Just 22 at the time and without a significant professional win to his name, he beat amateur Chick Evans by one shot.
Hagen led by two shots after 54 holes and finished the championship in style, birdieing the 18th for the fourth consecutive day – the only player ever to have done this in US Open history – for a 2-under-par back nine and a total of 290.
This left Evans on the 18th tee needing a two to tie. The long-hitting amateur almost drove the green at the 253-metre par four and had a 30-foot putt for the eagle, but he narrowly missed, leaving Hagen to claim the winner’s cheque of $300.
The Milwaukee Sentinel of August 22, reporting Hagen’s victory, headlined ‘Comparative Unknown in Golfing World From East Takes American Open Championship’.