US Open final round: A first for Brooks Koepka as Tommy Fleetwood gets lift for the future

American Brooks Koepka powered his way to a first major title in record-equalling fashion as Tommy Fleetwood's brave US Open bid ended in disappointment
It's mine: Brooks Koepka poses with the trophy after winning the US Open.
Picture: AP Photo/Chris CarlsonIt's mine: Brooks Koepka poses with the trophy after winning the US Open.
Picture: AP Photo/Chris Carlson
It's mine: Brooks Koepka poses with the trophy after winning the US Open. Picture: AP Photo/Chris Carlson

Koepka carded a closing 67 at a windswept Erin Hills to finish 16 under par, matching the tournament scoring record set by Rory McIlroy at Congressional in 2011.

The 27-year-old began the day a shot off the lead but fired six birdies and a solitary bogey to finish four strokes ahead of overnight leader Brian Harman and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, with England’s Fleetwood a shot further back in fourth.

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Fleetwood, who was hoping to become the third English winner since 1924 after Tony Jacklin (1970) and Justin Rose (2013), began the day in a tie for second and made an encouraging start with a birdie from eight feet on the second.

Well done: Brooks Koepka shakes hands with Tommy Fleetwood, left, on the 18th hole .
Picture: AP Photo/Charlie RiedelWell done: Brooks Koepka shakes hands with Tommy Fleetwood, left, on the 18th hole .
Picture: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
Well done: Brooks Koepka shakes hands with Tommy Fleetwood, left, on the 18th hole . Picture: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

However, the 26-year-old from Southport then bogeyed the sixth after hitting a poor chip across the green and dropped another shot on the eighth after firing his approach over the green.

“Just getting it wrong, aren’t we,” he said to his caddie Ian Finnis, who has been a major part of Fleetwood’s revival after slipping to 188th in the world last September.

Fleetwood, who had also returned to his long-time coach Alan Thompson after an unsuccessful spell with Pete Cowen, bounced back in style with a super approach to the ninth, a green labelled “a little iffy” by 2015 champion Jordan Spieth after his closing 69.

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The resulting birdie reduced his deficit to playing partner Koepka to four shots, Koepka having followed birdies on the first and second with another from 35 feet on the eighth.

Well done: Brooks Koepka shakes hands with Tommy Fleetwood, left, on the 18th hole .
Picture: AP Photo/Charlie RiedelWell done: Brooks Koepka shakes hands with Tommy Fleetwood, left, on the 18th hole .
Picture: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
Well done: Brooks Koepka shakes hands with Tommy Fleetwood, left, on the 18th hole . Picture: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Koepka’s three-putt bogey on the 10th gave the chasing pack renewed hope, but Fleetwood was unable to convert birdie chances from six feet on the 11th or twice the distance on the next.

Harman had been tied with Koepka after his birdie putt on the third did a full circuit of the hole before dropping in, but found heavy rough off the tee on the 12th to make only his third bogey of the week.

A three-putt bogey from Harman on the 13th left clubhouse leader Matsuyama as Koepka’s nearest challenger, but the American promptly got up and down from a bunker on the 14th and holed from 12 feet for another birdie on the next.

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And when he completed his hat-trick from 16 feet on the 16th, all that was left to decide was whether he would equal or break McIlroy’s record.

Fleetwood, who had made the cut in just one of his previous seven major appearances, finished alone in fourth on 11 under following a final round of 72, with Rickie Fowler, Bill Haas and Xander Schauffele a shot further back in fifth.

Koepka, whose caddie Ricky Elliott is from Portrush in Northern Ireland, becomes the seventh first-time major winner in succession, a run stretching back to Jason Day’s victory in the 2015 US PGA Championship.

He succeeded as US Open champion his good friend Dustin Johnson, who missed the cut at Erin Hills but gave him a pep talk on the phone after Saturday’s third round.

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Koepka has been tipped for the top since winning three tournaments on the Challenge Tour in 2013 and the Turkish Airlines Open on the European Tour the following year on his way to being named rookie of the year.

In 2015 he won his maiden PGA Tour title in Phoenix and finished 10th in the Open at St Andrews and fifth in the US PGA at Whistling Straits.

Koepka was also tied for fourth in the US Open in 2014 - albeit 10 shots behind runaway winner Martin Kaymer - and shot 71 at Erin Hills in the 2011 US Amateur, although he failed to reach the matchplay stages.

“I’ve never contended for a major before, so when you get to Saturday and Sunday you’ve got to see how you react and how you feel,” said Fleetwood, who climbed to a career-high 21st in the world rankings.

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“I enjoyed playing late on Saturday and Sunday and then next time, whenever that comes, I know that inside myself I feel fine and I can contend for the victory.”

Final scores & totals in the US Open, Erin Hills, Wisconsin (USA unless stated, par 72, (a) denotes amateur): 272 Brooks Koepka 67 70 68 67; 276 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn) 74 65 71 66, Brian Harman 67 70 67 72; 277 Tommy Fleetwood (Eng) 67 70 68 72; 278 Bill Haas 72 68 69 69, Xander Schauffele 66 73 70 69, Rickie Fowler 65 73 68 72; 279 Charley Hoffman 70 70 68 71; 280 Trey Mullinax 71 72 69 68, Justin Thomas 73 69 63 75, Brandt Snedeker 70 69 70 71; 281 J.B. Holmes 69 69 72 71; 282 Brendan Steele 71 69 69 73, Si Woo Kim (Kor) 69 70 68 75, Patrick Reed 68 75 65 74; 283 Steve Stricker 73 72 69 69, Eddie Pepperell (Eng) 72 71 69 71, Matt Kuchar 74 71 70 68, Bernd Wiesberger (Aut) 69 72 69 73, Chez Reavie 75 65 72 71; 284 Sergio Garcia (Spa) 70 71 71 72, David Lingmerth (Swe) 73 69 71 71; 285 Jim Furyk 70 74 69 72, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 74 70 68 73, Kevin Chappell 74 70 70 71; 286 Paul Casey (Eng) 66 71 75 74; 287 (a) Scottie Scheffler 69 74 71 73, Zach Johnson 71 74 68 74, Russell Henley 71 70 67 79, Marc Leishman (Aus) 68 72 72 75, Jamie Lovemark 69 69 74 75; 288 Kevin Na 68 76 73 71, Martin Laird (Sco) 72 71 72 73, (a) Cameron Champ 70 69 73 76; 289 Michael Putnam 73 70 71 75, Brandon Stone (Rsa) 70 74 72 73, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 72 69 75 73, Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng) 70 73 70 76, Webb Simpson 74 71 71 73, Jordan Niebrugge 73 72 73 71, Jordan Spieth 73 71 76 69; 290 Andrew Johnston (Eng) 69 73 73 75, Jonathan Randolph 71 71 73 75, Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spa) 72 73 71 74, Jack Maguire 70 73 71 76; 291 Satoshi Kodaira (Jpn) 73 69 73 76, Shane Lowry (Irl) 71 74 73 73, Stewart Cink 74 70 76 71, Harris English 71 69 75 76; 292 Whee Kim (Kor) 73 70 72 77, Branden Grace (Rsa) 72 72 71 77, Gary Woodland 72 73 73 74; 294 Jason Kokrak 75 70 74 75, Ryan Brehm 71 74 72 77; 295 Ernie Els (Rsa) 70 72 79 74, William McGirt 70 71 79 75, Lee Westwood (Eng) 69 75 75 76; 296 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 71 71 75 79, Kevin Kisner 74 70 76 76; 297 Keegan Bradley 72 73 75 77, Stephan Jaeger 71 73 74 79, Adam Hadwin (Can) 68 74 75 80, Yusaku Miyazato (Jpn) 72 70 76 79; 298 Kevin Dougherty 71 72 80 75; 300 Daniel Summerhays 73 72 74 81; 301 Talor Gooch 74 71 76 80; 303 Tyler Light 73 72 78 80; 310 Haotong Li (Chn) 74 70 82 84.