The U.S. Open: The 10 Best Players From Each Decade
By Bill Felber
The U.S. Open: 1970-1979
If the U.S. Open belonged to Palmer across the 1960s, it was Nicklaus’s during the 1970s…but not by a lot.
Jack won only once during the decade, that coming at Pebble Beach in 1972. But the 1970s were a share-the-wealth decade; only Hale Irwin (1974 and 1979) won twice, and he had only two other showings inside the top 15 with three outside the top 25.
Top 10 players of the 1970 to 1979 Era
1. Jack Nicklaus, -1.26
2. Tom Weiskopf, -1.22
3. Tom Watson, -1.01
4. Lee Trevino, -1.00
5. Johnny Miller, -0.86
6. Hale Irwin, -0.84
7. Bert Yancey, -0.81
8. Gary Player, -0.69
9. John Mahaffey, -0.66
10. Ray Floyd, -0.62
Weiskopf never won a U.S. Open, but he regularly contended. He was third in 1973, second in 1976, third again in 1977, and fourth in both 1978 and 1979.
Those were five of six top 10 finishes for Weiskopf during the decade, just two fewer than Nicklaus, one fewer than Watson, and two more than Trevino.
Nicklaus’ margin would have been greater but for his 1970 showing, one of the worst Open finishes of the prime of his career. He uncharacteristically tied for 51st, his worst U.S. Open performance between 1964 and 1985.
Miller and Trevino are both interesting cases. Miller, the 1973 champion at Oakmont, had four other top 10s during the decade, accounting for his fifth-place standing.
But his highest finish other than 1973 was a tie for fifth in 1971.
Trevino, the 1971 champion at Merion – when he beat Nicklaus in a playoff – followed that with fourth-place finishes in 1972 and 1973. But he missed the cut at Winged Foot in 1974 and waited until the mid-1980s for his next top 10.