Webb Simpson has pulled off a surprise by becoming, against all odds, the US Open champion and scoring his first Grand Slam title. Michael Thompson, who finished the tournament with a round of 67, and former champion Graeme McDowell finished tied for second place at one stroke back, with the Northern Irishman putting up a fight until the final shot.Overlooked for much of the week, Simpson woke up on a misty Sunday at the Olympic Club with four birdies and closed the final round with 68 strokes, two under par for the field, after saving par on the steep 18th hole with a short putt from the rough to about 5 feet. Simpson finished with a total of 281 strokes, one over par.
With Simpson already out of the field, McDowell missed a birdie putt from about 7.5 yards on the final hole that could have forced a playoff on Monday. But the shot went left of the hole and he had to settle for a 73.
Of course, no player came away more upset than Jim Furyk, who was in control for much of the final round until he hooked his tee shot on the par-5 16th to let the lead slip away for the first time on the day, and was never able to regain it. Needing a birdie on the final hole, he sent his approach shot into the bunker, and had to settle for a bogey to close with a 74, in a final round without a single birdie.
Tied with Furyk for fourth place were Padraig Harrington, David Toms, Jason Dufner and John Peterson, all at +3 for the championship.
Two-time U.S. Open winner Ernie Els also had a chance to stand at +2 on the 16th hole. However, two bogeys on the last three holes left him +4 for the championship and relegated him to ninth place in the final standings.
Tiger Woods carded a 73 on Sunday, seven under par, to finish tied for 21st, his worst performance as a professional in a 72-hole U.S. Open.
Sergio García, the only one of the five Spaniards who made the cut (Quirós, Cabrera-Bello, Jiménez and Fernández-Castaño missed it), signed an unlucky last round of 75, which made him drop 20 places on the last day, down to 38th in the final ranking. The Spaniard had started the tournament with a 73, followed by rounds of 71.
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