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US Open Golf 2015: Results, Highlights from Chambers Bay Weekend
June 22, 2015
Dustin Johnson was 12 feet from his first major win on Sunday at the 2015 U.S. Open, but he missed his eagle putt on the 18th hole. He was then three feet from a playoff-forcing stroke but somehow missed that birdie putt, handing 21-year-old Jordan Spieth his second major win of the year
Those two instantly infamous misses will be the lasting images of this year's U.S. Open. Bleacher Report shared the video from that agonizing final hole:
Johnson ended up tied for second with South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen at four-under for the tournament, hardly a consolation for what could've been on those notoriously choppy, broccoli greens at Chambers Bay. His short game failed him multiple times on Sunday.
"I had all the chances in the world," said Johnson, via the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).
Here's a look at the results from the 2015 U.S. Open.
Johnson's meltdown on the green was in stark contrast to the two excellent shots he hit to set up the potential major-winning putt. The U.S. Open's official Twitter account provided a look at his second shot on that hole:
USA Today's Chris Chase pointed out that this wasn't the first time Johnson has seized up when the moment called for a big shot:
It’s happened before after all. This was the same DJ who once missed out on a playoff in the PGA Championship because he forgot the rules on the 72nd hole and grounded his club in a hazard. This is the same DJ who held a three-shot lead entering the final round of the 2010 U.S. Open and shot an 82. Some golfers have it, some don’t. Johnson has most of 'it,' but when it comes to conquering the knee-knocking moments, he doesn’t.
Spieth managed to keep his cool on No. 18 on Sunday despite having double-bogeyed the No. 17 hole and double-bogeying the 18th on Friday. He certainly made his feelings known after struggling to close out his second day on the tricky course, per FOX Sports:
Perhaps understanding the pressure—and eventually, pain—Johnson was under, Spieth was diplomatic with his post-tournament answers.
"I'm still amazed that I won, let alone that we weren't playing tomorrow," Spieth said, via the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "So for that turnaround right there, to watch that happen, I feel for Dustin, but I haven't been able to put anything in perspective yet."
Johnson epitomizes the agony of defeat and Spieth the thrill of victory, but the final day wasn't solely a showdown between these two. World No. 1 Rory McIlroy put some pressure on the leaders with his strong final day score of 66, which featured an incredible 72-foot birdie putt, shared by PGA Tour:
The story carrying over from Saturday to Sunday was Jason Day, who somehow managed to shoot a 68 in the third round to take a share of the lead entering the final round despite playing through vertigo symptoms, reported by ESPN.
Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star put the debilitating effects of vertigo into perspective:
Day fell well off the pace on Sunday with a final-round 74, but few will forget his strength and determination out on the links. His ability to pull off shots such as these, courtesy of the U.S. Open, was nothing short of incredible:
Two-time U.S. Open winner Ernie Els had a very rough tournament, shooting 149 over the weekend, but he did manage to conjure up a bit of magic on the No. 16 hole, via the U.S. Open:
There were plenty more fine shots during the U.S. Open, but Spieth's golf was the most consistent of any player in the tournament, and he reaped the rewards.
The Texan became the first golfer since Tiger Woods in 2002 to win both the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year. He's in fine form, and the Grand Slam talk should be in full force when the British Open commences on July 16.
The tournament will be at St. Andrews this year. The last time it was held there was in 2010, when Oosthuizen took home the top prize. It features wide greens and numerous bunkers, obstacles Spieth proved he could overcome at Chambers Bay.