South Africa's Retief Goosen held his nerve to clinch the U.S. Open for a second time, edging out Phil Mickelson by two shots with a closing 71 today.
The laidback Goosen, winner in 2001 at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, finished at four-under 276, with U.S. Masters champion Mickelson alone in second place after a matching 71 in brutal conditions at Shinnecock Hills.
Goosen had led by two going into the final day, but was overhauled by Mickelson over the closing stretch, the left-handed American moving one shot clear with back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16.
But Mickelson, who had been bidding to become the sixth player to win the first two majors of the year, immediately fell back, running up a double-bogey at the par-three 17th after three-putting from five feet. Goosen, playing in the group behind, restored his two-shot advantage with a birdie on 16 and parred the final two holes to seal the title.
American Jeff Maggert finished third at one-over 281 after carding a 72 with 2003 U.S. Masters champion Mike Weir (74) and Japan's Shigeki Maruyama (76) a further three shots back in a tie for fourth.
Goosen managed to preserve his overnight lead with a mix of two birdies and three bogeys over the first 13 holes. However, he dropped another shot at the par-fourth 14th, after bunkering his approach, before being caught moments later when Mickelson birdied 15.
The 104th U.S. Open title then hung in the balance as Goosen and Mickelson played out the nail-biting closing holes. World number one Tiger Woods, who began a sun-drenched day nine shots off the lead, battled to a six-over-par 76 and a share of 17th. A mix of five bogeys and a double-bogey and a birdie at the last left him at 10-over 290 as he narrowly avoided making his worst round at a U.S. Open. His career low was a 77 in the third round at Oakland Hills in 1996.
The twice champion dropped at the third, where he two-putted from 10 feet, and also at the eighth before a double-bogey on nine left him at four over for the day. Further bogeys followed at the uphill par-four 10th, the 13th and 15th before he signed off in style by holing a 12-footer at the last.
"This is not the way it's supposed to be played," Woods told reporters. "The way the golf course was set up was great for the first two days, and yesterday was tough but today it just got away from them (organisers)."
The firm and fast-running Shinnecock layout was providing a tough test for the 66-strong field as the blustery westerly winds began to freshen.
American Billy Mayfair ballooned to 19 over for the day with a closing 89, finishing at 30-over 310, while compatriot Kevin Stadler slumped to a 15-over 85 for a 27-over total of 307. Conditions had earlier forced officials to suspend play for 10 minutes to allow green-keeping staff to water the problem seventh hole after the first two pairs had come through.
The renowned "Redan Hole" was being syringed with a light spray in between each group. Three of the first four golfers to play the hole ran up triple-bogey sixes there, with the rock-hard green almost impossible to hold. Of those, Stadler faced a two-foot downhill putt for par which he missed, only to see his ball roll 20 yards off the green into a bunker.
"That was ridiculous," he said. "It hit a spike mark, catches the lip and winds up in a bunker. "It (the seventh) was borderline unfair yesterday. I'm just glad now it's all over."
Filed by Barry J Whyte
