Reading The Greens: Salem CC The Country Club boasts fascinating ‘Open’ parallels | Sports

Matt Fitzpatrick‘s recent spine-tingling final-hole victory at the US Open at The Country Club added to the unprecedented history of dramatic finishes at US Opens held for more than a century not only at Brookline, but at Salem Country Club as well.

No wonder the United States Golf Association’s Executive Committee just held an emergency meeting to re-assess how soon they can bring a fifth US Open to The Country Club and a third US Senior Open to Salem.

Well, maybe they weren’t meeting recently. But they should be soon.

The history of US Opens held on the two famous courses is stunning and unparalleled. Each venue has hosted four US Opens of historic and/or thrilling nature.

At The Country Club:

1913: Francis Ouimeta 20-year-old caddy and little-known amateur competitor who lived across the street from the course, shocked the golfing world by defeating highly regarded English professionals TedRay other Harry Vardon in a rain-marred 18-hole playoff to win the US Open and ignite an unprecedented flurry of interest in American golf. Ouimet made a birdie on the tricky 71st hole to get in the playoff.

1963: Connecticut native Julius Borosfamous for his unique rhythmic swing, won his second Open 11 years after his first, defeating 1960 Open champion Arnold Palmer and less known Jacky Cupit in an 18-hole playoff — one that wouldn’t have been necessary had Cupit not made double bogey on his 71st hole. Favorite Massachusetts son Paul Harney missed a five-foot putt on the 72nd hole or he would have been in the playoff, too.

1988: Seasoned PGA Tourist Curtis Strange won his first of back-to-back US Opens in yet another 18-hole playoff, this against Englishman Nick Faldo, who would later win six majors. Strange made a nifty up-and-down par from the front bunker on the 72nd hole to force the Monday overtime with Faldo. Strange became the first player to win successive Opens since Ben Hogan in 1950 and 1951.

2022: No playoff, but equally exciting with the classic three-player battle down the final nine, with two clutch birdie putts by Fitzpatrick making the difference. He also gained a small measure of revenge for the losses absorbed by fellow Englishmen Faldo, Vardon and Ray.

At Salem Country Club:

1954: Babe Zaharias won her third and final US Open — her most acclaimed victory — when she captured Salem’s first Open by a jolting 12 strokes. She did so despite dealing daily with after effects of cancer surgery from a year earlier and having to play 36 holes the last day in 85-degree heat. She died from the cancer two years later at 45.

1984: Matching the legendary Zaharias’s accomplishment 30 years later, Georgian Hollis Stacy won her third US Open (to go along with 3 US Junior titles), after Amy Alcott other Rosie Jones failed to par the 72nd hole. The three had come to the final hole tied for the lead until Stacy parred the home hole first, then watched Alcott and Jones falter.

2001: In the biggest sporting event ever held on the North Shore, Salem hosted its first US Senior Open that included all of the game’s greats age 50 and over: Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tom Watson and Ray Floyd. But it was Bruce Fleisher who outlasted four fellow contestants the final four holes, including Nicklaus, the people’s favorite, as the ultimate survivor. Fleisher was able to par the last four holes while the others were not. Nicklaus finished two shots back.

2017: In a classic head-to-head duel with Kirk Triplet the final round, Kentuckian Kenny Perry won his second US Senior Open in four years, this time by two strokes, with a 16-under-par 264. The winning score in 2001 had been 280.

So now we wait for the USGA to lock in The Country Club and Salem for its fifth US Opens, membership approval pending.

Ideally, Salem could get the 2026 US Senior Open, marking the 100th anniversary of the club’s clubhouse and course opening on its current site.

The next logical year for a US Open at Brookline would be 2038, which would mark the 50th anniversary of Strange’s win and the 125th anniversary of Ouimet’s victory; a no-brainer from this view. The only years available between now and then are 2028, 2031 and 2036.

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Last week’s US Senior Open at Saucon Valley brought back fond memories of the 2000 Senior Open, also held at the Bethlehem, Penn. for many of us North Shore-ites. Not only because a large contingent of us involved with prepping for the 2001 US Senior Open at Salem attended, but because Tedesco head pro Bob Green what in the field

“It was a very special week for me and my family,” said Green, now retired after 41 years as TCC’s head pro. “My son brian caddied for me and my daughter Emily16 at the time, my wife Debbie and my father-in-law, John Moranwere all at Saucon Valley.

‘I was a career club professional and to qualify for the US Senior Open was a dream come true. Professionally, it was the high point of my playing career. I didn’t play well; I missed the 36-hole cut. But it was an incredible experience for me and my family; so many great memories there.

“Salem CC was hosting the championship the next year, and a lot of the Salem members were there for a ‘future site’ visit. I knew several of them and that made it special, too.”

Gary Larrabee, a sportswriter at The Salem News from 1971-95, has covered golf on the North Shore and beyond for over 50 years. Contact him at [email protected].