University Place (Washington), June 22 (IANS) Reigning Masters champion Jordan Spieth carded one-under in the fourth and final round to win the 115th US Open by one shot with a four-day total of five-under 275 at the par-70 Chambers Bay here.
World No.2 golfer Spieth, 21, who entered the final round tied for the lead with Dustin Johnson, Jason Day and Branden Grace on Sunday, finished one shot ahead of Johnson (70) and Louis Oostuizen, who followed up a pair of 66s with a 67 that included a run of five consecutive birdies on the back nine.
Oosthuizen, who opened with a 77 on Thursday, went from a tie for 135th after Thursday to a share of second by shooting the lowest final 54-hole total in championship history (199).
American Spieth joined Craig Wood, Ben Hogan (twice), Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to win the Masters and US Open in the same year. He also became the youngest to win two Majors since Gene Sarazen in 1922, and he is the youngest US Open champion since Jones won the first of four in 1923 at 21 years, three months.
Spieth got birdies on the eighth, 12th, 16th and 18th holes against bogeys on the first and 17th.
“It’s hard right now. It’s hard,” said Spieth, who joined Woods and Johnny Miller as the only players to have won a US Junior Amateur and U.S. Open.
“I’m still amazed that I won, let alone that we weren’t playing tomorrow. So for that turnaround right there (and) to watch that happen, I feel for Dustin. But I haven’t been able to put anything in perspective yet.”
Johnson has had three previous disappointing finishes in majors, including the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where he held the 54-hole lead, but shot a final-round 82.
Adam Scott, who posted a championship-low round of 64 on Sunday, and fellow Australian Cameron Smith, 21, joined South African Grace in a tie for fourth at 277.
Australian Day, the sentimental favourite after playing the final 36 holes while dealing with vertigo, struggled to a 74 and tied for ninth at even-par 280.
Four-time Major champion and world No.1 Rory McIlroy carded a 66 and shared ninth with Day and fellow Irishman Shane Lowry.
Four-time Major winner Ernie Els of South Africa finished at the joint 54th spot, while Phil Mickelson, seeking the Open title to complete the career Grand Slam, was at tied 64th.
Indian golfers Shiv Kapur and Anirban Lahiri exited the competition as they missed the halfway cut that fell at five-over 145 after the second round on Friday. It was the first instance when two Indians were playing at the second Major of the year.
