US Open Golf 2015: Final Reaction to End-of-Play Leaderboard
In a fitting conclusion to what was an inconsistent and unpredictable U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, Jordan Spieth emerged victorious with a final score of five-under par, following a disastrous three putt by Dustin Johnson on the 72nd hole.
Describing the finish as shocking would be a significant understatement.
Every member of the field was battling the links-style track all week—and plenty of mixed reviews were the result—as Chambers Bay proved to be a formidable foe. But late on Sunday, the leaders became their own worst enemies.
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Before we delve into the tournament's dramatic conclusion, let's first take a look at the final standings from the 2015 U.S. Open:
There you have it. Spieth took his second consecutive major with a final score of five-under. With the victory, he became just the sixth golfer to win both the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year and joined the legendary Gene Sarazen as the only players to win multiple majors before the age of 22. However, Spieth's road to the title wasn't easy.
The world No. 2 had a rocky start to his day, three-putting the first hole for a bogey. Considering putting is one of Spieth's biggest strengths, it wasn't a good omen. Although, the 21-year-old phenom would bounce back and record a birdie on the par-five eighth to make the turn at even par.
While Spieth remained stagnant, Johnson began to make a move. The big-hitter utilized his punishing drives to put himself in position to strike and accumulated birdies on the fourth and eighth holes, effectively making the turn with a two-under 33 and taking the outright lead.
Things would soon change.
Spieth's shaky putter let him down for the majority of the round, but driving the green on the 270-yard par-four 12th allowed for a comfortable two putt for birdie. Meanwhile, Johnson's putter completely abandoned him, as he missed two six-foot putts and one seven-foot putt en route to three bogeys through the first four holes on the back nine.
Perhaps the writing was on the wall already.
After three pars, Spieth took the tee box on the par-four 16th looking to distance himself from the pack. He hit a great drive and was set up just short of the green for his approach. His pitch checked up on him early and left him with a 27-footer for birdie that came equipped with about four feet of break. Despite missing practically every putt throughout his round, Spieth somehow managed to hole the putt and take a commanding lead.
With Johnson just making pars, and Branden Grace taking a disastrous double bogey on the same hole, Spieth's lead was suddenly increased to three strokes. Just like that, the U.S. Open appeared to be well in hand. But, then again, this tournament was being played at the enigmatic Chambers Bay.
On the ensuing hole—the par-three 17th—Spieth's tee shot went well wide of the green. His pitch found the green in two, but left him a long way out. From about 41 feet away, it took the world No. 2 three putts to finally find the hole for a double bogey. All of a sudden, he was tied at the top with Louis Oosthuizen, who miraculously birdied six of his final seven holes to shoot a 29 on the back nine.
Adding to the drama was Johnson back on the 17th tee. Just one shot back from Spieth, he hit an absolutely clutch tee shot on the 219-yard par three, placing his ball just six feet away after a well-struck six iron. He holed the putt and joined Spieth and Oosthuizen atop the leaderboard once more.
It all came down to the 18th hole. A hole that received plenty of criticism over the week for playing as a par four. Well, with the tee box moved back, it played as a 601-yard par five on Sunday.
Spieth doesn't hit the ball a long way, and that was very beneficial on the final hole, as his drive came to rest just shy of a fairway bunker, allowing him to go for the green in two. His approach was magnificent and came to rest 16 feet from the hole. An eagle would have likely sealed the tournament right there, but Spieth's putting woes came back to haunt him, as he settled for a birdie.
With the world No. 2 now in the clubhouse, Johnson knew an eagle would win the U.S. Open and a birdie would be good enough to tie. Known to be a bit of a gambler with his golf game, he took driver off the tee and blasted it over 350 yards down the fairway. With just 250 yards to the hole, and plenty of pressure on his shoulders, he hit a clutch iron that put him 17 feet from immortality.
Johnson lined up his putt and struck it hard—he wanted to win right then and there—but the abundance of pace saw the ball sail wide and roll a good five feet past the hole. He had some work left. Perhaps it was the pressure of the moment, or maybe his emotions just got the best of him, but Johnson couldn't find the line and missed the short putt that would have forced an 18-hole playoff on Monday.
Johnson was stunned. Spieth was stunned. The world was stunned.
Spieth had won the U.S. Open in a way he didn't want—he watched a fellow professional melt down before his very eyes. Upon the conclusion of the tournament, Spieth was asked about how it felt to win the U.S. Open on the Fox broadcast (h/t ESPN.com), and all he could muster was "I'm in shock."
The world No. 2 will now set his sights on this year's Open Championship, which is taking place at the Old Course at St. Andrews—one of golf's most historic and famed venues. A victory there would put him one step closer to achieving a Grand Slam in a calendar year—something no one has ever done in golf's modern era.
However, let's not put the cart before the horse here and allow Spieth to revel in his most recent accomplishment. He's truly become one of golf's most recognizable players and a symbol for the sport's strong future.
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