cover image The U.S. Open: Golf's Ultimate Challenge

The U.S. Open: Golf's Ultimate Challenge

Robert T. Sommers. Atheneum Books, $26.95 (350pp) ISBN 978-0-689-11525-7

Probably the most prestigious tournament on the golf tour, the U.S. Open attracts the best players from all over the world and is played on some of the nation's most challenging courses. Sommers, editor of Golf Journal, traces the history of the event from its start in 1894 to the present. Extracting the maximum amount of drama from every stroke, he concentrates on great stars like Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus, all four-time winners, but does not neglect major players like Francis Ouimet, Sam Snead (who never won, despite playing in 27 Opens) or Lee Trevino. Especially informative are the chapters on the early history of the event and an interesting statistic for those who think the old-timers were better is that the winning score has dropped from the 330s to the 270s. Photos not seen by PW. (April 24)