Chicagoland U.S. Opens

JIM FURYK

     Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland tore up the course at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, this past weekend to take the 2011 U.S. Open championship in fine style. The 22-year-old McIlroy shot under 70 for all four rounds, finished eight shots ahead of the runner-up, and set tournament records for the most strokes under par (16) and lowest total score (268).
     The previous record for lowest total score was 272, established by Jack Nicklaus in 1980 and equaled by Lee Janzen in 1993, Tiger Woods in 2000, and Jim Furyk in 2003--at Olympia Fields Country Club. The 2003 Open was the 13th played in the Chicago area, and the most recent to date.
     Some of the 13 have been more memorable than others. The 1975 Open at Medinah was decided by an 18-hole playoff on the fifth day, in which Lou Graham outlasted John Mahaffey. But what makes that year's Open famous, or infamous, is that Lee Trevino was struck by lightning while on the course. Always a jokester, Trevino said afterwards that he would know what to do the next time. "If you are caught on a golf course during a storm and are afraid of lightning," he said, "hold up your 1-iron. Not even God can hit a 1-iron."

Chicagoland U.S. Opens:

1897
Chicago Golf Club, Wheaton
Champion: Joe Lloyd
Score: (unknown)

1900
Chicago Golf Club, Wheaton
Champion: Harry Vardon
Score: 313

1904
Glen View Club, Golf
Champion: Willie Anderson
Score: 303

1906
Onwentsia Club, Lake Forest
Champion: Alex Smith
Score: 295

1911
Chicago Golf Club, Wheaton
Champion: John McDermott
Score: 307

1914
Midlothian Country Club, Midlothian
Champion: Walter Hagen
Score: 290

1922
Skokie Country Club, Glencoe
Champion: Gene Sarazen
Score: 288

1928
Olympia Fields Country Club, Olympia Fields
Champion: Johnny Farrell
Score: 294

1933
North Shore Country Club, Glenview
Champion: Johnny Goodman
Score: 287 (1 under par)

1949
Medinah Country Club (Course No. 3), Medinah
Champion: Cary Middlecoff
Score: 286 (2 over par)

1975
Medinah Country Club (Course No. 3), Medinah
Champion: Lou Graham
Score: 287 (3 over par)

1990
Medinah Country Club (Course No. 3), Medinah
Champion: Hale Irwin
Score: 280 (8 under par)

2003
Olympia Fields Country Club (North Course), Olympia Fields
Champion: Jim Furyk
Score: 272 (8 under par)