ABC’s Al Trautwig and eventual winner of the 1987 US Open Golf Tournament at Olympic Club in San Francisco sit in the interview booth and watch the twosome of Tom Watson and Keith Clearwater play the final hole…..with Watson needing a birdie to tie Simpson for the lead…..as the action is called by Jim McKay and Jack Nicklaus.
Watson held a share of the lead after 36 holes….then took a one-shot lead over Simpson and Keith Clearwater into the final round…..afterr Clearwater shot a six-under 64 on Saturday to get into the final pair with Watson….but Watson struggled out of the gate on Sunday on Olympic’s difficult start….as he bogeyed the first two holes and the fifth as well…..whereas Simpson in the twosome ahead of Watson and Clearwater, birdied the first but then had three bogeys in four holes. With consecutive birdies at 8 and 9, Watson carried a one-stroke lead to the back nine….when Simpson took the lead with a 30-footer (9 m) for birdie at 15….but Watson responded with a birdie at 14 to tie….then at 16, Simpson sank a 9-footer (2.7 m) for his third straight birdie to take the lead….as Watson missed his from 12 feet (3.7 m) to match. Simpson found a greenside bunker at 17….then hit his sand shot to 6 feet (1.8 m) and saved par…..and with a par on 18, Simpson was in the clubhouse with a 68….and Watson needed a birdie to a force a Monday playoff….. when his 35-foot (11 m) putt narrowly missed….and Simpson was the champion by a stroke.
