Brooks Koepka celebrates after winning back to back at the U.S Open

South Hampton, Long Island - It had been 29 years since anyone defended

their title at the U.S Open (Curtis Strange 88-89), but as Brooks Koepka

stated early in the week- "Nobody here is more confident than me." and

this, "Someone is going to have to come and take the trophy from me."

The 28 year old from West Palm Beach (who now resides in Jupiter along

with half of the PGA Tour) backed up that statement, especially after carding

an opening round 5 over par - 75. In fact, at one point early in round 2

on Friday, Koepka was +7 and in danger of missing the cut. He flipped

Friday's second round, shooting 66 to get back in the championship.

Weekend rounds of 72-68 followed for a 1 over par total and a one-stroke

victory over Englishman Tommy Fleetwood who narrowly missed a putt

at the last that would have been a record-setting 62. As it turned out,

that 8 footer was the slim margin between solo second place (+2) and

a two-hole playoff. Fleetwood's 63 tied the low round at any U.S Open,

and eclipsed the record of any U.S Open round held at Shinnecock Hills

(breaking the previous mark of 65 that was matched by Rickie Fowler

on Sunday, 19 strokes better than the 84 Fowler shot on Saturday).

Koepka isn't your typical golf obsessed professional, when he missed 3

months earlier in the season with a wrist injury he found that he longed

for the game and the competition, but when he returned his golf swing

never missed a beat. It all came right back immediately, no rust at all

"I don't need to practice every single day. It's the same game I've been

playing for 24 years now. I know what I'm doing. I know how to swing

a golf club. It's just a game that I've been playing my entire life."

Once again the USGA flagship event was riddled with two big controversies

in South Hampton. Both occurred during Saturday's third round. For one,

the course set up once again got a bit too severe (2004 revisited) when the

winds picked up during the afternoon, causing several putts and well struck

shots to roll off into disastrous spots. The USGA has to find a method that

allows some margin of error in its set up in case mother nature becomes

a factor. Especially at seaside venues where it's almost a certainty.

Second would be the blatant rules infraction by Phil Mickelson. First of all,

it looked horrible and Phil's explanation of how and why was even worse.

Clearly it didn't quite go down as he stated, and several witnesses within

the group verified that he made statements to officials and others right

after it happened (on the 13th green) that completely contradicted his

well-rehearsed post round media session. Obviously, chasing after/swatting

back a moving ball was an act of frustration with the set up, a meltdown.

Clearly embarrassed, he contrived a story about always wanting to hit a

moving ball to save further damage to his scorecard, and decided that he

would do it right then and there. Sometimes trying to be the most clever

guy in the room backfires, and this was the perfect example. It's been a

brilliant 26 year career, filled with generosity and giving back to the game,

but somehow that moment and the cover-up that followed might be the

one lasting memory for many from the 118th U.S Open.

With the victory Brooks Koepka has moved up 33 spots to 13th in the

Fedex Cup standings, and 4th in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Scores: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html

Dustin Johnson celebrates after holing out on the 18th hole on Sunday

Memphis, Tennesee - Dustin Johnson's stint as World No.2 lasted about as

long as a New York minute. Heading to the Big Apple for the U.S Open at

Shinnecock Hills, DJ emphatically put his stamp on winning the Fedex St.Jude

Classic by holing out for eagle on the 72nd hole and a six-stroke victory over

Andrew Putnam.

Johnson's final round 66 capped off his second PGA Tour win of the season

and 18th of his career. After 64 straight weeks atop the Official World Golf

Rankings, Johnson dropped to No.2 behind Justin Thomas the week of the

PLAYERS at TPC Sawgrass. Johnson's 19 under par - 261 total, included

rounds of 67-63-65 before Sunday's final round. Tied with Johnson at the

start of the day, Putnam made double bogey at the first (Johnson made

par) for an early two-stroke swing and never was able to make up the

defecit. Putnam shot 72, not the final round he was hoping for, but his

runner-up finish was still the best of his career.

DJ's response to his walk-off eagle (9 iron from 170 yards), "By the

reaction from the crowd, I thought it might have gone in, but I couldn't

see it so it was kind of tough, what a cool way to end."

Phil Mickelson, seeking to accomplish the career Grand Slam at the U.S

Open, heads to Shinnecock Hills with some momentum after a final round

65 (finishing tied for 12th).

Scores: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html

Bryson DeChambeau celebrates after rolling in the winning putt on Sunday

Dublin, Ohio - After 72 holes of regulation play at the house that Jack

built, the leaderboard at Muirfield Village was knotted up at 15 under

par. Although the biggest names in the game today, Woods, Rose, Rickie,

Mickelson, J.T and DJ were all lurking, it came down to 3 other competitors

in a sudden death playoff. Kyle Stanley, Byeong Hun An and Bryson

DeChambeau, who three-putted the last to fall into the tie.

On the first playoff hole, Stanley and An both badly missed the fairway

wide right while DeChambeau was in perfect position. All three players

missed the green, but while An and DeChameau chipped close for easy

pars, Stanley needed to hole out his attempt to stay alive. He chipped

it into the hole only to have the ball rejected by the side of the flagstick.

Kyle Stanley was eliminated after making bogey. On the next hole

(which was the third spin on the 18th hole Sunday), both players

found the shortgrass. An went long on his approach, while DeChambeau

flushed his 9 iron to 12 feet. An hit an amazing flop shot from the heavy

rough to within a few feet forcing Bryson to make his for the win. Bryson

answered the call and buried the rock into the jar for the biggest win of

his young career. An emotional celebration ensued for the kid from Clovis,

California who's been called the mad scientist for his analytical perspective,

unorthodox swing and radical equipment choices. Answering all of his

critics as he's done at every competitive level, he's well on his way to a

very successful professional career.

"People always kind of scrutinize me saying I'm too technical and what-

not," DeChambeau said. "It's all just to aid my feel. I am a guy that goes

off of feel still, to everybody's surprise probably.

Patrick Cantlay finished solo third at 14 under par after a final round 71.

Scores: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html