US Open – 20 Top Triumphs and Upsets to Remember

#5: Cherry Hills hosted a number of legends of the game in 1960, but it was Arnold Palmer who came out on top.

Cherry Hills’ second US Open, the 1960 event saw the collision of three legendary players: Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan. Because of this, there were plenty of storylines throughout the week, but it was Palmer who created the most memorable. Trailing leader Mike Souchak by seven strokes through 54 holes, the King erased the deficit to pull off one of the greatest comebacks in tournament history.

Souchak, a Pennsylvania native who won 15 times in his PGA TOUR career, was going for a wire-to-wire victory, but Palmer supplied the early fireworks during Saturday’s final round. He birdied the first two holes, eagled the third and then holed out on four for another birdie. He reached four-under after birdies on six and seven, at which point he cooled off for the rest of the day.

Nicklaus, an amateur playing in his fourth US Open, briefly held the lead as he made the turn, but a pair of three-putts on the back nine spoiled his chances. Hogan, meanwhile, had a share of the lead as he stood over the 17th tee, but he played his last two holes in four-over, dropping him into a tie for ninth.

Ultimately, it was Palmer’s dynamic play that lifted him to the victory, his first and only at the US Open. As he had already won the 1960 Masters, the win put him halfway to the modern Grand Slam.

Next: 1950: Ben Hogan