Spieth shine

This is more like it for Jordan Spieth at a major.

He shot a 69 to finish at 1 over for the tournament.

Spieth was well off the lead, but seemed to be feeling much better with his game after shooting 76 in the third round. It was an especially good day for Spieth considering how the wind picked up at Erin

Amateur hour

Scottie Scheffler was the low amateur, shooting a 73 to finish at 1 under.

This has been quite the confidence-building experience for the 20 year-old who plays at Texas. He was the only amateur to qualify out of the tough Columbus sectional.

His sister, Callie, served as his caddie at Erin Hills.

“Being an amateur in the U.S. Open is very cool,” Scheffler said.

Cameron Champ, the only other amateur to make the cut, shot a 76 to finish at even par.

They’re in

Top-10 finishes at Erin Hills will allow Xander Schauffele and Trey Mullinax to return to the U.S. Open next year.

No need to go through qualifying for Shinnecock Hills, after having to travel that route to arrive at Erin Hills.

Mullinax shot 68 on Sunday to tie for ninth at 8 under, eight shots behind winner Brooks Koepka. Mullinax qualified out of the Memphis, Tennessee, sectional.

Schauffele shot 69 to tie for fifth at 10 under in his first U.S. Open. He also qualified out of Memphis, surviving a five-man playoff for one of the final two spots.

Asked about avoiding sectional qualifying next year, Schauffele said, “That’s another thing I didn’t know. Thank you.”

The big easy

Weekend rain softened the greens at Erin Hills. When the wind picked up Sunday, Ernie Els thought of another major championship.

“Today is more like a British Open but they were soft conditions,” the Big Easy said. He shot a 74 to finish at 7 over at Erin Hills, well off the lead.

“So you had to play different shots and the wind is really blustery out there.”

The 47-year-old South African has played in just about every imaginable condition over a 23-year PGA Tour career.

It has been 20 years since Els won the U.S. Open at Congressional, when he held off Colin Montgomerie by a stroke. He also won the Open in 1994, as well as the British Open in 2002 and 2012.

That victory five years ago at Royal Latham was his last tour win. His fiveyear exemption in the majors is running out this year.

But Els seems at peace with where he is at in his career.

“I’ve played 25 of them, and if I play another great. If not, it’s fine. It’s been a good ride,” the popular Els said while signing autographs for fans.

“Maybe something happens in the next couple of months, win something to get into it for next year,” Els added.

“So if that doesn’t happen, it’s been good. It’s been really good.”

Honoring Palmer

The 18th hole at Erin Hills had a special flag for the final round of the U.S. Open.

The flag commemorated the late Arnold Palmer’s win at the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills. It featured a silhouette of Palmer in mid-stride, tossing his visor in the air. Palmer shot a 65 after going into the final round trailing by seven shots.