The United States Open expanded from 36 holes to 72 holes in 1898. That year’s championship was played at Myopia Hunt Club in Massachusetts, where competitors completed eight circuits of the club’s nine-hole course.
The change made the tournament substantially more demanding than the first U.S. Opens, which had been contested over 36 holes. Fred Herd won the 1898 championship, finishing seven strokes ahead of Alex Smith and David Bell, and became the first player to win the event after the longer format was introduced.
The 72-hole structure eventually became the familiar four-round championship: 18 holes per day over four days. The U.S. Open has occasionally used unusual layouts and schedules, especially in its earliest years, so historical references to 36 holes can describe the tournament’s original format rather than a modern cut or playoff.