Graeme McDowell wins US Open
If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs - you'll be a man, my son.
Those famous words, written by Rudyard Kipling, perfectly described Graeme McDowell’s day yesterday, where he joined the list of golf legends such as Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Tom Kite and Tiger Woods by winning the US Open at Pebble Beach.
McDowell started the day on three-under and despite carding a scrappy three-over par, others around him failed to score positively enough, leaving the Northern Irishman clear by one shot.
McDowell’s historic win finally removed the monkey from the British’s players back, the first time in 40 years that a Briton, Tony Jacklin, had won the United States Open.
“It just feels like a dream to join that sort of company,” McDowell told Skysports. “I don't think this will ever sink in, and it might be a while before I'm sober.”
The 30-year-old from Portrush started the day in second place, three shots adrift of leader Dustin Johnson, but on a day where slow and steady won the race McDowell kept his nerve on the 18th green to sink a four-foot putt to secure the victory.
Overnight leader Johnson had a day he will like to forget in a hurry.
After carding a 71, 70 and 66 in the previous rounds, the pressure of leading a major on the final day clearly got to him as he produced an ugly round of 82 to finish tied for eighth. It could have been a whole lot worse for Johnson had any of the chasing pack shot an under par round. Phil Mickleson, Tiger Woods and Ernie Els will all be waking up this morning contemplating what might have been, as they all failed to make any inroads towards
McDowell at the top of the leader board.
Following Woods’ birdie run on Saturday, where he carded an impressive 66, his game failed to reach the heights of the previous day. The 14-time major winner’s putting was his downfall, failing to get to grips with the testing Pebble Beach greens finishing tied fifth with a final round 75. The same could be said for Mickleson who failed to produce any magic on the dance floor, and finished with a 73.
In fact it was unknown French qualifier Gregory Havret, who was written off before Sunday’s play despite being only four off the lead, who came closest to challenging McDowell.
Havret - making his US Open debut - had his chance at the par five 18th, chipping to 10 feet to leave himself a birdie putt, but he struck it poorly and the ball went left of the hole.
That meant McDowell could afford to be conservative and after laying up at the final hole and he fired a wedge to the middle of the green.
A regulation two-putt later, and McDowell had won the 110th US Open Championship.
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