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Goosen Takes 104th U.S. Open By Two Strokes

By David Shefter, USGA

Southampton, N.Y. – When the last putt had finally dropped at the 72nd hole and the 104th U.S. Open was at last in his possession Retief Goosen took off his cap and tipped it at the hole.

The gesture, perhaps, was appropriate. Maybe it was one last salute to the greens that had been rather kind in a week where Shinnecock Hills Golf Club became one giant brute of an Open venue.

For Goosen, it was a sign that he finished off the accomplishment without requiring extra golf.

Retief Goosen, of South Africa, scrambled his way to a final-round 1-over-par 71 for a 276 total to win the 104th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. Goosen edged Phil Mickelson by two strokes in earning his second U.S. Open Championship. (John Mummert/USGA)

"It was more we've done it on Sunday this time and didn't have to come back on Monday," said Goosen, explaining the tribute before accepting the U.S. Open trophy for the second time in three years. "It's a great feeling. I'm not somebody who will jump up and down, but on the inside, I'm just so happy."

In 2001 at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., Goosen three-putted the 72nd hole that forced an 18-hole playoff on Monday with Mark Brooks. Goosen, nevertheless, won that playoff for his first major title.

This time around, Goosen's putter never wavered. He needed only 24 putts in the final round to produce a 1-over-par 71 (4-under 276) and beat fan favorite Phil Mickelson by two strokes. Goosen, who had 11 one-putt greens on Sunday and 31 one-putts for the championship, and Mickelson were the only golfers to finish the championship in red numbers after seven players began the final round under par. Mickelson carded a 71 on Sunday and finished 2-under 278.

The final-round scoring average of 78.7 was the second-highest since World War II, trailing just Pebble Beach (78.8) in 1972.

Goosen had five consecutive one-putts from the 13th hole, including a clutch 20-footer save for bogey at 14 and then a 12-foot birdie at the par-5 16th that moved him into a tie with Mickelson. Mickelson three-putted the par-3 17th from 4½ feet and Goosen made a sand-save par at 17 and two-putted 18 to seal the victory.

"It wasn't any easier than the first time," said the reserved and seemingly always-calm Goosen. "I knew what happened the last time so it's never over 'til it is over. I was just relieved to see (my ball) on the back of the green (at 18).

"I putted just as good if not better at Southern Hills, but that's what you

need to do at this [championship]."

The 35-year-old South African realized before the day began that the crowds at Shinnecock Hills would be behind Mickelson. Mickelson has had a love-fest with the New York fans since his near miss at Bethpage State Park two years ago. Plus, he was coming off a dramatic victory at the Masters in April that broke a 0-for-46 winless string in majors.

And even during the round, the crowd was giving Mickelson hole-by-hole updates of what Goosen was doing in the pairing behind him.

"I'm pretty used to it by now," said Goosen, the 21st player to win multiple U.S. Opens and the first since Tiger Woods in 2002. "I understand (Mickelson) is a great player and everyone wanted him to win. In a way, I just blocked it out and played my golf."

Of course, Goosen drew a good final pairing, playing with friend and countryman Ernie Els. The two flew over to the U.S. together two weeks ago for The Memorial tournament in Dublin, Ohio. And although the two didn't say much to each other during the round, Goosen, who first played with Els as a 14 year old, felt at ease.

"It's nice to go over (to the U.S.) on Ernie Els Airways," said Goosen. "It's quite a comfy flight."

Els, however, struggled all day. He started the round just two strokes behind Goosen, but he shot an 80, one of 28 rounds in the 80s on this difficult scoring day.

Only one player, Robert Allenby, managed to match par 70 on the 6,996-yard layout. A bogey at 18 kept him from posting the lone red number on Sunday. It was the fifth time in U.S. Open history that no sub-par scores were posted in the final round, the first time it has happened since 1963 at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.

They called the 1974 Open the Massacre at Winged Foot because the winner, Hale Irwin, finished at seven over par. This one might be titled the Slaughter at Shinnecock.

"It was probably the toughest round of golf I've ever had to play," said Allenby. "I actually feel sorry for the leaders."

A lot of fans left the premises Sunday feeling bad for Mickelson. He was bidding to become the sixth player in history to win the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year. It looked like it was going to be his championship when he posted three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the back nine, including a 5-footer at 16 that momentarily gave him a one-stroke lead over Goosen. Then came the disastrous three-putt at 17.

"It's just as disappointing as it was thrilling to win the Masters," said Mickelson, who clearly was the crowd favorite this week, perhaps even more so than world No. 1 Tiger Woods. "To play better than everyone but one guy is disappointing."

As for the difficult conditions, Mickelson added: "I played some of the best golf of my life and still couldn't shoot par, so you tell me (how tough it was)."

For the second time in three years, Jeff Maggert finished solo third in a

	With the 11th-hole flagstick as his backdrop, Phil Mickelson heads off with a par. (Steve Gibbons/USGA)

U.S. Open. His 72 on Sunday and 281 total left him five shots back of Goosen. The Houston, Texas resident now has seven top-10 finishes in 14 Open appearances.

"A lot of it is just accuracy off the tee, although I wasn't that great off the tee this weekend," said Maggert. "It's thinking your way around the golf course and accepting what happened today and realizing that you can't do anything about it."

Allenby and Steve Flesch, who posted a 74 on Sunday, shared seventh place at 286, while 50-year-old Jay Haas and Stephen Ames, Chris DiMarco and Els tied for ninth at 287.

Amateur Spencer Levin, at 20 the second-youngest competitor in the 156-player field, wound up tied for 13th, the best showing by an amateur since Jim Simons finished fifth in 1971. His finish earned him an exemption into the 2005 U.S. Open as the low 15 scorers and ties receive full exemptions.

"It's one of my best [championships]," said Levin, a junior-to-be at the University of New Mexico and a quarterfinalist at the 2002 U.S. Amateur. "It was probably the most fun I've had playing golf.

"I will look forward to (2005). I have never played Pinehurst, and playing with these guys again would be great."

When Goosen looks back at his week on eastern Long Island, he might save a special place for his putter. He finished the week fifth in putting, averaging 1.54 putts per hole.

Goosen erased his first-tee jitters with a birdie at the first hole, but followed that with a bogey at the par-3 second. At the par-5 fifth, he faced a delicate 8-foot par putt and holed it. His only other bogey on the front came at eight when his wedge approach found the front-right bunker and he missed a 15-footer for par.

Another bogey at 10 dropped him to three under for the championship, just one ahead of Mickelson, who moments earlier had made five at the par-4 hole. But Goosen regained that stroke with a brilliant tee shot to four feet at the par-3 11th hole. A Mickelson bogey at 12 gave Goosen a three-shot cushion. Mickelson's birdie run tightened things up again, but Goosen prevented further damage when he converted a huge 20-foot bogey putt at 14 to keep himself in the championship.

"I was quite determined on that putt to make it," said Goosen. "I felt like I really didn't deserve to make double (bogey) here, and that was sort of the first putt that when I made it, it was like, ‘We're on your side'; quite fired up."

That's what a lot of competitors were feeling when they left the course on Sunday. Considering a total of 12 80-plus rounds were recorded through the first three rounds and 28 occurred on the final day, the players might have had a reason to be upset with the firm, fast conditions.

"It was a little comical," said Jerry Kelly, who had an 81.

Said Jay Haas: "The 71 I had today was probably better than the 66 I shot Thursday. (The greens) are really, really scary. They're probably rolling at 14 or 15 on the Stimpmeter. You just have to be perfect."

And Goosen just nearly was.

David Shefter is a staff writer for the USGA. E-mail him with questions and comments at dshefter@usga.org.