1978 U.S. Open (golf)

The 1978 U.S. Open was the 78th U.S. Open, held June 15–18 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, a suburb south of Denver. Andy North held on for a one-stroke victory over runners-up Dave Stockton and J. C. Snead to claim the first of his two U.S. Open titles.

The strength in North's game was putting, and he needed only 114 putts over 72 holes, tying the record set by Billy Casper in 1966. This was North's second win on the PGA Tour, but he did not win again until the 1985 U.S. Open; of North's three career PGA Tour wins, two of them came at the U.S. Open.

This was the third and most recent U.S. Open at Cherry Hills, which previously hosted in 1938 and 1960. It was also the site of the PGA Championship in 1941, and later hosted in 1985. The average elevation of the course exceeds 5,300 feet (1,615 m) above sea level.

Three players received special exemptions into the field: 21-year-old Seve Ballesteros of Spain and former champions Arnold Palmer (1960) and Billy Casper (1959, 1966), increasing the field to 153.

Only 43 players in the original field of 150 were exempt from the qualifying process, and the PGA Tour felt this was too few. To protest, the Tour staged its Buick Open the same week this year as an alternate event. Jack Newton defeated Mike Sullivan with a birdie on the first playoff hole to take the $20,000 winner's share.