2016 U.S. Open Film: "DJ's Major Redemption"

Video Statistics and Information

Video
Captions Word Cloud
Reddit Comments

Damn I got nervous watching this. Even though I knew Dustin won last year, I still felt as though it was only just happening. Epic documentary

👍︎︎ 3 👤︎︎ u/YOUREABOT 📅︎︎ Aug 16 2019 🗫︎ replies
Captions
The legendary Arnold Palmer once said, "Winning isn't everything, but wanting it is." When those on verge of greatness fall short, it's the unspoken questions that take the deepest aim. Is talent being wasted? Is there enough desire? Can they get it done? In golf the label of underachiever has been stamped on the careers of even major championship winners, but especially those gifted players who have never won. No major championship offers a greater opportunity to reverse a career narrative than the U.S. Open It's a platform to rewrite history. In 2016, at a place where careers have been transformed, the burden of potential was finally lifted, and so it was at the 116th U.S. Open at Oakmont for DJ's Major Redemption. The U.S. Open is widely regarded as golf's ultimate test. Jack Nicklaus, who won the championship a record-tying four times, always said that while he could contend in other majors with less than his A-game, you just can’t fake out the U.S. Open. The quintessential U.S. Open course is Oakmont Country Club, founded in 1903 outside Pittsburgh. In 2016 at the 116th edition of the championship, Oakmont hosted the U.S. Open for a record ninth time As it always has, the muscular layout in the heart of steel country would demand the very highest standard of both ball control and self-control. It's going to test every club in your bag. It's gonna test how you think, how you recover from situations that, you know inevitably over 72 holes, you're gonna get into some trouble and it, and it's how you think your way and how you execute your way out of it. Former USGA President Sandy Tatum defined the goal when he said, "We're not trying to embarrass the best golfers in the world, we're trying to identify them." It's very, very difficult. Something unlike you play any week of the year – tougher, longer, a marathon type of test, not a, not a sprint. So it's a different game, different mentality, different attitude that you take to a U.S. Open I love the tough test that we really have to think every mistake is magnified and it should be. Many have fallen short of achieving their U.S. Open goals. Some of the games greats have endured failure before finding the pinnacle of their golf careers. Jack Nicklaus nearly won his first major at the U.S. Open in 1960 but succumbed to the legendary Arnold Palmer. Palmer drops the putt with a sensational last round 65. Two years later the Golden Bear overcame the loss by defeating the hometown hero, Palmer, at Oakmont, in an 18-hole playoff to capture his first major. Tiger Woods finished third in 1999 and won his first U.S. Open in 2000. Tiger Woods is the 100th U.S. Open Champion in history Throughout his career, Dustin Johnson has faced the same trials that Tiger and Jack faced. DJ, a gifted modern golfer, who's had multiple chances to claim his first major championship, has so far come up empty. At the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, Johnson entered the final round with a three-stroke lead over Graeme McDowell. Sunday at Pebble was probably one of the biggest learning experiences of my career. It was my first time in a situation I really didn't know what to expect or how to handle myself Johnson got off to a nervous start that quickly took him out of contention. He struggled home in 82 to finish in eighth. Wow, hard to tell where that ended up but that is left. There's all kinds of stuff that goes on. When you got the lead in the major and it helped me later in the PGA, I was you know back in the same situation. Two months later at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Johnson came to the 72nd hole with a one-stroke lead. After what he thought was a bogey that would have sent him to a playoff, DJ was assessed a two-stroke penalty for having grounded his club in a bunker that he had believed was not a hazard. It was yet another bitter ending as Johnson finished fifth. Obviously everyone knows about the miss out in the bunker, other than that I played really well. But the heaviest blow came in 2015 at Chambers Bay. Johnson had an eagle putt on 18 to win. After missing the 12-footer, Johnson had a short putt to send it to a playoff against Jordan Spieth. Once again, it was not to be. Jordan Spieth has won the U.S. Open! Many predicted Johnson would never recover after so many missed opportunities but he never waivered in his belief. Coming off the disappointment last year, do you feel you're better prepared to handle things if you're in that position again? I, I feel like my game in those situations has held up just fine. You know, that's all, that's all I'm trying to do is just give myself a chance on the back nine on Sunday. Not that I've never thought about it, of course, I mean people ask me about it all the time, so it's kind of hard not to think about it but I felt like I did everything I was supposed to do in that U.S. Open, you know, coming down the stretch with a chance to win. At 17 I hit a great shot in there, made a birdie. You know at 18 I hit a great drive and a great second shot. But I didn’t feel I hit a bad putt or anything so there was nothing for me to, to be upset about or, or to worry about or to, to dread on. You know if, if Dustin three-putts the last hole, you know I had three-putts at 16 you know? That could have been number 8 and 12. You know it just, it's more significant because of where it happened but everyone was three-putting. People are gonna three-putt this week, it just happens at a U.S. Open. I certainly felt bad for him. I would have ultimately liked him to have made the second putt and then I would liked to have beat him on Monday, um, but you know it's 72 holes, add them up and we ended up one stroke ahead. I just feel like this has always been the way he's done it. Is the way he's handled it, has been impressive. You know, he's a guy that's has just never let it get him down. It's always easy from the cheap seats to say, "Oh I should have hit it there," but it's hard to do it when you're under pressure and you're trying to win a tournament. You know a lot of fans, a lot of people just around the world just don't realize how tough it is to win. One guy who fully understands this notion is Phil Mickelson. With over 40 victories in his career, including five major championships, Mickelson has finished second in the U.S. Open, a record six times. A victory at Oakmont would give him the final leg to the career Grand Slam. I could B.S. you and tell you I don't think about it; no I think about it all the time. This is the tournament I want to win the most. I have to put that out of my head and try to execute and be patient and not think about results You start thinking about results, you'll never play your best golf. This year and every year here forward until ultimately win this tournament it'll be my biggest focus, my biggest thought. Jason Day came to Oakmont as the world's number-one-ranked player. The 28-year-old Aussie won the final major of 2015 at the PGA Championship and added three more victories in 2016, including the Players Championship. He finished second at the U.S. Open twice. You know, being very close to winning a U.S. Open especially in the last few years and had two 2nd place finishes but this is one tournament that is very stressful and I, I feel like I, I thrive under stress and, and hopefully I can do that this, you know this year 2011 U.S. Open champion and former world number one Rory McIlroy encountered Oakmont for the first time The winner of four major championships by the age of 25, the Northern Irishman knows adding another is the fastest way to regain his position at the very top of the game. You know I got a good look here at Oakmont last Monday and Tuesday and then played another couple of rounds yesterday and today, so you feel as, as prepared as I, as I can be coming in here and you know I, I feel like I've got a good game plan for the course. It's just a matter of going out there and executing it. Defending champion Jordan Spieth is seeking to bounce back from the toughest loss of his career two months before at the Masters. He intends to draw on his memories of victory at Chambers Bay in an effort to win his third major. Winning a U.S. Open is a different experience than winning at any other venue. Literally anything can happen. As much as I speak to major championships being like two events in one, you have to have a patience for, for two rounds each round. It's no more relevant than at a U.S. Open. Amongst the seasoned champions of the game, other stories would emerge at Oakmont. Could a Cinderella stake his claim? Would it be a foreigner winning on U.S. soil? Or perhaps a redemption story for the ages? This year's championship would be unlike any other played before. Historically, U.S. Open golf courses are the most daunting of all championship courses played throughout the season, and in 2016 Oakmont was to be the hardest of them all. It has really been a demanding test of golf and a strategic test of golf as well. While the course has certainly changed a little bit over time, between the growth of trees and the removal of trees, it really has maintained its ability to produce excellent championships Oakmont from even the first time I saw it, it, it set up well to my eye. Right in front of you there's nothing tricky about it. It's very hard but very fair – deep rough, the bunkers are deep, the greens are really tough, there's a lot of slope. It's the kind of golf course I like. The members have such pride at Oakmont. They wanna see everybody bloody when they come off the golf course you know? There's no question that Oakmont brings out the best in what you have to do, but I think the U.S. Open consistently is who can be the strongest mentally because there's always things that happen that you don't see happen anywhere else. U.S. Opens are never fun for a player except for the guy who wins. It's just a tough, tough test and every U.S. Open always has been. This year's championship at Oakmont would test the best and brightest as it is done eight previous times over the last century. Those who have won here are regarded among the best of all time. Names like Armour, Hogan, Nicklaus, Miller, and Els have been celebrated for winning at this historic venue. For every player in the field, Oakmont presents the chance to transform a career while getting into contention means walking the razor’s edge between glory and disappointment, champions welcome that opportunity. The best example of such spirit on the current scene is exemplified by Dustin Johnson, by acclamation, the most athletically gifted player in the game. At 31, the lanky 6'4" South Carolinian has already absorbed some of the cruelest disappointments in the history of major championships. I think there's plenty of golfers that have moments they can't recover from. They have a championship or a major or a tournament where they're right there and they can never bounce back from that. Dustin's had that happen to him so many times. We all know how good this guy is. Dustin Johnson is as good a ball-striker as there out there – great hand-eye coordination, good driver of the golf ball for his length, wonderful touch – he's one of the best athletes to ever play this game. What else do you need to win golf tournaments? But he hasn't done it yet. Really had a chance at Pebble Beach, didn't do it. PGA, played really well but made a mistake, penalty on the last hole. So then you think does this guy have it, what it takes? And I'm not talking about game, putting touch, does he have it right in here? Because when you get down to the last four, five holes it's not about who has the most talent, ever. It's about who wants it more. The Oakmont that the players were prepared for could be described as classic U.S. Open conditions on steroids. Meaning an unrelenting par 70 of 7,254 yards, playing so hard and fast that just getting the ball to stay on the fairways and greens would take all the skill the best in the world could muster. The first practice rounds, the players comment about how impossible it is and you can't control the ball when it lands on the green. You know the ball's rolling 20, 30, 40 yards in the fairway. It was that firm and that fast and that fiery – that 6 or 7 over par would probably win. You almost think to yourself, "Oh I'm glad I'm not playing," and the rain saved them all. After heavy rains Wednesday night, the players approach to this U.S. Open changed. The suddenly soft conditions would allow a more aggressive strategy that just might produce the lowest scoring Oakmont had ever seen. It just takes the fire out of the golf course, and when I say by fire, the firmness of the fairways and then you get to the greens. The speed of the greens, it slows them down just enough, when the player comes out of me, I was glad to see some rain 'cause now were gonna watch some players actually play golf and not be so scared, defensive. Wednesday, the day before, and then Thursday of we got inundated with rain. Any other golf course that had received that much rain, the players really would have had their way with it in terms of scoring, not at Oakmont. As play began, the competitors were in attack mode, and as often been the case in the history of the championship, a relative unknown grabbed the early headlines. Ranked 624th in the world entering the U.S. Open, Andrew Landry had to go through local and sectional qualifying just to get to Oakmont. Heading into the U.S. Open, Landry represented the best of what the U.S. Open is all about. Since the very beginning, there's been an opportunity for golfers that if you're good enough to qualify, you can play in the U.S. Open, and by the way it doesn't matter whether you're a professional, amateur, whether you're a junior, whether you're a senior you can try to qualify for the U.S. Open Championship. I think that the USGA, what they do for you know any individual whether it be a 13-year-old kid or a 50-year-old guy, being able to go and qualify for a major championship, that's world class on their part. And Andrew Landry made the most of his opportunity, suddenly running the table on the biggest stage of his career. Ten was where it all kind of started. I just, I hit a good shot in there, 5 yards short of the green and it just stopped. It just stopped dead around the front of the green and I was, I knew immediately that's an auto three-putt. I mean you cannot get the ball in the hole in two unless you make a 15-20-footer for your par. Putt breaks probably 15 feet and I just buried it right in the hole. The number 624 ranked player in the world, but what a start he is off to in his first United States Open. That's kinda where it all started. You know I got the confidence, made a 60-footer on the first hole in the U.S. Open, you know the roars, the crowds were getting into it and it was just like a big pump of adrenaline and I was like okay so let's go. In contrast to controlled accuracy and hot putting being employed by the 5-7 Landry, two-time major champion Bubba Watson who had finished fifth at Oakmont in 2007, relied on his experience and powerful shot-making to get off to a fast start. The free-swinging lefthander from the Florida Panhandle would finish the day 2 under par through 14 holes, leaving him one stroke behind Landry's pace. I turned 2 under, bogey free and then the rain delay hit. As the day progressed, the rain would continue to soak the course and caused a series of delays that would change the playing schedule for the remainder of the championship. You know the one feeling I got, guys didn't really know when they were gonna go back out. I think they were a little surprised, as we were, that the weather hit that fast and that hard and right when they got the rounds going the horns blew. You know, you're looking at Jordan Spieth and some top names that, that are kinda walking around, milling around, all sitting around trying to get this U.S. Open under way. You know you can get fatigued sitting around, waiting around for four hours, not playing an entire day. I mean that's, that's, that's tiring. Finding a rhythm on a day of unpredictable stops and restarts became a primary challenge. It was you know tough starting and stopping, and conditions changing from when we started to when we finished but it is what it is. We, we deal with that here and there. The players that are playing the big tours around the world are used to having all these stoppages, you know weather delays. Nobody likes it, but I think the players that are experienced, they can deal with it. Among those who successfully negotiated the changing conditions was England's Lee Westwood, who was looking for his first major. Westwood finished at 1 under par through 13 holes. While former Masters champion Zach Johnson and Ireland's Shane Lowry were at even par with work left in Round 1 on Friday. My start was massive that day, laid it open at about 60 yards to the flag from my approach shot. I holed it so, there’s no better way to start a tournament than that. 2015 U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth got through 11 holes at 1 over par and would have some work left in his first round when he returned to the course Friday morning. 2011 U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy who was 4 over par through 14 holes and Rickie Fowler who was 6 over through 12 will be forced to play catch-up when they're back on the course to finish their second round. Andrew Landry emerged from one of the delays with a string of birdies at the second, third and fourth holes to put him five under par halfway through his second nine, in range of Johnny Miller's historic score of 63 at Oakmont. Although he would drop two strokes on the next four holes, as play ended, Landry had a 10-foot birdie putt at the ninth for a 66, which he chose to mark. I mean being on top of the leader board's fine, it's just there’s so much golf left and you know half the field hasn't even, hasn't even got off yet. Meanwhile, favorites who had afternoon tee times, including Jason Day, Phil Mickelson, Sergio García and Dustin Johnson were not able to start their rounds. You know I knew, obviously once they blew it, called it for the day, that you know Friday was gonna be a long day and you know another obstacle to, that I had to get over. After a year of waiting to wash away his loss at Chambers Bay, Dustin Johnson had to wait one more day to initiate his shot at redemption. With the weather cleared up, it would take a tremendous effort from the grounds crew and the USGA staff to get the course ready for play on Friday after the onslaught of rain on Thursday. You know it was a Herculean effort by the grounds staff and this isn't just the grounds staff at Oakmont, there's well over a hundred golf course superintendents from around the world that come in, volunteer their services to make this all happen. Had it not been for those, you know almost 200 individuals, we would have never been able to play I mean they were out literally rebuilding bunkers that had been washed out, squeegeeing greens, and we got so much rain on Thursday that the mindset is we're just gonna play as much golf as we can get in and eventually we hope we can catch up by Sunday. Many of the players who did get out on Thursday had to rise early the next morning for the remainder of their first round. The player with both the least and most significant work left was Andrew Landry, who returned to the ninth green for what he hoped would be a single stroke from 10 feet for a birdie to conclude a historic round. I wanted to go ahead and get my round over with, but went home that night and just slept on it and that next morning we're hitting a, a bunch of right to-left putts from that distance. This morning, Andrew Landry had to come back. What did he show up with? Just his putter, didn’t even bring his bag. Here at the 9th, his final hole of his first round, he makes birdie, becomes the first ever to shoot a 66 in the opening round here at Oakmont Country Club. Also finishing their first rounds on a high note were veteran Lee Westwood of England with a 67, Ireland's Shane Lowry with a 68, and Bubba Watson with a 1-under-par 69. Defending champion Jordan Spieth grinded out a 72 to keep his chance of repeating alive, if he could right the ship and get hot in his 2nd round. But Rickie Fowler struggled to a 76, while Rory McIlroy posted the highest round among the pre-championship favorites, a 77 over the soggy track that nonetheless could still punish errant shots. Things are not going Rory’s way at the moment. I think he’s, might have lost his focus and attention there a little bit. Right now I just need to focus on trying to hit fairways and, and hit greens. I think I hit five fairways and eight greens out there. I think for me the toughest thing is, is just trying to stay positive and not get too down on myself and try to go out there and play well and, and make it into the weekend. While McIlroy was left to search for his best golf, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Sergio García and Phil Mickelson finally got a chance on Friday to begin their quest for the 2016 U.S. Open title. Weather and daylight permitting, they would play as many as 36 holes in order to get back on track for a Sunday finish. Just a low knockdown, pushing it back there and that is not going to be a good spot. In his first U.S. Open round since his misfortune at Chambers Bay, Johnson missed his first two greens in regulation, but after scrambling for pars, he saw his game click into a groove. Using that new back right spot, what a shot. You just really had to pick and choose at what times to be aggressive and, and to not be aggressive. Even sometimes I felt like you know I'd have a sand wedge or a lob wedge in my hand and, and not be aiming at the flag just because if I was just a little bit off it could end up in a really bad spot, and I'm gonna make bogey so I felt like I played, you know, a lot to the center of the greens and you know just try to leave myself you know as easy a putt as I could find. His driving, approach game and especially wedge play were pure in a bogey-free first round of 67. A real testament to who he is as a player. Willing to give himself another opportunity here to erase the memory of last year. His fellow competitor, Sergio García, also displayed great ball-striking and surprisingly good putting. And what a fantastic shot by Sergio The Spaniard posted five birdies against three bogeys in a solid 68. World number one Jason Day of Australia and six-time U.S. Open runner-up Phil Mickelson both had rounds that left them in danger of missing the 36-hole cut. Mickelson managed a 74, while Day shot a startling 76. You know this has been the best putter all year, something’s changed. He said he was battling it. After a break in play, the guys would get warmed up for their second 18, making it a very long day. You’re walking 12-15 miles probably at Oakmont and every single shot, there's no easy holes, there's no easy shots so every shot there's added pressure on. While some struggle with the schedule, Dustin Johnson came out with an attitude as good as his game. Picking up the same effortless rhythm that had marked his first round. Friday was gonna be a long day and it was just something that you gotta deal with and it wasn't anything that I was upset about. This will be to get to 4 under and tie for the lead. You know it was just another obstacle that I had to get over and if you get off to a good start and, and play well you know that can be beneficial 'cause you get to play 36 holes that day. Oh very nice, Dustin Johnson With an extra degree of sharpness and control, Johnson minimized risk with smart play from tee to green. His 69 put him a stroke ahead of the field at 4 under par, a gap that would have been greater had he capitalized on some short birdie opportunities. I didn't putt great but I played really solid all day long. That was my goal you know? First get in the fairway then, then try to get it on the green to where I had an uphill putt where I can be aggressive and you know just make a lot of easy pars you know? So there was no stress involved which is, which is great. Oh finally! After coming so close so many holes, he gets that bender at 6. His second-round 69 was impressive and Dustin was sitting on top as he entered the weekend. With a close look at DJ all day long, García had an up-and-down second round. Nope, oh no. Now a mature 36, the veteran showed both patience and moxie. Out of the ditch. He was able to get this out of the ditch into the fairway and that was an unbelievable shot. A gigantic par. Yeah, he is going through the valley Brad, and it’s going break quite a bit to the right once it gets over that ridge. Did he make it? No way! Garcia managed an even-par 70 to finish 36 holes at 2 under, making his remaining road to a possible first major rigorous but doable. Tired? My legs oof! Too old for this. I'm very happy to, to obviously finish at two under. I didn't play that great this afternoon but I scrambled nicely and I made a couple of really big putts when I, when I needed to. While Dustin and Sergio could be pleased with their positions heading into the weekend, both Jason Day and Phil Mickelson battled to give themselves a chance to play the weekend. Day got through 15 holes in his second round at 1 under to get to 5 over par when play was called for darkness. No way, a couple inches here and there and this guy could have a really low round today. Here at 15, Phil Mickelson for par. Mickelson was precariously perched at a total of 7 over par after 34 holes and in serious danger of missing the cut. He’ll be 7 over, maybe yet another year passing without completing that career grand slam. Still needing the United States Open Championship. Two crazy days at Oakmont left the leader board in flux. Some golfers had only played one round, others finished two, but most of the field was somewhere in between. But the biggest takeaway heading into Saturday was that once again, Dustin Johnson was in the lead at the U.S. Open. What's your game plan for the next two days to finish this thing off? I just need to you know stick to what I'm doing. I got a good game plan for this golf course, just stick to it you know? If I keep driving it like I am, I'll be tough. When the second round was finally completed, some of the game’s biggest names fell outside the cut line that would eventually settle at 6-over-par 146. Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler both fell victim to Oakmont's challenges and missed the cut. Rory McIlroy had a chance, but the last of his second round proved to be his undoing. He is pretty much on the cut mark as we know it at the moment. And that’s not a good start. It has been a while since he missed a cut. He’s not supposed to miss a cut. Things are not really working out for Rory here, this has been a bad finish. Tried to grind it out, but really just let it slip. After the cut was made, players in the field still vying for the U.S. Open title would hit the course for their third rounds. World number one Jason Day who started his third round 5 over par and out of the mix, went on a tear on Saturday, playing incredible golf. First hole of this third round for Jason Day, just tapping it here at 10. Gonna walk it in, got it! After a strong start on 10, the Aussie would start a run of birdies to begin his round in amazing fashion. Trickling down, what a great shot. Saw that well judged wedge shot in here, just a couple feet. Number one in putting this year, and two birdies. 20-footer for birdie. Does he hit it? 4 out of 5! What a start for world number one. This for eagle After making the turn and dropping one stroke at the 3rd, To get within four. And he’s done it. an eagle at 4 got him all the way back to even par for the championship. Started out the day nine behind the leaders, he’s now within four. My mindset on the first day was a little clouded. The second round felt a lot better and then obviously today I just you know, um I definitely gave myself the opportunities out there today. Despite Day's amazing 66 it was Ireland's Shane Lowry who would grab the headlines in the afternoon at Oakmont as he started to separate himself from the rest of the field. Stop it on the front of the green and it’ll start rolling. Judged that very well. Shane got it to minus five through 14 holes in his third round before play was called due to darkness. Hitting 10 of 11 fairways and 10 of 14 greens in the afternoon, it was an amazing display of golf that would have him feeling good about his game and ready to finish his third round when he came back on the course early Sunday morning. I rolled a really tricky downhill for birdie to take the lead. Bit of a milestone in my career, a lead on a Saturday U.S. Open. Shane is sneaky good. If you follow golf you know how good Shane Lowry actually is, and I remember seeing him play in round three thinking it wouldn't surprise me at all if Shane won. Shane Lowry, he was playing fantastic golf. You could feel the crowd, feel electricity in the air. I mean it really was something special. Behind Lowry were a host of talented players who had continued to play the kind of solid golf that put them in position with a strong final round to win the U.S. Open. Andrew Landry continued his steady play and at one point in his third round the 624th-ranked player had regained the lead late at the U.S. Open. Although he would fall a few off the pace of Lowry, he made his way through 13 holes and he would still be a major factor on Sunday. I was hyped up. I was ready to go, but I was more nervous off the golf course than I was on. I was pushing food away, couldn't eat. I was really pumped to, to get in there and, and let the world know who I am. Jordan Spieth’s fourth shot. Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth couldn't make up ground Jordan Spieth’s putt for bogey and shot an even-par 70 to leave him 4 over heading into Sunday. You wouldn’t expect that from Jordan Spieth on this hole. One player that was near the top of the leader board and would be a major factor on Sunday was Lee Westwood, who continued to hang around at 2 under through 15. Aggressive drive there, took it past the bunkers. Little wedge, and he spins it back in! Not to be outdone was Sergio García, who also remained at 2 under through 14 holes as he continued to stay in striking distance. Oh, fortunate kick there. And that was a great break for Sergio. But the one golfer that the Oakmont crowd had their eyes on was Dustin Johnson. The entire golf world wanted to know if the gifted long hitter could overcome the disappointment and doubt that he'd carried from late failures in two previous U.S. Opens and finally enter history as a major champion. He is the guy who slept on the lead last night. And he is feeling the most pressure of anybody in the field right now. When the 36-hole leader double bogeyed the third hole of this third round, it seemed that scar tissue might still be holding him back. Here it comes! Goodness. The big question that hung in the air: could the physically supreme but still uncertain Dustin Johnson dig deep enough to overcome? Just can’t do that Curtis, you cannot leave that short. See if he can collect himself here Johnson missed numerous putts and a bogey on the 10th hole dropped him to 2 over for the round. He would finish 13 holes with an overall score of 2 under par, three strokes behind Lowry. But while many fans were justifiably thinking, "Here we go again," Johnson expressed quiet resolve and optimism heading into Sunday at Oakmont. I was still in a great spot. You know the golf course is very difficult, Sunday I was gonna have to put together a special round. I knew I was gonna have to play really well but I knew it was still, it was still doable; it wasn't like I was out of it by any means. There has never been a U.S. Open Sunday filled with as much golf and drama as 2016 at Oakmont. Even before the field could begin the final round, many of the top contenders came out early in the morning to finish the third. One of those was the de facto leader, Shane Lowry. Five under par for the championship when he stepped onto the 15th at 7:30 a.m., the 29-year-old Irishman felt the gravity of the moment. So I came out, I was leading by two, you know so there was all sorts going through my head. I don't wanna mess it up you know? That's the way Oakmont is, it can jump up and bite you when you least expect it. Seems to be very happy with that one. That’s the way you want to get things started. Lowry was able to turn all those thoughts into focus. Out of the box, he birdied the 481-yard, par-4 15th, And that is a perfect, perfect putt and then the short perfect par-4 17th to post a third-round 65. Shane Lowry cards a 65. Scintillating golf in the third round for him, and currently with a four-stroke lead! That's one of the best runs of my career there, 65 on this golf course against this field you know, it's pretty good. So you know I just need to try and stay in the moment, stay patient and see what happens this afternoon. Andrew Landry finished his third round with an unbelievable putt to move to 3 under as the U.S. Open qualifier continued his surreal run at Oakmont. What a finish for Andrew Landry I'm really proud of that. You know that's all you can really, really hope for. Just to be in the final group at the U.S. Open on, on Sunday. Dustin Johnson played the five holes he had remaining in his third round, 1 under par to post a 71. Still looking to redeem himself after his tough loss in 2015, DJ entered his final round with a detailed focus. Going into Sunday, my whole focus was, was just one shot at a time. I don't care what anybody else is doing, I'm just focused on me and my job, which is you know the shot that I was hitting. Even as USGA officials set up the final-round hole locations, it was clear that a still somewhat soft Oakmont could yield a low score to aggressive golf. At the same time, final-round pressure would make meltdowns more likely. Despite Lowry's lead – one of the largest ever in the history of the championship – anything was possible. It’s another beautiful day at Oakmont Country Club, and the scene is set for another magical U.S. Open Sunday. As the final round got under way, those in contention would need their best to bring home the championship. 2003 champion Jim Furyk – a full 10 strokes behind – had a round he won't soon forget. The 46-year-old Pennsylvanian – who had finished tied for second at Oakmont in 2007 – would shoot 66 to finish at 1-under-par 279. A score that would give him a chance to win if the leaders stumbled. And he will finish this championship 1 under. They love him. Leading by three strokes, Shane Lowry's start was shaky. He bogeyed the 2nd, 5th, and 9th holes to turn in 38 and dropped to 4 under par. You can see if a guy is anxious or not. Shane Lowry didn’t hit a shot well, club was flying all over the place. The first thing pressure affects is your rhythm. You know he looked like he was disgusted. With the door opening, Scott Piercy birdied his first two holes and finished with a front-nine 33. Shooting the same score through nine was Sergio Garcia, who stayed in the mix at 2 under for the championship. This back hole location, that’s what I’m talking about. The matador is in a fight. Defending champion Jordan Spieth never got on a roll. Eventually shooting a 75 to finish at 9 over for and a tie for 37th. Not the week he wanted here in Oakmont. It’s going to be a four-putt for Jordan Spieth. Lee Westwood truly struggled, posting an 80 that dropped him all the way to a tie for 32nd. Been a disappointing day for Lee Westwood. Almost unexplainable how that can happen to somebody this good, but Oakmont is that hard. Dustin Johnson, however, came out determined to put his past behind him. That was probably the most focused I've ever been out on the course, was, was that Sunday at Oakmont. Obviously, you know I've got a lot of past experiences to, to go off of, to help me in those kind of situations. The fans got behind him and that does wonders to your emotions. You have to settle yourself down sometimes for your confidence, for your ability to play the tough shot when you know everybody around here is rooting for you. It really does help. He birdied the second hole of the final round to get to 4 under. Driving the ball extremely long and straight, DJ hit another good tee shot on the 373-yard fifth hole that left him only a lob wedge approach. I hit in down the fairway and I hit a 60-degree and I had four feet, maybe, for birdie. Pin's kind of a little bit of a slope. There’s not a lot of places where you have a putt that short that breaks that much. Hit a pretty good putt, just barely missed it. It kinda trickled probably 3 feet by. So I, I'm standing over the putt, I'd take my practice strokes, about to move it in behind the ball to hit the putt. The ball moves. I stop, I call the Rules official in. My putter was in the air, I didn't cause it to move. He's like, "No problem. Just play, play the ball from where it is." And so I did and knocked it in. Never thought about it again. We have a walking Rules official with every group. Really only Dustin saw it, but he got up near his golf ball and the ball slightly moved. He did the right thing. He called the Rules official. After another solid hole at the 299-yard par-3 8th, Johnson birdied the long 9th to make the turn at 5 under for the championship. Yes! Maybe this is the day. He was now tied with the falling Shane Lowry, who was playing one hole behind DJ. It's often been said that a major championship does not truly begin until the back nine on Sunday. The 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont illustrates the axiom. Oh Joe, this is headed well left. Well it’s the ole double cross right there. After pulling his tee shot into thick rough on the 10th hole, Johnson was allowed to take relief because the line of his original approach was blocked by a television tower. His lie was so bad, I do not think he could have advanced it more than 60, 70 yards. So he’s got a perfect lie now, he’s got 176 yards, this is an unbelievable break for Dustin Johnson. From a good lie after his drop, Johnson hit the green in regulation and made a crucial par It’s not always what you accomplish that matters, sometimes it’s what you overcome. Now holding the lead by himself after a par at the 11th, Johnson walked on to the 12th tee where he was met by Rules officials from the USGA. What I will assume is that they took a further look at that situation on the 5th hole, when he had his putter to the side, that that may have caused the ball to move. The head Rules official comes out and is like, you know says, "Hey. We need to have you come in and look at the video about what happened on number 5." I was like, "Sure. We'll look at it when I'm done; fine with me." If I’m DJ, I gotta feel like, “What do I gotta do to win one of these major championships?” Dustin, I think, you know when we look back on it could not have handled that situation better You know he's built on these experiences. You'd hate to think that to win one major, you'd have to have four or five catastrophes like he had. Dustin Johnson couldn't seem to catch a break and with seven holes to play for his shot at redemption, DJ would have to block out the distraction and prove he could sustain his excellent play through the finish line. DJ and the other contenders would play on without knowing if he'd be assessed a one-stroke penalty that might determine the outcome. It gets down to, "Did a player cause his ball to move? That had been at rest." A ruling was made, as it should have been made based on the information the official had. I didn't think that I caused the ball to move so I did not think I was gonna get a penalty. They can wanna review it, that's fine, we can go review it. But I still didn't think I did anything to cause it to move. So now, down the stretch of the 2016 U.S. Open, Dustin Johnson would battle a punishing course, formidable pursuers, a looming penalty and his own complicated history in the championship. It was a lot. Stepping up on the long par-5 12th, Dustin Johnson stayed composed. I guess the answer is so far so good if that’s the case for Dustin Johnson, that is pounded. After a wayward second shot, Dustin still gave himself a chance for birdie. He ends up that close to a birdie here at 12. Still, the lead was intact and he was one hole closer to his goal. Up ahead, world number one Jason Day was threatening. An eagle at the 12th was followed by a birdie at 13, Alright now, Jason Day, getting a real taste now of U.S. Open pressure but Day would eventually be undone by a double bogey, bogey finish that left him at a tie for eighth. There go his chances, whatever they were coming in here, right now gone. I've had two second-place finishes already. A fourth, and a ninth, an 8th now, so one of these years it's gonna fall my way. Local qualifier and gallery favorite Andrew Landry struggled mildly on Sunday, quickly shooting himself out of contention with five bogeys and a double during a disastrous front-nine 42. Though the Texan would shoot 78 and finish tied for 15th, he was thankful for the experience. Those four days were pretty much icing on the cake for me. I felt like that's gonna jumpstart my career. It definitely helped my, my confidence and, and helped me grow as a player. Scott Piercy got to 3 under, but bogeys on 16 and 18 dropped him to 1 under overall, which tied him with Jim Furyk, who was the clubhouse leader with an early morning 66. So Piercy will give one back here at 18. Sergio Garcia got to 3 under par through 13 holes, but followed with three straight bogeys that ended his chance for a first major. That putter, that has held him back this week, and possibly his entire career. At the end of the day this is what we work for, this is what we practice hard for to, to put ourselves in this situation over and over again and that's, that's the most important thing. Despite Shane Lowry's rocky start, the four-stroke lead he took into the final round allowed him to remain Johnson's most dangerous challenger. After three-putting the 10th hole for his fourth bogey of the day to drop to three under par, Lowry bounced back with a birdie at the 12th that got him to within one of Johnson; not factoring in the looming possibility of Johnson's penalty. Myself and my caddie kinda worked that out. We were like, "We need to just go at it like he's not been penalized." And we were one behind as opposed to tied for the lead. Closing out at a major is always a challenge. Dustin Johnson had the extra pressure of knowing that whatever he shot, he might have to add one more stroke. Johnson seemed to be feeling the heat on the 14th tee, where despite taking out an iron to ensure hitting the fairway, he instead pushed his ball into thick rough. Since he’s been warned there on the 12th tee, he’s hit some bad shots. This has got to unsettle anybody, especially with his track record here the last few years in the majors. Forced to play for the center of the green, Johnson would leave himself a difficult two-putt to remain at 5 under par. After a decent lag to about 3 feet, he pulled his par with what appeared to be a shaky stroke. And Dustin Johnson cannot get his par putt to fall here at 14, so he’ll give one back. Lowry was watching from the middle of the fairway as Johnson's putt missed. Now, Johnson and Lowry were tied, and the doubt that DJ would be able to hang on grew. Well, he’s been Mr. Almost of late. But with the door open, Lowry's 131-yard approach with a wedge came up well short All the players failing to take advantage of this short hole. and left a sharp-breaking uphill putt. If I could probably have anything back, I would take standing on 14 with that wedge in my hand. Not aggressive enough; trying not to make a mistake. It was probably mentally as bad as I, I was all week. Twenty-seven feet, 10 feet of break, and another putt you gotta putt outside the hole. It’s brutal out here right now on these players. Lowry's crucial missed putt proved that championship's final momentum-changer. Worst putt I’ve hit all week. You know you haven’t seen him do that all week long. Sunday afternoon, they’re not easy. The Irishman would make two more bogeys to drop back to 1 under par, shooting a disappointing 76. Frustration, and an exhale at the end of a long week. As we learned all week at Oakmont, par is a good score. Dustin Johnson was able to do just that and gather himself for pars on 15, 16 and 17 to take control of the championship. That was very close to the length of last year’s putt at Chambers Bay that he missed on 18, and he made that like a champion. Fans were absolutely amazing and especially coming down 16, 17, 18 was, you know there was so much electricity and, and the atmosphere it was, it was unbelievable. When Johnson stepped to the 18th tee, he was officially 4 under par with a two-stroke lead; not including the potential one-stroke penalty. Whether I was leading or down or, or whatever, it didn't matter. I'm trying to make the best possible score I can on that hole. In fitting fashion, Johnson pounded his drive down the middle some 303 yards. Dustin Johnson pipes it right down the middle. So I hit my drive down the fairway. Go through my routine, I'm about to hit it while there's a bunch of cameramen obviously back in the fairway. Well, one of their walkie-talkies goes off and that's when I turned around, I'm like, "Really?" but I just started over, went back to my routine. He then left no doubt – assessed penalty or not – with one more perfect swing. Probably the most important shot Dustin Johnson has ever hit right here. What a gem, Dustin Johnson! The shot of his life! I hit a great shot in there, probably best shot, best shot I've ever hit. Johnson's towering 6-iron approach never left the flag and left him only 3 feet from a closing birdie. DJ could finally bask in the certainty that the U.S. Open title that had slipped through his fingers a year before at Chambers Bay was now his. Eighteen month old Tatum, his son, with Paulina Gretzky. Dustin Johnson, on his way to a U.S. Open championship. Oakmont’s hard, no doubt about that. This is Dustin Johnson’s moment in the sun, he’s worked hard for this. A birdie at 18! Dustin Johnson will win the U.S. Open! Rules officials did ultimately give Johnson a one-stroke penalty for inadvertently causing his ball to move on the fifth green but it wouldn't affect the outcome of the championship. The video later showed that, you know what? Dustin had in fact grounded his club and so we had really some of our, our best Rules officials look at this. They deliberated and ultimately said, "You know what? Based on all this, there has to be a penalty to this." Dustin Johnson not only performed beautifully for all four days but in some ways it was justice for Dustin to win that U.S. Open. In winning his first major championship by three strokes, Johnson finished with a 69 for a total of 4-under-par 276. His play at Oakmont had been a testament to immense skill, fierce concentration and above all, resilience. Everything that, that a person goes through in life, they can learn from it or not and so I try to take every situation – good or bad – and just try to learn from each thing that I get thrown in life. I know first hand when he finished at 18, his life will never be the same. To finally have it pay off is, you know, it's absolutely amazing and it pushes me to work even harder ‘cause I know what I'm doing is working. And a major championship for Dustin Johnson, he is the 116th U.S. Open champion. It's what you dream of as a kid: holding up that U.S. Open Trophy. It's definitely a moment I'll never forget. I think it was Dustin Johnson's coming-out party. Everybody learns from their experiences in the U.S. Open. Everybody gets a piece of history, possibly, but it was another good week that I remember as Dustin Johnson's victory. It's definitely the best feeling. Especially the feeling of accomplishment you know after everything that’s happened to me in majors. You know the many times I've been right there, you know with chances to win, and just haven't quite gotten it done, and to finally get it done on Sunday at the U.S. Open, it was absolutely amazing.
Info
Channel: United States Golf Association (USGA)
Views: 614,323
Rating: 4.7599626 out of 5
Keywords: USGA, United States Golf Association, U.S. Open, US Open, USGA championship, PGA Tour, major championship, golf, professional golf, U.S. Open golf, highlights, golf highlights, sports, sports highlights, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, golf movie, golf film, golf documentary, 2016 U.S. Open, 2016 US Open, Shane Lowry, Andrew Landry, Lee Westwood, Oakmont Country Club, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Id: QgKnTQv3pLE
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 58min 13sec (3493 seconds)
Published: Tue Jan 17 2017
Related Videos
Note
Please note that this website is currently a work in progress! Lots of interesting data and statistics to come.