U.S. Open 2018: Brooks Koepka successfully defends title

American Brooks Koepka retained his US Open title with a one-shot victory over England’s record-equalling Tommy Fleetwood at Shinnecock Hills.

It was fantastic Sunday and how it should be for the final round of a major.

That performance at Erin Hills left many critics wondering if the USGA and the US Open had lost it’s teeth, hosting too many events at unproven tracks where the only real challenge came from that fact that courses like Erin Hills are, well, just bloody long.

Masters champion Patrick Reed closed with a two-under 68 to finish fourth at four-over. A firefighter from MA played it well enough to win the low amateur medal, and the pro who bounced around mini tours finding his game played it well enough to edge out England’s Tommy Fleetwood by one shot.

I can’t say whether he should have been disqualified by the letter of the rules, but he prevented his ball from going into more trouble and that’s cheating.

There were also calls for five-time major victor Phil Mickelson to be disqualified after he broke the rules during the third round.

The last golfer to post back-to-back victories in the U.S. Open was Curtis Strange, who won 1988 and 1989 and was on hand to witness Koepka’s achievement. “That’s pretty good. I’ve got some catching up to do”. “I said, ‘Are you sure you haven’t been practicing?’ He hadn’t missed a beat”.

I felt for Fleetwood, though. “I made my highest finish in a major and it’s just more proof I can get up there. I hope it means as much to him”, said unusual, who won in 1988 and ’89 and was the last to win two in a row before Koepka matched him Sunday.

He finished at 1-over 281, the first time in five years that no one broke par at the U.S. Open. Fleetwood became just the fifth player in the tournament’s 118-year history to shoot that number, and second in the final round.

He had good chances to birdie the final three holes as well, but missed them all including an eight-footer at the last with history beckoning.

Playing more than two hours ahead of the overnight leaders, Fleetwood reeled off four consecutive birdies from the 12th hole. “I mean, yeah, so many positives, so many great things”.

Reigning U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Matt Parziale and Louisiana State University rising senior Luis Gagne shared low-amateur honors at 16-over 296.

Speaking about the birdie putt, Fleetwood added on Fox Sports: “I knew what it was for and I started it on the line I wanted to, but it was a little bit slower than I thought”.

Justin Rose also continued his fantastic year with another good week. After his final round he said: “It really, really was testing this week to be honest with you”. It’s alright saying that but it never happens. I would have taken double bogey because we were in jail. “Hopefully this is just one stage in me winning majors”. Just ask Phil Mickelson, whose ongoing pursuit of the career Grand Slam died of thirst here on Long Island, the final gasp of normalcy gone in that insane jog down the hill and swipe at a moving ball.

Cowen, Koepka’s short-game coach, warned the world number four he would not realise his potential unless the 28-year-old improved his attitude before he won his first major at Erin Hills last year. After completing the four rounds, he finishes at 11-over 291, which now puts him in a tie for 32nd. Koepka was all over the pins early in the round, with birdies on three of the first five holes.

He will be very disappointed that he didn’t hole one of those but he has to remember that he did the hard bit – hitting the shots to get those birdie opportunities – and he didn’t make bad putts.

By the time Koepka’s approach at 18 hit a grandstand and bounced off a closing bogey was academic.