Spieth out of the mix but hits fine 69 in final round
● Gusty conditions put paid to former champion’s hopes for another year
Former champion Jordan Spieth was among the interested spectators as the US Open headed for a thrilling climax at Erin Hills yesterday.
Despite winds gusting up to 25mph which forced tournament officials to change the pin position on the par-three 13th, Spieth showed what was still possible with a closing 69.
Previous rounds of 73, 71 and 76 meant the 23-year-old was finished before the final few groups teed off.
Spieth had struggled on the greens all week at Erin Hills and both of his bogeys yesterday came from threeputting, but the former world No 1 was pleased not to have “thrown in the towel”.
“I thought it was a fantastic round of golf, given what we were dealing with to start the day,” the 23-year-old said. “This (wind) is light and variable compared to the beginning of the day, but that’s what you get for playing a poor first few rounds.
“I struck the ball the same way I have been. I think I hit 17 greens today which was just awesome in these conditions. And then my expectations were lowered on the greens given the conditions. I think that was the difference.
“I was able to get to a few under by just accepting the fact that the putt might miss instead of having to have it be perfect.
“That’s what we’ve been working on, but maybe a day like today is all it needed to just kind of calm down.”
Tommy Fleetwood, who was hoping to become the third English winner since 1924 after Tony Jacklin (1970) and Justin Rose (2013), began the day in a tie for second with Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka, a shot behind surprise leader Brian Harman.
Thomas had equalled the lowest score in major championship history with a stunning 63 on Saturday, a nineunder-par round which was also the lowest in relation to par in a US Open.
Harman, playing in his first major since missing the cut in all four in 2015, was attempting to become the first left-hander to win the title in a week which saw sixtime runner-up Phil Mickelson opt to attend his daughter’s high-school graduation rather than compete.
The world No 50 was also hoping to become the fourth player in succession to convert a 54-hole lead into victory after Henrik Stenson and Jimmy Walker in the last two majors of 2016 and Sergio Garcia in April’s Masters.
Victory for any of the top 16 players on the leaderboard would extend the streak of first-time major winners to seven, a run dating back to Jason Day’s win in the 2015 US PGA.