US Open: Gary Woodland holds off Brooks Koepka for maiden major win
By Ali Stafford at Pebble Beach
Last Updated: 17/06/19 11:29am
Gary Woodland held off Brooks Koepka and Justin Rose to claim a three-shot win and maiden major victory at the US Open.
Final leaderboard
Woodland took a one-shot advantage into the final round and never lost his lead during a thrilling Sunday at Pebble Beach, holing a 35-foot birdie putt at the last to close a two-under 69 and finish on 13-under 271.
Koepka fell just short in his bid for a third consecutive US Open title despite a second successive 68, leaving him in second spot on 10 under, as Rose's challenge for a first major win since 2013 faded with a final-round 74.
Rose ended in a share of third place alongside Xander Schauffele, Jon Rahm and Chez Reavie, while Rory McIlroy finished eight strokes back in a tie for ninth after a one-over 72.
Woodland made a strong start with two birdies in his opening three holes, which briefly took him three clear after Rose picked up a shot at the first, but bogeyed the par-four next.
Koepka birdied four of his first five holes but bogeyed the eighth after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker, before Woodland pitched out of thick rough and bogeyed the ninth to reach the turn two ahead.
Rose had reached the turn in level par and holed a 10-footer to save par at the 11th, where Koepka made birdie to close within a shot before bogeying the next after finding sanding off the tee.
Woodland found thick rough off the 12th tee on his way to a second bogey of the day, as Rose missed from four feet for the first of three bogeys in a four-hole stretch.
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The lead returned to two shots when Woodland attacked the par-five 14th in two before chipping to three feet and making birdie, as Koepka failed to pick up any shots along the closing stretch to set the target at 10 under.
Woodland posted two-putt pars over his next two holes before producing a brilliant wedge shot from 90 feet on the 17th green to save par and give himself a two-shot cushion heading to the par-five last, where the American elected to lay-up before holing his long-range putt to seal victory in style.
A final-hole birdie from Rahm completed a three-under 68 and lifted him into the group tied-third, while Adam Scott finished a further stroke back on six under alongside Louis Oosthuizen.
McIlroy went into the final round five strokes off the pace and saw his challenge ended by a second-hole double-bogey, while Tiger Woods recovered from four bogeys in his opening six holes to birdie four of his final six holes and card a two-under 69.
