2017 US Open: Brooks Koepka wins first major championship

The run of maiden major champions is now at seven after Brooks Koepka claims the 2017 US Open trophy.

Brooks Koepka has made it seven consecutive first-time major winners with a four-stroke victory at the US Open at Erin Hills in Wisconsin.

The big hitting American emerged from the pack of players on the back nine on Sunday to claim his first major victory and etch his name into the record books in the process.

2017 US OPEN FINAL ROUND SCORES:
-16 Brooks Koepka
-12 Hideki Matsuyama, Brian Harman
-11 Tommy Fleetwood
-10 Rickie Fowler, Bill Haas, Xander Schauffele

Notables:
E Adam Scott, +3 Dustin Johnson, +6 Rory McIlroy, +7 Jason Day

Koepka’s 16-under par score equalled Rory McIlroy’s best winning score (2011) in relation to par at the US Open.

With the wind playing a larger role in the final round than it had in previous days, Koepka began the day in a three-way tie for second place, a shot behind fellow American Brian Harman.

And it was Koepka and Harman who lead the pack for most of the day with the turning point coming at the par-5 14th hole when Koepka made birdie look easy from the sand.

Koepka followed it up with another birdie on the 15th and when he rolled in this putt to make it three consecutive birdies on the 16th, the 27-year-old went four shots clear with two holes to play.

To give you some idea of how long Koepka can hit the golf ball, and how emphatic his victory was, he hit a 3-wood off the tee on the par-5 18th hole and it went 380 yards. Yep, with a 3-wood.

Koepka plied his trade in Europe after turning professional winning four times on the Challenge Tour before a winning at the European Tour’s Turkish Open in 2014. Koepka then claimed his first PGA Tour win at the AT&T Byron Nelson last year and has been lining up a shot at a major trophy with some great results over the past few years.

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama produced the best round of the day. Matsuyama’s 6-under 66 was just a shot better than Koepka’s and finished at 12-under par, finishing in a tie for second – his sixth top-10 finish at the majors.

American Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas were expected to be in contention down the stretch but neither set the course alight on Sunday.

Fowler’s even par round meant the fifth place finish was his
best result at a major in a few years but the elusive major is still out of reach for one of the crowd favourites.

After Thomas’ majestic, history-making third round it was a surprise that the 24-year-old could manage no better than a 3-over-par 75 in the final round that began with three bogeys in his first five holes.

Marc Leishman was the best and only Australian to make the cut. Leishman finished in a tie for 27th place after a final round 75.

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