How it unfolded
The U.S. Open then finished with 36 holes on the last day. After Saturday morning Arnold Palmer was tied for 15th, seven behind leader Mike Souchak, and told reporters over lunch that if he drove the 346-yard par-4 1st and shot 65 for 280 he could win. He did exactly that — birdie off the tee at the 1st, six birdies in the first seven holes and a front nine of 30. A closing 65 gave him 280 at four-under and a two-stroke win. Runner-up was 20-year-old amateur Jack Nicklaus. Ben Hogan, 47, contended through 71 holes before finding water at the 17th and finishing tied for ninth. Three generations crossed in one championship. It was Palmer's only U.S. Open; he also won the Masters that year.
Why it still matters
The tournament defined the televised golf star. Palmer's final-round charge, broadcast nationwide, built the Arnie's Army galleries that lifted purses and sponsorship across the sport. Hogan's last serious challenge and Nicklaus's debut on the same leaderboard mark the generational handover golf still uses as a reference point.