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Goosen clinches second US Open crown
South Africa's Retief Goosen has held his nerve to clinch the US Open for a second time, edging out Phil Mickelson by two shots with a closing one-over-par 71.
The laidback Goosen, winner in 2001 at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, finished at four-under 276 on Saturday, with US Masters champion Mickelson alone in second place after a matching 71 in brutal conditions at Shinnecock Hills. Goosen led by two going into the final day but was overhauled by Mickelson over the closing stretch, the left-handed American moving one stroke clear with back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16.
But Mickelson, bidding to become the sixth player to win the first two majors of the year, immediately fell back, running up a double-bogey at the par-three 17th after three-putting from five feet. Goosen, playing in the group behind, restored his two-shot advantage with a birdie on 16 and parred the final two holes to seal the title. "I made a few good pars coming in, which you need to do in the US Open," the 35-year-old Goosen told reporters. "When Phil started making a good run on the back nine, I knew I had to hang in there," added the South African, who needed only 24 putts on Sunday, including 11 one-putts. A disappointed Mickelson said: "I don't know what to say. I played some of the best golf of my life and still couldn't shoot par. Easy putt "At 17, I hit an easy putt, because I knew it was quick, but it still shouldn't have gone six, seven feet by. "I thought that even par would win today, the way the guys were coming back." American Jeff Maggert finished third at one-over 281 after carding a 72, while 2003 US Masters champion Mike Weir (74) of Canada and Japan's Shigeki Maruyama (76) were a further three shots back in a tie for fourth. Goosen managed to preserve his overnight lead with two birdies and three bogeys over the first 13 holes. However, he dropped another shot at the par-four 14th after bunkering his approach, before being caught moments later when Mickelson birdied 15. The 104th US Open title then hung in the balance as Goosen and Mickelson played out the nail-biting closing holes. World number one Tiger Woods, who began a sun-drenched day nine shots off the lead, battled to a six-over 76 and a share of 17th. A mix of five bogeys, a double-bogey and a birdie at the last left him at 10-over 290 as he narrowly avoided returning his worst round at a US Open. His career low was a 77 in the third round at Oakland Hills in 1996. "This is not the way it's supposed to be played," said Woods. "The way the golf course was set up was great for the first two days, and yesterday was tough but today it just got away from them (organisers)." Extreme test The firm and fast-running Shinnecock layout provided an extreme test for the 66-strong field as the blustery, westerly winds began to freshen. American Billy Mayfair ballooned to 19 over for the day with a closing 89, finishing at 30-over 310, while compatriot Kevin Stadler slumped to a 15-over 85 for a 27-over total of 307. Australia's Robert Allenby was the only player to return a level-par 70 on Sunday, three birdies and three bogeys lifting him into a tie for seventh with American Steve Flesch at six-over 286. Fred Funk (77) of the US was alone in sixth on 285. Conditions in the morning forced officials to suspend play for 10 minutes to allow greenkeeping staff to water the problem seventh hole after the first two pairs had gone through. The renowned 'Redan Hole' was syringed with a light spray in between each group. Three of the first four golfers to play the hole ran up triple-bogey sixes there, with the rock-hard green almost impossible to hold. Of those, Stadler faced a two-foot downhill putt for par which he missed, only to see his ball roll 20 yards off the green into a bunker. |
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