# 1991 U.S. Open (golf)

The 1991 U.S. Open was the 91st U.S. Open, held June 13–17 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, a suburb southwest of Minneapolis. Payne Stewart defeated 1987 champion Scott Simpson in an 18-hole Monday playoff to win the first of his two U.S. Open titles. It was the second of Stewart's three major championships.
Stewart held the lead through each of the first three rounds, but in the final round he found himself trailing Simpson by a stroke heading to the 18th. Simpson hit his drive into the rough and could only manage a bogey to Stewart's par, forcing an 18-hole playoff. Both players shot a final-round 72 to finish at 282 total, three shots clear of Larry Nelson and Fred Couples. In the playoff, Simpson led by two-strokes heading to the 16th. He then bogeyed the hole, however, while Stewart made birdie to even up the contest. At the par-3 17th, Simpson found the water on his tee shot and recorded another bogey, giving Stewart a one-shot advantage. Simpson then made bogey on the 18th while Stewart made a par, giving Stewart a two-stroke win and the championship. Stewart's winning score in the playoff of 75 was the highest since Tommy Armour won with a 76 in 1927.
Play was interrupted during the first round due to a severe thunderstorm. Six people were struck by lightning while seeking shelter near the 11th tee, and one person was killed.
It was the final U.S. Open appearance for two-time champion Lee Trevino; Phil Mickelson won low-amateur honors for the second consecutive year, finishing in 55th place.
This was the second U.S. Open at Hazeltine; the first was in 1970. It later hosted the PGA Championship in 2002 and 2009.

## Course layout

| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
| Yards | 440 | 435 | 580 | 194 | 412 | 405 | 518 | 166 | 432 | 3,582 | 410 | 556 | 432 | 204 | 357 | 590 | 384 | 182 | 452 | 3,567 | 7,149 |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
Source: Previous course length for major championships
* 7,151 yards (6,539 m) - par 72, 1970 U.S. Open

## Round summaries
### First round

Thursday, June 13, 1991
| Place | Player | Score | To par |
| T1 | Nolan Henke | 67 | −5 |
| T1 | Payne Stewart | 67 | −5 |
| 3 | Tom Byrum | 68 | −4 |
| T4 | Mark Calcavecchia | 69 | −3 |
| T4 | Scott Hoch | 69 | −3 |
| T4 | Brian Kamm | 69 | −3 |
| T7 | Keith Clearwater | 70 | −2 |
| T7 | Fred Couples | 70 | −2 |
| T7 | Jim Gallagher Jr. | 70 | −2 |
| T7 | David Jackson | 70 | −2 |
| T7 | Davis Love III | 70 | −2 |
| T7 | Jack Nicklaus | 70 | −2 |
| T7 | Craig Parry | 70 | −2 |
| T7 | Peter Persons | 70 | −2 |
| T7 | Scott Simpson | 70 | −2 |

### Second round

Friday, June 14, 1991
| Place | Player | Score | To par |
| 1 | Payne Stewart | 67-70=137 | −7 |
| T2 | Nolan Henke | 67-71=138 | −6 |
| T2 | Corey Pavin | 71-67=138 | −6 |
| T2 | Scott Simpson | 70-68=138 | −6 |
| T5 | Fred Couples | 70-70=140 | −4 |
| T5 | Scott Hoch | 69-71=140 | −4 |
| T5 | Craig Stadler | 71-69=140 | −4 |
| T8 | Jodie Mudd | 71-70=141 | −3 |
| T8 | Ian Woosnam | 73-68=141 | −3 |
| T10 | Rodger Davis | 74-68=142 | −2 |
| T10 | Jim Gallagher Jr. | 70-72=142 | −2 |
| T10 | Ed Humenik | 72-70=142 | −2 |
| T10 | Brian Kamm | 69-73=142 | −2 |
| T10 | Sandy Lyle | 72-70=142 | −2 |
| T10 | Andy North | 71-71=142 | −2 |
Amateurs: Mickelson (+1), Doyle (+6), Gorgone (+7), Lee (+14).

### Third round

Saturday, June 15, 1991
| Place | Player | Score | To par |
| T1 | Scott Simpson | 70-68-72=210 | −6 |
| T1 | Payne Stewart | 67-70-73=210 | −6 |
| T3 | Scott Hoch | 69-71-74=214 | −2 |
| T3 | Nick Price | 74-69-71=214 | −2 |
| T5 | Fred Couples | 70-70-75=215 | −1 |
| T5 | Nolan Henke | 67-71-77=215 | −1 |
| T5 | Brian Kamm | 69-73-73=215 | −1 |
| T8 | Rick Fehr | 74-69-73=216 | E |
| T8 | Hale Irwin | 71-75-70=216 | E |
| T8 | Sandy Lyle | 72-70-74=216 | E |
| T8 | Craig Parry | 70-73-73=216 | E |

### Final round

Sunday, June 16, 1991
| Place | Player | Score | To par | Money ($) |
| T1 | Payne Stewart | 67-70-73-72=282 | −6 | Playoff |
| T1 | Scott Simpson | 70-68-72-72=282 | −6 | Playoff |
| T3 | Fred Couples | 70-70-75-70=285 | −3 | 62,574 |
| T3 | Larry Nelson | 73-72-72-68=285 | −3 | 62,574 |
| 5 | Fuzzy Zoeller | 72-73-74-67=286 | −2 | 41,542 |
| 6 | Scott Hoch | 69-71-74-73=287 | −1 | 36,090 |
| 7 | Nolan Henke | 67-71-77-73=288 | E | 32,176 |
| T8 | Raymond Floyd | 73-72-76-68=289 | +1 | 26,958 |
| T8 | José María Olazábal | 73-71-75-70=289 | +1 | 26,958 |
| T8 | Corey Pavin | 71-67-79-72=289 | +1 | 26,958 |
Amateur: Phil Mickelson (+12)
Source:

#### Scorecard

Final round
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Stewart | −6 | −6 | −7 | −7 | −7 | −6 | −6 | −6 | −6 | −6 | −6 | −6 | −6 | −6 | −6 | −6 | −6 | −6 |
| Simpson | −6 | −6 | −6 | −6 | −6 | −6 | −7 | −7 | −7 | −8 | −8 | −8 | −8 | −8 | −8 | −7 | −7 | −6 |
| Couples | −1 | −1 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −3 | −2 | −2 | −1 | −1 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −3 |
| Nelson | +1 | +1 | +1 | E | E | −1 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −3 | −3 | −4 | −3 | −3 | −3 | −3 | −3 |
| Zoeller | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +1 | +1 | E | E | E | E | E | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −2 |
| Hoch | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | E | +2 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | E | E | E | −1 | −1 | E | −1 | −1 |
| Price | −1 | E | E | +1 | +1 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | E | +1 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3 | +4 | +4 |
Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par
| Birdie | Bogey | Double bogey |
Source:

### Playoff

Monday, June 17, 1991
| Place | Player | Score | To par | Money ($) |
| 1 | Payne Stewart | 38-37=75 | +3 | 235,000 |
| 2 | Scott Simpson | 37-40=77 | +5 | 117,500 |

#### Scorecard

| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Stewart | E | E | E | E | +1 | +1 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +3 | +4 | +3 | +3 | +3 |
| Simpson | +1 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +1 | +1 | E | +1 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +3 | +2 | +2 | +3 | +4 | +5 |
Cumulative playoff scores, relative to par
    Birdie Bogey
Source: