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Gary Woodland posing with the trophy after winning the U.S. Open Championship golf tournament on June 16 in Pebble Beach, California. (AP/PTI)[/caption]
Pebble Beach (California), June 17 (IANS): Gary Woodland of the United States won the 2019 US Open at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in California. Sunday's win marks Woodland's first title in a major after starting the final day as leader, reports Efe news.
"I never let myself get ahead. Once that went in, it all came out of me. It's special to finish it off here at Pebble Beach," Woodland said after winning.
Woodland resisted the onslaught of fellow countryman Brooks Koepka, winner of the previous two editions of the Open and of the recent PGA Championship at the Bethpage Black course, finishing 13-under-par, three strokes ahead of Koepka (-10).
This was the fifth consecutive US Open trophy to remain in the United States after Germany's Martin Kaymer won the championship in 2014.
England's Justin Rose (-7), who won the 2013 US Open, posed a threat to Woodland for a time, but a string of bogeys on the last few holes left him sharing third place with Americans Xander Schauffele and Chez Revie and Spain's Jon Rahm, all of them seven-under-par.
"I haven't played on a course as complicated as this in a while. There was no need to do anything very special, just not slip back from the leaders and wait for the opportunity," said Rahm, who achieved his best ranking in US Open.
The week began with speculations about Koepka winning his third straight US Open or the possibility of golf legend Tiger Wood picking up his 16th major after winning the Augusta Masters earlier this year.
"Again, got off to another [bad] start and was able to fight it off. Turned back around and got it to under par for the week which is - normally it's a good thing, but this week the guys are definitely taking to it," said Woods, who finished with two-under-par.
Woodland's 13-under-total also shattered Tiger Woods' 12-under-272 win at the 2000 US Open, although he was only three strokes ahead of the second-placed player, while Woods had won by 15 points.
The last major of the year, The Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, will be played next month, and the Europeans will be aiming to end the dominance of the Americans in the first three majors played in 2019 so far.
