Cape Town - South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen fell narrowly short of winning the US Open at Chambers Bay on Sunday (Monday morning SA time), finishing one shot behind eventual winner Jordan Spieth of America.
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Thirty-two-year-old Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, shot a three under par 67 on Sunday to take a share of second spot alongside America’s Dustin Johnson.
Remarkably, Oosthuizen finished with rounds of 66, 66 and 67, but will rue an opening round of 77 which proved costly in the end.
Branden Grace, who shared the lead going into Sunday’s final round, shot 71 to finish two shots off the pace.
Grace’s South African compatriot Charl Schwartzel, who earlier heavily criticised the controversial course layout, shot a 66 to finish one stroke behind Grace.
The other South Africans who made the cut - Thomas Aiken, Ernie Els and George Coetzee - played respectable golf but were never really in contention among the leaders.
Earlier in the tournament, Garth Mulroy, Retief Goosen and Tjaart van der Walt, failed to make the cut.
For Spieth it was a second major on the trot - following his Masters triumph - and sets the 21-year-old halfway to an unprecedented calendar-year Grand Slam.
He is the youngest champion of the US Open since the legendary Bobby Jones in 1923 and the youngest player to win two career majors since Gene Sarazen in 1922.
Final scores on Sunday in the US Open at par-70 Chambers Bay golf course:
275 - Jordan Spieth (USA) 68-67-71-69
276 - Dustin Johnson (USA) 65-71-70-70, Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 77-66-66-67
277 - Branden Grace (RSA) 69-67-70-71, Adam Scott (AUS) 70-71-72-64, Cameron Smith (AUS) 70-70-69-68
278 - Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 73-70-69-66
279 - Brandt Snedeker (USA) 69-72-70-68
280 - Shane Lowry (IRL) 69-70-70-71, Jason Day (AUS) 68-70-68-74, Rory McIlroy () 72-72-70-66
281 - Kevin Kisner (USA) 71-68-73-69, Matt Kuchar (USA) 67-73-72-69
282 - Patrick Reed (USA) 66-69-76-71, John Senden (AUS) 72-72-70-68, Andrs Romero (ARG) 71-69-71-71, Tony Finau (USA) 69-68-74-71
283 - Jamie Lovemark (USA) 70-68-75-70, Jason Dufner (USA) 68-72-73-70, Charlie Beljan (USA) 69-75-69-70, Brooks Koepka (USA) 72-72-70-69, Geoff Ogilvy (AUS) 69-72-75-67, Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 70-71-72-70, Sergio Garca (ESP) 70-75-70-68
284 - Thomas Aiken (RSA) 74-71-73-66, Billy Horschel (USA) 72-72-73-67
285 - Brian Campbell (USA) 67-72-78-68, Daniel Summerhays (USA) 70-67-78-70, J.B. Holmes (USA) 72-66-71-76, Keegan Bradley (USA) 73-71-72-69, Morgan Hoffmann (USA) 71-74-74-66, Henrik Stenson (SWE) 65-74-72-74, Alexander Levy (FRA) 70-69-73-73, Francesco Molinari (ITA) 68-73-72-72, Justin Rose (ENG) 72-70-72-71, Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) 74-69-73-69, Marc Warren (SCO) 68-74-72-71, Jimmy Gunn (SCO) 72-73-70-70
286 - Paul Casey (ENG) 72-69-73-72, Joost Luiten (NED) 68-69-74-75, Troy Kelly (USA) 72-73-72-69
287 - Ollie Schniederjans (USA) 69-73-72-73, Denny McCarthy (USA) 71-73-71-72, Robert Streb (USA) 74-70-73-70, Jim Furyk (USA) 71-73-73-70
288 - Kevin Chappell (USA) 69-75-73-71, Webb Simpson (USA) 72-73-71-72, Kevin Na (USA) 70-72-72-74, Brad Fritsch (CAN) 70-74-72-72
289 - Lee Westwood (ENG) 73-69-77-70, Sam Saunders (USA) 72-72-76-69
290 - Ryan Palmer (USA) 74-70-73-73, Nick Hardy (USA) 70-75-77-68
291 - Cameron Tringale (USA) 75-68-74-74, Mark Silvers (USA) 72-71-75-73, Ian Poulter (ENG) 72-73-69-77, Ernie Els (RSA) 72-70-76-73
292 - Luke Donald (ENG) 73-71-73-75, Brad Elder (USA) 76-68-76-72, Jack Maguire (USA) 73-68-73-78, Jimmy Walker (USA) 72-73-72-75, Beau Hossler (USA) 71-72-73-76, D.A. Points (USA) 74-71-77-70
293 - Phil Mickelson (USA) 69-74-77-73, Ben Martin (USA) 67-70-86-70, Cheng Tsung Pan (TPE) 71-72-76-74, Colin Montgomerie (SCO) 69-76-72-76, Marcus Fraser (AUS) 71-71-77-74, Angel Cabrera (ARG) 70-75-74-74
294 - George Coetzee (RSA) 72-73-72-77, Andy Pope (USA) 74-71-77-72
295 - Zach Johnson (USA) 72-72-78-73, John Parry (ENG) 72-73-71-79
300 - Camilo Villegas (COL) 72-73-80-75
301 - Chris Kirk (USA) 70-73-80-78
South Africans who missed the cut:
146 - Garth Mulroy (RSA) 74-72
148 - Retief Goosen (RSA) 77-71
150 - Tjaart Van der Walt (RSA) 77-73