More major glory for Spieth
U.S. OPEN: Dustin Johnson three-putts last hole to give title to Masters champ
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. — On the very last putt, on the very last hole, it finally looked like a U.S. Open.
Jordan Spieth now has a U.S. Open trophy to go with his Masters green jacket after Dustin Johnson failed to two-putt from 12 feet at the closing hole to force a playoff at Chambers Bay.
Spieth birdied the par-5 18th after hitting a 287-yard second shot that stopped 12 feet from the pin. A two-putt birdie took Spieth to 5-under, one clear of South African Louis Oosthuizen, who was in the locker-room at 4-under. On the course still was the big-hitting Johnson, and he needed an eagle to win and a birdie to tie.
Johnson’s five-iron from 247-yards gave him an eagle putt for the championship, but he ran it five feet past and then shocked the golf fans at Chambers Bay by missing the birdie putt.
Spieth is just the sixth player to win the Masters and the U.S. Open in the same year and is quickly becoming the face of the sport.
The 21-year-old was heralded for his humility and maturity at the Masters and showed more of the same, with a dash of new-found swagger, at the U.S. Open.
“I’m still amazed that I won, let alone that we weren’t playing tomorrow” Spieth said.
“So for that turnaround right there, to watch that happen, I feel for Dustin, but I haven’t been able to put anything in perspective yet.”
For Johnson, it’s the latest in a career full of major disappointments. At the 2010 PGA Championship, he was called for a twoshot penalty after grounding his club in a bunker on the 72nd hole with a one-shot lead.
On Sunday, he looked to be a sure bet to at least force a playoff with Spieth before failing to get down in two.
The links-style Chambers Bay course got the better of the players most of the week before the USGA seemed to take its foot off the gas before the final round.
But this was a U.S. Open like never before, so when players were greeted by a Chambers Bay ripe for scoring, should they really have been surprised?
With several tees moved up for the final round, the course played 250 yards shorter than on Saturday. After numerous complaints about the par-4 version of the finishing hole — and Spieth suggesting he might play his drive up fairway No. 1 — the USGA made it a par 5 for the third time of the week.
“I was surprised,” said Canadian Brad Fritsch. “Especially considering I thought they kinda made it known yesterday that it was going to be a par 4. But when 18 started going into the breeze this morning I think that was probably a wise choice.”
Whatever it was, a reaction to the players or a reaction to the wind, a kinder, gentler Sunday setup is another example of Mike Davis and USGA not being afraid to change the notion of what a U.S. Open should be.
Forget the Masters, with two driveable par fours and a par-5 closing hole, this year it was the U.S. Open that didn’t start until the back nine on Sunday.
Oosthuizen’s final round told the story of his week quite nicely. Starting the day at 1-under, the winner of the 2010 Open Championship bogeyed three of his first four holes and was seemingly out of contention before birdieing five in a row beginning at the 12th.
After parring the 16th and 17th, Oosthuizen made a birdie at the closing hole despite hitting his drive into a fairway bunker. He finished the championship at four-under par and waited.
On Thursday, the South African shot 77 playing alongside Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler, who both didn’t break 80.
Oosthuizen shot back-to-back 66s to give himself a chance on Sunday.
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy gave fans tuning in early on Sunday something to watch as he finally had some putts drop.
McIlroy hoped to throw down an early number and put a scare in the leaders but finished his week at even-par after a 4-under 66 on Sunday.
The four-time major winner played as good as anyone from tee-to-green this week and says it bodes well for the year ahead.
For a moment at least, the bumpy greens and quirky linksstyle Chambers Bay course were forgotten and a major that seemed to be making history for all the wrong reasons has the game’s brightest star Jordan Spieth on the front page.