The Golf Blog: Video Furyk falters on 16th hole as Webb Simpson sneaks into US Open victory; afterwards chicken man crashes Costas interview
Video highlights of US Open win by Webb Simpson
Video of guy cawing like a bird in front of Bob Costs
The Golf Blog says: Olympic Club in San Francisco claimed another set of victims. Third round leaders Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell couldn’t close the tournament. And Webb Simpson, 26 years old, came from 6 back at one point to win the US Open by one shot, shooting a 2-under 68 and finishing at +1. Furyk led for most of the day and looked in very good shape to win with 2 par 5s upcoming. But Furyk badly duck hooked his drive–so uncharacteristic for Furyk–on 16 into the woods and had to scramble to just make bogey. That put Furyk at +2, and he wasn’t able to birdie all day, which in the end proved to be his undoing. At age 42, Furyk may have squandered his last best chance to win another major. He also finished second in the 2006 and 2007 U.S. Opens.
Putting on a late charge, McDowell birdied 17 to come within 1 shot of the leader Simpson (already finished) and had a decent look from 24 feet on 18 to force a playoff on Monday. McDowell misread the putt, however, and it never got near the hole. In terms of body language, the younger GMac seemed to have more fight left in him down the stretch. The putt on 17 was clutch, and GMac even ran up the hill on 18 to survey his final putt. Furyk, however, seemed to be leaking oil on the back nine, despite playing some pretty steady golf for most of the tournament.
Several others also had their shots to get into the playoff or win the U.S. Open. Ernie Els eagled No. 7 to pull to +1, but then proceeded to bogey the next two holes. As in 2010 at Pebble Beach, the Big Easy seems not to have enough to close a major any longer. Paddy Harrington got it to +2, but needed a birdie coming in to 18, but found the bunker from the fairway. Michael Thompson had a 10 footer for birdie on 17 that would have pulled him to +1, but he said he forgot to clench his stomach as his usual pre-putt routine. John Peterson double bogeyed the 16th hole; had he parred it, he would have finished +1 (he also missed a short birdie putt on 15, and also had a decent look at eagle on 17). The pressure of winning the Open appeared to get the best of these players at crucial times.
Tiger Woods had a horrific start, 6 over after 6 holes, ballooning to 10 over for the tourney and perhaps killing NBC’s ratings on Sunday (we’ll see). He managed to cut it 3 over and finished at +7. After tying for the lead after 2 rounds, the weekend was awfully disappointing for Woods. His distance control with his irons was nonexistent, and his excuse of “being in between clubs” too often was a bit baffling.
But give credit to Webb Simpson who shot 68-68 on the weekend, the only player to do so. He quietly positioned himself in contention and then made the most of it. An Arnold Palmer scholar at Wake Forest, Simpson may have avenged Palmer’s epic, 7-shot collapse at Olympic in 1966 when he lost a 7-shot lead on the last 9 to lose to Billy Casper.
Saving the best for last, the trophy ceremony hosted by Bob Costas was interrupted by a bizarre guy, aka chicken man, who cawed like a bird (see video above) and got an amazingly long time on camera for an interloper. Only in San Francisco.
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