunch, Ken (June 19, 1990). "Irwin triumphs in duel at Open". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
  3. Swift, E.M. (June 25, 1990). "Hail, Irwin". Sports Illustrated. p. 16.
  4. "The 10 Best Duels in U.S. Open History". Golf.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2009. Retrieved March 18, 2009.
  5. "U.S. Open 1990 – Medinah Country Club No. 3 Course". The Tampa Tribune. Florida. June 14, 1990. p. 10C – via newspapers.com.
  6. "U.S. Open History". USGA. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  7. Hackenberg, Dave (June 19, 1990). "Irwin's dream indeed comes true". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). p. 23.
  8. "Irwin revises U.S. Open history". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. June 19, 1990. p. C1.
  9. "U.S. Open - playoff cards". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. June 19, 1990. p. C4.
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