Forty-three years ago, the best golfers in the world were scoring like weekend duffers at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in New York.
The parade of long par-4s, the fast greens, the deep rough, the pin placements and the general setup prompted complaints before, during and after play. Hale Irwin won at 7 over par in 1974 in what has come to be known as the "Massacre at Winged Foot." Some players criticized the U.S. Golf Association, claiming it was trying to embarrass them.
Sandy Tatum, a USGA executive in large part responsible for the way the course played, brushed them off.