Latest news with #TommyArmour
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Oakmont aim in 125th US Open is to 'get every club in bag dirty'
Pennsylvania venue is USGA's equivalent of Carnoustie on The R&A list for The Open Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It's where Tommy Armour, the man dubbed 'The Silver Scot', won his US Open in 1927, where Colin Montgomerie lost out in a play-off in 1994 and, more recently, where Dustin Johnson overcame an astonishing situation that led to a subsequent rules change to land the same prize in 2016. For many, though, Oakmont County Club in Pennsylvania will be remembered for the US Open in 2007, when Argentinean Angel Cabrera's winning total was five-over-par and just eight sub-par rounds - just think about that for a few seconds - were recorded over the entire four days. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If you like, it's the USGA's equivalent of Carnoustie on The R&A's list of courses for The Open and next week's 125th edition of the US Open looks as though it is going to be another ferocious test. The 18th Hole of Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania | USGA/Fred Vuich In an early practice round last Monday, Masters champion Rory McIlroy felt he hit three good shots at the par-4 second yet ran up a 7 while, on a similar preparatory visit, fellow Augusta National winner Adam Scott revealed he'd hit every fairway on the front nine and still shot three over. 'We want to get every club in their bag dirty, all 15 of them, 14 in their bag and the one between the ears,' declared John Bodenhamer, the USGA's chief championships officer, intending to see what the game's top players are made of. This will be Oakmont's tenth staging of the event, with Armour's title triumph coming in the first one before seeing Sam Parks jnr (1935), Ben Hogan (1953), Jack Nicklaus (1962), Johnny Miller (1973), Larry Nelson (1983), Ernie Els (1994) and then Cabrera and Johnson follow in his footsteps. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'When you say the word 'Oakmont', I don't think any other course brings that instant thought of that tough, unrelenting difficulty that this place has,' declared Dan Hicks, who will be leading the coverage of the season's third major for NBC Sports in the US. 'They, of course, don't hold US Opens at places for a record ten times, which is incredible, without its ability to continue to challenge the best to the absolute limit.' Originally laid out by William Fownes, the test for this edition has been changed by Gil Hanse, who, of course, was involved in the creation of Castle Stuart near Inverness and the Craighead Links at Crail. 'He's described it as open heart surgery with a little bit of plastic surgery in there as well,' said Hicks of Hanse's work at Oakmont. Kevin Kisner, who still holds a PGA Tour card but will be sharing the main commentary duties with Hicks, likes the look of what lies in store. 'I've gone through the changes with Gil Hanse's team and USGA,' he revealed, 'and I think the No 1 priority that USGA wants to have in the US Open is driving the golf ball. I think those changes will put a premium on driving the golf ball just like they do at every US Open. 'From a greens standpoint, I think you'll see more balls run away from the centre of the greens which will make approach shots more difficult and getting the ball up-and-down more difficult. I think they'll have more hole locations than we've seen in the past. Some pins will even appear they're off the edges of the greens with the renovation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I love the quote about wanting to get every club in the bag dirty. When I finish a golf course, no matter where I play, I think that's one of the greatest attributes to a golf course if you hit every club in the bag - and I think Oakmont will be the perfect venue for that.' Dustin Johnson speaks at a press conference after winning the 2016 US Open at Oakmont Country Club |Johnson, who now plays on the LIV Golf League, was one of the game's dominant forces when landing his maiden major win nine years ago after a farcical end, having played the final seven holes knowing he had to review a possible rules infringement at the end of the round. Having let a four-shot lead heading into the final circuit slip from his grasp on that occasion, Shane Lowry will be a man on a mission heading back to the venue in the north-east suburbs of Pittsburgh, but the man they'll all have to beat is current world No 1 Scottie Scheffler. 'He's the best player that I've seen with my own eyes,' said Smylie Kaufman, another PGA Tour player who will be part of the NBC Sports team next week. 'I watched Tiger on TV as a kid growing up, and so I can't really speak to watching the golf ball in the air like I can with Scottie - mand it's the best I've ever seen. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'He's got no weaknesses in his game. You just feel like when you're behind Scottie, you have to press because you know he's not going to make any mistakes. I think it's just a blend of so many great things that he has. Like, when you're a 65-per cent-accuracy driver of the golf ball and you hit as many fairways as he does, then you couple it with maybe one of the best iron players to ever play the game, and now throw in a strokes-gained, top-20 putter along with a second in scrambling, he just doesn't have any weaknesses.' 'What Scottie does an incredible job of doing is his bad days where he doesn't have anything, he shoots 70. And Tiger Woods used to do the exact same thing. How many times have you seen Rory McIlroy or Xander Schauffele or Justin Thomas shoot rounds of 76 or higher on major championship Thursday rounds and, all of a sudden, they're out of it? 'Scottie Scheffler doesn't do that. He turns those days into 71s, 70s, 69s. And it just speaks to really just being an athlete and finding a way to get it done. I would say that's probably the most impressive thing that Scottie does for my eyes.' Scottie Scheffler, pictured with wife Meredith and son Bennett after winning the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow last month, is the man to beat in the season's third major |Kisner is also a huge fan of the man who has now won an incredible 16 times in just over three years. 'He does the exact same thing the last 20 seconds before he hits a golf shot, every shot in practice and in play, and in competition,' he observed. 'He has the same look in his eye. When he steps in, he has the most intense concentration that I've ever seen on every shot, and he makes sure that he's in the zone on every shot. That's something that, in my eyes, I always look back at Tiger Woods in his heyday, and that's what he did as well. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'One of the other fascinating things that's starting to happen that happened when Tiger was on that run was his peers started to talk about him in the same way that Tiger's fellow competitors talked about him. You saw Jordan [Spieth] talk about him last week and a few others. I just found it fascinating that it's getting to the point that his peers are even talking about how good he is and how great he's playing and how hard it is to beat him, and I think that even helps your advantage when you're the guy that others are talking about.'
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Oakmont aim in 125th US Open is to 'get every club in bag dirty'
Pennsylvania venue is USGA's equivalent of Carnoustie on The R&A list for The Open Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It's where Tommy Armour, the man dubbed 'The Silver Scot', won his US Open in 1927, where Colin Montgomerie lost out in a play-off in 1994 and, more recently, where Dustin Johnson overcame an astonishing situation that led to a subsequent rules change to land the same prize in 2016. For many, though, Oakmont County Club in Pennsylvania will be remembered for the US Open in 2007, when Argentinean Angel Cabrera's winning total was five-over-par and just eight sub-par rounds - just think about that for a few seconds - were recorded over the entire four days. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If you like, it's the USGA's equivalent of Carnoustie on The R&A's list of courses for The Open and next week's 125th edition of the US Open looks as though it is going to be another ferocious test. The 18th Hole of Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania | USGA/Fred Vuich In an early practice round last Monday, Masters champion Rory McIlroy felt he hit three good shots at the par-4 second yet ran up a 7 while, on a similar preparatory visit, fellow Augusta National winner Adam Scott revealed he'd hit every fairway on the front nine and still shot three over. 'We want to get every club in their bag dirty, all 15 of them, 14 in their bag and the one between the ears,' declared John Bodenhamer, the USGA's chief championships officer, intending to see what the game's top players are made of. This will be Oakmont's tenth staging of the event, with Armour's title triumph coming in the first one before seeing Sam Parks jnr (1935), Ben Hogan (1953), Jack Nicklaus (1962), Johnny Miller (1973), Larry Nelson (1983), Ernie Els (1994) and then Cabrera and Johnson follow in his footsteps. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'When you say the word 'Oakmont', I don't think any other course brings that instant thought of that tough, unrelenting difficulty that this place has,' declared Dan Hicks, who will be leading the coverage of the season's third major for NBC Sports in the US. 'They, of course, don't hold US Opens at places for a record ten times, which is incredible, without its ability to continue to challenge the best to the absolute limit.' Originally laid out by William Fownes, the test for this edition has been changed by Gil Hanse, who, of course, was involved in the creation of Castle Stuart near Inverness and the Craighead Links at Crail. 'He's described it as open heart surgery with a little bit of plastic surgery in there as well,' said Hicks of Hanse's work at Oakmont. Kevin Kisner, who still holds a PGA Tour card but will be sharing the main commentary duties with Hicks, likes the look of what lies in store. 'I've gone through the changes with Gil Hanse's team and USGA,' he revealed, 'and I think the No 1 priority that USGA wants to have in the US Open is driving the golf ball. I think those changes will put a premium on driving the golf ball just like they do at every US Open. 'From a greens standpoint, I think you'll see more balls run away from the centre of the greens which will make approach shots more difficult and getting the ball up-and-down more difficult. I think they'll have more hole locations than we've seen in the past. Some pins will even appear they're off the edges of the greens with the renovation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I love the quote about wanting to get every club in the bag dirty. When I finish a golf course, no matter where I play, I think that's one of the greatest attributes to a golf course if you hit every club in the bag - and I think Oakmont will be the perfect venue for that.' Dustin Johnson speaks at a press conference after winning the 2016 US Open at Oakmont Country Club |Johnson, who now plays on the LIV Golf League, was one of the game's dominant forces when landing his maiden major win nine years ago after a farcical end, having played the final seven holes knowing he had to review a possible rules infringement at the end of the round. Having let a four-shot lead heading into the final circuit slip from his grasp on that occasion, Shane Lowry will be a man on a mission heading back to the venue in the north-east suburbs of Pittsburgh, but the man they'll all have to beat is current world No 1 Scottie Scheffler. 'He's the best player that I've seen with my own eyes,' said Smylie Kaufman, another PGA Tour player who will be part of the NBC Sports team next week. 'I watched Tiger on TV as a kid growing up, and so I can't really speak to watching the golf ball in the air like I can with Scottie - mand it's the best I've ever seen. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'He's got no weaknesses in his game. You just feel like when you're behind Scottie, you have to press because you know he's not going to make any mistakes. I think it's just a blend of so many great things that he has. Like, when you're a 65-per cent-accuracy driver of the golf ball and you hit as many fairways as he does, then you couple it with maybe one of the best iron players to ever play the game, and now throw in a strokes-gained, top-20 putter along with a second in scrambling, he just doesn't have any weaknesses.' 'What Scottie does an incredible job of doing is his bad days where he doesn't have anything, he shoots 70. And Tiger Woods used to do the exact same thing. How many times have you seen Rory McIlroy or Xander Schauffele or Justin Thomas shoot rounds of 76 or higher on major championship Thursday rounds and, all of a sudden, they're out of it? 'Scottie Scheffler doesn't do that. He turns those days into 71s, 70s, 69s. And it just speaks to really just being an athlete and finding a way to get it done. I would say that's probably the most impressive thing that Scottie does for my eyes.' Scottie Scheffler, pictured with wife Meredith and son Bennett after winning the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow last month, is the man to beat in the season's third major |Kisner is also a huge fan of the man who has now won an incredible 16 times in just over three years. 'He does the exact same thing the last 20 seconds before he hits a golf shot, every shot in practice and in play, and in competition,' he observed. 'He has the same look in his eye. When he steps in, he has the most intense concentration that I've ever seen on every shot, and he makes sure that he's in the zone on every shot. That's something that, in my eyes, I always look back at Tiger Woods in his heyday, and that's what he did as well. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'One of the other fascinating things that's starting to happen that happened when Tiger was on that run was his peers started to talk about him in the same way that Tiger's fellow competitors talked about him. You saw Jordan [Spieth] talk about him last week and a few others. I just found it fascinating that it's getting to the point that his peers are even talking about how good he is and how great he's playing and how hard it is to beat him, and I think that even helps your advantage when you're the guy that others are talking about.'
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
US Open '25: What happened at previous Opens at Oakmont
OAKMONT, Pa. — A capsule look at the previous nine U.S. Open golf championships held at Oakmont Country Club: Year: 1927 Winner: Tommy Armour Score: 301 Margin: Playoff (76-79) Runner-up: Harry Cooper Prize: $500. Summary: Oakmont lived up to its reputation while hosting its first U.S. Open, with no one capable of breaking 300. Tommy Armour opened with a 78, and no U.S. Open champion since then has posted a higher score in the first round. It also was the last time a U.S. Open champion failed to break 300 over four rounds. Harry 'Lighthorse' Cooper appeared to be the winner, even after a three-putt on the 71st hole. Armour, however, holed a 10-foot birdie on the final hole to force a playoff. Armour shot his third straight round of 76 in the playoff to win by three. The Ryder Cup was held for the first time in 1927, and the British team played in the U.S. Open. ___ Year: 1935 Winner: Sam Parks Jr. Score: 299 Margin: 2 shots Runner-up: Jimmy Thomson Prize: $1,000 Summary: Oakmont again showed its brute strength when Sam Parks Jr., a professional at nearby South Hills Country Club, was the only player to break 300. He was tied with Jimmy Thomson going into the final round, but scoring was so difficult that none of the top 20 players on the leaderboard broke 75, and the low score of the final round was a 73. Parks prepared by playing Oakmont nearly every day for a month, and he had only two three-putts over 72 holes. Among those in the gallery was Harvard graduate Ed Stimpson, who was convinced the greens were too fast. He eventually created a device now called the Stimpmeter. ___ Year: 1953 Winner: Ben Hogan Score: 283 Margin: 6 shots Runner-up: Sam Snead Prize: $5,000 Summary: Two years after Sam Snead won the PGA Championship at Oakmont, he was no match for Ben Hogan, who won the last of his record-tying four U.S. Open titles. Hogan opened with a 67, but Snead whittled away at the lead until he trailed by one shot going into the final 18 holes. Hogan went 3-3-3 to close with a 71 for a six-shot victory over his fiercest rival. Snead never seriously challenged again in the U.S. Open, the only major he failed to win. Hogan became the first wire-to-wire winner of the Open since Jim Barnes in 1921, and the six-shot margin was the largest in 15 years. ___ Year: 1962 Winner: Jack Nicklaus Score: 283 Margin: Playoff (71-74) Runner-up: Arnold Palmer Prize: $17,500 Summary: In the most memorable major at Oakmont, 22-year-old rookie Jack Nicklaus heralded his arrival by beating Arnold Palmer in his own backyard. Nicklaus, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, was two shots behind going into the final 18 holes. Palmer was ahead by three until flubbing a chip on the ninth hole and taking bogey, and a bogey from the bunker on the 13th left him tied with Nicklaus. That's how they stayed, Nicklaus closing with a 69 to Palmer's 71, setting up an 18-hole playoff. Nicklaus built a four-shot lead through six holes and withstood Arnie's charge that pulled him within one. Palmer three-putted the 13th to stay two shots behind and never made up any more ground. Nicklaus shot 71 in the playoff to win by three, capturing the first of 18 professional majors. ___ Year: 1973 Winner: Johnny Miller Score: 279 Margin: 1 shot Runner-up: John Schlee Prize: $35,000. Summary: Johnny Miller is the only player to shoot 63 in the final round of a U.S. Open and win, and it remains what many believe is the best round ever played in the U.S. Open. He was six shots out of the lead going into the final round, held by Arnold Palmer, John Schlee, Julius Boros and Jerry Heard. Oakmont was never more vulnerable, although its soft conditions remain subject to debate. Some say the sprinklers were left on; others say lightning made the sprinklers come on overnight. Miller teed off an hour before the leaders and made nine birdies. His putt for a 62 on the 18th spun out of the cup. ___ Year: 1983 Winner: Larry Nelson Score: 280 Margin: 1 shot Runner-up: Tom Watson Prize: $72,000 Summary: Larry Nelson opened with 75-73 and was seven shots behind John Mahaffey and rookie Joe Rassett going into the weekend. He played the final 36 holes in 132, which remains a U.S. Open record. A 65 in the third round left the 35-year-old Nelson one shot behind Seve Ballesteros and Tom Watson. Nelson and Watson were tied when the final round was suspended by thunderstorms. When play resumed Monday morning, Nelson holed a 60-foot birdie putt on the 16th to take a one-shot lead. Nelson three-putted the final hole for a 67, but Watson missed a 5-foot par putt on the 17th and failed to catch him on the final hole. ___ Year: 1994 Winner: Ernie Els Score: 279 Margin: Playoff (Els 74-4-4, Roberts 74-4-5, Montgomerie 78) Runners-up: Loren Roberts, Colin Montgomerie Prize: $320,000 Summary: It was the first three-man playoff at the U.S. Open in 31 years, but it didn't have to be that way. Loren Roberts had a 4½-foot par putt to win the tournament on the 72nd hole, but missed it badly for a 70. Ernie Els didn't look at the scoreboard to see that he had a one-shot lead, played aggressively and had to make a 5-foot bogey putt for 73. Colin Montgomerie was the only player to never have a chance to win, shooting his 70 earlier and waiting in the clubhouse. Montgomerie, dressed in dark clothing on a sweltering day, shot 78 in the playoff. Els opened bogey-triple bogey, but played the rest of his round at 1 under for a 74 to match Roberts. Els won on the 20th hole when Roberts' approach on the 11th caught a bunker and he blasted out to 30 feet and made bogey. Els became the first foreign-born winner of the U.S. Open since David Graham in 1981. ___ Year: 2007 Winner: Angel Cabrera Score: 285 Margin: 1 shot Runners-up: Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk Prize: $1.26 million Summary: Angel Cabrera became the first Argentine in 40 years to win a major. He became the champion sitting in the locker room as Jim Furyk faltered late and Tiger Woods couldn't buy a birdie. Cabrera made two birdies on the back nine, the last one on the 15th, and closed with a 69 to finish at 5-over 285. It was the highest winning score at Oakmont since 1935. Furyk was tied for the lead until he tried to drive the 17th green and made bogey. Woods, playing in the final group for the second straight major without winning, made only one birdie over the final 32 holes. ___ Year: 2016 Winner: Dustin Johnson Score: 276 Margin: 3 shots Runners-up: Jim Furyk, Scott Piercy, Shane Lowry Prize: $1.8 million Summary: Dustin Johnson finally won his first major after so many self-inflicted mishaps, and even with his best golf it wasn't easy. His ball moved as he prepared for a par putt on the fifth hole. The USGA decided it was worth a closer look and notified Johnson on the 12th tee that he may — or may not — face a one-shot penalty. Johnson played the last seven holes not knowing the score, and played like it didn't matter. The USGA penalized him, turning his 68 into a 69. No matter. His 276 was the lowest score posted in nine U.S. Opens at Oakmont and he won by three shots. Jim Furyk, who grew up in Pennsylvania, was a U.S. Open runner-up at Oakmont for the second time. ___ AP golf:
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
US Open '25: What happened at previous Opens at Oakmont
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — A capsule look at the previous nine U.S. Open golf championships held at Oakmont Country Club: Year: 1927 Winner: Tommy Armour Score: 301 Margin: Playoff (76-79) Runner-up: Harry Cooper Prize: $500. Summary: Oakmont lived up to its reputation while hosting its first U.S. Open, with no one capable of breaking 300. Tommy Armour opened with a 78, and no U.S. Open champion since then has posted a higher score in the first round. It also was the last time a U.S. Open champion failed to break 300 over four rounds. Harry 'Lighthorse' Cooper appeared to be the winner, even after a three-putt on the 71st hole. Armour, however, holed a 10-foot birdie on the final hole to force a playoff. Armour shot his third straight round of 76 in the playoff to win by three. The Ryder Cup was held for the first time in 1927, and the British team played in the U.S. Open. ___ Year: 1935 Winner: Sam Parks Jr. Score: 299 Margin: 2 shots Runner-up: Jimmy Thomson Prize: $1,000 Summary: Oakmont again showed its brute strength when Sam Parks Jr., a professional at nearby South Hills Country Club, was the only player to break 300. He was tied with Jimmy Thomson going into the final round, but scoring was so difficult that none of the top 20 players on the leaderboard broke 75, and the low score of the final round was a 73. Parks prepared by playing Oakmont nearly every day for a month, and he had only two three-putts over 72 holes. Among those in the gallery was Harvard graduate Ed Stimpson, who was convinced the greens were too fast. He eventually created a device now called the Stimpmeter. ___ Year: 1953 Winner: Ben Hogan Score: 283 Margin: 6 shots Runner-up: Sam Snead Prize: $5,000 Summary: Two years after Sam Snead won the PGA Championship at Oakmont, he was no match for Ben Hogan, who won the last of his record-tying four U.S. Open titles. Hogan opened with a 67, but Snead whittled away at the lead until he trailed by one shot going into the final 18 holes. Hogan went 3-3-3 to close with a 71 for a six-shot victory over his fiercest rival. Snead never seriously challenged again in the U.S. Open, the only major he failed to win. Hogan became the first wire-to-wire winner of the Open since Jim Barnes in 1921, and the six-shot margin was the largest in 15 years. ___ Year: 1962 Winner: Jack Nicklaus Score: 283 Margin: Playoff (71-74) Runner-up: Arnold Palmer Prize: $17,500 Summary: In the most memorable major at Oakmont, 22-year-old rookie Jack Nicklaus heralded his arrival by beating Arnold Palmer in his own backyard. Nicklaus, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, was two shots behind going into the final 18 holes. Palmer was ahead by three until flubbing a chip on the ninth hole and taking bogey, and a bogey from the bunker on the 13th left him tied with Nicklaus. That's how they stayed, Nicklaus closing with a 69 to Palmer's 71, setting up an 18-hole playoff. Nicklaus built a four-shot lead through six holes and withstood Arnie's charge that pulled him within one. Palmer three-putted the 13th to stay two shots behind and never made up any more ground. Nicklaus shot 71 in the playoff to win by three, capturing the first of 18 professional majors. ___ Year: 1973 Winner: Johnny Miller Score: 279 Margin: 1 shot Runner-up: John Schlee Prize: $35,000. Summary: Johnny Miller is the only player to shoot 63 in the final round of a U.S. Open and win, and it remains what many believe is the best round ever played in the U.S. Open. He was six shots out of the lead going into the final round, held by Arnold Palmer, John Schlee, Julius Boros and Jerry Heard. Oakmont was never more vulnerable, although its soft conditions remain subject to debate. Some say the sprinklers were left on; others say lightning made the sprinklers come on overnight. Miller teed off an hour before the leaders and made nine birdies. His putt for a 62 on the 18th spun out of the cup. ___ Year: 1983 Winner: Larry Nelson Score: 280 Margin: 1 shot Runner-up: Tom Watson Prize: $72,000 Summary: Larry Nelson opened with 75-73 and was seven shots behind John Mahaffey and rookie Joe Rassett going into the weekend. He played the final 36 holes in 132, which remains a U.S. Open record. A 65 in the third round left the 35-year-old Nelson one shot behind Seve Ballesteros and Tom Watson. Nelson and Watson were tied when the final round was suspended by thunderstorms. When play resumed Monday morning, Nelson holed a 60-foot birdie putt on the 16th to take a one-shot lead. Nelson three-putted the final hole for a 67, but Watson missed a 5-foot par putt on the 17th and failed to catch him on the final hole. ___ Year: 1994 Winner: Ernie Els Score: 279 Margin: Playoff (Els 74-4-4, Roberts 74-4-5, Montgomerie 78) Runners-up: Loren Roberts, Colin Montgomerie Prize: $320,000 Summary: It was the first three-man playoff at the U.S. Open in 31 years, but it didn't have to be that way. Loren Roberts had a 4½-foot par putt to win the tournament on the 72nd hole, but missed it badly for a 70. Ernie Els didn't look at the scoreboard to see that he had a one-shot lead, played aggressively and had to make a 5-foot bogey putt for 73. Colin Montgomerie was the only player to never have a chance to win, shooting his 70 earlier and waiting in the clubhouse. Montgomerie, dressed in dark clothing on a sweltering day, shot 78 in the playoff. Els opened bogey-triple bogey, but played the rest of his round at 1 under for a 74 to match Roberts. Els won on the 20th hole when Roberts' approach on the 11th caught a bunker and he blasted out to 30 feet and made bogey. Els became the first foreign-born winner of the U.S. Open since David Graham in 1981. ___ Year: 2007 Winner: Angel Cabrera Score: 285 Margin: 1 shot Runners-up: Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk Prize: $1.26 million Summary: Angel Cabrera became the first Argentine in 40 years to win a major. He became the champion sitting in the locker room as Jim Furyk faltered late and Tiger Woods couldn't buy a birdie. Cabrera made two birdies on the back nine, the last one on the 15th, and closed with a 69 to finish at 5-over 285. It was the highest winning score at Oakmont since 1935. Furyk was tied for the lead until he tried to drive the 17th green and made bogey. Woods, playing in the final group for the second straight major without winning, made only one birdie over the final 32 holes. ___ Year: 2016 Winner: Dustin Johnson Score: 276 Margin: 3 shots Runners-up: Jim Furyk, Scott Piercy, Shane Lowry Prize: $1.8 million Summary: Dustin Johnson finally won his first major after so many self-inflicted mishaps, and even with his best golf it wasn't easy. His ball moved as he prepared for a par putt on the fifth hole. The USGA decided it was worth a closer look and notified Johnson on the 12th tee that he may — or may not — face a one-shot penalty. Johnson played the last seven holes not knowing the score, and played like it didn't matter. The USGA penalized him, turning his 68 into a 69. No matter. His 276 was the lowest score posted in nine U.S. Opens at Oakmont and he won by three shots. Jim Furyk, who grew up in Pennsylvania, was a U.S. Open runner-up at Oakmont for the second time. ___ AP golf:
