Which golfer was the first amateur to win the U.S. Open?

Francis Ouimet was the first amateur to win the U.S. Open, taking the 1913 championship at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Ouimet, a 20-year-old former caddie, defeated British stars Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in an 18-hole playoff after the three finished tied. He won by five strokes over Vardon and six over Ray, producing one of the most important upsets in American golf history.

The victory helped popularize golf in the United States because Ouimet was a local amateur rather than an established professional. His caddie, 10-year-old Eddie Lowery, became part of the tournament’s enduring story.

A common mix-up is confusing the U.S. Open with the Open Championship. Ouimet won the U.S. Open; the Open Championship is the separate major traditionally played in the United Kingdom. Ouimet later won the U.S. Amateur twice.