The 116th US Open took place at Oakmont Country Club, with Dustin Johnson claiming his first ever major title, and the tournament most certainly did not disappoint.
Let's have a look at some of the big talking points from the weekend.
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| Photo: talksport.com |
DJ proves the doubters wrong
Rewind back to last year's US Open at Whistling Straits, Dustin Johnson had a great chance to secure his first ever major title. He came a whisker away from claiming it too, with a terrible three-putt costing him on the very last hole. The following Open Championship saw Johnson with another golden opportunity, but after being top of the leaderboard for the first two rounds, it all went wrong and he ended up finishing T49. This had led to many golfing commentators to doubt that he has it in his locker to win a major championship. Well this victory has not only proved the doubters wrong in that he has won a major tournament, but in that he won it in the most difficult of circumstances thanks to some terrible decision-making by the USGA.
USGA controversy nearly ruins tournament
The biggest talking point of the weekend, and the moment that defined the final round happened on the fifth green. Dustin Johnson made two practice putts, and as he prepared to address the ball to take his putt, it moved slightly. He stepped away, claiming he had not addressed the ball. He then checked with a rules official, who was happy there had been no infringement. However the USGA failed to make it clear whether Johnson would be penalised or not. As a result he played his last seven holes knowing he had to review a possible rules infringement after the round. Not only did this affect him, but also his competitors who didn't know how many shots they had to make up in order to reach the leader. Johnson's closest rival, Shane Lowry, actually bogeyed three holes in succession after he was told the news, which shows just how off-putting the USGA's decision was. This has led to some of the game's top players criticising the organisation, with Rory McIlroy calling them "amateur", while Jordan Spieth branded the decision "a joke".
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| Photo: skysports.com |
Yet more major misery for nearly-man Westwood
It was another so close yet so far weekend for Lee Westwood. The Englishman's still looking for his major title (he's had 18 top ten finishes in the majors in his career, eight of which he finished second or third), and it looked like it could well be on the cards, going into the last day just a few shots off the leader Shane Lowry. However, a disastorous final day scoring of 10-over-par 80 ruined any chances he had of lifting the trophy. Regardless, his strong performance last weekend and at Augusta earlier in the year, still make him one to watch at The Open next month.
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