Let’s not sugarcoat it — it has been a nightmare weekend for Irish sport on the international stage.
Battered by Belgium, stunned by South Africa, it was the kind of weekend to make you wonder why you even like sport.
And then a hero comes along…
Proud Clara man Shane Lowry is minutes away from teeing off at the US Open, four shots clear of the field and bidding to join the elite list of Irish Major winners.
Can he close it out for what would be one of the great days in Ireland’s sporting history?
We’re about to find out — he tees off for his final round at Oakmont in a little over 10 minutes.
And just in case you think we’re the only ones getting a little bit excited here…
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State of play
All the players, bar Lowry and playing partner Andrew Landry, are out on the course already.
Here’s a quick reminder of how things stand:
Arriving late to the party? No worries. It has been a pretty haphazard few days at Oakmont with no shortage of stoppages.
Lowry has already been out on the course today, finishing the final four holes of his third round early on Sunday morning.
And he picked up two more birdies to card a sensational 65.
Here’s a quick reminder of how we’ve got to here >
1st hole: A little bit left by Lowry off the tee but it’s in the rough, rather than the bunkers.
“He can make the green from there,” Monty informs us over on Sky.
We’re not ones for superstition but the stats people tell us that last time somebody held a four-shot lead at the start of the US Open and didn’t win was back in 1998.
No harm if that continues for another year.
1st hole: 173 yards to the hole for Lowry but not the best lie.
He scoots his shot up along the front of the green and it keeps rolling, all the way off the back where it nestles in the second cut.
1st hole – PAR: Nerveless by Lowry! He’s left with a tricky left-to-right to save par but gets the line bang on and watches as it drops in on the right side.
That’ll help settle any nerves.
Bogey for Westwood (-1), birdie for Johnson (-4)
First moves behind Lowry as Johnson drives the second green and then two-putts to close to within three shots of Lowry.
Westwood gets desperately unlucky with his approach and can only manage a bogey five.
2nd Hole – 340 Yards, Par 4
Heart of the fairway for Lowry leaves him with 130 yards to the pin — but he’s done the exact same thing as Westwood, leaving it a little short which sees it trickle all the way back down and off the front again.
He’s his work cut out to get up and down from here.
2nd hole: Lowry sends his third past the hole and it’s left him with a huge amount of work to save par.
“Probably should have done that with my second shot,” he mutters.
2nd hole: BOGEY — Lowry -6
The slope on the green means Lowry can’t be too aggressive and he just underhits his par putt before rolling in a short putt for bogey.
That four-shot lead is now back to two.
3rd hole — 426 yards, Par 4
BAM! Much better. Lowry stripes one down the middle of the fairway.
3rd hole: Solid approach from Lowry — not quite within birdie distance but shouldn’t be too much trouble getting down in two.
3rd hole: PAR – Lowry -6
Lowry doesn’t start his birdie putt quite high enough and despite him trying to urge it to stay on track with a wave of the putter, it trots up to the left of the hole where he can tap it in for a par.
Playing partner Andrew Landry, who opened bogey-bogey, get his first par to remain at -1.
Onto the par five fourth…
4th hole — 609 yards, Par 5
That’ll do very nicely! Lowry cuts the corner with his drive and it just bounces on to the fairway. He should be able to hit the green from there – but it will be a long one.
Up ahead on the fourth, Johnson doesn’t manage to find the green in two, and then the wedge he plays for his third shot sticks up the back. Still work to do there.
Another bogey for Westwood (+1)
That’s three on the spin for him and already, it looks like a tall order if he’s going to break his duck this weekend.
4th hole: After that solid tee shot, Lowry goes a bit left with his second and he’s found a nasty enough lie. Hmmm.
He’s had plenty of practice this week and now, Johnson’s hit a doozy of a wedge with his second in the par-four fifth. He’ll have a three-footer for birdie to close the gap to one…
SO CLOSE! Lowry rolls his birdie putt towards the fourth hole and the line looks good, looks good, looks good… and then catches inside lip, horseshoes, and trickles away. Ack.
What’s worse, it’s a good bit away and it’ll be a tricky little saver for par.
4th hole – PAR – Lowry -6
No hassle. His lead remains at two for the moment, but with Johnson standing over that birdie, it will be down to the minimum shortly.
DJ MISSES! To be fair, it was fast and there was a huge right-to-left break, but he doesn’t read it at all correctly.
Lowry remains two in front. Johnson will be kicking himself — and so will playing partner Lee Westwood (+3) who has just taken a double on five to drop even further back.
And now more drama for Johnson! As he gets ready for his par putt, the ball moves in the wind. He hadn’t addressed the ball, and checks with a referee, who tells him to carry on.
Eventually he makes the putt. Johnson (-4)
5th hole: 382 Yards, Par 4
Lowry’s tee shot leaks away to the left and it ends up in one of the fairway bunkers.
Playing partner Andrew Landry is having a rough start which can’t really be helping the mood of the group.
5th hole: Oh no, oh no. Lowry has about 120 yards out the bunker and he catches it very heavy. It doesn’t even clear the hazard protecting the green, and it leaves him with a nasty lie.
He manages to dig it out but the best he can do is put it on the lower tier of the green. There’s a dropped shot coming here unless Lowry can conjure up a miracle.
A nervy start and it isn’t getting better just yet.
5th hole: The pin placement isn’t Lowry’s friend here at all. He putts uphill and immediately starts shouting at the ball to sit. It’s about eight feet or so past and for better or for worse, this next shot will be one of the defining shots of his round.
5th hole – BOGEY – Lowry (-5)
That’s a BIG putt by Lowry, who has only had one three-putt all week. He puts it in the heart of the cup and escapes with just a bogey. As we said before he hit it, that could be HUGE!
His lead is cut to a single shot, but the important thing for now is that he’s still in the lead.
Here’s your leaderboard at 10pm. All still to play for…
6th hole: 197 Yards, Par 3
The pin is cut to the right as Lowry looks at it, and he takes the seven-iron, plonking it safely over on the left.
“That was a good shot, right?” he asks.
Yep, it was. He’ll be putting uphill for his birdie.
6th hole – PAR – Lowry (-5)
It’s a 43-footer for Lowry, straight up the hill with not much break, and he leaves it a couple of feet short. Still, he’ll roll that one in for par and it will help to steady the ship.
Oooooh! Johnson has a long putt on the seventh for a birdie and a share of the lead. He gives it every chance but just misses. Still a shot back.
7th hole: 490 Yards, Par 4
Rock solid from Lowry who whips the driver out of the bag and fires one down the middle of the seventh fairway. No bother to ya.
7th hole: 188 yards for Lowry and he plays it to perfection, finding the heart of the green. Since making that bogey putt on the fifth, he’s done well to steady the ship.
Garcia (-2) to the turn in 33
If it’s not to be Shane’s day, could it finally be Sergio’s? He finishes the front nine with birdie-par and he’s only three shots behind Lowry. Scott Piercy is there on -2 as well.
7th hole: Lowry has a birdie look but he knows that if it goes more than a couple feet past the hole, it’s going to go a mile past the hole — so it’s no real surprise that he leaves it short. Should be a straightforward enough par from there.
8th hole: 299 Yard, Par 3
Lowry steps up to the long par three and leaves his tee shot just off the front of the green, maybe about 10 yards or so. He’ll have a 35-yard pitch with his second.
OOOOOOH! SO CLOSE FOR LOWRY! He’s nearly chipped in for birdie. He plays that pitch superbly, it’s dead on line, and it clips the hole but doesn’t drop. Fortunately the impact takes all the pace off it as it was probably going a couple of feet past otherwise.
Magic from DJ! He stitches his second shot into the ninth and will have a very makeable birdie putt to join Lowry on -5…
8th hole – PAR – Lowry (-5)
Lowry rolls in the tiddler and he remains a shot clear for now.
DJ MAKES IT – TIED FOR THE LEAD!
His birdie putt looks like it might slide by on the low side but it holds its line and drops. We have co-leaders, Lowry and Johnson tied on -5.
9th hole: 488 Yards, Par 4
Ack, that’s unlucky for Lowry. His tee shot looks to be scuttling down the right side of the fairway but it takes a sideways hop into one of the bunkers. He’s about 200 yards out now, and finding the green might be a big ask.
DJ’s not infallible either, you know. He’s after finding a nasty looking patch of rough with his tee shot on 10.
Meanwhile we have a new clubhouse leader. Jim Furyk is in the door on -1.
9th hole – BOGEY – Lowry (-4)
That fairway bunker has really cost Lowry. He can’t do much more than chip out and then his third is hit a little bit too far past the hole, leaving him with a trick save for par.
It doesn’t quite hold its line and Lowry has a third bogey of the afternoon. He’s no longer the leader.
Meanwhile over on 10, DJ has just got a huge slice of luck. His ball was buried, but there was a TV tower in the way so gets relief and is able to drop it practically on to the fairway. He finds the green with his second.
Sometimes you make your luck, and well sometimes, your luck makes you.
It’s 10.55pm and here’s how we stand as the final group hits the turn:
10th hole: 472 Yards, Par 4
A couple of distractions on the tee as Lowry steps up but he stripes it. A lot of golf still to be played here.
Kerry star Kieran Donaghy has his say on that Johnson relief ruling!
10th hole: Lowry’s second shot into 10 looks to have the right line but it holds up in the breeze for a second, and then bites when it hits the green. That’s just unlucky.
10th hole: Lowry’s birdie putt is at least 40 feet and far from straightforward. He has to play it up the slope and let it feed back down towards the hole. He’ll still have four or five feet for his par.
EAGLE FOR JASON DAY! The world number one is a good bit back but you never know, do you?! He chips in for eagle and he’s back to level par through 12.
10th hole – BOGEY – Lowry (-3)
It’s just starting to slip away from Lowry now. He misses a seven-footer for par but mercifully, makes the putt back for bogey.
He’s two shots back now and really needs to find a bit of a hot streak because Johnson’s mistakes are few and far between.
PAR FOR DJ ON 11 – STILL TWO CLEAR
Johnson has a nasty birdie putt on one of those tricky Oakmont greens and it’s a foot or two short after seemingly going all the way around the world to get there.
He still leads by two.
HERE COMES JASON DAY! He follows up his eagle with a birdie and all of a sudden, he’s only four back.
11th hole: Do you know something, I’m getting fed up of these Oakmont greens pretty quickly. Lowry’s approach is from about 110 yards out, but it doesn’t stick when it hits the green and ends up rolling way back down. He’s about 15 yards away now.
11th hole – PAR – Lowry (-3)
There’s still work to be done if Lowry wants to save par, but he makes no mistake with the five-footer.
You have to remember that he’s only two shots back here with a lot of golf still to play.
THIS IS BIG – POSSIBLE PENALTY FOR JOHNSON
Remember that putt on the fifth where Johnson’s ball moved? The referees have informed him that he will have to review the video with them before signing his card, and there may be a one-shot penalty.
All of the players have been told of this situation. This is by no means over yet.
And, by the way, Sergio’s coming! He’s made birdie on 13 and all of a sudden, he’s on -3, two behind Johnson.
This entire tournament has been turned on its head in the last few minutes. If you were thinking about going to bed, DON’T.
How has all of this drama affected Johnson? Remember he lost the 2010 PGA Championship in heartbreaking circumstances over something similar. Even if he has nerves of steel, this must be playing on his mind.
He makes par on 12 and stays on -5.
Jordan Spieth ways in on that possible penalty.
Having watched the replay, the Sky commentators are in agreement that there shouldn’t be any penalty.
Here’s Rory’s take:
There seems to be a unanimous opinion developing that the USGA have made a right Horlicks of this and, in the process, put a massive amount of unfair pressure and scrutiny on Johnson. You haven’t heard the last of this anyway.
12th hole – BIRDIE – Lowry (-4)
Here. We. Go.
Lowry plays a stunning chip shot with his third to par-five 12th. He’s unlucky that it doesn’t go in for eagle but he still manages to make birdie and cut the gap to one again.
Here’s the latest leaderboard – if you can predict the winner with any confidence, you’re a mystic:
13th hole: 183 Yards, Par 3
Aaaaagh! That’s desperately unlucky. Lowry’s tee shot looks to be on a great line but it’s a yard short, catches the lip of the bunker, and plops in.
Can’t do much more than that…
13th hole – PAR – Lowry (-4)
GET IN! Lowry digs it out to within about eight feet… and then rolls in the putt to save par. It could have been better but in the circumstances, that’ll do just nicely.
He’s still just one shot off.
14th hole: 368 Yards, Par 4
Striped down the middle of the fairway by Lowry. He’s not giving up without a fight.
BOGEY FOR JOHNSON ON 14, TIED FOR THE LEAD ON -4
DJ tries to run his approach at 14 up the front of the green but he’s still a good 20 yards away from the hole. He putts up to within seven feet, but he can’t save par.
All square again! You weren’t thinking of going to bed, were you?
14th hole: Lowry lets out a bit of a groan as his approach to 14 takes a bad hop. It’s still on the green though, just not as well positioned as he might have liked.
With all the drama surrounding DJ and Lowry, we haven’t given much of a mention to Scott Piercy who is currently three under for the day and for the tournament — now just a shot behind the leaders with three holes to play. Don’t forget about him.
Sergio, meanwhile, has dropped back to -1 and he’ll need a miracle.
14th hole – BOGEY – Lowry (-3)
Aaaaaaagh. Lowry has a five-footer for par, very similar to the one DJ just missed, and he pulls it too. That’s a bad, bad miss at the worst possible time.
DJ leads by one again.
15th hole: 479 Yards, Par 4
That’s one way to put the bogey out your mind immediately. Lowry smashes his drive down the middle of the fairway.
PAR FOR DJ ON 15 A nervy little five-footer to maintain his lead but he sneaks it in the side door.
Up ahead, Scott Piercy has bogeyed the 16th and dropped back to -2. Is that the end of his charge?
15th hole: Lowry has 166 yards with his second shot and finds the green, but still a good 12 yards or so from the hole.
This is a disgustingly quick putt and he barely taps it before letting make its own way down the hole. It’ll be par at best here with the par three and two par fours still to come.
Rory is taking the USGA officials to task, and rightly so
15th hole – BOGEY – Lowry (-2)
That’s a massive miss by Lowry and he has a mountain to climb now. He has about seven foot of work left in this and misses.
As things stand, DJ is on -4 and Lowry is two back on -2 alongside Piercy who has just missed a birdie putt on 17.
Johnson sticks his tee shot on 16 out the back of the green but it’s not a bad position.
Chubby Chandler makes a point well worth bearing in mind – this controversy must be having just as much impact on Shane Lowry and Scott Piercy
BIG SAVE FROM DJ
The 16th green is like lightning and when he dinks his chip up over the crest of the hill, it zips a good nine feet by the hole. He really can’t afford to slip up here with Lowry and Piercy still lurking – and he jams it in the heart of the cup.
That could be the winning of it.
16th hole: 239 Yards, Par 3
Lowry’s tee shot is on the dancefloor but it’s about 50 feet away from the hole. All he can do is lag it up, and he does just that.
The latest on the rules mess…
16th hole – BOGEY – Lowry (-1)
No no no no no no. Lowry’s six-footer for par slides by and, even if the rules officials decide to take a shot off Johnson, it’s unlikely to make a difference now — apart from the fact that is has ruined a Major Sunday for players and fans alike.
DJ (-4) leads Piercy (-2) by two with Lowry a further shot back.
That’s three three-putts in a row for Lowry. Whatever the circumstances, that’s not the kind of golf that wins Majors unfortunately.
Piercy’s in the clubhouse on -1 alongside Furyk, so after rolling in his par putt at 17, Dustin Johnson will have a three-shot lead heading down 18… we think.
17th hole: 312 Yards, Par 4
Lowry’s gone left off the tee at 17. He needs to get into the clubhouse with a par-par finish for a share of second place.
HOLY MOTHER OF…
What a shot by Dustin Johnson who absolutely stitches his approach on 18. After all the controversy, THAT is how you win a Major.
Scintillating.
DUSTIN JOHNSON IS YOUR 2016 US OPEN CHAMPION
Johnson rolls in the birdie putt at the last and nobody, not even the USGA bigwigs, can take this away from him.
He is a Major champion.
17th hole – PAR – Lowry (-1)
A messy hole but Lowry saves par. Birdie at the last will see him finish second outright and collect $1 million plus in prize money.
18th hole – PAR – Lowry (-1)
And so ends a disappointing day for Shane Lowry who taps in his par putt for final-day 76.
It has been an incredible week and you can bet he’ll be back contending at Majors again.
Presented without comment
So here it is, the final leaderboard at 2016 US Open — one shot penalty and all.
Congratulations to Dustin Johnson!
Great article
And we will throw you in after 20 mins, keep everyone happy…