LOS ANGELES — Scottie Scheffler was in the right position to chase and win the U.S. Open in Sunday’s final round.
However the No. 1 ranked player on the planet did not overtake the winner, Wyndham Clark, who won at 10-under par while Scheffler finished three shots back at 7-under par, in third place.
“I just felt like I wasn’t sharp enough today to maneuver up the board,’’ he said. “I did an excellent job of keeping myself in it but I just wasn’t sharp enough. I used to be attempting to hit some good shots and get some looks and I felt like on the front nine I didn’t give myself enough opportunities for birdies.
“I fought hard today, and I’m obviously a bit frustrated to come back up short, but I put up an excellent fight, and Wyndham played some improbable golf this week and so he’s a well-deserving champion.’’
Defending champion Matthew Fitzpatrick never contended in his title defense and called his week “a grind.’’
“I just didn’t drive the ball thoroughly in any respect,’’ he said. “That’s what let me down. I used to be just looking forward to the week. It was the primary time obviously experiencing that. Hopefully, I’ll have it a couple of more times in my profession, however it’s all a learning experience really. I felt like I didn’t feel overwhelmed with it.’’
Tommy Fleetwood flirted with U.S. Open history yet again on Sunday.
Fleetwood had a 5-foot birdie putt on his final hole at Los Angeles Country Club that, if made, could have given him a final-round 62, but his putt never touched the outlet and the Englishman needed to accept a 7-under 63.
That left him at 5-under for the week, though he lamented what might have been.
“I missed a 6-footer on the primary [hole], missed a 5-footer on the last, after which every part in between was really, really good,’’ Fleetwood said.
It was paying homage to Fleetwood’s 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock, where he shot a final-round 63, though he fell wanting winner Brooks Koepka that day.
“I just should be higher up the leaderboard coming into Sunday after which have one other day like today,’’ Fleetwood said. “It’s a pleasant little piece of history.’’
Fleetwood is the primary player in U.S. Open history to post two 63s.
“Days like today you may put within the memory bank,’’ he said.
Gordon Sargent, who shot a final-round 1-under-par 69 to complete at 4-over, was the low amateur for the tournament.
“It’s sort of what your goal as an amateur is, simply to be the low-am,’’ Sargent, a sophomore at Vanderbilt and the 2022 NCAA champion, said. “Playing in my second major, I wasn’t as nervous as the primary one [the Masters]. It just gives you confidence and in addition sort of shows what you might want to work on. I do know that my good golf, I can compete with the perfect and just must limit the mistakes a bit bit.’’
