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GREATEST MOMENTS

Palmer’s Comeback

Ten years later, the U.S. Open was contested at Cherry Hills Country Club near Denver, Colorado, and was again the setting for another achievement by one of the sport’s greats. Arnold Palmer entered the 1960 tournament having already won the Masters that season. He would go on to be named the 1960 Professional Golf Association (PGA) Player of the Year, and the U.S. Open was a large reason why. The first three rounds had not gone well for Palmer, and he trailed Mike Souchak by seven shots entering the fourth round. Palmer started the round in spectacular fashion, however, driving the green on the first hole. He birdied the first four holes and six of the first seven. Palmer held on to shoot 65, a then-U.S. Open record six under par, and won by two strokes over Jack Nicklaus, who played as a 22-year-old amateur. Souchak shot a disastrous 75. The win represents the greatest comeback in U.S. Open history.

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