Gotta Start Somewhere
How last seven U.S. Open champions fared in their first U.S. Open:
1. Tiger Woods: withdrew in 1995 (amateur); tied for 19th in 1997 (pro)
2. Payne Stewart: missed cut in 1984
3. Lee Janzen: missed cut in 1985
4. Ernie Els: tied for seventh in 1993
5. Steve Jones: tied for 46th in 1989
6. Corey Pavin: missed cut in 1983
7. Ernie Els: tied for seventh in 1993
Be-Fore!
Majors won before winning U.S. Open:
1. Tiger Woods, 2000: Masters and PGA
2. Payne Stewart, 1999: PGA and U.S. Open
3. Lee Janzen, 1998: U.S. Open
4. Ernie Els, 1997: U.S. Open
5. Steve Jones, 1996: had won no majors in 14 tries
6. Corey Pavin, 1995: had won no majors in 41 tries
7. Ernie Els, 1994: had won no majors in seven tries
Source: World Features Syndicate
More to Read
Get our high school sports newsletter
Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.