2006 U.S. Open Golf Championship

Infobox_Individual_Golf_Tournament
tournament_name = 2006 U.S. Open


dates = June 15 - 18, 2006
location = Mamaroneck, New York
course = Winged Foot Golf Club, West Course
tour = PGA Tour
PGA European Tour
Japan Golf Tour
par = 70
yardage=7,264
field = 156 players, 63 after cut
cut = 149 (+9)
purse = $6,250,000
winners_share =$1,225,000
Champion = Geoff Ogilvy
Score = 285 (+5)The 2006 United States Open Golf Championship was the 106th U.S. Open, played from June 15 to June 18 2006 at Winged Foot Golf Club West Course. [ [http://www.usopen.com/2006/ 2006 US Open Official Site] ] The U.S. Open returned to Winged Foot for the first time since 1984 when Fuzzy Zoeller captured his second and final major championship. Geoff Ogilvy won his first career major in one of the wildest finishes in U.S. Open history. He made gutsy pars on the final two holes including a chip in from off the green on 17. Jim Furyk, Colin Montgomerie, and Phil Mickelson all failed to par the 72nd hole giving Ogilvy an unlikely one shot victory. Mickelson, looking for his third straight major championship, double bogeyed the final hole after failing to hit the 18th fairway. The event took place in Mamaroneck, New York, The purse was $6.25 million and Ogilvy earned $1.225 million.

History of the U.S. Open at Winged Foot

The 2006 U.S. Open Golf Championship was the fifth U.S. Open at Winged Foot and the 6th major championship (1997 PGA Championship won by Davis Love III). Former champions include: Bobby Jones (1929), Billy Casper (1959), Hale Irwin (1974), and Fuzzy Zoeller (1984). 1974's U.S. Open was known as the "The Massacre at Winged Foot" as Irwin won with a seven over par 287. Over the four days, just seven sub-par rounds were recorded. Not a single golfer broke par following the first round, leading to complaints to the USGA that the set-up had gone too far. In the years following World War II, only Julius Boros’ 9-over total in 1963 had been a higher winning score.

Field

#All former winners of the U.S. Open Championship.
#All former winners of the U.S. Amateur Championship (must be amateur).
#All former winners of the Masters Tournament, the British Open Championship and the PGA of America Championship.
#From the U.S. Amateur Public Links, US. Junior Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships, the winners the last three years (2003 - 2005), and the runners-up from the most recent year (must be an amateur):
#Winner of the 2005 USGA Senior Amateur Championship (must be an amateur):
#Winners of the British Amateur Championship the last three years (2003 -2005) (must be an amateur.)
#Quarter finalists from the 2005 U.S. Amateur Championship (must be an amateur.)
#Playing members of the 2003 & 2005 United States Walker Cup and the 2002 & 2004 United States Men's World Amateur Teams (must be an amateur.)
#Winner of the 2006 individual NCAA Div. I Men's Golf Championship (must be an amateur).
#Playing members of the five most recent United States and European Ryder Cup Teams.
#Winners of PGA Tour co-sponsored events, whose victories are considered official, in the last three calendar years (2003-2004 & 2005) and during the current year through April 26 (must have filed an entry by April 26.)
#Winners of PGA European Tour Volvo Order of Merit Tournaments, Nationwide Tour, Sunshine Tour, Asian Tour, Japan Tour and Australasian Tour events, whose victories are considered official in the last calendar year and during the current year through April 26 (2005 and 2006) (Must have filed an entry form by April 26.)
#From the 2005 U.S. Open Championship, those returning scores for 72 holes.
#From the 2005 PGA of America and British Open Championships, and the 2006 Masters Tournament, the 30 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 30th place.
#From the 2005 final Official PGA Tour money list, the top 125 money leaders; and from the final official PGA Tour money lists, the top 10 money leaders in each of the last three calendar years; and, any player who had multiple finishes in the top 125 money leaders in the last five calendar years.
#From the 2006 PGA Tour official money list, the top 100 money leaders through April 26, 2006 (must have filed an entry by April 26.)
#From the official PGA Tour career money list, the top 50 money leaders as of the end of 2005.
#From the 2005 final official Nationwide Tour money list, the top 15 money leaders.
#From the 2006 PGA European Tour exemption categories, those players listed in categories 1, 2 3 and 7 (not including sub-categories a, b & c).
#From the final 2005 World Rankings, the top 75 point leaders.
#From the current World Rankings, the top 100 point leaders as of April 26, 2006 (must have filed an entry by April 26, 2006.)
#Head professional at club hosting the Championship.
#Winner of the 2005 PGA of America Club Professional Championship.
#Any player whom the USGA Executive Committee selects for an exemption on the basis of his playing record (must have filed an entry by April 26, 2006.)

[http://www.usopen.com/2006/players/qualifying/local_exempt.html "Full eligibility list"]

Round-by-round summary

First round (Thursday)

Colin Montgomerie shot 69 and was the only player to shoot under par in the opening round. Phil Mickelson, the winner of the last two majors, is just one shot back. Former U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk is also just one shot back. Seven shots back is Tiger Woods who shot a six over 76 in his first major since his father's death. It was his worst start ever in a major.

Final round (Sunday)

In one of the most exciting final rounds in U.S. Open history Geoff Ogilvy survived a brutal final day winning his first major championship. Ogilvy finished his round with a champion's flourish, making improbable pars on each of the last two holes. He holed a 30-foot chip shot at the 17th, and then got up-and-down for par at the 18th, dropping a downhill six-footer for his final stroke as all his competitors collapsed around him. Phil Mickelson and Colin Montgomerie needed pars on the final hole to win, or bogeys to tie with Ogilvy, but they ruined their chances by producing double-bogey sixes to give Ogilvy a dramatic win. He became the first Australian to win a major since Steve Elkington in the 1995 PGA Championship.

Montgomerie holed a 75-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole for a share of the lead and was in the middle of the 18th fairway, 172 yards from the hole, in prime position to do no worse than a playoff. After much club deliberation he missed well to the right and ended up three putting for double bogey. Mickelson entered the last hole needing par to win and bogey to force a playoff but could not finish off what would have been his third consecutive major championship victory. Mickelson's tee shot on the 18th went so far left that it clattered through the trees by a hospitality tent. He went for the green on his second shot and hit a tree, but the ball advanced only 25 yards. He ended up in the bunker on the next shot and could not get up and down to tie. Mickelson tied Sam Snead for the most second-place finishes by a player who has never won the U.S. Open, with four. Jim Furyk needed par to force a playoff but bogeyed the final hole after missing a five foot par putt. Five different players held the lead at one point on Sunday with 15 different lead changes between them.

Quotes

"I still am in shock that I did that. I just can't believe that I did that. I am such an idiot." - Phil Mickelson after double bogeying the 18th hole.

"The biggest reason why this is so disappointing is that this is a tournament that I dreamt of winning as a kid. I spent hours practicing, countless hours practicing, dreaming of winning this tournament. I came out here months in advance to get ready and had it right there in my hand, man. It was right there and I let it go." - Phil Mickelson on losing the U.S. Open.

"I think I was the beneficiary of a little bit of charity." - Geoff Ogilvy after watching from the club house as Furyk, Mickelson and Montgomerie all couldn't make par on the 18th hole.

"I'm disappointed. I played my heart out and it didn't work." - Jim Furyk after runner up finish.

"I switched from a 6 to a 7. I thought adrenaline would kick in. I usually hit the ball 10 yards further in that circumstance. I caught it slightly heavy and it went slightly right. It was a poor shot, no question about that, and I put myself into poor position." - Colin Montgomerie on club selection on final hole.

References

External links

* [http://www.usopen.com/2006/ 2006 U.S. Open Official Site]
* [http://www.wfgc.info Official Winged Foot website]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/features/event?matchId=269 ESPN Coverage]