He is the golfer who was seven shots behind Arnold Palmer with nine holes to play but went on to win the US Open

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One of the key talking points ahead of the final round of the US Open was which players were too far back to have any chance of lifting the trophy at Oakmont.

The US Open has lived up to its reputation of being one of the most brutal tests on the golfing calendar, with just a handful of players under par over the first three days at Oakmont.

It opens the door for twists and turns.

It was suggested that Scottie Scheffler had too much work to do before the final round, with the world number one starting the day eight shots back of the lead.

But there have been some remarkable turnarounds at the US Open over the years, with one of the most dramatic taking place nearly 60 years ago.

The player who won the US Open from seven shots back of Arnold Palmer with nine holes to play

Arnold Palmer went into the final round of the 1966 US Open with a three shot lead over Billy Casper. The pair had been tied for the lead at the halfway stage at Olympic Club. However, a 73 on Saturday saw Casper fall three shots back of the King.

It appeared that Palmer was coasting towards his second US Open title.

As they reached the turn on Sunday, the lead was up to seven, with Palmer making four birdies. Casper meanwhile, had dropped to one over par for the tournament.

Incredibly, the lead was still five shots with four holes to play. However, Palmer would make three bogeys in a row to open the door for Casper to move level once again.

How Billy Casper beat Arnold Palmer in a playoff at Olympic Club

That forced an 18-hole playoff on Monday. And that saw Palmer again open up a decent lead, with two shots separating the pair after seven holes. In fact, Casper only took the lead on the 13th hole.

Palmer went on to make a double bogey on the 16th hole, helping Casper to go on and win by four. Like Palmer, he had been seeking his second US Open title, having won in 1959 at Winged Foot.

Casper’s final major title came in 1970 when he won The Masters. His final appearance at Augusta National would come 35 years later when he withdrew in 2005.

Palmer meanwhile, would not win another major title after the disappointment of 1966. He would finish second at the US Open one year later, while he was a runner-up at the PGA Championship in 1968 and 1970.