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NBC Sports
22-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
'Search goes on, I guess': Tommy Fleetwood suffers another PGA Tour heartbreaker at Travelers
Surely Tommy Fleetwood had done it. The 34-year-old Englishman had tried, tried and tried again, 158 times in fact, but to no avail. His 41 career top-10s? The most on the PGA Tour by a player without a victory since 1983 – and seven more than the next closest player, Brett Quigley, who is now 55 years old. Forget best player to win a major; Fleetwood has long been the best player never to win on the world's biggest tour, period. And yet, late Sunday afternoon at the Travelers Championship, Fleetwood's moment had seemingly come at last. Even Rory McIlroy, on his way out of town, had called game with Fleetwood leading by a shot with one to play. 'He was more than due,' McIlroy said, 'so, yeah, he's got so much talent and so much ability, and obviously it's great to see him get over the line.' There was just one problem: Fleetwood didn't do it. With a closing bogey at TPC River Highlands' par-4 closing hole coupled with a Keegan Bradley birdie, Fleetwood saw his PGA Tour breakthrough suddenly replaced by a sixth career runner-up finish. 'It's a crappy way to finish,' a devastated Fleetwood said afterward. Fleetwood's three-shot lead through 54 holes was erased as he bogeyed three of his first four holes. But he steadied himself and with birdies at Nos. 11 and 13 re-took control of the tournament. With three holes to play, he led Bradley, Russell Henley and Jason Day by two. Then came the par-3 16th hole, where Fleetwood flew the green, about 25 yards long of the flag. He raced his chip 21 feet past and couldn't save his par. Still, Fleetwood, after a par on No. 17, entered the final hole with over an 85% chance of winning, according to Data Golf. Both Fleetwood and Bradley hit the fairway before Fleetwood, going first, struggled to judge the wind and left his approach just short of the green, though only about 50 feet from the hole. It was a straightforward chip until Bradley upped the pressure by throwing a 137-yard dart to 5 feet. Fleetwood left his birdie try from off the green about 7 feet short, then missed the putt, and just like that, Fleetwood had lost outright when Bradley calmly canned his winner. After signing his card, Fleetwood admittedly wanted to 'go and sulk somewhere' – and he didn't rule that out – but first, he stepped up to the mic and vowed to find the positives, however hard it would be. "I'm upset now. I'm angry ... it hurts." 'I haven't been in this situation for a while,' said Fleetwood, who now has 12 top-25s this season but no other top-3s. 'I think, you know, when it sort of calms down – I'm upset now, I'm angry – when it calms down, look at the things that I did well, look at the things that I can learn from. … Felt like I did a lot of good things, but there was things that I definitely can do better, and I have to do better. So, I did plenty of things well enough this week to win, I didn't do that, it hurts. When it calms down, the most stupid thing to do and the worse thing to do would be make a week like this a hindrance to what you do going forwards. I obviously played great, I put myself in a great position, I was leading the tournament for 71 holes. 'I just want to make sure that I can put myself in this position as soon as possible again and try and correct what I did this time.' The shock continued for a few more questions, as Fleetwood added: 'I would have loved to have done it today. Search goes on, I guess. When it happens it will be very, very sweet. 'You know, like in my mind, yeah, I've won loads of PGA Tour events; I just haven't done it in reality, and I'm sure that time will come if I keep working.'
New York Times
20-06-2025
- Climate
- New York Times
Don't count Hatton out…
Spaun surged back after heavy rain delayed play in the final round at Oakmont Country Club, with four birdies on the back nine to win his first major. Getty Images J.J. Spaun has won the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club with a thrilling late rally. Spaun, who led after a bogey-free first round, stormed back after play resumed following a weather delay Sunday. Birdies on the 12th, 14th and 17th, then a miraculous long birdie putt on the 18th, sealed his win by two strokes. This is Spaun's first major championship win. He was the only golfer to finish under-par through 72 holes, with Robert MacIntyre claiming second at 1-over. GO FURTHER J.J. Spaun wins wild, wet U.S. Open with dramatic birdie putt finish Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Associated Press Tyrrell Hatton may be three back with 10 to go, but he's risen up to a 9 percent chance of winning this thing. Maybe most importantly, he's the only player near the top of the leaderboard gaining strokes in both approach and off the tee so far today, per DataGolf . And he's not just positive. He's gaining +2.78 strokes tee to green on the field Sunday. For the week, he's gaining 2.97. So, sure, deep down I think it's between Sam Burns and Adam Scott and will be one of them — but you really should be keeping an eye on Hatton. Associated Press The weather conditions are starting to improve in terms of electricity and showers, per a USGA Rules Official on the NBC broadcast. But no word yet on the resumption time of the final round. Getty Images Perusing as we wait this out — Sam Burns has a 46.6 percent chance of winning right now, followed by Adam Scott's 27.7 percent. More interesting to me is the probability of the winning score: 2-under : 19.8 percent : 19.8 percent 1-under : 26.2 percent : 26.2 percent Even par : 22.6 percent : 22.6 percent 1-over: 11 percent The Athletic This weather delay is the perfect time to get involved with our coverage. Who do you think is going to win the 2025 U.S. Open? Are we going to be able to finish this thing up today? And have you enjoyed watching the last four rounds at Oakmont, or was the course just too difficult to make for truly exciting viewing? Let us know by emailing live@ The top contenders were already struggling enough — Sam Burns, Adam Scott and Viktor Hovland have all lost two strokes, and J.J. Spaun five — and now the conditions are going to add another element to the equation once play does resume. Who can be a mudder? Even if the rain holds up enough to allow them to get back on the course, it's probably not done falling. So who can manage their equipment and just stay present enough to focus on the next shot over everything else? If I had to guess, it's Tyrrell Hatton, who is tied-third at 1-over-par, three shots behind Burns. Hatton is, he'll admit, almost always miserable anyways. What's being wet on top of that? Getty Images The good news is that, according to AccuWeather , the current downpour at Oakmont should stop within a matter of minutes. Then it will be a matter of ensuring there are no lightning strikes in the area and determining when the greens will be safe to play. The bad news is that rainy conditions are expected to continue throughout the afternoon and worsen in the evening, when thunderstorms and a 64 percent chance of rain are forecast for the 8 p.m. hour. It may come down to the wire to see whether the U.S. Open can complete its final round on schedule today before the worst of the storm hits around sundown. Sky Sports in the UK are reporting the weather delay is currently expected to last for somewhere around 45 minutes. Getty Images Despite drifting down the leaderboard early in the round, both Viktor Hovland and J.J. Spaun are within arms reach of the lead here at Oakmont. Spaun earned a par on the 8th, remaining +2 overall and +5 on the day. He bogeyed five of his first six holes. Hovland will be coming off a bogey on the 8th, his third of the round. He sits at +2 for the round and +1 overall. These two will resume play on the 467-yard, par-4 9th, featuring a relatively straight fairway proteced by various bunkers. Associated Press Adam Scott and Sam Burns were standing on the eighth tee as the rain began pelting down at Oakmont. They didn't even tee off at the lengthy par-3 before the horn blew, stopping play due to a weather delay. When the round resumes, the final group has a 301-yard par-3 to come back to. A tough restart, isn't it? Associated Press We are officially in a weather delay. This is not just about the rain. There is electricity in the area. The players are going to be evacuated. There's a lot of standing water on the course… Getty Images Moments before play was suspended, the right bunker welcomed Viktor Hovland to the par-3 8th. He recovered with a nice shot out, which landed within 10 feet for par. The par putt drifted left and he tapped in for bogey, dropping to +1 overall. J.J Spaun's tee shot found the green but he was left looking at 61 feet for birdie. He left it a couple feet right of the hole but cleaned up for a par to remain at +2. Getty Images Bad news, folks. Play has been suspended at the 2025 U.S. Open due to adverse weather conditions. Getty Images There's already standing water on the greens, and the heavy stuff might not come down for a while… Those are two solid pars for Sam Burns and Adam Scott. The Aussie nearly sank a mammoth 52-foot birdie putt, leaving it inches short of the pin. The American missed the 35 footer for birdie before making par. Burns leads by one over Scott heading to the lengthy par-3 eighth. Getty Images Rainfall is picking up by the minute here at Oakmont. From a sprinkle to a drizzle to now a heavy patter atop the media center roof, which is next to 18 fairway. The only bright spot to this development is it's forced Viktor Hovland into a rain jacket and we're longer having to watch him walk around in three different shades of blue between pants, belt and polo. Getty Images A tidy two-putt from Tyrrell Hatton on eight to remain within three strokes of the leader, Sam Burns. The Englishman is scrapping hard. Hatton has improved both his score (73, 70, 68) and greens in regulation (12, 14, 15) each day so far this week. He's very much in this thing. Getty Images A birdie would have been big for J.J. Spaun there, instead he has to settle for a par. After a nice approach shot, he had a 28-foot look for birdie but couldn't convert despite a great roll. Viktor Hovland met a similar fate, leaving a 27-foot birdie putt within two feet and tapping in a par. Getty Images That's a sloppy bogey for Adam Scott on the par-3 sixth. He three putted from 37 feet on the green, recording his third bogey of the final round. With Sam Burns' par, the American retains his solo lead at 2 under. The Aussie falls to 1 under.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Golf world reacts to JJ Spaun's incredible walk-off US Open win at Oakmont
The post Golf world reacts to JJ Spaun's incredible walk-off US Open win at Oakmont appeared first on ClutchPoints. JJ Spaun has won his first major championship, clinching the US Open at Oakmont Country Club. One of golf's toughest tests, the US Open held to that moniker this year, with only Spaun finishing under par for the week. Spaun struggled to start the day, but battled back after the rain delay to get into the mix. He stepped on the 17th tee tied for the lead and made a birdie. So, only needing par on 18, he gave his 64-foot putt a run. Spaun drilled it to win the US Open by two, sending Oakmont and social media into a frenzy. 'J.J. Spaun may not be a big name winner, but few guys out there I'd feel happier for than him. All class. Man of the people,' Iain MacMillan posted on X, formerly Twitter. After brutal luck on the front nine, it is impossible to feel bad for Spaun. He made a tough bogey on one, but responded with what seemed like a great approach shot on number two. But the ball banged off the flagstick and carried off the green, just one of a few brutal bounces. DataGolf posted his probabilities throughout the day, which changed drastically. 'Spaun's win probability bottomed out today at 1.4% at 3:40pm. He was +2, 5-over on the day, and 4 back of both Burns and Adam Scott. At 6:33pm, he was still 4 back (thru 11) and just 1.8% to win. And then… birdied 4 of his last 7 to win the U.S. Open.' @ScottWollesen was moved by his bounceback, 'One of the most motivating [rounds] of golf I've ever watched. Great game J.J.' Advertisement @YoungGunRepub says that even if you are pre-disposed to not like a first-time winner, this was an excellent finish, 'Hate random winners, but this was a hell of a tournament.' JJ Spaun is the US Open champion. Related: Adam Scott's classy gesture to JJ Spaun despite brutal US Open 4th round Related: US Open news: JJ Spaun's heartfelt reaction to winning first major
Newsweek
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Adam Scott Seeking Historical Exclamation Point at U.S. Open
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Everyone's favorite Aussie, Adam Scott, is in a strong position after the first 54 holes of the U.S. Open. Not only is he tied for second place, just one stroke behind leader Sam Burns, he is also the only player in the top 10 who has the considerable advantage of knowing what it feels like to win a major championship. Scott is also the only player in the entire field to have posted par or better scores in each of the first three rounds. These factors undoubtedly bolster his confidence heading into the final round. However, Scott isn't known for getting his hopes up early. "Yeah, it would be super fulfilling. Everyone out here has got their journey, you know," he said after the third round. "Putting ourselves in these positions doesn't just happen by fluke. It's not easy to do it. I really haven't been in this kind of position for five or six years, or feeling like I'm that player." "But that's what I'm always working towards. It's not that easy to figure it all out. But if I were to come away with it tomorrow, it would be a hell of a round of golf and an exclamation point on my career." Adam Scott of Australia acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green during the third round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 14, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Adam Scott of Australia acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green during the third round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 14, 2025 in Oakmont, to Data Golf, Scott has a very high chance of winning the 2025 US Open. Since 2004, he has made it to the final round as one of the top five 64 times, winning 14 of those tournaments. This gives him the best winning frequency of any top-five player at Oakmont. Were he to pull it off, the Australian pro would have the longest time between first and second major victories in history (12 years). "I'm playing good, so there's no reason not to [feel good]," he said. "I'm playing from the fairway a lot. I've played fairly conservative, and I haven't really been forcing the issue much. Could be a different story tomorrow. A lot can happen in 18 holes out here. But I like what I've done so far." Count me all the way in on Adam Scott. A career that feels worthy of more than one major. And he agrees. "Another major more would really go a long way in fulfilling my own self, when it's all said and done." — Paul Hodowanic (@PaulHodowanic) June 14, 2025 Scott shot two consecutive rounds of even par at Oakmont, storming into the top five of the 2025 U.S. Open. He performed significantly better during Moving Day, shooting a 67 to tie for second at 3-under. The Australian claimed his only major title to date when he won the 2013 Masters Tournament. He had come close at the Augusta National in 2011, when finished second, and posted another runner-up finish at the 2012 Open Championship. The 14-time PGA Tour winner is playing in his 97th major championship (96th consecutive). He has finished in the top ten 20 times, most recently at the 2024 Open Championship (T10). More Golf: Tyrrell Hatton Punches, Scolds Putter Despite Creeping at U.S. Open
NBC Sports
13-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Putt free and try hard: Why Sam Burns, the world's best on the greens, is rolling at Oakmont
OAKMONT, Pa. – Sam Burns has a simple answer to why he's, statistically, the world's best putter. 'I practice it a lot,' he says. Louisiana Tech head coach Matt Terry can confirm. The Bulldogs share a home club with Burns, Squire Creek Country Club in Choudrant, Louisiana, and when Burns isn't on the road, he can often be found on Squire's practice green perfecting his stroke – template work, chalk lines, speed drills, you name it. These days, Burns will sometimes plop his 1-year-old son, Bear, down on the grass, hand him a wedge and get in a few extra putts while the toddler sits there, gnawing on the grip. 'That stuff is why he's so good; it's just constant,' Terry said. 'I tell my guys all the time to just go watch him putt and mirror what he does. 'The dude's the best I've ever seen on the greens.' The USGA usually gets creative with a handful of its U.S. Open groupings. For example, this week's trio of Burns, Denny McCarthy and Nico Echavarria combined the best three putters in the field, according to the PGA Tour's strokes-gained metric. Burns is unequivocally the best of the bunch. He's the only U.S. Open competitor, per Data Golf, who is gaining more than a shot per round on the greens in the past six months – and he's 0.2 strokes per round better than the next best player, Cameron Smith. 'If you look at putting,' Burns explains, 'the ball is rolling on the ground. There's a lot of imperfections on grass. There's a lot of different lines the ball can go in, depending on the speed, so if you try to be too perfect with putting, it can drive you crazy, so I just try to really read it, put a good roll on it, focus on the speed and hope for the best.' Added Burns' close friend, Scottie Scheffler: 'He's got good fundamentals, good instinct, and he putts very reactionary. That's really all there is to it.' The ninth green at Oakmont Country Club is a long way from Squire Creek, both literally and figuratively. Measuring at over 22,000 square feet, the putting surface, which sits in the shadows of Oakmont's farmhouse-style clubhouse, is the largest on property and doubles as the club's practice green. It features a wide variety of challenges, sloping back to front with a large swale through the middle and a mound on the right portion. Friday's hole location was tucked front right, just right of the swale and behind a deep bunker. At 5 under through 17 holes and on his way to easily the best round so far this week, Burns had no business saving par after tugging his drive into the left penalty area. But he took his medicine, dropped and hit his third shot pin high, 23 feet left of the flag to avoid any chance of dumping one in the sand. You see, the thing about putting is no one makes everything. Even Burns whiffed on a 5-footer last Sunday in Canada that would've won him his sixth PGA Tour title. He three-putted to lose, too. And on Thursday at Oakmont, he unusually finished in the negative in strokes gained putting, ranking just outside the top 100 of 156 players. But Burns bounced back with a vengeance on Friday, pouring in over 102 feet of putts, including that clutch par save on the par-4 ninth to solidify a second-round 65 and two-day total of 3-under 137, which left he and Viktor Hovland (1 under) as the only two players in their wave at even par or better. 'That putt was, I don't know, 6 feet of break,' Burns guessed of the putt, which gained him about a stroke on the field alone. 'Yeah, it was a nice one to make for sure.' Despite his elite skill with the flatstick – his trusty Odyssey Ai-One 7S – Burns finds himself in unfamiliar territory. This is his 21st career major start. Until his T-9 at last year's U.S. Open at Pinehurst, he'd never cracked the top 10 in a major. The physical explanation, at least in recent years, is Burns' iron play hasn't been good enough. He entered this week ranked No. 149 in strokes gained approach, so the fact that he missed just four greens Friday and ranks inside the top 10 in that category through two days probably explains his breakout performance. But Burns added that he learned something 12 months ago at Pinehurst. 'I just feel like I've tried to play too perfect and tried to force it a little bit at times … around major championship golf courses,' Burns explained, 'and I think especially around here, honestly it kind of forces you to take your medicine because a lot of times that's the only option you have. … You really just have to free it up. It's too hard to try to guide it around here. You're going to hit some in the rough, you're going to hit some in some bad spots, you might as well do it with authority.' Burns' patience was tested late Thursday afternoon when he quickly went from 3 under to 2 over with a bogey-double-bogey-bogey finish over his last four holes, Nos 15-18. 'It was unfortunate,' Burns said, 'but there was too much good to focus on the little bit of bad.' A day later, Burns was heading toward his television interview when he walked past Jon Rahm, who was speaking to reporters following a disappointing 75 that dropped him to 4 over. 'I'm too annoyed and too mad right now to think about any perspective,' Rahm said. 'Very frustrated. Very few rounds of golf I played in my life where I think I hit good putts and they didn't sniff the hole.' Rahm lost about three strokes with the putter on Friday, a performance that ranked him ahead of fewer than 10 players in this second round. Shortly after wrapping his thoughts, Rahm was off to the practice area to figure something out. As Burns knows, that's the simplest way to holing more putts.
