U.S. OPEN : How Strange It Is in Open : His Back-to-Back U.S. Titles Are First Since Hogan’s Wins in 1950-51

Curtis Strange was well aware of the historical significance of winning his second consecutive U.S. Open golf championship Sunday when he said: “Move over, Ben.”

With Tom Kite and Scott Simpson faltering, Strange became the first player to win back-to-back Opens since Ben Hogan in 1950 and 1951.

He did it with a conservative game plan to play par golf after he learned that Kite, the leader after three rounds, had seemingly self-destructed with a triple bogey at the fifth hole.

Strange shot a par round of 70 at Oak Hills Country Club on a sunny afternoon and clinched his championship with a birdie putt on the 16th green to go three under par for the tournament with only two holes to play.

He got a bogey at the 18th hole by three-putting from 20 feet, but he knew the tournament was his and his place in golf history was secured.

Simpson, the former USC star, playing with Kite in the final twosome, one hole behind Strange, would have had to eagle the par-four 18th to tie Strange.

“I don’t know Mr. Hogan. I’ve never met him,” Strange said. “But it’s not so much what others did, but what others haven’t done. Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer haven’t won back-to-back Opens.”

Strange, the player of the year in 1988, made his first 1989 tour victory a meaningful one. He had a 72-hole total of 278 and earned $200,000 as the winner of the $1.1-million Open.

Ian Woosnam of Wales, Mark McCumber and Chip Beck, all playing ahead of Strange, finished at 279. Brian Claar was fifth at 280, while Simpson and Japan’s Jumbo Ozaki were sixth at 281.

Kite, who had a one-shot lead over Simpson and three over Strange after 54 holes, struggled home with a 78 (283), eight-over par. He was five-under par after three rounds.

So Kite, the third-leading all-time money winner, will still have to live with the stigma of not winning a major championship--Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship--in his otherwise exemplary 13-year pro career.

“My play stunk,” Kite said. “This is kind of what the U.S Open is all about. I’ve been able to escape some of my missed shots the first few rounds, and I didn’t have too many.

“But today every shot I missed killed me. They cost me dearly.”

Kite said the par-five, 594-yard 13th hole destroyed any chance he had of catching Strange to win his first major.

Kite began his round auspiciously. He birdied the par-three third hole to go six under for the tournament. Then, despite his triple bogey at five and bogeys at the eighth and 10th holes, he was still only one shot behind Strange.

Then he had a double bogey at 13 to knock him out of contention.

Kite hit a three-wood into the left rough. Then, he hit a four-wood shot that he said never got airborne and still left him in the rough.

He followed that with a two-iron shot, a nine-iron, a wedge and two-putted for his seven. He got another bogey on the par-three, 177-yard 15th hole, when his tee shot went into the water, but the damage was already done.

“I will survive it,” he said. “I guess the shock of the whole thing is that this will be by far the worst round I will have all year. It is by far the worst round I’ve had for five or six years.

“You don’t have a reputation for consistency like I do and have a round like this. This is more of a fluke, and it’s disappointing, but I’ll come back and contend in some more majors, I promise you.”

Simpson, who shot a 75, with five bogeys, one a double, and two birdies, said that he and Kite couldn’t do anything right.

“Today’s round was real disappointing for me, but it was even more disappointing for Tom,” Simpson said. “I missed a bunch of putts and hit some terrible shots.”

Simpson said he wasn’t aware that he had to make a two on the final hole to tie Strange with the odds prohibitive against him. Strange, though, was aware of it after he putted out on 18.

Asked to compare winning this year’s Open to last year’s in Brookline, Mass., Strange said: “Last year was very emotional for me and my wife, Sarah,” he said. “You dream about something (winning the Open) for so long. This year was more a feeling of satisfaction, of accomplishment. To win the Open two years in a row is really something.”

At that juncture, Strange was reminded that he still has another challenge--to win three Opens in a row, as Willie Anderson did in 1903-1905.

“I knew someone would bring that up,” Strange replied, smiling.

Strange said that patience was the key to his round Sunday. He had gone 35 holes without a birdie until he made a 15-foot putt at No. 16.

“To go as long as I did without a birdie and to just hang in there, I think it took a lot of fortitude and guts,” he said. “And it is a marathon in a lot of ways. It’s such a long golf tournament.

“You have to persevere in something like that and I felt like I did today.”

Strange said he learned at the eighth hole of Kite’s triple bogey at the fifth hole.

“That played into my hand,” he said. “What I mean by that is I could now think about making pars, putting it on the fairways and greens.”

Strange said that his birdie putt on the 16th was his most important of the day.

“It won the Open for me,” he said. “Then, I thought, ‘Just put the ball in the fairway and don’t panic. Par will win it for me.’ ”

He bogeyed the 18th hole, but his title was secure.

With Kite and Simpson slipping away to over-par rounds, Ozaki made a move for a while.

He gained a share of the lead with Strange after a birdie at the 10th hole, but he dropped back by bogeying the 14th hole.

Lee Trevino has called Strange a piranha when he is in sight of a win in a tournament.

When asked about his fortitude, Strange said: “I think it’s something you’re born with. The only reason I talk about it is because I read it and hear other people and players talking about it. It gives me confidence.

“But I think it comes down to who wants it more and I want it a bunch. You have to have a mean streak. You have to take the bull by the horns. You can’t be afraid to lose.”

Strange commiserated with Kite.

“He is too good a player to let this destroy his year, although it might,” Strange said. “He has too good of a record and he’ll be back.

“I think it’s more unusual that he hasn’t won an Open. His type of game plays for an Open. No, I don’t know what to say to him, but I can feel for him.”

Strange shot a 64 Friday to take the lead and then fell three strokes behind with his 73 Satuday. Still, he believed he wasn’t out of it.

Asked what he expects of his career now, Strange said:

“The farthest thing from my mind is backing up now. I would love to win a third major. I can’t be particular about majors, although it’s fantastic to win your own national championship.

“As long as I can keep my desire and motivation, which I really do have, then I can keep getting better.”