2004 U.S. Open Golf Championship

Infobox_Individual_Golf_Tournament
tournament_name = 2004 U.S. Open


dates = June 17 - 20, 2004
location = Shinnecock Hills, New York
course = Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
tour = PGA Tour
PGA European Tour
Japan Golf Tour
par = 70
yardage=6,996
field = 156 players, 66 after cut
cut = 146 (+6)
purse = $6,250,000
winners_share = $1,125,000
Champion = Retief Goosen
Score = 276 (-4)The 2004 United States Open Golf Championship was the 104th U.S. Open, played from June 17 to June 20, 2004 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. The U.S. Open returned to Shinnecock Hills for the first time since 1995. Retief Goosen won his second U.S. Open Championship and second major championship his first win came in 2001 U.S. Open at Southern Hills Country Club. Goosen’s birdie on the 16th combined with Phil Mickelson’s double bogey on 17th gave Goosen a two shot win. The event took place in Shinnecock Hills, New York. The purse was $6.25 million and Goosen earned $1.125 million.

History of U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills

The 2004 U.S. Open Golf Championship was the fourth U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. The former champions in order are James Foulis (1896), Raymond Floyd (1986)and Corey Pavin (1995). In 1896 the second U.S. Open Championship was held at Shinnecock, but the course has been completely redone and saw a 90 year drought between Opens. The 1986 U.S. Open was a huge success as everyone recognized the quality of the course and how appropriate—and unique—it was as an Open setting. The course was a the perfect illustration of beauty and pure difficulty. Raymond Floyd found himself one back entering into the final round and on day where an under-par round was nearly impossible Floyd shot a final round 67 to win. The conditions were almost the same in 1995 with no one scoring under par. The conditions were especially on Sunday with only three people under-par most importantly Corey Pavin played the final 10 holes three-under-par on a way to a 68 for the win. Pavin hit a memorable 4-wood to the 18th green to within 5 feet.

Round-by-round summary

First round (Thursday)

American Jay Haas leads after one round, bidding to become the oldest major champion in history. He was joined at the lead by Japan's Shigeki Maruyama and Argentina's Ángel Cabrera. Former Masters champion Vijay Singh shot a solid 68. Current Masters champion Phil Mickelson shot a 68 as well. Former U.S. Open champions Ernie Els and Retief Goosen shot an even-par 70 after rough starts. World Number 1 Tiger Woods struggled on Shinnecock's fast conditions and settled for a two-over-par 72. David Duval shot a worst round 83, but was in high spirits afterwards.

Fourth round (Sunday)

South Africa's Retief Goosen held his nerve to clinch the U.S. Open for a second time, edging out Phil Mickelson by two shots with a closing one-over-par 71 on Sunday. Goosen finished at four-under 276 on a day when the average final-round score was 78.7 in brutal conditions at Shinnecock Hills. Mickelson, urged on by raucous New York galleries on a windswept and sunny afternoon, completed a matching 71 for his third runner-up spot in the last six U.S. Opens. Goosen led by two going into the final day but was overhauled by Mickelson over the closing stretch, the left-handed American moving one stroke clear with back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16. But Mickelson, bidding to become the sixth player to win the first two majors of the year, immediately fell back, running up a double-bogey at the par-three 17th after three-putting from five feet. Goosen, playing in the group behind, restored his two-shot advantage with a 12-foot birdie putt on 16 and parred the final two holes to seal the title.

American Jeff Maggert finished third at one-over 281 after carding a 72, while 2003 Mike Weir (74) of Canada and Japan's Shigeki Maruyama (76) were a further three shots back in a tie for fourth. However world number two Ernie Els, joint second overnight with Mickelson, produced four double-bogeys on his way to an 80, his worst score in a U.S. Open, and a tie for ninth at seven over. World number one Tiger Woods, who began nine shots off the lead, battled to a six-over 76 and a share of 17th. A mix of five bogeys, a double-bogey and a birdie at the last left him at 10-over 290 as he narrowly avoided returning his worst round at a U.S. Open. His career low was a 77 in the third round at Oakland Hills playing as an amateur in 1996. Australia's Robert Allenby was the only player to return a level-par 70 on Sunday, three birdies and three bogeys lifting him into a tie for seventh with American Steve Flesch at six-over 286. Fred Funk (77) of the U.S. was alone in sixth on 285.

External links

* [http://www.usopen.com/2004/ 2004 U.S. Open official site]