Jordan Spieth clinches US Open title after last-hole error from Dustin Johnson
Last Updated: 22/06/15 12:13pm
Jordan Spieth became only the sixth man in history to win the first two majors of the year after a sensational climax to the 115th US Open at Chambers Bay.
Final leaderboard
Spieth bounced back from a horrendous double-bogey at the 17th to hit two magnificent shots down the last and set up an easy two-putt birdie from 10 feet to cap a closing 69 and get into the clubhouse on five under par.
Dustin Johnson had the chance to tie the Texan after he birdied the 17th and then knocked a superb second to 12 feet at the last, but he raced his slippery putt for eagle four feet past the hole and his return effort to force an 18-hole play-off grazed the left edge of the cup and stayed out.
Johnson's ill-timed three-putt handed the title to Masters champion Spieth after an enthralling day which saw valiant late charges from the likes of Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott and Louis Oosthuizen come up short, while Branden Grace's excellent challenge ended when he drove out of bounds at the 16th while tied for the lead.
McIlroy was the first to light up the final round, moving to within three shots of the lead when he rolled in a huge 50-foot putt at the 13th for his fifth birdie in a remarkable seven-hole stretch around the turn.
But the world No 1 missed from eight feet at the next and he went on to bogey 15 and 17 before parring the last to round off a 66 which left him at level par for the tournament - good enough for a share of ninth place with Shane Lowry and the brave Jason Day.
Scott finishes with a flourish
Former Masters champion Scott then vaulted up the leaderboard, and birdies at two of the last three holes capped a flawless 64 - the best round of the US Open - which set the clubhouse target at three under par.
Scott's fellow Australian Cameron Smith matched his score after a stunning second to within inches of the hole at the last for a tap-in eagle and a 68, but the pair were soon surpassed by Louis Oosthuizen as he completed a remarkable comeback from being nine over after two holes of his second round.
The South African, who set a tournament record with a pair of 66s on Friday and Saturday, looked out of contention when he carded three straight bogeys from the second to slip to slip to two over.
But the 2010 Open champion piled the pressure on the leaders with a sizzling back nine, running up six birdies over the last seven holes - including a magnificent hole-out from the fairway at 14 - in an inward 29 that hoisted him to four under par.
There was little to separate Spieth and Grace throughout the day as both offset early bogeys with a birdie to turn in 35 before they traded well-crafted birdies at the 12th, but the tournament turned on its head at the 16th when Grace blocked his drive onto the railway tracks and ran up a costly six while Spieth atoned from a poor pitch with a nerveless putt for a three.
Spieth stumbles
But armed with a three-shot lead, the 21-year-old hit a terrible tee-shot to the par-three 17th and then compounded the error with a three-putt to walk off with a five and Johnson, who had slipped out of the running with three bogeys in four holes after the turn, suddenly got back into the frame with a superb two.
Spieth then followed a perfect drive with a sublime second which left him an uphill 10-footer for eagle, although his effort was tentative and he was content to tap-in for birdie.
An incredible final day took another twist when Johnson boomed a huge drive over the fairway bunkers and backed it up with a pure second which set up a tricky downhill putt to snatch the title away from Spieth.
But his ball trickled an uncomfortable distance past the cup, and Johnson's follow-up for birdie lacked conviction and gifted a second, consecutive major championship to the red-hot Texan.
Grace parred in to return a 71 which left him tied for fourth with Scott and Smith, while Grace's compatriot Charl Schwartzel made a welcome return to form with a closing 66 that earned him outright seventh ahead of Brandt Snedeker - the only other man in the field to finish under par.
