He is the one-time PGA Tour winner who shot both the first and second 29 over nine holes in US Open history

Neal Lancaster is unlikely to be a household name among many golf fans having only registered one PGA Tour victory and one top-30 finish in a major championship.

The 64-year-old played in 530 PGA Tour events during his career. The high point came when he won a six-man playoff to lift the GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic in 1994. Lancaster was the only player to make a birdie on the first extra hole.

The event had actually been shortened to 36 holes due to weather. Nevertheless, Lancaster was awarded an official victory after the first six-man playoff in PGA Tour history.

The following year, Lancaster would make his first ever appearance in the US Open. He ended up making history at what is widely considered to be the game’s toughest major.

How Neal Lancaster made US Open history

Lancaster reached the back nine on Sunday at Shinnecock Hills at 10 over par. By that stage, any hope of victory had long gone, with Tom Lehman still under par until he reached the turn in Southampton.

Nevertheless, Lancaster went on to birdie six of his last eight holes to become the first player to ever shoot 29 over nine holes in the US Open. That surge saw him finish in a tie for fourth, with Corey Pavin ultimately winning the title.

Heading into the 1996 US Open at Oakland Hills, Lancaster’s form was not particularly impressive. He had not had a top-10 on the PGA Tour in more than two months.

But at the halfway stage, Lancaster was just three shots off the lead held by Payne Stewart and inside the top-10. And that was largely down to yet another 29 over nine holes during the second round.

Unfortunately, he was unable to build on that feat. A second 74 of the week in the third round and a 79 on Sunday ensured that he finished up in a tie for 82nd.

Funnily enough, he finished alongside a young amateur by the name of Tiger Woods. Woods had actually led after 13 holes of the first round, but quickly fell away.

It would be the last time that Woods would finish outside the top-20 at the US Open until 2006.

The players to have shot 29 over nine holes in the history of the US Open

Vijay Singh, Louis Oosthuizen, and Tom Kim have all shot 29 for nine holes since Lancaster’s remarkable efforts.

Lancaster would actually not play in the US Open again until 2003, where he missed the cut.

The previous year, he had reached the 72nd hole of the Canadian Open with a two-shot lead. However, he ended up in a playoff and would lose out to John Rollins.

Lancaster’s final appearance on the PGA Tour came at the Puerto Rico Open in 2019. He ended up withdrawing after posting an 83 in the opening round.