1978 U.S. Open (golf)
The 1978 U.S. Open was the 78th U.S. Open, held June 15–18 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, a suburb south of Denver. Andy North held on for a one-stroke victory over runners-up Dave Stockton and J. C. Snead to claim the first of his two U.S. Open titles.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | June 15–18, 1978 |
| Location | Cherry Hills Village, Colorado |
| Course(s) | Cherry Hills Country Club |
| Organized by | USGA |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 7,083 yards (6,477 m) |
| Field | 153 players, 63 after cut |
| Cut | 150 (+8) |
| Winner's share | $45,000 |
| Champion | |
| Andy North | |
| 285 (+1) | |
The strength in North's game was putting, and he needed only 114 putts over 72 holes, tying the record set by Billy Casper in 1966. This was North's second win on the PGA Tour, but he would not win again until the 1985 U.S. Open; of North's three career PGA Tour wins, two of them came at the U.S. Open.
This was the third U.S. Open at Cherry Hills, which previously hosted in 1938 and 1960. It was also the site of the PGA Championship in 1941, and later hosted in 1985. The average elevation of the course exceeds 5,300 feet (1,620 m) above sea level.
Three players received special exemptions into the field. They were Billy Casper, Seve Ballesteros, and Arnold Palmer.
Forty-three golfers received an exemption from the qualifying process. The PGA Tour felt this was too few players. To protest, the PGA Tour staged the Buick Open the same week to compete with the U.S. Open.