Drama, trauma spike Spieth’s US Open win
DRAMA attended yet again the fabled US Open, producing heartrending thrills from bizarre to sublime before its cacophonic conclusion yesterday.
But if there was drama, trauma also struck America’s 115th national golf championship.
Jordan Spieth survived five putts in the last two holes to win by a shot. Just one.
And while that one-shot winning margin meant many firsts again for Spieth, it unleashed untold pain once more on Justin Johnson.
Johnson was from front-runner to trailer middle of yesterday’s final-round combat.
Then Johnson, the lengthiest of all from the tee, willed himself into contention with a hole left, grabbing an outright win or forcing Spieth to a playoff.
Johnson started it with a picture-perfect drive on the par-5 18th, his ball sizzling straight as an arrow and next sitting still in the middle of the alley-tight fairway.
He would next plant his approach some 12 feet past the cup for the eagle putt that would give him the crown outright.
But if golf gods are for real, so do golf’s demons.
Johnson completely missed the downhill putt. Coming back from under four feet to tie Spieth, Johnson junked it.
It was 2010 Pebble Beach anew, when Johnson collapsed and blew away a won US Open. Twice from leader to loser.
Why would one three-putt the last hole, from 12 feet at that? And lose a major—by one? Cruel is a weak word for it.
Indeed, my heart goes to Johnson, who turns 31 today. “I was shocked,” said Spieth of Johnson’s sputtering finish.
Minutes earlier, Spieth had faced a similar Johnson-like situation.
Three-putting 17 to fall into a tie for the lead, he hit an improbable 287-yard, 3-wood into the 18th green—a shot that deftly defied demons as it sailed down from the top of the green. From 20 feet, Spieth two-putted—the final stroke a tap in for 69 and a minus 5 total against Johnson’s 70.
Louie Oisthuizen closed out a 67 after a backnine, 5-birdie binge to tie Johnson for second overall at minus 4s.
With his victory, Spieth, 21, became the youngest to win both the Masters and US Open in the same year, tying Tiger Woods’ feat in 2002.
Oh, what’s with Woods, the 14-time majors champ? Shooting a first-round 80, Woods, 39, got cut—yet again.
If that’s not also a terrible, terrifying trauma, what is?