Johnson leaves no doubt, wins first major
Dustin Johnson, right, greets his fiancÈí Paulina Gretzky as he holds their son Tatum Gretzky on the 18th hole during the final round of the U.S. Open golf championship at Oakmont Country Club Sunday.
Dustin Johnson, right, shakes hands with Shane Lowry after Johnson won the U.S. Open Sunday at Oakmont Country Club.
OAKMONT – Nothing comes easy for Dustin Johnson.
The nine-year veteran of the PGA Tour overtook Shane Lowry and blew past a fading Andrew Landry while putting a controversial ruling earlier in the final round in the rearview mirror to win the 116th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club Sunday.
Johnson finished the round at 1-under-par 69 for the round and 4-under for the tournament, three shots better than Jim Furyk, Lowry and Scott Piercy. Sergio Garcia and Brandon Grace were tied for fifth.
Lowry, the third-round leader, saw a four-stroke lead evaporate after shooting 6-over 76. Landry, who started the final round tied with Johnson for second place at 2-under, blew up over the final 18 to card a 78 and finish at 5-over, tied for 15th.
“Best Father’s Day ever,” said Johnson.
“This feels really good. Feels well deserved. I’ve had a lot of opportunities that I didn’t quite get it done. So this one’s definitely really sweet.”
It was the first major championship for Johnson, who missed a three-footer in last year’s tournament at Chambers Bay in Washington that would have forced a tie and playoff with Jordan Spieth.
“I showed that I can come back,” said Johnson.
On the No. 5 green, Johnson’s ball moved at address and he called an official over for a ruling before making the putt. Later in the round, he was told by the USGA that the issue would be decided after the round was over.
“I knew I was swinging well, and I just kept thinking, ‘It’s just me and the course,'” he said. “I’m playing against the course. I can’t control what anyone else does. It doesn’t matter now. It worked out. After everything I’ve been through, being knocked around, it feels good to be here.”
Reaction on the ruling from some of Johnson’s rivals on the PGA Tour was swift on social media.
“Lemme get this straight.. DJ doesn’t address it. It’s ruled that he didn’t cause it to move. Now you tell him he may have? Now? This a joke?” – Jordan Spieth
“This is ridiculous… No penalty whatsoever for DJ. Let the guy play without this (stuff) in his head. Amateur hour from @USGA” – Rory McIlroy
@JordanSpieth @McIlroyRory w/ you boys! The fact that the @usga thinks that DJ caused the ball to move is completely ridiculous! Laughable! – Rickie Fowler
Johnson also found heartbreak in the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits with another controversial ruling.
On the final hole, Johnson was penalized two strokes for grounding his club in one of the many tiny and shallow bunkers on the course, dropping him into a tie for fifth instead of getting into a playoff with Bubba Watson and eventual champion Martin Kaymer.
Johnson played the final 18 in 1-under 69, a strong effort on a dried-out Oakmont course pelted by more than three inches of rain that disrupted the first round and threw the tournament into a game of catch-up. He rallied and played the final four holes in 1-under.
Lowry missed a 5-footer for par on 14, which started a string of three bogeys that ended his chances.
“I learned a lot,” said Lowry. “I was aware of what was going on. I was hanging in there and hanging in there. Then, at 14, it spiraled out of control. I’m bitterly disappointed, standing here. And, you know, it’s not easy to get yourself in a position I got myself in. It was there for the taking and I didn’t take it.”
Landry said he doesn’t regret a moment at Oakmont.
“I always wanted to be at the U.S. Open. It’s just one of those. It’s a major. It’s our Kentucky Derby. It’s awesome. It’s obviously one of the greatest moments of my life right now, but I deserve to be here.”
Spieth, the defending champion, saw his round fall apart on No. 6, a par-3, where he needed four putts to get off the green. Spieth finished the tournament 9-over par after a 75.
Furyk made a strong run over the final 18, shooting 4-under 66 to finish 1-under. Furyk, who is making his way back from wrist surgery, finished second to Angel Cabrera in the last U.S. Open at Oakmont in 2007.
“I did a good job keeping ball in front of me and in the fairway,” said Furyk. “I just wasn’t able to get over the hump on the back nine. It was a big bonus to come in playing 7-under of the last nine holes. It was shooting 6-over on the front nine in the third round that did me in.”
Furyk said he was overwhelmed by the support of the fans.
“I had a ton of support this week from my birthplace, West Chester,” he said. “I heard a lot. I heard Lancaster, where I grew up. I heard Manheim Township where I went to high school. I heard all kinds of stuff from Western PA. My dad was a pro in Uniontown. I heard every little town and borough through here. My mom and dad grew up in Natrona Heights and Lower Burrell. I heard that. I heard their high schools being called out. I had a lot of places claiming me. It was a lot of fun.”