Above All, the U.S. Open Is an ‘Open’

Shane Bacon attempted to qualify for the 2009 U.S. Open. FORTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK, ex-Army staff sergeant Orville Moody stood over a 14-inch putt on the 72nd hole of the U.S. Open at the Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas.It was no gimme. “Sarge,” as he was nicknamed, was an awful putter. But he was a sweet ball striker. PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman later said, “He was the best shotmaker in the world at the time.”Nonetheless, Moody had never won a tour event ? much less a major ? when he took his stance and tried to steady his hands over the biggest putt of his life. Somehow Orville nudged the knee-knocker into the hole and was crowned U.S. Open champion. It was his first and last victory on the PGA Tour.How Moody won that U.S. Open is a part of tournament lore. It’s also a testimony to what makes the U.S. Open great. You see, above all, the U.S. Open is an “Open.” You can earn your spot in the field, whether as an amateur (1.4 handicap index or lower) or professional.Sarge...