1920 Western Open
For Jock Hutchison, 1920 was a break-out year. The "Rollicking Scot" would win his first major championship, carding 296 over 72 holes in the Western Open at Olympia Fields. Hutchison would go on that year to win the 1920 PGA Championship at neighboring Flossmoor C.C. and, one year later, the 1921 Open Championship at his native St. Andrews. The 1920 Western Open is also known as the British Western because the top three finishers hailed from the British Isles (Hutchison from St. Andrews; Long Jim Barnes from Cornwall; Harry Hampton from Montrose). Innis Brown, writing in 1920 in the American Golfer, captured the dower mood of America's best players after their drubbing by the dominating foreign-born professionals: "When the committee in charge took up the work of ladling out medals and other emoluments emblematic of the championship and kindred honors in the twentieth Western Golf Association Championship tournament at Olympia Fields, Chicago, the past week, there was nary a homebred golfer close enough to gather more than fleeting snatches of the words of commendation that accompanied the ceremonies. That is, they were not close enough by reason of their places in the finishing list to do other than follow the crowds in applauding what was going on up front."
1925 PGA Championship
In the summer of 1925, Walter Hagan entered Olympia Fields’ locker room like royalty, marching down red carpets with his chauffeur, his secretary, his personal locker attendant, and luggage more fitting for a month abroad than a week of match play. A group of America’s top professionals—Al Watrous, Mike Brady, Leo Diegel, “Lighthorse” Harry Cooper, and “Wild” Bill Mehlhorn—chatting before their practice rounds, feigned hard not to notice, boasting loudly how each would be the one to take “The Haig” down this year. Not missing a beat, Sir Walter shot back what is now one of the most famous predictions in golf: “Which one of you fellows will be second this year?” As fate would have it, Hagan would play and defeat each on his way to his third of five PGA Championships. His only real threat, an early match with Watrous, lasted 39 holes. Brady then fell easily, 7 and 6. Next was Diegel, who was dormie 2 through 34 holes only to collapse on the 40th after watching one of Hagan’s famous miracle puts go down on the 37th, a put that Hagan would call “one of the most difficult puts I have ever faced.” Cooper lasted a respectable 35 holes, losing 3 and 1. In the finals, Hagan played spectacularly, drubbing Mehlhorn 6 and 5 even though “Wild Bill” had played to four under par though 31 holes. As Hagan described the Championship years later in his autobiography, “I was kidding when I called the turn to those fellows, but I may have been kidding as Babe Ruth kidded when he pointed over the center-field fence for his famous home run.”
1927 Western Open
1927 brought back the Western Open to Olympia Fields where Walter Hagen carded a 281 for a total of 72 holes.
1928 U.S. Open
Olympia Fields Country Club was host to the U.S. Open in 1928 where Johnny Farrell beat Bobby Jones in a 36-hole playoff, 143 to 144. They had tied at 294 for 72 holes.
1933 Western Open
Western Open returned to Olympia Fields in 1933 for its third time and Macdonald Smith was the victor with a score of 282 in 72 holes.
1961 PGA Championship
The PGA Championship found its way back to Olympia Fields Country Club for the second time in 1961 where Jerry Barberand Don January tied a 72 hole competition at 277. Barber won the playoff 67 to 68.
1968 Western Open
The western Open finds its home back at Olympia Fields for a fourth time where Jack Nicklaus put on a grand display of golf to win the trophy shooting a 273 for 72 holes.
1971 Western Open
In 1971, Olympia fields Country Club was host to its 5th Western Open and Bruce Crampton recorded a 279 in 72 holes to win the tournament.
1997 U.S. Senior Open
In 1997 the USGA brought the U.S. Senior Open to Olympia Fields for the first time and Graham Marsh finished the tournament victorious with a 280 for 72 holes.
2003 U.S. Open
Jim Furyk celebrated his first Father's Day as a parent by capturing the 2003 U.S Open Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club outside Chicago, winning by three strokes over Stephen Leaney and by seven over Kenny Perry and Mike Weir. They were the only four players to finish under par. Entering the final round with a three-shot lead, Furyk closed with a 2-over-par 72 for an 8-under total of 272, tying the U.S. Open scoring record shared by Jack Nicklaus (1980), Lee Janzen (1993) and Tiger Woods (2000). Except for bogeys on the final two holes, Furyk would have had the record to himself. Leaney also shot 72 on the final day.