Ahead of the 125th edition of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, here is a list of historical records achieved at the Major Championship.
Age
Oldest Champion
Hale Irwin won his third U.S. Open to become a three-time Major winner with victory in 1990 at the age of 45 years and 15 days.
Youngest Champion
John J. McDermott won the first of his two U.S. Opens in 1911 at 19, ten months and 14 days.
Youngest to Make Cut (since World War II)
Beau Hossler was 17 years and three months old when he finished in a tie for 29th in 2012.
Oldest to Make Cut (since World War II)
Sam Snead was 61 years old and 19 days when he finished in a tie for 29th in 1973.
Youngest Competitor
Andy Zhang is the youngest player to ever participate in the U.S. Open at the age of 14 years and six months in 2012.
Oldest Competitor (since 1982)
Arnold Palmer was 64 years, nine months and nine days old when he played at the U.S. Open in 1994.
Amateurs
Amateur Champions
There have been five players (Francis Ouimet, Jerome. D. Travers, Charles Evans Jr., Robert T. Jones Jr. and John Goodman) who between them have won the U.S. Open eight times.
Ouimet was the first to do it in 1913 while Goodman was the most recent when he won in 1933.
Lowest 72-Hole Score by an Amateur
On his U.S. Open debut in 2019, Viktor Hovland carded a total of 280 to finish in a tie for 12th at Pebble Beach.
Champions
Most Victories
Willie Anderson, Robert T. Jones Jr., Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus have each won the U.S. Open on four occassions. Tiger Woods has the most of any active player, with three wins.
Start-to-Finish Winners (No Ties)
There are seven players who have completed wire-to-wire successes:
- Walter Hagen (1914)
- Jim Barnes (1921)
- Ben Hogan (1953)
- Tony Jacklin (1970)
- Tiger Woods (2000, 2002)
- Rory McIlroy (2011)
- Martin Kaymer (2014)
Winners in their first U.S. Open
There are five players who have won the U.S. Open on their debuts:
- Horace Rawlins (1895)
- Fred Herd (1898)
- Harry Vardon (1900)
- George Sargent (1909)
- (a) Francis Ouimet (1913)
Longest Span, First to Last Victory
There was an 18-year gap between Jack Nicklaus' first U.S. Open win in 1962 and his fourth and last in 1980.
Course
Longest course
7,845 yards, Erin Hills, first round, 2017
Shortest Course
4,423 yards, Shinnecock Hills, 1896
Longest Par 3
The eighth played to 300 yards during the fourth round of the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country.
Longest Par 4
The 16th at The Los Angeles Country Club played to 558 yards during the third round in 2023.
Longest Par 5
The 12th at Oakmont measured 684 yards in the first round in 2016.
Most Times Host Site
Oakmont will extend its record as host venue in 2025 as it stages the event for a tenth time.
Scoring
Lowest Score, 72 Holes
Rory McIlroy carded rounds of 65-66-68-69 for a 268 total to finish at 16 under par and win by eight shots at Congressional Country Club in 2011.
Lowest Score, Any Round
Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele both carded rounds of 62 (eight under) in the first round at The Los Angeles Country Club in 2023.
Best Comeback by Winner, Final Round
Arnold Palmer overturned a seven-stroke deficit to win his sole U.S. Open title in 1960 at Cherry Hills Country Club.
Largest Winning Margin
Tiger Woods holds the record for the largest winning margin in all Majors, finishing 15 strokes ahead of Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Ernie Els at Pebble Beach in 2000.
Miscellaneous
Highest Score, One Hole
Ray Ainsley took 19 shots to complete the par-four 16th during the 1938 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills.
Most Appearances
Jack Nicklaus holds the record, having made 44 appearances between 1957 and 2000. Phil Mickelson has the most of any active player, contesting 33 editions.
Most Times Runner-Up
Phil Mickelson has six runner-up finishes (1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2013), two more than Robert T. Jones Jr., Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.
Number of play-offs
There have been 33 across the 124 championships staged since the inaugural edition in 1895.
Holes-In-One
There have been 53 holes-in-one, the most recent of which came courtesy of Francesco Molinari during the second round at Pinehurst in 2024.
