2018 U.S. Open Film: "Brooks Goes Back to Back"

Dolf is so hard to win in general there's so many good players right now in the game and so win is hard it's a win a major is even harder and then to go back to back is that much harder you know going from not sure if I'm ever gonna play again and go out the first major of the year Wayne I mean it's it's incredible and I can't get chills thinking about it's supposed to be hard supposed to be golf's ultimate test win the US Open Championship then you prove you can handle just about anything the game can put in front of you you become a name that will forever be remembered in the annals of its history a win it again in the very next year and you put yourself an even rarer company on an even higher plane a legend over more than a century of history only six men come to the US Open is the reigning champion and left the same way an achievement that became all the less likely to see as times gone on a summit that hadn't been reached for thirty years until this one so this is the story of four days of extraordinary unpredictable whoa that's stunning an unforgettable dock a championship that was as ferocious and unforgiving as it's ever been and a star we knew exactly what he had to do to win it once again this is the tale of the 2018 u.s. Open Championship a hundred miles east of New York City on Long Island situated on a picturesque strip of land between the Peconic Bay and the Atlantic Ocean you'll find one of the most storied golf settings in the world a club that's been in existence since the very beginnings of formalized golf in America a course that over more than a century has continued to serve as the perfect place for golf's ultimate tests the United States Open Championship as an American it's our national championship it's the biggest championship tournament we can play it is the championship that every kid dreamed about not just winning but playing him and then when you get to have a chance to win dreams do come true 2018 was the fifth time that Shinnecock Hills hosted the US Open and following the record-breaking performance of champion Brookes capita the year prior expectations with at Shinnecock would be set up to be as challenging as it had ever been the best golfers in the world it gets exposed to the elements there's wind it comes out of different directions at different strengths that is very unpredictable even the experts have no idea what's gonna happen you have to remember at Shinnecock you're 60 miles out in the North Atlantic at the end of Long Island so weather can come in in a matter of minutes its Oakland with wind I mean there's there's so many factors that play into it that maybe you're not gonna get it at a golf course that doesn't play next to the water like Shinnecock does because it's a kind of a links golf person and it's hard and the grounds moving in all different directions and the ball goes Corley in many directions any shot could turn up to be a problem it's a golf versus they just got to watch out for from the fescue to the weather conditions to the greens as the 2018 open approached the competitors knew they were in for a championship that would stay potential disaster at every turn it's primarily a second shot golf course you know obviously it's generous off the tees for the most part but if you miss the fairways you know you're gonna get punished heavily well especially on PO ana greens that are really fast and really sloppy out here five footer is almost a 50-50 shot depending on where the break is it's just difficult because you're not used to seeing that because the greens are never really that fast in that severe so enjoy the the difficulty of this unique to all tournament mentally I am just beat by time only the US Open you're on edge every shot every putt you always feel like the right around the corner you're about to screw up no matter what it is that's that's kind of how it always seems there's never a shot where you're like oh I can kind of take this one off as always the field featured the biggest names in golf but for the first time since 2015 among those names was Tiger Woods now at 42 embarking on a comeback season that had shown signs of promise with a 14-time major winner now ten years removed from I've missed playing the US Open it's her nations title it's meant so much to me and in my career and obviously the USG what it has done for golf so I'm looking forward to playing this week I've realized I said I've really missed playing US Opens and this will be a another fun test a host of other former champions were also lead here to tee off at Shinnecock and capture another trophy including Rory McIlroy jordan Spieth and the runner-up in the open last time it was played on these grounds a man said to turn 48 years old in the midst of the championship Phil Mickelson when you try to go out and win the US Open you will lose it quick so I'm not really thinking about winning right now I'm thinking about getting in it for the weekend but I really love the challenge and I love that I have another opportunity to try and complete the career Grand Slam that's a certainly a goal and nothing I'm shying away from there was also a former world number one looking for his first US Open when Jason Day if I want to be the best player in the world I'll be the best player in the world and that's more than once said that I that I have take I mean the US Open test every party a game and the mental side as well so you I like the stressful part about just playing a tough time and in front of a lot of people and I know that you know I feel ready for another major win and hopefully it's just week and then another former top ranked star perhaps golf's best player never to win a major Rickie Fowler you know there's some scores that I shot that have been good enough to win majors but we haven't been only get it done that's a specific week and we all know I'm good enough to win I know I'm good enough to win we'll keep doing what we're doing and we'll get it done once we get our first it's definitely not gonna be the lot the world's reigning number one though was the favorite and most experts eyes the 2016 US Open champion Dustin Johnson it's just a tough test there's only four majors and you know to win a major you have to have everything working very well and you got to play really good all four routes I feel like right now like my games in good very good shape I felt like I got a lot of confidence in it and you know I feel like I could play this golf course well and then I'd definitely be awesome to get my second baby still no woman claimed that the defending champion was an easy to the throne even with kepco coming back from a wrist injury that had delayed the start of his 2018 season I had a basically torn tone and a bunch of ligaments weren't though weren't there and it's a long process he was about four and a half months I'm sitting here going man I came and hold a water bottle in my left hand without it hurting and I think at that moment it was a oh man what am I in for it was it was a lonely time it's not enjoyable being on the sidelines and watching all these guys you're used to competing with dr. hackle he had a great plan for me and I needed to believe in and just know it's gonna take time but I could get back to where I was and played the same way I had my entire life kept his restlessness as he waited for his wrist to heal spotlighted the aggression that's long to find his game and his attitude as he returned to defend his title I think my mind sets more of a repeat what I did last year I need to have that the confidence got there made a few adjustments in my swing and everything started to click and it was kind of one of those Oh everybody needs to kind of watch out no one in fact had gone back-to-back at the US Open in three decades with Curtis Strange now broadcasting the event that lasts a day at the Country Club Brookline Massachusetts in 1980 okay Rochester New York the next he's the champion again Curtis Paige even far today rock-solid I wanted it so bad I wanted to play well come in here and play solid being defender did so much pressure and and to come in and to win just means so much you think about it but only when the week comes around and and people are asking you about it Brooks he was gonna be very much a contender and he could win as well as anybody on that leaderboard because he done it the year before and he was playing well he's a very confident young man and he's as strong as anybody out there so yeah it would it could very well be done the defending champion and a host of contenders aiming to the throne in ready for Shinnecock Hills and the ultimate test in golf was eagerly waiting for them it's never been a championship designed to welcome you with anything easy as a player you know you're at the US Open when you're tested at every hole with every shot push to summon every sliver of your talent but the greatest in the world no it's better that way the best way in fact to prove your champion and when Thursday the 2018 US Open at Shinnecock Hills turned out to be a sunny day filled with gusty winds the course played even firmer and faster than usual making clear from the start that this championship was gonna be a classically tough US Open and then some a lot of these players are facing a win today that they haven't practiced with during the course of the week and we are seeing some of the best players in the world struggle right out of the gate here at Shinnecock you have to have a great mind and you better bring some great touch and feel with you if you want to play well at a US Open and you add the wind on a course with no trees nothing to block the wind and I'll tell you what you got real problems out there here playing among the first big names on the course is one of the most storied in the game's history all the question marks surrounding Tiger Woods only added to the intrigue and when the three-time champion again was firstly who immediately came face to face with the dangers of Chanel oh boy that's a bad break watch this thing if you can sway to the one they're Bradway sure was sharp that's the Knut close the Mon areas you see here in the Shinnecock Hills what's not stopping Tiger Woods drove it in the fairway at the first and has just made blunder after here at for a bogey bogey start Tiger would try to steady himself from me no tiger two more double bulls and I'm gonna leave Tiger signing a card that Rick I sneak off to a good start today it's frustrating because I I hit the ball I'm hitting it well in the last time in floor terminal and so if I couldn't like at the beginning of the year we got something I just haven't done that the woods was hardly the only start get bitten by the courses sharp team priority one get over that our face priority 1 Rory McIlroy struggled badly all day and walked off the town over par round Jason Dame Jordan Smith with barely any better no far finishing 9 / & 8 / respect then rough season continues for jordan spieth and phil Mickelson's hopes of summoning the success of his last trip around Shin of God were also felled early and often he finished seven or there was some of the most decorated most experienced players in the world made to look for Marco be mortal by a course that left virtually nothing easy for them when the weather turns bad like it did on Thursday you would expect the world-class player and the experienced player to kind of be okay survive a little bit but we saw a Rory we saw a jordan spieth we saw a Jason day three of the top players in the world explode now that happens this is a hard game and a game not only a hard Shinnecock golf course but now we've got gusting 25 miles an hour it becomes really really tough and so it happens to the best of them and it happened to him that Thursday there was one star though who was able to find a path and success in his first round the championship favorite and number-one ranked player in the world you ready perfectly sure I said they're from Dustin Johnson there's gotta look this shot with no loft what a shot that is made it look easy Johnson somehow was inconsolable day making three birdies on the front staying hot all the way through finish for the 169 I knew looking at the forecast yesterday afternoon you know and even this morning I knew I was gonna play difficult but do you know when you're out of US Open you wanted to play tough and it was a day where you know you had to play good golf if you wanted to shoot a good score when he's at its best there aren't many golfers that make it look as easy as Dustin what you watch the shot tracer mr. eyes and they all seem to be exactly the same pattern every time he hits a shot he wonder huh from this guy everything wrong he looks like he's unbeatable hit the golf ball he's has the most talent physically get after and he just looks like his own cruise control Johnson's for fighting long side the only three other players in the entire field who put up a score under par Americans Russell Henley and scott Piercy an England's Ian Poulter they each joined the headliner Johnson thriving amid the adversity that found so many others on the day come all the first round only solidified the conventional wisdom that this is Johnson's championship to lose his good friend the defending champion at the battle just to stay in contention defending champion Brooks koepka for par at 10 on Thursday I'm so mad I really was I don't think I've ever been that mad after a major championship round I just couldn't stand the fact that I shot five over yes there was a lot of members I really played well enough to shoot a 72 you know cut maybe if I wondered and didn't do that I really really bugged me Kefka finished at 506 shots back of the lead and then that night Johnson made sure to let his workout partner know just how soundly he'd outperformed them I saw him in the gym every day and he definitely told me how he played you know DJ's a good front runner he really puts myself after the first round and it seems like every major in contention I haven't done that so he wasn't afraid to tell me about it which which he shouldn't be there's always that little friendly competition part of it when we're in the gym work now you know that's just our competitiveness you know we've we've built that good relationship where we can do that and you know nobody's taking it personally everybody's just having a little bit of fun it's it's a cool environment it really is it's fun to be around and you know you kind of wake up and you're looking forward to it it was nice to be able to come home reflect on that and figure out what I needed to change for the following days there were 54 holes to play in everyone knew that at Shinnecock Hills each of them would be a battle after Thursday yeah I was mad I was very frustrated I just wasn't happy with you know my performance you know sometimes it can get you going you know you need to light a fire under you you know and I think I kind of created my own little fire there of disappointment from going defending and then you show up in between 75 it's not how I envisioned it going and if I can go out and do what I do and play well and execute everything the way I should I should work out here with one round of golf complete at the 2018 US Open the best in the sport knew just how hard the course at Shinnecock Hills was playing and that difficulty was threatening to eliminate some of the biggest names in the championship following 18 more holes on Friday we watched a lot of the big names yesterday struggle they struggle with conditions they struggle with the ball flight into these greens and they struggle with I think greens they weren't expected to be as firm as they were again they got wind today out of a different direction they've got more weather coming in they haven't seen this before they have to control their emotions or it's gonna be another bloodbath the weather Friday morning added yet another challenge to those starting their round early I remember being out there early Friday morning and seeing the wind blowing sideways and it was a misty rain was a real comfort ran an annoying ring and that's when Dustin was out in that Johnson fought through the elements as he started his round on the back nine Dustin Johnson for birdie and the outright lead how about that Dustin Johnson 2 under on his round and he continues to cruise as everyone else seems to be struggling here at Shinnecock Hills the weather cleared up as the day went on and the world number one's putting is strong start to finish this just Johnson's consistency on the greens led him to an even better performance than his first round a 3-under 67 no every shot out there today was was difficult the weather finally kind of led up for Sarah on our last five or six holes but I mean I've been chipping a button really well the first two rounds and so I you know I'm gonna have to keep that up you know the next two days if I want to give myself a chance to win come Sunday afternoon Johnson was part of an all-star group playing with Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods Thomas after 74 on Thursday found his way to an even par 70 good enough to make the cut by Tigers to over 72 though much better than his disastrous opening round wasn't enough to play them again this first hole I've given myself enough looks I haven't made anything last couple days and you don't wanna make your Championships by kind of slap it all around the place and missing buds and you know I've won a few majors in my career and every single one I left played well and just goes to the set up you just can't fake it in a major championship meanwhile the story was similar for another former champion Rory maverick after his 10 / struggle on Thursday the 29 year old Irishman managed to shoot an even par but that wasn't enough to avoid missing the cut for a third straight year the list of big names going home early continued with Jason day who shot a 73 in a second round two finished well as for jordan Spieth he was three shots over the expected cut line with six holes to play at 14 is his speed for birdie he's creeping Tony back-to-back birdies at 15 and 14 for his third birdie in a row jordan Spieth battling to make the weekend and above this would be four four birdies in a row for Jordan speed and why Jordan speith is changing those plodding stats there's four straight birdies got speed clothes but he bogeyed both 17 and 18 and missed his first cut at a major since the 2014 PGA Championship you know the first few days were hard especially Friday morning was a terrible time to be playing golf so I am surprised anytime any of those players play poorly if ever there was a place you could play bad he would have been right there at Shinnecock one star we did find a way to rally is Phil Mickelson who shot a 69 to make the predicate over and keep alive hug why the distant the title he sought for so long but an even more significant bounce back on Friday came from man who raised the trophy 12 months early makeable bogeys there early and really didn't feel like I deserved it and when that happened it was it could have gone one or two ways you're kind of tough packed it in I'm like all right I'll just take the missed cut and get out of here and I think we got to the 14th hole my caddy turned to me and he goes we're not far out of this let's get it going over 17 missus books the kepco defending champion that's kind of why 140 just like 70 that was coming the turning moment on Friday make a couple birdies shoot these around today you never know where that puts Brooks Kefka for birdie four birdies last five also the defending champ getting hot now at the 8th Brooks kept Cup for a birdie this would get him within five or the lead with six birdies over his last 11 holes Brooks koepka shot the low round of the day 66 clearly confident in what he needed to do to get back in contention I actually felt really good coming on Friday I felt like it was a day really turned around for me you know making it how many good little back nine charge I felt like okay the only five shots out of it you're you're not far that's only three holes basically you know you get off to a hot start he bogeys a couple and loss on me and Dustin are tied as the late afternoon light glistened it was easy to forget how brutal the picturesque course had been on some of the best golfers on the planet but the world's top ranked player was in first place halfway through the championship the only player in the draw under par I mean after Friday it was how many is DJ gonna win by through two rounds the short game was was near flawless I mean you know he didn't really miss many shots he was chipping in from from really tough lies you know to me it was it was a complete steamroll four through two days but Brooks somewhere on Friday when he was out way over par something had to change birdie in six out of an hole not only got him back in the game but the psychological effectives have doing something like that you can't put into words now said he comes to the golf course on Saturday feeling like I've I got a little giddyap in my step I can play this game there were 36 holes to play 36 holes to battle for the US Open trophy enjoy fishing try to do as much as I can it's kind of my like get away I think you gotta have some patience in golf patience and fishing because let's be real sometimes you go bite sometimes things are gonna go well and sometimes things aren't so that's Shinnecock this year you have so much patience you have so much mental fortitude to just kind of keep moving on any time you're put in that situation you really find out who you are who you are as a person who you are as a competitor and phil mickelson certainly knows how much of a test the US Open can offer a golfer and his star-crossed journey this National Championship has long been one of his defining eras six times Mickelson has come up just short at the open and finished second including his runner-up finish at Shinnecock 2004 and on Saturday on this course 14 years later lefty turned 48 years old and was serenaded accordingly by fans on the first time we began the day ten shots back go to the for Phil Mickelson for his burry while he converted on some early breeze things soon started to unravel Mickelson drive it into the bunker at the par-3 11th now this reform he just does not have it and on the 13th green everything fell apart this for bogey at 13 his speed has been terrible whoa whoa Wow I bet that's stunning rule 14 - five in golf's rule book states that a player who makes a stroke at a moving ball is penalized two strokes but there were some who said Mickelson had also violated the spirit of the game a major breach that could result in disqualification I've never seen anything like that from a world-class player in my life that's the most out of character I've ever seen Phil Mickelson and so the episode became undeniably the story of the day a referendum on the morals and standards the rules of golf set for its players I called it either temporary insanity or under the influence of golf something happened to his brain and it was like he knew at that point that he wasn't gonna win and was all emotion kind of flared up initially Mickelson himself was defiant saying he fully knew what he was doing and using the rules to his advantage look I don't mean I don't mean disrespect by anybody I know it's a two-shot penalty and at that time I just didn't feel like going back and forth and hitting the same shot over I took the two-shot penalty moved on it's it's my understanding of the rules I've had multiple times where I wanted to do that I just finally did the way after the championship he issue another steep acknowledge and regret for the entire episode and for this new bewildering chapter in his long and winding US Open Sun when he did his interviews and he tried to you know act like it might have been calculated in some capacity that blew up in his face cuz he wasn't telling the truth and that's where he crossed the line if there was a secret to succeeding at Shinnecock on Saturday it might have been getting to it early as the players who teed off in the morning generally posted better scores including Daniel Berger and Tony female now Tony Fein out his second shot at 12 his tummy fina pretty doggone that's a great birdie at 11 and he could kick that in with the heel of his shoe picking up a 13 Daniel Berger for birdie right now one of five guys he's got the best round going today for under the two Americans had started the day 11 shots off the lead but capitalize on the conditions to put themselves right back in it with matching 4-under 66 meanwhile the star would look so in control over the first 36 holes of the championship found himself suddenly struggling to find the range back at the seventh and Dustin Johnson with a tricky putt here of a par son Dustin Johnson he's got no clue on these grants is five over through seven days today it was hard to tell if Johnson had just lost his way or Shinnecock Hills was simply too hard to conquer so many days over Wow he had four bogeys all week he has four bogeys in a double on the front nine that's a boatload of parts for Dustin Johnson it's his third three putt of the round either way his 77 brought him back to the field and even to this good friend campaign it literally was far the most draining day I've ever had on my golf course you're not always playing for birdies you're playing for pars and that can be quite irritating you know on a regular week on tour we're used to making a lot of birdies and I think that's where you see a lot of the frustration starting to set in kind of separates the men from the boys a little bit I feel like any time you're in a situation where bogeys a good score not many people can really accept that and you have to be able to accept that move on and go to the next shot or the next hole Kefka at 14 did it laughs at the farewell we foldleft terrible lie terrible lie its fescue down in chop like Maine iron out of it and it just so happened to roll up by the green and really had no shot here's cap canal for par at 14 and then made this bomb in this 50 60 foot putt and that was kind of the moment of okay you're in control of your own destiny here and you need to take advantage of that kind of Rada momentum because sometimes making a a hell of a bars is way better than making birdie here on this top 15 Keppler here with this second is passion 15 birdies the first day 20 yesterday only two today no way what I'm so unlucky now is 810 feet from the hole for a birdie for Kefka and now it's just an unbelievably difficult bunker shot it's not fun when you're on those last few groups and you're just on how I remember on the 15th hole thinking how can we just get into the clubhouse about having a disaster having that double bogey you know even if I make a few bogeys we just need to get into the clubhouse because this disc golf courses is that Kefka battled all afternoon long - over 72 and I don't have any excuses I went out there and did what I needed to do went out there and tried my best and I was able to get through it and what relatively would no disaster for Americans the two most recent champions and - who'd never been this close this far in we're tied for the lead at three over with some other big names justin rose henrik stenson and Patrick Reed the next three lurking on the leaderboard but the headlines on Saturday were not about fighting to succeed but rather just how hard it was to succeed impossible in the eyes of some of the most frustrated players which prompted us GA officials to publicly respond Joe we want the US Open to be tough we want it to be a complete test that there is no doubt if you look at how this morning played versus this afternoon it was a tale of two golf courses and no doubt we would admit there was some aspects of this setup that simply went too far in the sense that well-executed shots were not not only not rewarded but in some cases were penalized we don't want that and frankly we just missed it with the wind it blew harder than we thought it was gonna blow and the Greens got fast they were I think the firmness was okay but the speed of those just it was too much for the wind we had so we would say it was a it was a very tough test but probably too tough this afternoon if frustration has long been a fact of life at the US Open so - though has the satisfaction of conquering the sports ultimate test and after three rounds the defending champion still had that squarely on his mind Sunday you're defending so there's a little bit of I can do this and it does give you more confidence you feel like you've got the upper hand that's such a fun thing to go to the golf course football Sunday there are 18 holes to go to find out who's arms would be raised when it was all over I was very confident Saturday night in the US Open I felt like I was the guy to beat I was the guy that won it last year so you kind of had to take it from me and you know anytime you're playing well and you're in a major and you've got confidence I feel like you know you're gonna be tough to beat there are nerves but I don't view it as that I view it as like the excitement to get out and go play I enjoy playing I enjoy the competitiveness and anytime I can get out there and feel those I guess the nerves is some people thought I just call it excitement I love it man that's what you live for have a good championship everyone five four three two one and Omaha Fox in the United States Golf Association proudly present the 118th US Open Championship from Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton New York final round coverage it's exciting as you look at the leaderboard and you see that there's a four-way tie at three over par and it should make for a fantastic Father's Day finish in a test designed to be so difficult there have been some years when the US Open has been nothing short of brutal on the players attempting to conquer it most famously the massacre at Wingfoot in 1974 won by Hale Irwin with his force seven over now on a bright sunny Sunday on Long Island the final round of the 2018 open was set to start with the highest leading score at this point in the championships since 74 it was also the first time since Oakland in 2007 that not a single player was under par after 54 holes but the scores aside everyone knew that what was coming would still be fascinating to watch unfold for its part the USGA did address concerns about playing conditions on Sunday setting the stage for the world's best players to battle for the coveted US Open trophy as had been the case all weekend going out early was a reliable recipe for success and Tommy fleet me who teed off more than two hours before the leaders showed that however difficult Shinnecock L was playing it could be Connor watch out for this guy you can get here and close to score every time we look putting for birdie here he is in 12 and 4-under for the day talk about unreal Fleetwood now for birdie at 14 sure mrs. green that's this well he's made four threes in a row three birdies in a row come on get there what a shot well a chance for history here today for Tommy Fleetwood he is 7-under par par here at the 18th hole give him the 663 the US Open history party the first 62 in wrestling history there was birdie putt on 18 just missed fleetwood finished with an incredible 63 for the road lifting him to chew over par for the championship and putting him in the clubhouse will the lead that in probably a real shot of holding up I just needed a good start and you never know what's gonna happen and I always felt like I could get myself back in it it's funny though when you finish you always feel like you're gonna be sure you got to be just shot I'm one of only six to shoot 60 trees and the US Open yeah but I wanted 62 I know Masters champion Patrick Reed also started strong making five birdies over his first seven holes to announce himself as a clear then dr. green does it again seven but most watching figured the champion would come out of the second-to-last group to tee off on the day featuring the last two champions of the event Dustin Johnson and Brooks koepka rivals and good friends I always felt like the winners coming out of that group of Dustin Johnson and kept yeah I'd been with DJ so I knew his game for three out of four days and Brooks was going for back-to-back this my best friend here standing between me and that trophy so I really don't care about him for the next five hours and that's that's good hard competition at its finest and that's the way it should be played I was excited I'm playing with my best friend and you showed up Sunday and we went to the gym and man I had the same feeling I did at Aaron Hills I'm not jumping around but I'm like man I'm really excited about today Curtis there's no way you're getting out of this booth without talking about what Brooks koepka is facing here today as he tries to repeat here at Shinnecock Hills I will be the first guy to give him a hug because I know what it meant to me and means to me and I will know what it will mean to him if he does is today Kefka starting salary he has hit three wonderful shots with us three holes now Brooks kept good this for birdie defending champion not too clear with three birdies against one Billy on the front he made the turn atop the leaderboard he was off and running he did exactly what he needed to do get off to a good start momentum swings up and down during the last round of US Open but he had done what he wanted to do Johnson meanwhile found one shot back after nine only able to see two birdies against a bogey on the way as for the final group Toni fee now and Daniel Berger struggled on the front nine to fall out of contention and bigger names henrik Stenson and Justin Rose also had their problems read Manuel bogey both with Megan and 12 to fall back making the final few hours of the open clear it was gonna come down to the two rivals and close friends playing side-by-side or in the clubhouse the 27 year old Englishman coming off one of the greatest rounds of his life well he continued to get good shot got the good shot that's better than good Curtis back-nine is not not easy by any means 11 was really a turning point for us that whole various disaster sure enough while kept has started the back nine strongly Shinnecock wouldn't give up anything right into the thick of garbage I think it's impossible to get it on the green from there I find me one of the worst things I've made all week right an impact it was a man here we go I needed the next about 15 minutes of my life are gonna be very stressful the slope up to the green is very steep and the flag is only about three steps on Curtis is there a safe place yeah what can you do just goodness you feel like you could really lose a golf tournament on the 11th hole after just making birdie man I could really throw myself out I know if I leave the chip short so my thought was let's hit an aggressive chip we're gonna get it right at the flag it's a flag it comes back down trouble I'm not eating it I'm aiming to trying to hit the bunker what if I just so happen to get lucky enough where it kind of takes us off bounce might end up on the green the way to the bunker first we've yeah enough bunker shot and you know small feet no fun I'd watch guys early in the day this we're kind of watching TV helps you you see guys and they're not getting to punch the hole and I just remember telling myself everyone I love this short do the world and give it a good whack make sure it hit smack hit the back of the cup and went in and with the the timing of it the difficulty it was a greatest bogey of ever mate Dustin's got a birdie putt from and found maybe 20 feet he missed it misses the next one he was the competition the devil you know we're kind of playing match playing you know for him to walk with a bogey and then I make mine you thinking man here we go let's just keep it rolling that's four holes kept a head the battle Shinnecock for every stroke hole 12 to 15 I've never sweated so much it felt about three hours it was the longest period I've ever had grinding out pars I was in Hinton well for that stretch of the golf course go up to the green and Brooks koepka pit shot in there to a couple feet and then got another five footer for par and you're just like Mena's getting mentally aware on Shepton defying logic here with some of these up and downs he's made the load that he's gotten up and down from over this green today you've got to make those putts and sometimes is good part but serve as an ordinance is anything up and down again this time from 67 yards away when he really put the pedal to metals when the pressure to get him out he made those putts and that takes a great mind to make putts on those greens at that time so he kept his one-shot lead again and for those who have done this and played here in big tournaments a one-shot lead is so much different than the entirely he kept his momentum he kept us his advantage mentally and then came the defending champions most important shot of a challenge just awesome he had the courage to fly it's kind of one of those shots where I knew guys weren't getting into the hole I watched guys you know from the tee box everybody looked like they were short of the hole and I just remember thinking you know what it's probably gonna play a little bit further so I give it a little extra when I hit it I'm watching this thing and starting to climb with the wind and it's right on line and I was looking my chops and you know to have it come down three feet from the hole then you're going oh man I gotta make this I really I felt like I was like now if I don't make this I'm gonna lose the golf tournament and that was probably the most nervous pot I've had in a long time and this to have a two-shot lead with two to go and plus kefka takes a big step toward back-to-back US Open Championships that was the pun I needed to make to win the golf tournament and then when that one in it was and this is all right I've got it Brooks koepka was that even par two shots up on the score he needed to beat and two holes away from a second straight US Open Championship Brooks katka stood on the 17th tee at Shinnecock Hills the final two holes the only thing between him and a second straight US Open Championship Curtis what was it like for you to play those last two holes trying to go back-to-back my one priority was to keep my mind straight ahead of me and not try to think of what's gonna happen in two holes it's uh it's tough Kefka looks like to me he knows what he's got to do he's trained for this all of them I trained for this their whole life now on the biggest stage you just got to get it done it's a hit the green to have a good look there and you know give yourself a few extra going in 18 kept apart the hole his fellow competitor we fell further behind now on the par-4 final home all kept quinita was a booty there's only been five birdies on 18 there's been four double bogeys I can assure you that if you miss this fairway you're not gonna hit the 18th green in regulation this is a critical tee shot with a two-shot lead for Brooks kept good coming up Fareway for kid getting his tee shot captain to go one up the hill a little bit he does not want to hit it too old to keep it below the hole lookout left bunker a great break off the grandstands it's not engrave that trophy just yet yeah nothing easy about that next shot you know the shot we had Nadine was pretty bad I'm not coming back but I knew that left was okay I knew right was dead and as long as we just kept it laughs be okay you know sometimes yeah - got to take - captain could not let his guard down here if he wants to win this championship maybe you're gonna feel your pulse in your fingertips now would be the time so take a deep breath and contain yourself here just put this ball on the green two cuts should lock up the us 66 first father Bob and now he is our champion here in Southampton for the first time since Curtis streams nearly three decades earlier and for only the seventh time in history the u.s. opening it back-to-back show it's kind of hard to put in words how special how grateful I am how cool it feels and I can't get chills thinking about it's our distinct honor to present the hundred and eighteenth United States Open champion Brooks cap Cup golf is so hard to win in general there's somebody get players right now in the game and so win is hard to win a major it's even harder and then to go back to back is that much harder every guy has a chance to do it the following year and to be 1 1 7 and the 118 years to ever do that is it's mine Kefka really proved to me his mental strength when it mattered most he birdie 16 and so why we say his physical strength is his strength his mental giant Brooks koepka deserved the championship he played spectacular golf when it mattered the most and then when you look at how he did it when he was so many over par on Friday midday and turned it around not only did he show the guts to win back-to-back he should in great intestinal fortitude and he's a player to be reckoned with for a long long time last year's in this year's US Open champion Brooks koepka it was cool you know you've kept me on the last gotta go back to back and then I'm there to do it and to have him commentating and be right there on the side of the green was special and you know it's a great gesture by him to be bearing in any congratulating me you know got emotional for me after the round but I'm excited for him I'm excited for me to be there it looks real for me to be there and when I asked him at the ceremony do you know how special this is he said no good answer because he'll oh I know how special it is when his thirty years down the road about kefka's win was all the more impressive considering he came on a course that tested his game in a completely different way than Aaron else had been here before I know a lot of people kind of doubted the first one off the golf course was set up for you and I wasn't atchoo USL been and listen I can only play whatever golf per se they give us I don't have a choice and then to back it up on a fully different style of golf course really it was that I'm here and I'm here to stay kind of and then you know going from missing a major not sure if I'm ever gonna play again and then go out the first major of the year wing and then followed up with a PGA victory is I mean it's it's incredible I never thought I'd be in that spot you know winning two majors in a year that's what you know you watch the Great's to and you know to go back to back is just incredible and I feel like that's what you dream of when you're a little kid meantime you can accomplish a dream that's not really that's one of the best feelings you you in an age when there seems to be more talent than ever in the game Brooks kepco has emerged as a star who plays best when it matters most he likes being tested he likes when the conditions are tough and he has to play his very best to confidently that's who he is as an athlete as a golfer as a competitor and that's why his story and his national championship and Beyond should have many more chapters in you

Channel: United States Golf Association (USGA)

Views: 497,332

Rating: 4.8769479 out of 5

Keywords: USGA, golf, 2018 U.S. Open, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, New York, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Tommy Fleetwood, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ian Poulter, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, PGA Tour, U.S. Open Golf, United States Golf Association, sports, documentaries, Curtis Strange, US Open, USGA championship, major championship, professional golf, U.S. Open golf, 2018 US Open, Rolex

Id: 8Rl4KA45aIg

Length: 58min 4sec (3484 seconds)

Published: Tue May 07 2019