Spieth wins stunner at Chambers Bay for US Open title

Jordan Spieth is halfway home to the Grand Slam, a prize only three of the biggest names in modern golf have ever chased. And he still can’t believe how he got there.Spieth won the US Open in a heart-stopper on Sunday with a turn of events even more wild than the terrain at Chambers Bay. He thought he had it won with a 25-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole. He threw away a three-shot lead one hole later. He made birdie on the final hole. And then he thought it was over as Dustin Johnson settled in over a 12-foot eagle putt for the victory.

Three putts later, Spieth was the US Open champion. “I’m still in shock,” he said with the gleaming US Open trophy at his side. “I’ve never experienced a feeling like this. It was a very intense back nine.”Spieth became only the sixth player to win the Masters and US Open in the same year, and he joined Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in getting the first two legs of the modern slam that Palmer created on his way to St. Andrews in 1960.

That’s the next stop for the 21-year-old Texan whose two major championships could not be any more different. A wire-to-wire runaway at Augusta National. A nail-biter on the edge of Puget Sound.

And another major heartache for Johnson. “I had all the chances in the world,” said Johnson, who missed six putts inside 10 feet on the back nine and finished one shot behind.Spieth, the youngest US Open champion since Bobby Jones in 1923, did his part. Even after letting Johnson and fast-closing louis Oosthuizen back into the game with his double bogey on the 17th hole, Spieth responded with a 3-wood that caught the backboard on the 18th hole and settled below the hole for an eagle putt. He missed it left, made birdie and walked off the green feeling more regret than excitement over his 1-under 69 for a one-shot lead with the big-hitting Johnson behind him.

Johnson reached the par-5 18th with a 5-iron — that’s how far he smashed his tee shot on the 601-yard hole.Make the putt and he wins the US Open. Two putts would force an 18-hole playoff Monday on a course that favors power. “I’m still amazed that I won, let alone that we weren’t playing tomorrow,” Spieth said. “So for that turnaround right there, to watch that happen, I feel for Dustin, but I haven’t been able to put anything in perspective yet.”Spieth now prepares for St. Andrews, the next stop on this improbable ride.Woods in 2002 was the last player to get the first two legs of the slam.

The others to win the Masters and US Open in the same year were Craig Wood in 1941 and Ben Hogan in 1951 and 1953. Hogan won the British Open in 1953, though he never played the PGA Championship because it was held roughly the same time as the British.Spieth finished at 5-under 275 in winning for the third time this year. He is still No. 2 and closing fast on Rory McIlroy, who has top 10s in both majors this year without being a serious contender.

Spieth becomes the first player since Jones to make birdie on the 72nd hole to win the US Open by one shot — all because of Johnson’s three-putt. He also became the youngest player with two majors since Gene Sarazen in 1922.

For all the criticism of the unique course at Chambers Bay, this was the theater at its finest. But there will be lingering questions about the condition of the greens, so bumpy that they were referred to as broccoli and Billy Horschel said he lost respect for the USGA. This championship ended with a short miss, the target of complaints all week. “As you can tell, it’s very difficult to get them in the hole out there,” Johnson said. “The greens were really fast and they were rolling fairly smooth, but it was still bouncing a little bit.”The final hour was so wild that four players could’ve won over the last two holes.