The legendary Arnold Palmer once said, "Winning
isn't everything, but wanting it is."
When those on verge of greatness fall short,
it's the unspoken questions that take the
deepest aim.
Is talent being wasted?
Is there enough desire?
Can they get it done?
In golf the label of underachiever has been
stamped on the careers of even major championship
winners, but especially those gifted players
who have never won.
No major championship offers a greater opportunity
to reverse a career narrative than the U.S. Open
It's a platform to rewrite history.
In 2016, at a place where careers have been
transformed, the burden of potential was finally
lifted, and so it was at the 116th U.S. Open
at Oakmont for DJ's Major Redemption.
The U.S. Open is widely regarded as golf's
ultimate test.
Jack Nicklaus, who won the championship a
record-tying four times, always said that
while he could contend in other majors with
less than his A-game, you just can’t fake
out the U.S. Open.
The quintessential U.S. Open course is Oakmont
Country Club, founded in 1903 outside Pittsburgh.
In 2016 at the 116th edition of the championship,
Oakmont hosted the U.S. Open for a record ninth time
As it always has, the muscular layout in the
heart of steel country would demand the very
highest standard of both ball control and
self-control.
It's going to test every club in your bag.
It's gonna test how you think, how you recover
from situations that, you know inevitably
over 72 holes, you're gonna get into some
trouble and it, and it's how you think your
way and how you execute your way out of it.
Former USGA President Sandy Tatum defined
the goal when he said, "We're not trying to
embarrass the best golfers in the world, we're
trying to identify them."
It's very, very difficult.
Something unlike you play any week of the
year – tougher, longer, a marathon type
of test, not a, not a sprint.
So it's a different game, different mentality,
different attitude that you take to a U.S. Open
I love the tough test that we really have
to think every mistake is magnified and it
should be.
Many have fallen short of achieving their
U.S. Open goals.
Some of the games greats have endured failure
before finding the pinnacle of their golf
careers.
Jack Nicklaus nearly won his first major at
the U.S. Open in 1960 but succumbed to the legendary
Arnold Palmer.
Palmer drops the putt with a sensational last
round 65.
Two years later the Golden Bear overcame the
loss by defeating the hometown hero, Palmer,
at Oakmont, in an 18-hole playoff to capture
his first major.
Tiger Woods finished third in 1999 and won
his first U.S. Open in 2000.
Tiger Woods is the 100th U.S. Open Champion
in history
Throughout his career, Dustin Johnson has
faced the same trials that Tiger and Jack
faced.
DJ, a gifted modern golfer, who's had multiple
chances to claim his first major championship,
has so far come up empty.
At the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, Johnson
entered the final round with a three-stroke
lead over Graeme McDowell.
Sunday at Pebble was probably one of the biggest
learning experiences of my career.
It was my first time in a situation I really
didn't know what to expect or how to handle myself
Johnson got off to a nervous start that quickly
took him out of contention.
He struggled home in 82 to finish in eighth.
Wow, hard to tell where that ended up but that is left.
There's all kinds of stuff that goes on.
When you got the lead in the major and it helped me later in the PGA, I was you know back in
the same situation.
Two months later at the PGA Championship at
Whistling Straits, Johnson came to the 72nd
hole with a one-stroke lead.
After what he thought was a bogey that would
have sent him to a playoff, DJ was assessed
a two-stroke penalty for having grounded his
club in a bunker that he had believed was
not a hazard.
It was yet another bitter ending as Johnson
finished fifth.
Obviously everyone knows about the miss out
in the bunker, other than that I played really well.
But the heaviest blow came in 2015 at Chambers
Bay.
Johnson had an eagle putt on 18 to win.
After missing the 12-footer, Johnson had a
short putt to send it to a playoff against
Jordan Spieth.
Once again, it was not to be.
Jordan Spieth has won the U.S. Open!
Many predicted Johnson would never recover
after so many missed opportunities but he never
waivered in his belief.
Coming off the disappointment last year, do
you feel you're better prepared to handle
things if you're in that position again?
I, I feel like my game in those situations
has held up just fine.
You know, that's all, that's all I'm trying
to do is just give myself a chance on the
back nine on Sunday.
Not that I've never thought about it, of course,
I mean people ask me about it all the time,
so it's kind of hard not to think about it
but I felt like I did everything I was supposed
to do in that U.S. Open, you know, coming
down the stretch with a chance to win.
At 17 I hit a great shot in there, made a
birdie.
You know at 18 I hit a great drive and a great
second shot.
But I didn’t feel I hit a bad putt or anything
so there was nothing for me to, to be upset
about or, or to worry about or to, to dread
on.
You know if, if Dustin three-putts the last
hole, you know I had three-putts at 16 you know?
That could have been number 8 and 12.
You know it just, it's more significant because
of where it happened but everyone was three-putting.
People are gonna three-putt this week, it
just happens at a U.S. Open.
I certainly felt bad for him.
I would have ultimately liked him to have
made the second putt and then I would liked
to have beat him on Monday, um, but you know
it's 72 holes, add them up and we ended up
one stroke ahead.
I just feel like this has always been the
way he's done it.
Is the way he's handled it, has been impressive.
You know, he's a guy that's has just never
let it get him down.
It's always easy from the cheap seats to say,
"Oh I should have hit it there," but it's
hard to do it when you're under pressure and
you're trying to win a tournament.
You know a lot of fans, a lot of people just
around the world just don't realize how tough
it is to win.
One guy who fully understands this notion
is Phil Mickelson.
With over 40 victories in his career, including
five major championships, Mickelson has finished
second in the U.S. Open, a record six times.
A victory at Oakmont would give him the final
leg to the career Grand Slam.
I could B.S. you and tell you I don't think
about it; no I think about it all the time.
This is the tournament I want to win the most.
I have to put that out of my head and try
to execute and be patient and not think about results
You start thinking about results, you'll never
play your best golf.
This year and every year here forward until
ultimately win this tournament it'll be my
biggest focus, my biggest thought.
Jason Day came to Oakmont as the world's number-one-ranked player.
The 28-year-old Aussie won the final major
of 2015 at the PGA Championship and added
three more victories in 2016, including the
Players Championship.
He finished second at the U.S. Open twice.
You know, being very close to winning a U.S. Open especially in the last few years and
had two 2nd place finishes but this is one
tournament that is very stressful and I, I
feel like I, I thrive under stress and,
and hopefully I can do that this, you know this year
2011 U.S. Open champion and former world number one Rory McIlroy encountered Oakmont for the first time
The winner of four major championships by
the age of 25, the Northern Irishman knows
adding another is the fastest way to regain
his position at the very top of the game.
You know I got a good look here at Oakmont
last Monday and Tuesday and then played another
couple of rounds yesterday and today, so you
feel as, as prepared as I, as I can be coming
in here and you know I, I feel like I've got
a good game plan for the course.
It's just a matter of going out there and
executing it.
Defending champion Jordan Spieth is seeking
to bounce back from the toughest loss of his
career two months before at the Masters.
He intends to draw on his memories of victory
at Chambers Bay in an effort to win his third
major.
Winning a U.S. Open is a different experience
than winning at any other venue.
Literally anything can happen.
As much as I speak to major championships
being like two events in one, you have to
have a patience for, for two rounds each round.
It's no more relevant than at a U.S. Open.
Amongst the seasoned champions of the game,
other stories would emerge at Oakmont.
Could a Cinderella stake his claim?
Would it be a foreigner winning on U.S. soil?
Or perhaps a redemption story for the ages?
This year's championship would be unlike any
other played before.
Historically, U.S. Open golf courses are the
most daunting of all championship courses
played throughout the season, and in 2016
Oakmont was to be the hardest of them all.
It has really been a demanding test of golf
and a strategic test of golf as well.
While the course has certainly changed
a little bit over time, between the growth
of trees and the removal of trees, it really
has maintained its ability to produce excellent championships
Oakmont from even the first time I saw it,
it, it set up well to my eye.
Right in front of you there's nothing tricky
about it.
It's very hard but very fair – deep rough,
the bunkers are deep, the greens are really
tough, there's a lot of slope.
It's the kind of golf course I like.
The members have such pride at Oakmont.
They wanna see everybody bloody when they
come off the golf course you know?
There's no question that Oakmont brings out
the best in what you have to do, but I think
the U.S. Open consistently is who can be the
strongest mentally because there's always
things that happen that you don't see happen
anywhere else.
U.S. Opens are never fun for a player except
for the guy who wins.
It's just a tough, tough test and every U.S.
Open always has been.
This year's championship at Oakmont would
test the best and brightest as it is done
eight previous times over the last century.
Those who have won here are regarded among
the best of all time.
Names like Armour, Hogan, Nicklaus, Miller,
and Els have been celebrated for winning at
this historic venue.
For every player in the field, Oakmont presents
the chance to transform a career while getting
into contention means walking the razor’s
edge between glory and disappointment, champions
welcome that opportunity.
The best example of such spirit on the current
scene is exemplified by Dustin Johnson, by
acclamation, the most athletically gifted
player in the game.
At 31, the lanky 6'4" South Carolinian has
already absorbed some of the cruelest disappointments
in the history of major championships.
I think there's plenty of golfers that have
moments they can't recover from.
They have a championship or a major or a tournament
where they're right there and they can never
bounce back from that.
Dustin's had that happen to him so many times.
We all know how good this guy is.
Dustin Johnson is as good a ball-striker as
there out there – great hand-eye coordination,
good driver of the golf ball for his length,
wonderful touch – he's one of the best athletes
to ever play this game.
What else do you need to win golf tournaments?
But he hasn't done it yet.
Really had a chance at Pebble Beach, didn't
do it.
PGA, played really well but made a mistake,
penalty on the last hole.
So then you think does this guy have it, what
it takes?
And I'm not talking about game, putting touch,
does he have it right in here?
Because when you get down to the last four, five holes it's not about who has the most talent, ever.
It's about who wants it more.
The Oakmont that the players were prepared
for could be described as classic U.S. Open conditions on steroids.
Meaning an unrelenting par 70 of 7,254 yards,
playing so hard and fast that just getting
the ball to stay on the fairways and greens
would take all the skill the best in the world
could muster.
The first practice rounds, the players comment
about how impossible it is and you can't control
the ball when it lands on the green.
You know the ball's rolling 20, 30, 40 yards
in the fairway.
It was that firm and that fast and that fiery
– that 6 or 7 over par would probably win.
You almost think to yourself, "Oh I'm glad
I'm not playing," and the rain saved them all.
After heavy rains Wednesday night, the players
approach to this U.S. Open changed.
The suddenly soft conditions would allow a
more aggressive strategy that just might produce
the lowest scoring Oakmont had ever seen.
It just takes the fire out of the golf course,
and when I say by fire, the firmness of the
fairways and then you get to the greens.
The speed of the greens, it slows them down
just enough, when the player comes out of
me, I was glad to see some rain 'cause now
were gonna watch some players actually play
golf and not be so scared, defensive.
Wednesday, the day before, and then Thursday
of we got inundated with rain.
Any other golf course that had received that
much rain, the players really would have had
their way with it in terms of scoring, not
at Oakmont.
As play began, the competitors were in attack
mode, and as often been the case in the history
of the championship, a relative unknown grabbed
the early headlines.
Ranked 624th in the world entering the U.S.
Open, Andrew Landry had to go through local
and sectional qualifying just to get to Oakmont.
Heading into the U.S. Open, Landry represented
the best of what the U.S. Open is all about.
Since the very beginning, there's been an
opportunity for golfers that if you're good
enough to qualify, you can play in the U.S.
Open, and by the way it doesn't matter whether
you're a professional, amateur, whether you're
a junior, whether you're a senior you can
try to qualify for the U.S. Open Championship.
I think that the USGA, what they do for you
know any individual whether it be a 13-year-old
kid or a 50-year-old guy, being able to go
and qualify for a major championship, that's
world class on their part.
And Andrew Landry made the most of his opportunity,
suddenly running the table on the biggest
stage of his career.
Ten was where it all kind of started.
I just, I hit a good shot in there, 5 yards
short of the green and it just stopped.
It just stopped dead around the front of the
green and I was, I knew immediately that's
an auto three-putt.
I mean you cannot get the ball in the hole
in two unless you make a 15-20-footer for your par.
Putt breaks probably 15 feet and I just buried
it right in the hole.
The number 624 ranked player in the world,
but what a start he is off to in his first
United States Open.
That's kinda where it all started.
You know I got the confidence, made a 60-footer
on the first hole in the U.S. Open, you know
the roars, the crowds were getting into it
and it was just like a big pump of adrenaline
and I was like okay so let's go.
In contrast to controlled accuracy and hot
putting being employed by the 5-7 Landry,
two-time major champion Bubba Watson who had
finished fifth at Oakmont in 2007, relied
on his experience and powerful shot-making
to get off to a fast start.
The free-swinging lefthander from the Florida
Panhandle would finish the day 2 under par
through 14 holes, leaving him one stroke behind
Landry's pace.
I turned 2 under, bogey free and then the
rain delay hit.
As the day progressed, the rain would continue
to soak the course and caused a series of
delays that would change the playing schedule
for the remainder of the championship.
You know the one feeling I got, guys didn't
really know when they were gonna go back out.
I think they were a little surprised, as we
were, that the weather hit that fast and that
hard and right when they got the rounds going
the horns blew.
You know, you're looking at Jordan Spieth
and some top names that, that are kinda walking
around, milling around, all sitting around
trying to get this U.S. Open under way.
You know you can get fatigued sitting around,
waiting around for four hours, not playing
an entire day.
I mean that's, that's, that's tiring.
Finding a rhythm on a day of unpredictable
stops and restarts became a primary challenge.
It was you know tough starting and stopping,
and conditions changing from when we started
to when we finished but it is what it is.
We, we deal with that here and there.
The players that are playing the big tours
around the world are used to having all these
stoppages, you know weather delays.
Nobody likes it, but I think the players that
are experienced, they can deal with it.
Among those who successfully negotiated the
changing conditions was England's Lee Westwood,
who was looking for his first major.
Westwood finished at 1 under par through 13
holes.
While former Masters champion Zach Johnson
and Ireland's Shane Lowry were at even par
with work left in Round 1 on Friday.
My start was massive that day, laid it open
at about 60 yards to the flag from my approach shot.
I holed it so, there’s no better way to
start a tournament than that.
2015 U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth got
through 11 holes at 1 over par and would have
some work left in his first round when he
returned to the course Friday morning.
2011 U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy who was
4 over par through 14 holes and Rickie Fowler
who was 6 over through 12 will be forced to
play catch-up when they're back on the course
to finish their second round.
Andrew Landry emerged from one of the delays
with a string of birdies at the second, third
and fourth holes to put him five under par
halfway through his second nine, in range
of Johnny Miller's historic score of 63 at
Oakmont.
Although he would drop two strokes on the
next four holes, as play ended, Landry had
a 10-foot birdie putt at the ninth for a 66,
which he chose to mark.
I mean being on top of the leader board's
fine, it's just there’s so much golf left
and you know half the field hasn't even, hasn't
even got off yet.
Meanwhile, favorites who had afternoon tee
times, including Jason Day, Phil Mickelson,
Sergio García and Dustin Johnson were not
able to start their rounds.
You know I knew, obviously once they blew
it, called it for the day, that you know Friday
was gonna be a long day and you know another
obstacle to, that I had to get over.
After a year of waiting to wash away his loss
at Chambers Bay, Dustin Johnson had to wait
one more day to initiate his shot at redemption.
With the weather cleared up, it would take
a tremendous effort from the grounds crew
and the USGA staff to get the course ready
for play on Friday after the onslaught of
rain on Thursday.
You know it was a Herculean effort by the
grounds staff and this isn't just the
grounds staff at Oakmont, there's well over
a hundred golf course superintendents from
around the world that come in, volunteer their
services to make this all happen.
Had it not been for those, you know almost
200 individuals, we would have never been able to play
I mean they were out literally rebuilding
bunkers that had been washed out, squeegeeing
greens, and we got so much rain on Thursday
that the mindset is we're just gonna play
as much golf as we can get in and eventually
we hope we can catch up by Sunday.
Many of the players who did get out on Thursday
had to rise early the next morning for the
remainder of their first round.
The player with both the least and most significant
work left was Andrew Landry, who returned
to the ninth green for what he hoped would
be a single stroke from 10 feet for a birdie
to conclude a historic round.
I wanted to go ahead and get my round over
with, but went home that night and just slept
on it and that next morning we're hitting
a, a bunch of right to-left putts from that
distance.
This morning, Andrew Landry had to come back.
What did he show up with?
Just his putter, didn’t even bring his bag.
Here at the 9th, his final hole of his first
round, he makes birdie, becomes the first
ever to shoot a 66 in the opening round here
at Oakmont Country Club.
Also finishing their first rounds on a high
note were veteran Lee Westwood of England
with a 67, Ireland's Shane Lowry with a 68,
and Bubba Watson with a 1-under-par 69.
Defending champion Jordan Spieth grinded out
a 72 to keep his chance of repeating alive,
if he could right the ship and get hot in
his 2nd round.
But Rickie Fowler struggled to a 76, while
Rory McIlroy posted the highest round among
the pre-championship favorites, a 77 over
the soggy track that nonetheless could still
punish errant shots.
Things are not going Rory’s way at the moment.
I think he’s, might have lost his focus
and attention there a little bit.
Right now I just need to focus on trying to
hit fairways and, and hit greens.
I think I hit five fairways and eight greens
out there.
I think for me the toughest thing is, is just
trying to stay positive and not get too down
on myself and try to go out there and play
well and, and make it into the weekend.
While McIlroy was left to search for his best
golf, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Sergio García
and Phil Mickelson finally got a chance on
Friday to begin their quest for the 2016 U.S.
Open title.
Weather and daylight permitting, they would
play as many as 36 holes in order to get back
on track for a Sunday finish.
Just a low knockdown, pushing it back there and that is not going to be a good spot.
In his first U.S. Open round since his misfortune
at Chambers Bay, Johnson missed his first
two greens in regulation, but after scrambling
for pars, he saw his game click into a groove.
Using that new back right spot, what a shot.
You just really had to pick and choose at
what times to be aggressive and, and to not
be aggressive.
Even sometimes I felt like you know I'd have
a sand wedge or a lob wedge in my hand and,
and not be aiming at the flag just because
if I was just a little bit off it could end
up in a really bad spot, and I'm gonna make
bogey so I felt like I played, you know, a
lot to the center of the greens and you know
just try to leave myself you know as easy
a putt as I could find.
His driving, approach game and especially
wedge play were pure in a bogey-free first
round of 67.
A real testament to who he is as a player.
Willing to give himself another opportunity
here to erase the memory of last year.
His fellow competitor, Sergio García, also
displayed great ball-striking and surprisingly
good putting.
And what a fantastic shot by Sergio
The Spaniard posted five birdies against three
bogeys in a solid 68.
World number one Jason Day of Australia and
six-time U.S. Open runner-up Phil Mickelson
both had rounds that left them in danger of
missing the 36-hole cut.
Mickelson managed a 74, while Day shot a startling
76.
You know this has been the best putter all
year, something’s changed.
He said he was battling it.
After a break in play, the guys would get
warmed up for their second 18, making it a
very long day.
You’re walking 12-15 miles probably at Oakmont
and every single shot, there's no easy holes,
there's no easy shots so every shot there's
added pressure on.
While some struggle with the schedule, Dustin
Johnson came out with an attitude as good
as his game.
Picking up the same effortless rhythm that
had marked his first round.
Friday was gonna be a long day and it was
just something that you gotta deal with and
it wasn't anything that I was upset about.
This will be to get to 4 under and tie for
the lead.
You know it was just another obstacle that
I had to get over and if you get off to a
good start and, and play well you know that
can be beneficial 'cause you get to play 36
holes that day.
Oh very nice, Dustin Johnson
With an extra degree of sharpness and control,
Johnson minimized risk with smart play from
tee to green.
His 69 put him a stroke ahead of the field
at 4 under par, a gap that would have been
greater had he capitalized on some short birdie
opportunities.
I didn't putt great but I played really solid
all day long.
That was my goal you know?
First get in the fairway then, then try to
get it on the green to where I had an uphill
putt where I can be aggressive and you know
just make a lot of easy pars you know?
So there was no stress involved which is,
which is great.
Oh finally!
After coming so close so many holes, he gets
that bender at 6.
His second-round 69 was impressive and Dustin
was sitting on top as he entered the weekend.
With a close look at DJ all day long, García
had an up-and-down second round.
Nope, oh no.
Now a mature 36, the veteran showed both patience
and moxie.
Out of the ditch.
He was able to get this out of the ditch into
the fairway and that was an unbelievable shot.
A gigantic par.
Yeah, he is going through the valley Brad,
and it’s going break quite a bit to the
right once it gets over that ridge.
Did he make it?
No way!
Garcia managed an even-par 70 to finish 36
holes at 2 under, making his remaining road
to a possible first major rigorous but doable.
Tired?
My legs oof!
Too old for this.
I'm very happy to, to obviously finish at
two under.
I didn't play that great this afternoon but
I scrambled nicely and I made a couple of
really big putts when I, when I needed to.
While Dustin and Sergio could be pleased with
their positions heading into the weekend,
both Jason Day and Phil Mickelson battled
to give themselves a chance to play the weekend.
Day got through 15 holes in his second round
at 1 under to get to 5 over par when play
was called for darkness.
No way, a couple inches here and there and
this guy could have a really low round today.
Here at 15, Phil Mickelson for par.
Mickelson was precariously perched at a total
of 7 over par after 34 holes and in serious
danger of missing the cut.
He’ll be 7 over, maybe yet another year
passing without completing that career grand slam.
Still needing the United States Open Championship.
Two crazy days at Oakmont left the leader
board in flux.
Some golfers had only played one round, others
finished two, but most of the field was somewhere
in between.
But the biggest takeaway heading into Saturday
was that once again, Dustin Johnson was in
the lead at the U.S. Open.
What's your game plan for the next two days
to finish this thing off?
I just need to you know stick to what I'm
doing.
I got a good game plan for this golf course,
just stick to it you know?
If I keep driving it like I am, I'll be tough.
When the second round was finally completed,
some of the game’s biggest names fell outside
the cut line that would eventually settle
at 6-over-par 146.
Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler both fell
victim to Oakmont's challenges and missed
the cut.
Rory McIlroy had a chance, but the last of
his second round proved to be his undoing.
He is pretty much on the cut mark as we know
it at the moment.
And that’s not a good start.
It has been a while since he missed a cut.
He’s not supposed to miss a cut.
Things are not really working out for Rory
here, this has been a bad finish.
Tried to grind it out, but really just let
it slip.
After the cut was made, players in the field
still vying for the U.S. Open title would
hit the course for their third rounds.
World number one Jason Day who started his
third round 5 over par and out of the mix,
went on a tear on Saturday, playing incredible
golf.
First hole of this third round for Jason Day,
just tapping it here at 10.
Gonna walk it in, got it!
After a strong start on 10, the Aussie would
start a run of birdies to begin his round
in amazing fashion.
Trickling down, what a great shot.
Saw that well judged wedge shot in here, just
a couple feet.
Number one in putting this year, and two birdies.
20-footer for birdie.
Does he hit it?
4 out of 5!
What a start for world number one.
This for eagle
After making the turn and dropping one stroke
at the 3rd,
To get within four.
And he’s done it.
an eagle at 4 got him all the way
back to even par for
the championship.
Started out the day nine behind the leaders,
he’s now within four.
My mindset on the first day was a little clouded.
The second round felt a lot better and then
obviously today I just you know, um I definitely
gave myself the opportunities out there today.
Despite Day's amazing 66 it was Ireland's
Shane Lowry who would grab the headlines in
the afternoon at Oakmont as he started to
separate himself from the rest of the field.
Stop it on the front of the green and it’ll
start rolling.
Judged that very well.
Shane got it to minus five through 14 holes
in his third round before play was called
due to darkness.
Hitting 10 of 11 fairways and 10 of 14 greens
in the afternoon, it was an amazing display
of golf that would have him feeling good about
his game and ready to finish his third round
when he came back on the course early Sunday
morning.
I rolled a really tricky downhill for birdie
to take the lead.
Bit of a milestone in my career, a lead on
a Saturday U.S. Open.
Shane is sneaky good.
If you follow golf you know how good Shane
Lowry actually is, and I remember seeing him
play in round three thinking it wouldn't surprise
me at all if Shane won.
Shane Lowry, he was playing fantastic golf.
You could feel the crowd, feel electricity
in the air.
I mean it really was something special.
Behind Lowry were a host of talented players
who had continued to play the kind of solid
golf that put them in position with a strong
final round to win the U.S. Open.
Andrew Landry continued his steady play and
at one point in his third round the 624th-ranked
player had regained the lead late at the U.S.
Open.
Although he would fall a few off the pace
of Lowry, he made his way through 13 holes
and he would still be a major factor on Sunday.
I was hyped up.
I was ready to go, but I was more nervous
off the golf course than I was on.
I was pushing food away, couldn't eat.
I was really pumped to, to get in there and,
and let the world know who I am.
Jordan Spieth’s fourth shot.
Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth couldn't make up
ground
Jordan Spieth’s putt for bogey
and shot an even-par 70 to leave him 4 over
heading into Sunday.
You wouldn’t expect that from Jordan Spieth
on this hole.
One player that was near the top of the leader
board and would be a major factor on Sunday
was Lee Westwood, who continued to hang around
at 2 under through 15.
Aggressive drive there, took it past the bunkers.
Little wedge, and he spins it back in!
Not to be outdone was Sergio García, who
also remained at 2 under through 14 holes
as he continued to stay in striking distance.
Oh, fortunate kick there.
And that was a great break for Sergio.
But the one golfer that the Oakmont crowd
had their eyes on was Dustin Johnson.
The entire golf world wanted to know if the
gifted long hitter could overcome the disappointment
and doubt that he'd carried from late failures
in two previous U.S. Opens and finally enter
history as a major champion.
He is the guy who slept on the lead last night.
And he is feeling the most pressure of anybody
in the field right now.
When the 36-hole leader double bogeyed the
third hole of this third round, it seemed
that scar tissue might still be holding him
back.
Here it comes!
Goodness.
The big question that hung in the air: could
the physically supreme but still uncertain
Dustin Johnson dig deep enough to overcome?
Just can’t do that Curtis, you cannot leave
that short.
See if he can collect himself here
Johnson missed numerous putts and a bogey
on the 10th hole dropped him to 2 over for
the round.
He would finish 13 holes with an overall score
of 2 under par, three strokes behind Lowry.
But while many fans were justifiably thinking,
"Here we go again," Johnson expressed quiet
resolve and optimism heading into Sunday at
Oakmont.
I was still in a great spot.
You know the golf course is very difficult,
Sunday I was gonna have to put together a
special round.
I knew I was gonna have to play really well
but I knew it was still, it was still doable;
it wasn't like I was out of it by any means.
There has never been a U.S. Open Sunday filled
with as much golf and drama as 2016 at Oakmont.
Even before the field could begin the final
round, many of the top contenders came out
early in the morning to finish the third.
One of those was the de facto leader, Shane
Lowry.
Five under par for the championship when he
stepped onto the 15th at 7:30 a.m., the 29-year-old
Irishman felt the gravity of the moment.
So I came out, I was leading by two, you know
so there was all sorts going through my head.
I don't wanna mess it up you know?
That's the way Oakmont is, it can jump up
and bite you when you least expect it.
Seems to be very happy with that one.
That’s the way you want to get things started.
Lowry was able to turn all those thoughts
into focus.
Out of the box, he birdied the 481-yard, par-4
15th,
And that is a perfect, perfect putt
and then the short perfect par-4 17th to post
a third-round 65.
Shane Lowry cards a 65.
Scintillating golf in the third round
for him, and currently with a four-stroke
lead!
That's one of the best runs of my career there,
65 on this golf course against this field
you know, it's pretty good.
So you know I just need to try and stay in
the moment, stay patient and see what happens this afternoon.
Andrew Landry finished his third round with
an unbelievable putt to move to 3 under as
the U.S. Open qualifier continued his surreal
run at Oakmont.
What a finish for Andrew Landry
I'm really proud of that.
You know that's all you can really, really
hope for.
Just to be in the final group at the U.S.
Open on, on Sunday.
Dustin Johnson played the five holes he had
remaining in his third round, 1 under par
to post a 71.
Still looking to redeem himself after his
tough loss in 2015, DJ entered his final round
with a detailed focus.
Going into Sunday, my whole focus was, was
just one shot at a time.
I don't care what anybody else is doing, I'm
just focused on me and my job, which is you
know the shot that I was hitting.
Even as USGA officials set up the final-round
hole locations, it was clear that a still
somewhat soft Oakmont could yield a low score
to aggressive golf.
At the same time, final-round pressure would
make meltdowns more likely.
Despite Lowry's lead – one of the largest
ever in the history of the championship – anything
was possible.
It’s another beautiful day at Oakmont Country
Club, and the scene is set for another magical
U.S. Open Sunday.
As the final round got under way, those in
contention would need their best to bring
home the championship.
2003 champion Jim Furyk – a full 10 strokes
behind – had a round he won't soon forget.
The 46-year-old Pennsylvanian – who had
finished tied for second at Oakmont in 2007
– would shoot 66 to finish at 1-under-par
279.
A score that would give him a chance to win
if the leaders stumbled.
And he will finish this championship 1 under.
They love him.
Leading by three strokes, Shane Lowry's start
was shaky.
He bogeyed the 2nd, 5th, and 9th holes to
turn in 38 and dropped to 4 under par.
You can see if a guy is anxious or not.
Shane Lowry didn’t hit a shot well, club
was flying all over the place.
The first thing pressure affects is your rhythm.
You know he looked like he was disgusted.
With the door opening, Scott Piercy birdied
his first two holes and finished with a front-nine
33.
Shooting the same score through nine was Sergio
Garcia, who stayed in the mix at 2 under for
the championship.
This back hole location, that’s what I’m
talking about.
The matador is in a fight.
Defending champion Jordan Spieth never got
on a roll.
Eventually shooting a 75 to finish at 9 over
for and a tie for 37th.
Not the week he wanted here in Oakmont.
It’s going to be a four-putt for Jordan
Spieth.
Lee Westwood truly struggled, posting an 80
that dropped him all the way to a tie for
32nd.
Been a disappointing day for Lee Westwood.
Almost unexplainable how that can happen to
somebody this good, but Oakmont is that hard.
Dustin Johnson, however, came out determined
to put his past behind him.
That was probably the most focused I've ever
been out on the course, was, was that Sunday
at Oakmont.
Obviously, you know I've got a lot of past
experiences to, to go off of, to help me in
those kind of situations.
The fans got behind him and that does wonders
to your emotions.
You have to settle yourself down sometimes
for your confidence, for your ability to play
the tough shot when you know everybody around
here is rooting for you.
It really does help.
He birdied the second hole of the final round
to get to 4 under.
Driving the ball extremely long and straight,
DJ hit another good tee shot on the 373-yard
fifth hole that left him only a lob wedge
approach.
I hit in down the fairway and I hit a 60-degree
and I had four feet, maybe, for birdie.
Pin's kind of a little bit of a slope.
There’s not a lot of places where you have
a putt that short that breaks that much.
Hit a pretty good putt, just barely missed
it.
It kinda trickled probably 3 feet by.
So I, I'm standing over the putt, I'd take
my practice strokes, about to move it in behind
the ball to hit the putt.
The ball moves.
I stop, I call the Rules official in.
My putter was in the air, I didn't cause it to move.
He's like, "No problem.
Just play, play the ball from where it is."
And so I did and knocked it in.
Never thought about it again.
We have a walking Rules official with every
group.
Really only Dustin saw it, but he got up near
his golf ball and the ball slightly moved.
He did the right thing.
He called the Rules official.
After another solid hole at the 299-yard par-3
8th, Johnson birdied the long 9th to make
the turn at 5 under for the championship.
Yes!
Maybe this is the day.
He was now tied with the falling Shane Lowry,
who was playing one hole behind DJ.
It's often been said that a major championship
does not truly begin until the back nine on
Sunday.
The 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont illustrates
the axiom.
Oh Joe, this is headed well left.
Well it’s the ole double cross right there.
After pulling his tee shot into thick rough
on the 10th hole, Johnson was allowed to take
relief because the line of his original approach
was blocked by a television tower.
His lie was so bad, I do not think he could
have advanced it more than 60, 70 yards.
So he’s got a perfect lie now, he’s got
176 yards, this is an unbelievable break for
Dustin Johnson.
From a good lie after his drop, Johnson hit
the green in regulation and made a crucial par
It’s not always what you accomplish that
matters, sometimes it’s what you overcome.
Now holding the lead by himself after a par
at the 11th, Johnson walked on to the 12th
tee where he was met by Rules officials from
the USGA.
What I will assume is that they took a further
look at that situation on the 5th hole, when
he had his putter to the side, that that may
have caused the ball to move.
The head Rules official comes out and is like,
you know says, "Hey.
We need to have you come in and look at the
video about what happened on number 5."
I was like, "Sure.
We'll look at it when I'm done; fine with
me."
If I’m DJ, I gotta feel like, “What do
I gotta do to win one of these major championships?”
Dustin, I think, you know when we look back
on it could not have handled that situation better
You know he's built on these experiences.
You'd hate to think that to win one major,
you'd have to have four or five catastrophes
like he had.
Dustin Johnson couldn't seem to catch a break
and with seven holes to play for his shot
at redemption, DJ would have to block out
the distraction and prove he could sustain
his excellent play through the finish line.
DJ and the other contenders would play on
without knowing if he'd be assessed a one-stroke
penalty that might determine the outcome.
It gets down to, "Did a player cause his ball
to move?
That had been at rest."
A ruling was made, as it should have been
made based on the information the official had.
I didn't think that I caused the ball to move
so I did not think I was gonna get a penalty.
They can wanna review it, that's fine, we
can go review it.
But I still didn't think I did anything to
cause it to move.
So now, down the stretch of the 2016 U.S.
Open, Dustin Johnson would battle a punishing
course, formidable pursuers, a looming penalty
and his own complicated history in the championship.
It was a lot.
Stepping up on the long par-5 12th, Dustin
Johnson stayed composed.
I guess the answer is so far so good if that’s
the case for Dustin Johnson, that is pounded.
After a wayward second shot, Dustin still
gave himself a chance for birdie.
He ends up that close to a birdie here at
12.
Still, the lead was intact and he was one
hole closer to his goal.
Up ahead, world number one Jason Day was threatening.
An eagle at the 12th was followed by a birdie
at 13,
Alright now, Jason Day, getting a real taste
now of U.S. Open pressure
but Day would eventually be undone by a double
bogey, bogey finish that left him at a tie
for eighth.
There go his chances, whatever they were coming
in here, right now gone.
I've had two second-place finishes already.
A fourth, and a ninth, an 8th now, so one
of these years it's gonna fall my way.
Local qualifier and gallery favorite Andrew
Landry struggled mildly on Sunday,
quickly shooting himself out of contention with five
bogeys and a double during a disastrous front-nine 42.
Though the Texan would shoot 78 and finish
tied for 15th, he was thankful for the experience.
Those four days were pretty much icing on
the cake for me.
I felt like that's gonna jumpstart my career.
It definitely helped my, my confidence and,
and helped me grow as a player.
Scott Piercy got to 3 under, but bogeys on
16 and 18 dropped him to 1 under overall,
which tied him with Jim Furyk, who was the
clubhouse leader with an early morning 66.
So Piercy will give one back here at 18.
Sergio Garcia got to 3 under par through 13
holes,
but followed with three straight bogeys that ended his chance for a first major.
That putter, that has held him back this week,
and possibly his entire career.
At the end of the day this is what we work
for, this is what we practice hard for to,
to put ourselves in this situation over and
over again and that's, that's the most important thing.
Despite Shane Lowry's rocky start, the four-stroke
lead he took into the final round
allowed him to remain Johnson's most dangerous challenger.
After three-putting the 10th hole for his
fourth bogey of the day to drop to three under
par, Lowry bounced back with a birdie at the
12th that got him to within one of Johnson;
not factoring in the looming possibility of
Johnson's penalty.
Myself and my caddie kinda worked that out.
We were like, "We need to just go at it like
he's not been penalized."
And we were one behind as opposed to tied
for the lead.
Closing out at a major is always a challenge.
Dustin Johnson had the extra pressure of knowing
that whatever he shot, he might have to add
one more stroke.
Johnson seemed to be feeling the heat on the
14th tee, where despite taking out an iron
to ensure hitting the fairway, he instead
pushed his ball into thick rough.
Since he’s been warned there on the 12th
tee, he’s hit some bad shots.
This has got to unsettle anybody, especially
with his track record here the last few years
in the majors.
Forced to play for the center of the green,
Johnson would leave himself a difficult two-putt
to remain at 5 under par.
After a decent lag to about 3 feet, he pulled
his par with what appeared to be a shaky stroke.
And Dustin Johnson cannot get his par putt
to fall here at 14, so he’ll give one back.
Lowry was watching from the middle of the
fairway as Johnson's putt missed.
Now, Johnson and Lowry were tied, and the
doubt that DJ would be able to hang on grew.
Well, he’s been Mr. Almost of late.
But with the door open, Lowry's 131-yard approach
with a wedge came up well short
All the players failing to take advantage
of this short hole.
and left a sharp-breaking uphill putt.
If I could probably have anything back, I
would take standing on 14 with that wedge in my hand.
Not aggressive enough; trying not to make
a mistake.
It was probably mentally as bad as I, I was
all week.
Twenty-seven feet, 10 feet of break, and another
putt you gotta putt outside the hole.
It’s brutal out here right now on these
players.
Lowry's crucial missed putt proved that championship's
final momentum-changer.
Worst putt I’ve hit all week.
You know you haven’t seen him do that all
week long.
Sunday afternoon, they’re not easy.
The Irishman would make two more bogeys to
drop back to 1 under par, shooting a disappointing
76.
Frustration, and an exhale at the end of a
long week.
As we learned all week at Oakmont, par is
a good score.
Dustin Johnson was able to do just that and
gather himself for pars on 15, 16 and 17 to
take control of the championship.
That was very close to the length of last
year’s putt at Chambers Bay that he missed
on 18, and he made that like a champion.
Fans were absolutely amazing and especially
coming down 16, 17, 18 was, you know there
was so much electricity and, and the atmosphere
it was, it was unbelievable.
When Johnson stepped to the 18th tee, he was
officially 4 under par with a two-stroke lead;
not including the potential one-stroke penalty.
Whether I was leading or down or, or whatever,
it didn't matter.
I'm trying to make the best possible score
I can on that hole.
In fitting fashion, Johnson pounded his drive
down the middle some 303 yards.
Dustin Johnson pipes it right down the middle.
So I hit my drive down the fairway.
Go through my routine, I'm about to hit it
while there's a bunch of cameramen obviously
back in the fairway.
Well, one of their walkie-talkies goes off
and that's when I turned around, I'm like, "Really?"
but I just started over, went back
to my routine.
He then left no doubt – assessed penalty
or not – with one more perfect swing.
Probably the most important shot Dustin Johnson
has ever hit right here.
What a gem, Dustin Johnson!
The shot of his life!
I hit a great shot in there, probably best
shot, best shot I've ever hit.
Johnson's towering 6-iron approach never left
the flag and left him only 3 feet from a closing birdie.
DJ could finally bask in the certainty that
the U.S. Open title that had slipped through
his fingers a year before at Chambers Bay
was now his.
Eighteen month old Tatum, his son, with Paulina
Gretzky.
Dustin Johnson, on his way to a U.S. Open
championship.
Oakmont’s hard, no doubt about that.
This is Dustin Johnson’s moment in the sun,
he’s worked hard for this.
A birdie at 18!
Dustin Johnson will win the U.S. Open!
Rules officials did ultimately give Johnson
a one-stroke penalty for inadvertently causing
his ball to move on the fifth green but it
wouldn't affect the outcome of the championship.
The video later showed that, you know what?
Dustin had in fact grounded his club and so
we had really some of our, our best Rules
officials look at this.
They deliberated and ultimately said, "You
know what?
Based on all this, there has to be a penalty
to this."
Dustin Johnson not only performed beautifully
for all four days but in some ways it was
justice for Dustin to win that U.S. Open.
In winning his first major championship by
three strokes, Johnson finished with a 69
for a total of 4-under-par 276.
His play at Oakmont had been a testament to
immense skill, fierce concentration and above all,
resilience.
Everything that, that a person goes through
in life, they can learn from it or not and
so I try to take every situation – good
or bad – and just try to learn from each
thing that I get thrown in life.
I know first hand when he finished at 18,
his life will never be the same.
To finally have it pay off is, you know, it's
absolutely amazing and it pushes me to work
even harder ‘cause I know what I'm doing
is working.
And a major championship for Dustin Johnson,
he is the 116th U.S. Open champion.
It's what you dream of as a kid: holding up
that U.S. Open Trophy.
It's definitely a moment I'll never forget.
I think it was Dustin Johnson's coming-out
party.
Everybody learns from their experiences in
the U.S. Open.
Everybody gets a piece of history, possibly,
but it was another good week that I remember
as Dustin Johnson's victory.
It's definitely the best feeling.
Especially the feeling of accomplishment you
know after everything that’s happened to
me in majors.
You know the many times I've been right there,
you know with chances to win, and just haven't
quite gotten it done, and to finally get it
done on Sunday at the U.S. Open, it was absolutely
amazing.
