Rickie Fowler finished tied for fifth at the US Open, his sixth career top-five in the past 24 Majors and first since 2014, when he joined Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to finish in the top-five in all four Majors in the same year.
There hasn’t been a repeat winner in the US Open in nearly 30 years, since Curtis Strange in 1989, but it sure looked like the same guy won the championship for a second year in a row.
Brooks Koepka has accomplished his most impressive feat yet, winning the 117th US Open in dominating fashion and matching Rory McIlroy’s 72-hole scoring record of 16-under.
Jordan Spieth ended his four days at the US Open before the last group even teed off on Sunday, finishing at one-over 289 after a final-round 69 on a breezy morning at Erin Hills.
The rough at Erin Hills seems to look nastier than it seems to be playing, and that would seem to violate one of the USGA’s long-held US Open tenets for the infamous “cost of rough” penalty.
Not that those competing at Erin Hills today need extra incentive to grab the trophy. But for whoever finishes as the US Open winner, life will get a little richer.
A first-time winner has come out on top in each of the past six Major championships. After 36 holes at Erin Hills, where the top 18 names on the leaderboard have won a combined zero Majors, it looks as though we are headed for a seventh.
Australian Golf Digest
