Brooks Koepka caps a record week with US Open title

SEE YA NEXT YEAR: Qualifiers Xander Schauffele and Trey Mullinax finished in the top 10 and get an automatic entry into next year’s U.S. Open.

“That’s probably the most emotion I’ve ever shown”, Koepka said afterward. “I didn’t get my dad a card, so this works”.

American Brian Harman starts the final round at the links-style course sitting alone atop a crowded leaderboard one shot clear of Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka and Englishman Tommy Fleetwood.

In finishing with a closing round for under-par, the 27-year-old Koepka – who had three successive birdies from the 14th hole to effectively seal the deal – finished with a 67 for 272, 16-under-par.

Champ said, “I just wanted to be in the hunt to be low Am”. I think people – some of the guys – took my social media post (ripping the unplayability of some of the fescue) kind of the wrong way. “I think Tiger [Woods] had the best winning percentage of all time at 30 percent, and you’re lucky to even sniff close to 10 [percent]”. Playing a couple holes in front of his competitor, Koepka birdied the 14th, 15th and 16th holes to open up a four-shot lead.

NOTES: Scottie Scheffler, who plays collegiately for the University of Texas, was the top amateur finisher at 287 for the tournament with a Sunday round of 73.

Koepka admitted to Golf Digest in 2015 his preference for baseball: “If I could do it over again, I’d play baseball – 100 percent, no doubt”, he said. After three all-American seasons at Florida State, the Florida-native chose to start his career in Europe instead of America. His most recent win overall came on the Japan Golf Tour, when he won the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament in November 2016, shooting 21-under. “But I’m happy with the way I played, and it gives me confidence going forward”.

Not only was Erin Hills playable, it produced some record-low numbers.

The wind is gusting up to 25 miles per hour with the forecast calling for it to go as high as 30 miles per hour in the afternoon when the leaders tee off.

Davis Love III, Ryder Cup captain and veteran of many U.S. Opens, is on the premises of Erin Hills this week.

Townsend added: “As a result, he was banned from playing contact sports and that’s how he seriously got into golf”. Canada’s Adam Hadwin was out in the worst of it and shot an eight-over 80 to finish nine-over for the week.

Of the 24 players on the course early, only two are under par for the day – William McGirt and Jordan Spieth.

“I thought it was a fantastic round of golf, given what we were dealing with to start the day”, Spieth said. “The conditions were so tough”.

Hideki Matsuyama fires his approach into the 18th green.

Since the aforementioned five major stretch that culminated in a second-place tie in last year’s Masters, Spieth’s last five majors finishes have been T37, T30, T13, T11 and, in this U.S. Open, a tie for 35th.

The final round of the US Open began as a jumbled mess, with nine players lurking within four shots of the lead.

The reviews of Erin Hills, with the tournament was complete, were largely positive. So were the scores after a record-low Saturday. “I mean, it gets to an A, A-plus with the putter”. Five more followed on the back nine but two bogeys proved costly. Even fresh, testing weather conditions for day four and the weight of history could not halt the outstanding American. He set up a short birdie putt with a nice chip on 18, and then waited around for the leaders to finish.

The American became the seventh consecutive first-time major championship victor when he saluted in the US Open today.

Open the account: Tournament champion Brooks Koepka celebrates after the fourth round of the US Open in what is his first major tournament win.