Top 5 US Open winners
The US Open has been played since 1895 when it was won by Horace Rawlins at the Newport Golf and Country Club. Since then the tournament has produced some epic challenges, with some players deservingly streaking into the lead for massive wins and others coming from behind to scrape into first place quite by chance. There are five US Open players who have stood out over the years because of their accomplishments.
Top US Open player - Hale Irwin
Hale Irwin proved his worthiness over the years with three great wins at the US Open. He won the 1974, 1979 and 1990 US Open golf championships. His 1990 win made him the oldest US Open champion at 45 years and 15 days Apart from his three wins, Irwin finished in the top ten of the US Open winners list only four other times. He holds the record for the second-longest continuous streak (32) of US Open entries.
Top US Open player - Willie Anderson
Willie Anderson was a hero of early US Open times. He is the only golfer to have won three US Opens in a row. These came in 1903, 1904 and 1905. He also won in 1901, bringing his tally to four in five years - an accomplishment highly unlikely to be repeated in the modern era of the tournament. Anderson hailed from Scotland, and finished in the top five at the US Open 11 times - from just 14 appearances. This is a record he shares with Jack Nicklaus. Anderson died in 1910 at age 30.
Top US Open player - Ben Hogan
Ben Hogan claimed four US Open wins - in 1948, 1950, 1951 and 1953. Some might say that he won three in a row, as he did not compete in 1949, so that year isn't counted as an appearance. Hogan finished in the top 10 in every one of his 15 US Open appearances over the period 1940 to 1960.
Top US Open player - Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus set the lowest score ever at a US Open with his score of 272 in 1980. His win that year came after two previous US Open wins - in 1962 and in 1972. Nicklaus finished second four times and was present in the top five list 11 times, and holds the record (18) for the most top ten finishes.
Top US Open player - Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones entered the US Open 11 times. In eight of those appearances, he came either first or second. The top 10 list was a comfortable place for him - and he only ever found himself out of it on one occasion. He won the US Open in 1923, 1926, 1929 and 1930. He came second in 1922, 1924, 1925 and 1928.
