The Story for June is Golf

The story this month takes place in a private club located about 14 miles north and east of downtown Pittsburgh. The Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont (where else?) is the scene this year for golf’s U.S. Open.

The following appeared in the Pittsburg Gazette, Sunday, October 2, 1904.

“Quite the most important event yesterday was the opening of the Oakmont Country Club and the links of this great 18-hole course. It’s the inspiration and design of its president, Mr. Henry C. Fownes, and not only adds to Pittsburg a perfectly equipped club for golfing purposes but is also of sufficient importance as to have national consequences, since it is very much within the probabilities that more than one tournament for a national championship will be decided here.”

How prophetic! Over the years, sixteen national championships have been decided at Oakmont…including seven U.S. Opens. And this Father’s Day, barring a tie that would force an 18-hole playoff, no other course will have crowned more champions than Oakmont, with this being the eighth U.S. Open champion.

In 1927, Tommy Armour, the “Black Scot,” won a playoff with Harry Cooper. In 1935, Sam Parks finished eleven over par but beat Jimmy Thompson by two strokes. Jack Nicklaus, in his rookie year, defeated local Arnold Palmer in a playoff in 1962. And in 1973, Johnny Miller finished spectacularly and ahead of John Schlee by one stroke. Larry Nelson won in 1983 and Ernie Els in 1994.

Only Ben Hogan was a comfortable winner at Oakmont. More than fifty years ago, in the 1953 Open, Hogan finished six strokes ahead of Sam Snead who was second for the fourth time in an event that he never won.

And so the stage is set and time to once again test the challenge of Oakmont.

About the Cover

This month’s cover, features for the third consecutive June, the Hard Rock CAFE.

Hard Rock Cafe Pittsburgh is centrally located along the Monongahela River in Bessemer Court at Station Square, facing downtown. It’s an impressive setting indeed, with room to comfortably seat and accommodate 302.

Here you’ll find the latest collectible and fashion merchandise featuring the world-famous Hard Rock logo that tells where you’ve been.

Finally, whether visiting for the U.S. Open, or something else has brought you to the area, we hope your visit is a pleasant one and most enjoyable.

We at Point also hope you find Pittsburgh is someplace special.

A. Robert Scott
Publisher/Owner

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