King Koepka American clinches first major as Fleetwood challenge fades
American hits stride to claim his first major Fleetwood edged out after battling display
American Brooks Koepka marched to victory in the US Open – his first major success – after a storming back nine proved too much for his rivals, including England’s Tommy Fleetwood.
It was first time Fleetwood had found himself in contention in a major and there always was the likelihood that he would fall short. Yet while the 26-year-old missed out becoming just the second Englishman to win the US Open in the last 47 years, nobody could fault his effort.
Fleetwood, who began the day one shot off the lead, battled back resiliently from three bogeys in six holes from the third, but his putter was nowhere near as compliant as it had been and was ultimately the culprit. He missed a tiddler on the third and when he needed birdies on the back nine, the flat-stick let him down.
A six-footer on the 11th went begging and then a 10-footer on the 12th. There was a birdie on the parfive 14th, where he hit a brilliant wedge to three feet, and then two great saves on the 15th and 16th, but he had conceded too much ground to playing partner Koepka by then.
The 27-year-old American, who learned his trade on the European Tour, had gone through his first 16 holes in five under and finished with a 67 for a finishing total of 272 for 16 under.
After three days of eagles and birdies, the gusts arrived and so a proper US Open broke out. Par suddenly became friend and the field began to catch cabbage where before they had mainly made hay.
Of course, there are always a few who somehow manage to get around in red figures and here Hideki Matsuyama was the professional whom made the biggest mockery of the conditions.
The world No4 reeled off eighth birdies and two bogeys in a 66 which, considering the conditions, rivalled Justin Thomas’s recordbreaking 63 on Saturday for quality. It could and should have been better. The 25-year-old pulled his drive into the fescue and was forced to hack out on his way to a bogey. However, he was not complaining. He rises above Rory Mcilroy into second in the rankings.
Thomas’s fourth round was in direct contrast to his third. As impervious as he appeared 24 hours earlier so he looked flaky, dropping three shots in his first five holes and falling to eight under with three remaining.
Rickie Fowler was another young American who promised so much, but as so often seems the way with this fine competitor in the majors, wilted when the pressure is at its most intense. Fowler’s 72 was far from disastrous but he would have expected more than a 10-under finish after starting with a 65.
Eddie Pepperell produced a bat- tling 71 to finish on five under and claim his first top 20 in the majors. Not bad for a player ranked 458th in the world who lost his European Tour card at the end of last season and who as recently as March was petrified event to pull his driver from the bag.
“The most pleasing thing for me this week was my consistency of the tee,” he said. “Driving was a strength this week and that is such a change from three months ago when I was scared to use the driver. I hung in there well this week and didn’t make a double bogey all week which is something I am very proud of actually. It’s definitely been a week to build on.
“I’ve come a long way since losing my card in Portugal at the end of last season. Losing my card the way I did was a disgusting feeling. I went back to my hotel room and cried that day and that is something I hadn’t done since I was a kid.
“It hurt a lot but you have to put in perspective: it’s just a career and I know from the lows are born the highs so you know it will come around again.”
Pepperell outperformed his playing partner Sergio García, the Masters champion who shot a 72 to finish on four under.
That was two ahead of Paul Casey, whose weekend tailed off badly. The former world No3 was one of the co-leaders at the haflway stage, but shot a 75-74 to end up outside the top 25 on two under.
Scotland’s Martin Laird closed with a 73 for level par, while Matt Fitzpatrick’s 76 gave him a one-over total. Another Englishman in Andrew “Beef ” Johnston concluded with a 75 for two over. Lee Westwood, the 44-year-old, dropped to seven over after a 76.
It seemed to be another major, another farewell for Ernie Els. At the Masters in April, the 47-yearold all but acknowledged that would be it as far as Augusta was concerned, with his exemption for winning the 2012 Open running out this year.
Again, he was in resigned mood here after signing off with a 74 for a seven-over total. At least Els has two US Open victories to look back on with pride.
He first teed it up in the year’s second major in 1993, won the next year at Oakmont, denying Colin Montgomerie in a play-off, and then in 1997 at Congressional, with Montgomerie again second.
“It’s been 25 years of great stuff,” Els said. “How many guys can say they played in 25 years of US Opens?”