How many non-Americans have won the US Open?

Golfing rivalries between American and non-American players are normally confined to the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup on the men’s side of the sport, but it can also be interesting to take an alternative look at such rivalries through the prism of major championships, including the US Open.

Adberg leads the way at 2024 US Open, McIlroy chasing

Going into the weekend at the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst No. 2, there is a real sprinkling of nationalities at the top of the leaderboard, headed by young Swede Ludwig Aberg.

Rory McIlroy, Thomas Detry and Matthieu Pavon are among the other European hopefuls, while there is Asian representation in the form of Hideki Matsuyama and Tom Kim. Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau and Xander Schauffele lead the American challenge.

After six wins in a row at the event by players from the United States between 2015 and 2020, Spaniard Jon Rahm and Matt Fitzpatrick of England lifted the trophy in back-to-back years before Wyndham Clark ended that brief European run at Los Angeles Country Club last year.

2000 - 2023 US Open Winners

This century, the US Open has been won 11 times by players who were born outside of the US:

Looking back over the history of the US Open, which held its first competition in 1895, there are four periods that can be clearly subdivided according to the quantity (or lack) of international winners. The last two decades of US Open winners, as seen above, have been equally divided between American and international golfers. Going back in time until the beginning in 1895, some different trends of US Open winners emerge according to nationalities.

1946- 1999 US Open winners

The US Open was not held from 1943 to 1945 due to World War II and going back from 1999 to 1946, only five victories came from players from outside of the United States:

1911- 1942 US Open Winners

Prior to World War II, US golfers dominated their Open with only four foreign-born winners in the second period of the tournament:

This era coincides with the domination of US amateur Bobby Jones, who won the US Open in 1923, 1926, 1929 and 1930. Another American Hall of Fame golfer from that time frame was Gene Sarazen, who won the US Open in 1922 and 1932 as well as other majors before the war broke out in Europe.

1895 - 1910 US Open Winners

The initial period of the US Open was dominated by foreign-born golfers. Players from Scotland (12), England (3) and Jersey (1) prevailed in the first 16 years of the tournament. Scottish-born golfer Willie Anderson is the only player to win four consecutive US Open titles (1901, 1902, 1903 and 1904). The only other players to win four US Opens over during their careers were American golfers Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, and Jack Nicklaus.

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Since 1895, the US Open has been won 36 times by non-American golfers. Of those victories 16 were before 1910 and 11 have been since the turn of the millennium.

Which way will the pendulum swing at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2024? The top 20 at the end of round two, separated by just five strokes, is split 11-9 in the non-Americans’ favour, which means it really could go either way.