Rory McIlroy couldn’t discover the one putt to drop as he completed simply wanting Wyndham Clark, a brand new Major champion after the US Open.
It was a championship Sunday that featured a bevy of main stars, it was an up-and-comer who had an Oscar-worthy efficiency at The Los Angeles Country Club.
Playing within the shadows of Hollywood, Wyndham Clark, who had missed the lower in his solely two earlier US Open begins and completed no higher than a share of seventy fifth in six major-championship begins, stole the present to declare a one-stroke victory.
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McIlroy was second once more
Showing the moxie of a steely veteran, Clark, 29, overcame two late bogeys on Nos. 15 and 16 with an excellent par save on the 71st gap, then two-putted from 60 ft on the 72nd gap to maintain off world No. 3 Rory McIlroy. Clark’s even-par 70 gave him a four-day complete of 10-under 270.
“You know, this is now my second win on the PGA Tour, and the first one [at last month’s Wells Fargo Championship] was surreal and this one is surreal,” mentioned Clark.
“It hasn’t quite hit me yet. Walking up 18 was pretty emotional, and then finishing. It’s been a whirlwind the last five, six weeks. Just so blessed and humbled to be here.”
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Rickie Fowler, a five-time PGA Tour winner who had led the championship the primary three days and shared the 54-hole lead with Clark, struggled from the outset in his bid for a primary main and posted a disappointing 5-over 75 to share fifth with Tommy Fleetwood and Min Woo Lee at 5-under 275.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler additionally was caught in impartial many of the day and completed with a 70 to end in solo third, three behind the winner.
When Clark made it official together with his tap-in par on 18, he was instantly hugged by older sister, Kristin, and youthful brother, Brendan. One individual lacking from the celebration was his late mom, Lise Thevenet, whom the household misplaced to breast most cancers in 2013 at age 55.
“All I really wish is that my mom could be here, and I could just hug her, and we could celebrate together – but I know she’s proud of me,” mentioned Clark, who will share his victory later together with his father, Randall, a former collegiate {and professional} tennis participant.
When his mom misplaced her battle with most cancers, Clark thought of strolling away from the sport. The loss additionally factored in his determination to switch from Oklahoma State to the University of Oregon for the 2016-17 yr. He went on to win the Pacific-12 Conference title in Boulder, Colo., close to his hometown, and was named Golfweek’s participant of the yr. Clark instructed reporters this week that his mom’s recommendation to him earlier than each event was to “play big.”
He heeded that mantra this week, particularly on the weekend when he discovered himself within the closing pairing with Fowler every of the final two days. While Sunday’s spherical wasn’t excellent, his up-and-downs on Nos. 8, 9, 11 and 17 finally received him the championship. The bogey on the par-5 eighth when he barely moved the ball on his third shot in thick greenside tough was paying homage to his bogey save late Saturday on the seventeenth gap.
Most observers had been anticipating McIlroy, Fowler or Scheffler – three of the largest names in golf – to hoist the trophy at day’s finish. They acquired essentially the most boisterous roars on Sunday, however all three failed to match the adulation on the 7,359-yard George C. Thomas Jr. design that underwent a restoration by Gil Hanse in preparation for the primary U.S. Open in Los Angeles since 1948.
McIlroy, who claimed the last of his four majors at the PGA Championship in 2014, birdied the opening par 5 but didn’t make another birdie the rest of the day despite a number of golden opportunities. He three-putted the par-5 eighth for a par and bogeyed the par-5 14th when his 117-yard approach shot came up short of the green.
This was his second major disappointment in the last year; he came up just short to Cam Smith in the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews. This week, McIlroy hit 59 of 72 greens in regulation, which ties for the most by any player who did not go on to win the U.S. Open.
“The last real two chances I’ve had at majors I feel like have been pretty similar performances,” said McIlroy, referring to last July on the Old Course. “Not doing a lot wrong, but I didn’t make a birdie since the first hole today. Just trying to be a little more, I guess, efficient with my opportunities and my looks.”
Fowler was trying to be the feel-good story of the championship. He didn’t qualify for the last two U.S. Opens – a year ago at The Country Club he was the odd man out as an alternate – and slipped to as low as No. 185 in the Official World Golf Ranking. But since returning to instructor Butch Harmon, the 2015 Players champion who finished in the top five of all four majors in 2014, had slowly regained his confidence and form. He even said after Round 3 on Saturday that he wasn’t afraid to fail because of what he’s endured the past two years.
After shattering the 36-hole birdie mark with 18, he could only muster five on the weekend, including two in the final round against seven bogeys.
“I just didn’t have it today,” said the 34-year-old Fowler, whose engaging personality makes him one of the most-liked players in the game. “Iron play was very below average and didn’t make anything. That’s a big thing in majors, especially on a Sunday.”
Meanwhile, Scheffler just couldn’t get hot with his putter. The 2022 Masters champion, who had an eagle-birdie finish on Saturday, carded an even-par 70 with three birdies and three bogeys. That’s normally a recipe for success in a U.S. Open, but the 2022 runner-up needed more fireworks to overcome a three-stroke deficit to start the day on a course that yielded 10 rounds of 65 or better this week.
Clark carded a first-round 64 that was only two strokes off the record-setting performances of Fowler and Xander Schauffele. He followed with rounds of 67, 69 and 70 to become the fifth consecutive champion to make the U.S. Open his first major title. To find a longer streak one has to go back 50 years (1973-78).
Now he’s a major champion in a town that loves its stars.
What the US Champion Receives
- The Jack Nicklaus Medal
- Custody of the US Open Trophy for one year and a replica trophy
- Exemptions into the next 10 U.S. Open Championships
- Invitations to the next 5 Masters Tournaments
- Exemptions into the next 5 PGA Championships
- Exemptions into the next 5 Open Championships conducted by The R&A
- Exemptions into the next five Players Championships
- Exempt status on the PGA Tour for the next five years
- Name engraved on the plaque for 2023 USGA championship season in USGA Museum’s Hall of Champions
US Open notable takeways
- The 124th U.S. Open Championship will be contested from June 13-16 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2 in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C. Tickets can be purchased here.
- Wyndham Clark’s caddie, John Ellis, is a former Oregon assistant coach whom Clark befriended throughout his one yr in Eugene. Ellis, a former Canadian Tour participant of the yr, certified for the US Open in 2008 and 2011.
- Tommy Fleetwood, who carded a final-round 63 in 2018 at Shinnecock Hills, arising a stroke wanting champion Brooks Koepka, turned the primary golfer to submit a number of 63s within the U.S. Open. His Sunday efficiency, which included eagles on Nos. 6 and 14, moved him right into a tie for fifth. It additionally got here 50 years after Johnny Miller’s final-round 63 received the title at Oakmont Country Club.
- Austin Eckroat turned the second man in as many days to submit a 29 on the entrance 9, becoming a member of Tom Kim. The Oklahoma State graduate is now the fifth man in US Open historical past to obtain the feat. Eckroat simply missed an 11-foot putt on the par-3 ninth to submit 28.
- Vanderbilt rising junior Gordon Sargent, who turned No. 1 within the World Amateur Golf Ranking® on Wednesday, was the low newbie by 9 strokes over 2022 U.S. Amateur runner-up Ben Carr. Sargent completed at 4-over 284 after carding a 1-under 69 in Sunday’s closing spherical.
- The North Course’s entrance 9, as anticipated provided that it has three par 3s and two par 5s, performed practically 1.4 strokes simpler for the week.
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