1961 U.S. Women's Open

Springfield Township is a township in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is located on a ridge in northern-central New Jersey, within the Raritan Valley and Rahway Valley regions in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 17,178, the highest recorded at any decennial census, an increase of 1,361 (+8.6%) from the 2010 census count of 15,817, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,388 (+9.6%) from the 14,429 counted in the 2000 census.Springfield was formed as a township on April 14, 1794, from portions of Elizabeth Township and Newark Township, while the area was still part of Essex County, and was incorporated as one of New Jersey's first 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. It became part of the newly formed Union County on March 19, 1857, with portions remaining in Essex County used to create Millburn. Other portions of the township have been taken to form New Providence Township (November 8, 1809, now known as Berkeley Heights), Livingston (February 5, 1813), Summit (March 23, 1869) and Cranford (March 14, 1871). The township's name derives from springs and brooks in the area.The Battle of Springfield was fought here, the last of many battles of the American Revolutionary War to be fought in New Jersey. Springfield is the home of the Baltusrol Golf Club, which was the host to the 2016 PGA Championship. It has also hosted other golf major championships, including the U.S. Open, held on seven occasions at Baltusrol, most recently in 1993. Golfweek magazine ranked Baltusrol as the 36th best in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Classic Courses" in the country.New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Springfield as the 85th best place to live in New Jersey in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.

The Baltusrol Golf Club is a private 36-hole golf club in the eastern United States, located in Springfield, New Jersey, about twenty miles (30 km) west of New York City. It was founded 129 years ago in 1895 by Louis Keller. In 1985, Baltusrol became the first club to have hosted both the U.S. Open and Women's U.S. Open on two different courses. Both courses were originally designed by A. W. Tillinghast in 1918. The club has been the site of seven U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships. In 2005, the club was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2014, it was further designated a National Historic Landmark in recognition of its importance to Tillinghast's career as a course designer.

The 1954 U.S. Open was the 54th U.S. Open, held June 17–19 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, west of New York City. On the Lower Course, Ed Furgol won his only major title, one stroke ahead of runner-up Gene Littler.Littler owned the 36-hole lead by two strokes over defending champion Ben Hogan and Furgol. After a 76 in the third round, Littler fell three strokes back of Furgol, who shot a 71 to take a one-stroke lead over Dick Mayer. Hogan made four bogeys at the first six holes and fell out of contention with a 76. In the final round on Saturday afternoon, Littler rebounded with a 70, but it was not enough. Furgol was helped by a great recovery on the 18th. After hitting his drive into the trees, he played his escape shot onto the 18th fairway of Baltusrol's other course. From there he managed to make par, carding a 72 for a 284 total. Mayer was tied with Furgol as he played 18, but he double-bogeyed the hole to fall into third.This U.S. Open was the first to be nationally televised, one hour of the final round, carried by NBC. It was also the first in which ropes were used to control the gallery, and prize money was increased by 20% over the previous year. This was the fourth U.S. Open at Baltusrol, but the first on the Lower Course, which later hosted in 1967, 1980, and 1993.

The 1903 U.S. Open was the ninth U.S. Open, held June 26–29 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, west of New York City. Willie Anderson won the second of his four U.S. Open titles in a playoff over David Brown. The championship was played on the original course at Baltusrol, now known as the Old Course, which no longer exists. Anderson led after each of the first three rounds, with a six-shot lead after 54 holes, but carded 82 in the final round on Saturday afternoon. Brown's 76 equaled them at 307 total, eight strokes clear of the field. The playoff was moved to Monday because Sunday was reserved for member play, and was played in a heavy rainstorm. Anderson took a two-stroke lead at the turn, but Brown managed to tie after 14. At the next hole, Brown made a seven after his tee shot went out of bounds, but Anderson only gained a single stroke after three-putting for a six. At 16, Brown made a six to Anderson's five, and both made fours on the last two holes; Anderson ended at 82, two shots ahead.Anderson had won in 1901 and was the first to win the U.S. Open twice; it was the first of three consecutive titles, a feat yet to be repeated. His four U.S. Open wins set a record which has been equaled by three others: Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, and Jack Nicklaus. Donald Ross, who would become known as one of the greatest golf course architects, designing several courses that hosted future U.S. Opens, had his best U.S. Open finish with a 5th place showing. Baseball Hall of Famer John Montgomery Ward played in his first of two U.S. Opens here, finishing in 56th place. The Old Course at Baltusrol hosted the U.S. Open again a dozen years later in 1915, then was plowed under three years later in 1918 by course architect A. W. Tillinghast to create the Upper and Lower Courses.

The 1915 U.S. Open was the 21st U.S. Open, held June 17–18 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, west of New York City. Four-time U.S. Amateur champion Jerome Travers captured his only U.S. Open title, one stroke ahead of runner-up Tom McNamara. The championship was played on the original course at Baltusrol, now known as the Old Course, which no longer exists. Future U.S. Open champions Jim Barnes and Chick Evans shared the first round lead, with Travers five behind. After a 72 in the second round, Travers pulled to within two-shots of leaders Barnes and Louis Tellier.Travers took the lead in the third round with a 73, a shot ahead of Barnes, Tellier, Bob MacDonald, and Mike Brady, with McNamara two behind. MacDonald shot a 78 in the final round to finish in third, while Barnes and Tellier both shot 79 to finish in fourth. McNamara posted a 75 to total 298 as Travers made the turn at 39, and needed a 37 on the back-nine to win the title. His drive at the 10th went out of bounds, while his second shot found the rough. His third shot cleared the water surrounding the green and settled less than three feet (0.9 m) from the hole. He managed to save par with a 15-footer (4.5 m) at the 11th, three-putted for bogey at the 12th, but then made a birdie at 15. Pars over the final three holes saw him finish with a 76 and a 297 total.Shortly after this win, Travers announced his retirement from competitive golf and never played in the U.S. Open again. Defending champion Walter Hagen finished nine strokes back, in a tie for tenth place. The Old Course at Baltusrol was plowed under three years later in 1918 by course architect A. W. Tillinghast to create the Upper and Lower Courses.

The 1993 U.S. Open was the 93rd U.S. Open, held June 17–20 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, west of New York City. Lee Janzen shot all four rounds in the 60s and tied the U.S. Open scoring record to win the first of his two U.S. Open titles, two strokes ahead of runner-up Payne Stewart.Janzen's total of 272 tied the U.S. Open scoring record set by Jack Nicklaus in 1980, also at Baltusrol. It was the third consecutive time at Baltusrol that the scoring record was tied or broken. Nicklaus also won in 1967 with a 275, one stroke better than Ben Hogan's 276 at Riviera in 1948. Janzen joined Lee Trevino as the only champion to post all four rounds under 70; Trevino shot 275 in 1968, a quarter century earlier. (Rory McIlroy became the third in 2011 and set the scoring record.)

The 2005 PGA Championship was the 87th PGA Championship, played August 11–15 at the Baltusrol Golf Club Lower Course in Springfield, New Jersey, west of New York City. Phil Mickelson earned his first PGA Championship and second major title by flopping a chip out of deep rough to 2 feet (0.6 m) for birdie on the final hole for a one-shot victory over runners-up Steve Elkington and Thomas Bjørn. The purse was $6.5 million with a winner's share of $1.17 million. It was the first PGA Championship held at Baltusrol, which had hosted the U.S. Open seven times, and was the first major championship at Baltusrol since the 1993 U.S. Open, won by Lee Janzen.

The 2016 PGA Championship was the 98th PGA Championship which took place from July 28–31 at Baltusrol Golf Club on the Lower Course in Springfield Township, New Jersey, west of New York City. This was the ninth major and second PGA Championship at Baltusrol, which last hosted in 2005. Jimmy Walker won his first major championship title with a score of 14 under par, one shot ahead of 2015 champion Jason Day. This edition of the PGA Championship was moved up two weeks from its early-August spot to accommodate the 2016 Olympic tournament in Rio de Janeiro. The John Deere Classic was moved back two weeks from its mid-July spot before the Open Championship and is taking its place on the schedule for those not qualified for the Olympics.

The 1985 U.S. Women's Open was the 40th U.S. Women's Open, held July 11–14 at the Upper Course of Baltusrol Golf Club, in Springfield, New Jersey, west of New York City. Kathy Baker, 24, won her first LPGA Tour event and only major title, three strokes ahead of runner-up Judy Clark (later Dickinson). Baker (later Guadagnino) held the lead after 54 holes at 210 (−6), one stroke ahead of Clark and 36-hole leader Nancy Lopez.The 153-player field included 24 amateurs.The Upper Course previously hosted the U.S. Open in 1936, won by Tony Manero. The U.S. Women's Open in 1961 was played on the more renowned Lower Course, where Mickey Wright won the third of her four titles.

The 1936 U.S. Open was the 40th U.S. Open, held June 4–6 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, west of New York City. Tony Manero, a relatively unknown pro from New York playing out of North Carolina, surpassed third round leader Harry Cooper in the final round to claim his only major title. The purse was $5,000 and the winner's share was $1,000. The Upper Course was used for this championship; the Lower Course has been used for all subsequent majors at Baltusrol. Entering the final round, Cooper led Manero by four strokes. Manero's final round 67 (−5) was a course record and gave him a 72-hole total of 282 (−6), two strokes ahead of Cooper, who shot 73 (+1) for 284. Manero's total of 282 set a new U.S. Open tournament record by four shots; the previous record of 286 was set in 1916.Manero was fortunate to even be in the championship, because during sectional qualifying, he needed a chip-in on his final hole just to qualify. His victory was not without controversy. During the final round he was paired with Gene Sarazen, whose tournament scoring record he would break. Sarazen apparently requested the pairing as he believed he could help the notoriously high-strung Manero, a close friend, stay calm. Afterwards a complaint was filed with the USGA alleging that Sarazen was actually giving advice to Manero, a violation of the rules. After a meeting, the USGA ruled that there was no evidence of any wrongdoing, and Manero was allowed to keep the championship. In contrast to the previous year, scoring conditions at the Open were ideal throughout the week. For the tournament, 38 players broke par and the scoring average was 76.04, both numbers setting U.S. Open records. Chuck Kocsis finished as low amateur in a tie for 14th place. A record field of 1,278 entered the qualifying for this U.S. Open, up from 1,177 in 1935.

The 1967 U.S. Open was the 67th U.S. Open, held June 15–18 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, west of New York City. Jack Nicklaus shot a final round 65 and established a new U.S. Open record of 275, four strokes ahead of runner-up Arnold Palmer, the 1960 champion. It was the second of Nicklaus' four U.S. Open titles and the seventh of his eighteen major championships. Nicklaus' record score surpassed the 276 of Ben Hogan in 1948 at Riviera. His final round 65 (−5) tied the U.S. Open record for lowest final 18 holes, broken six years later by Johnny Miller at Oakmont. The 275 record stood for thirteen years, when Nicklaus broke it on the same course in 1980. For Palmer, it was his fourth runner-up finish at the U.S. Open in six years; the earlier three were in playoffs (1962, 1963, 1966). Hogan, age 54, played in his final major; he shot 72 in each of the first two rounds and tied for 34th place.After winning the Masters in 1965 and 1966, Nicklaus missed the cut there two months earlier, which also kept him off the first Ryder Cup team for which he was eligible. (Other than a withdrawal in 1983, it was his only missed cut at Augusta from 1960–1993). Lee Trevino, then a club pro from El Paso, finished fifth at Baltusrol in only his second major championship; he made the cut in his debut in 1966 at Olympic in San Francisco. The fifth place earnings of $6,000 allowed him to play in enough tournaments the rest of the 1967 season to earn his tour card for 1968. The high finish gave Trevino an exemption into the U.S. Open in 1968 at Oak Hill, which he won. This was the fifth U.S. Open at Baltusrol and the second on the Lower Course; it previously hosted in 1954. The Upper Course was the site in 1936 and the defunct Old Course in 1903 and 1915. The U.S. Open returned in 1980, also won by Nicklaus, and its most recent appearance was in 1993. The PGA Championship was held at the Lower Course in 2005 and 2016. With his seventh major won at age 27, Nicklaus went over three years before his next, at The Open Championship in 1970.

The 1980 U.S. Open was the 80th U.S. Open, held June 12–15 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, west of New York City. Jack Nicklaus set a new tournament scoring record to win his fourth U.S. Open title, two strokes ahead of runner-up Isao Aoki; in fact, as the tournament transpired these two golfers ended up playing all four rounds together.Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf began the tournament by shooting a record-tying 63 in the first round on the Lower Course on Thursday. Weiskopf, however, did not shoot better than 75 in any other round and finished 37th. After a second round 71, Nicklaus owned a two-stroke lead over Isao Aoki. Aoki, however, carded a third consecutive round of 68 in the third to tie Nicklaus.In the final round on Sunday, Nicklaus birdied the 3rd after Aoki recorded a bogey on 2, taking a two-shot lead. Nicklaus, however, could not separate himself from his challenger. After he hit his approach to 3 feet on 10, Aoki made a long putt from the fringe for a birdie. On the 17th Nicklaus holed a 22-footer for birdie while Aoki made his own 5-footer for birdie. And at the 18th Nicklaus rolled in another birdie from 10-feet to win the championship, his sixteenth major title as a professional.Nicklaus' winning total of 272 established a new U.S. Open standard, breaking the record 275 he set in 1967 on the same Lower Course. He also tied Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, and Ben Hogan by winning his fourth U.S. Open title. Nicklaus had failed to win a tournament in 1979 for the first time in his career, and at 40 many believed his best days were behind him. He won four more times on the PGA Tour with two majors, including the PGA Championship two months later and the Masters in 1986. Seve Ballesteros, the reigning champion of the British Open and Masters, was late to the course on Friday, missed his tee time, and was disqualified; he had carded a 75 on Thursday.The U.S. Open returned to the Lower Course in 1993, and the PGA Championship was played there in 2005 and in 2016.