The 21-year-old Jordan Spieth still has an opportunity to chase the Grand Slam during the 2014-2015 PGA season.
After a tumultuous week for the field at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, Wash., Spieth came out on top to win the 115th U.S. Open Championship. He finished at five-under par for the tournament and shot one-under in the final round to keep his chances alive.
However, he got a little help from his competitors.
Branden Grace, who was atop the leaderboard for the entire event, sliced his drive onto the nearby train tracks on the 16th hole and double bogeyed the par 4 to fall to three-under, which significantly hampered his chances of competing for the win. He finished the tournament three-under and tied for fourth, which earned him $407,000.
The biggest blunder of all occurred a few holes later. Dustin Johnson was one stroke behind Spieth heading into the 72nd hole. Speith recorded a birdie on the par-5 18th and improved to five-under as Johnson approached the tee box at four-under, needing a birdie to force an 18-hole playoff the following day.
Johnson's tee shot was one of his best of the tournament and his approach shot left him with a 12-foot putt for eagle. He hit driver and then five iron on the 601-yard hole to put himself that close to victory. All Johnson needed to do was two-putt to force a playoff. If he made the eagle putt he would win his first-ever major championship.
Understandably, on the horrid greens at Chambers Bay, Johnson missed the eagle putt. All eyes remained on the veteran, who had the opportunity to force the first 18-hole playoff at the U.S. Open since Tiger Woods did in 2008 against Rocco Mediate. Johnson missed the short birdie putt, which was no gimme, and Spieth became the youngest player since Bobby Jones in 1923 to win the U.S. Open.
"I'm still in shock," Spieth said, via The Associated Press. "I've never experienced a feeling like this. It was a very intense back nine.
"I'm still amazed that I won, let alone that we weren't playing tomorrow. So for that turnaround right there, to watch that happen, I feel for Dustin, but I haven't been able to put anything in perspective yet."
Spieth also became the fourth youngest player ever to win two major championships, joining Young Tom Morris (1869), John McDermott (1912) and Gene Sarazen (1923).
Fellow stars Rory McIlroy (66 in final round), Adam Scott (64), Louis Oosthuizen (67), Cameron Smith (68) and others made formidable runs in the final round, but came up short.
The next major event will be the 144th Open Championship at St. Andrews Golf Club in Scotland. The tournament will take place from July 16-19 and Spieth will be the focus as he goes for his third career major championship this season.
