Oakmont (USA), June 16 (IANS) Unheralded JJ Spaun produced two amazing birdies on the last two holes to win the 125th US Open and change his life and career.
Winner of one PGA Tour title before this, Spaun who began the day trailing Sam Burns by one, had five bogeys in the first six holes, but with scoring being so difficult, he was still in contention when he came to the 17th and was chasing Scotsman Robert MacIntyre, who had set the clubhouse target of 1-over after finishing with a brilliant round of 2-under 68.
Spaun was tied with MacIntyre when he came to the 17th. He produced a great 314-yard drive on the 17th and birdied to take the lead. On the 18th, he needed two putts from 65 feet for the win, but he holed for a grandstand finish and the longest putt of the tournament to card 2-over 72 and grab a 2-shot win at the Oakmont Country Club, which was at its most difficult in wet conditions. That made him the only player to finish under par at 1-under 279. It gave him a two-shot victory over MacIntyre.
Indo-British Aaron Rai, after three rounds of 72, added a 73 and was T-33. Indian-American Akshay Bhatia missed the cut, and Sahith Theegala missed the event due to a neck injury.
The win made Spaun, the 36-year-old Californian, a major champion in only his second U.S. Open. Spaun raised both arms and tossed his putter, jumping into the arms of caddie Mark Carens. Spaun finished last year at No. 119 in the world with only one PGA TOUR title in his career.
Burns had a two-shot lead going to the 11th tee, made a double bogey from a divot in the first cut, and from a lie in the fairway so wet he thought he deserved relief. He shot 78. Adam Scott, trying to become the first player to go more than 11 years between major titles, was tied for the lead with five holes to play. One of the best drivers could no longer find the fairway. He played them in 5-over and shot 79. He was T-12.
One shot behind at the start of the day, Spaun opened with five bogeys in six holes with some horrific breaks. And then came a rain delay of 1 hour, 37 minutes. Viktor Hovland, who shot 73 to finish third, saw it all, including the putt at the end, and the bogeys at the start.
The weather delay changed the whole vibe for Spaun, and he made only one bogey the rest of the way. Then came the amazing finish.
MacIntyre, 28, also struggled at the start and fell nine shots behind at one point. But he birdied the 17th and split the fairway on the 18th for a key par and a 68 and the clubhouse lead. MacIntyre came close to becoming Scotland’s first major champion since Paul Lawrie in 1999.
Hatton (72) and Ortiz (73), in serious contention at a major for the first time, tied for fourth along with Cameron Young (70). The consolation for Ortiz was getting into the Masters next year. Scottie Scheffler, 10 shots behind early in the final round, was somehow still part of the story on the back nine. But he missed far too many birdie chances, even three-putting from 12 feet on the 11th hole. The world’s No. 1 player finished with a 70 to tie for seventh with Jon Rahm (67) and Burns, his best friend.
Rory McIlroy shot 67 and ended T-19 after a week when he, like most others, had a rough time.
–IANS
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