Father’s Day annually marks the final round of the United States Open Golf Championship. USC owned this day 38 years ago. On Father’s Day 1987, USC’s very own Scott Simpson scored a stunning upset by claiming the U.S. Open in a close, tense, hard-fought battle with several competitors, one of them being legendary golfer Tom Watson:
“Entering the 14th hole, Simpson needed to make a move. No one was running away with the tournament, but waiting for an opponent’s mistake with just five holes remaining in the tournament was not an option. Watson, who had won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 1982, was looking for a second trophy at his home-nation championship. Watson was also trying to win a ninth career major, which would have tied him with Gary Player and Ben Hogan for third place on the all-time major title list at the time. (This was before Tiger Woods came along, of course.)
“It was Scott Simpson who denied Watson this moment. Father’s Day 1987 was Scott Simpson’s time to shine. At 14, Simpson began a run of three straight birdies. Three straight birdies at any major tournament is impressive; doing so down the home stretch of the final round of a major is exponentially more amazing.”
Those three straight birdies at 14, 15 and 16 enabled Simpson to gain a one-stroke lead over Watson. Simpson had finished his round and was the clubhouse leader with Watson still on the course. When Watson missed a tying birdie putt on the 18th hole, Simpson’s victory at the Olympic Club in San Francisco was secure.
The U.S. Open is often referred to as a golf tournament where merely avoiding bogeys wins titles. Sometimes, that is true. Scott Simpson’s 1987 Open championship victory was so impressive because it came from making multiple birdies and playing elite golf on a very tough course against a strong field. Scott Simpson played the best golf of his life to win the biggest title of his career.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: When a USC Trojan won the US Open golf championship
Reporting by Matt Zemek / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
