US Open: Spaun birdies last to beat MacIntyre to title

Here comes JJ Spaun….

He has two putts to win the US Open…he only needs one. He closes the deal with a birdie on the 18th.

What a finish.

Viktor Hovland is giving this a good run. He’s walking and like this but it’s going to slide past to the right.

JJ Spaun’s wife Melody is at the side of the 18th green.

He has only won once ever on the PGA Tour at the Texas Open three years ago. Now he has two putts from around 65 feet to win obe of golf’s biggest prizes.

Viktor Hovland is up first mind.

The rain is coming down heavy again as JJ Spaun finds a spot on the left of the 18th green with his six-iron approach.

Two putts will win him the US Open.

Viktor Hovland follows a similar line to his playing partner. His ball is going to end up just outside Spaun’s and give him a read.

What a result for the American.

Tyrrell Hatton nudges his par putt down the slope on the last, but it’s a closing bogey and a two-over round of 72.

Currently in a tie for fourth, it looks like it’ll be his best finish in a major, but that will be little consolation to him right now after finishing with back-to-back bogeys.

He played some lovely stuff over the course of the week, though, and he certainly possesses the game to land one of these big ones during his career.

JJ Spaun’s drive is straight down the middle of the 18th fairway. He could not have placed it any better.

Viktor Hovland’s drive heads down the right of the fairway. That looks like it should be ok.

That looks like that now for the final pairing after more disaster on 16 – again ending up in the rough is resulting in dropped shots more and more now it’s sodden wet.

Sam Burns makes another bogey to follow his double on the last, while Adam Scott gets a double bogey on his card to follow two straight bogeys.

So Scott has dropped four shots in three holes while Burns has let three slip in the last two.

JJ Spaun’s eagle putt slips past to the right of the cup.His return putt will be from around two feet and in it goes.

He just needs to par the 18th hole to become the US Open champion having bogeyed five of the first six holes today.

Viktor Hovland has barely holed anything today but he knocks in a short birdie putt. He is still in the frame going down the last but will need help.

Just in case….

If two or more players are tied after the final round, there’ll be a two-hole aggregate play-off to decide the US Open. If we’re still tied after that then it’ll go to sudden death.

There’s been 33 play-offs in 124 previous US Opens, but none since Tiger Woods beat Rocco Mediate in his epic 2008 victory, back when the play-off format was over 18 holes on Monday.

Oakmont has seen three play-offs in nine stagings of the US Open before this year, with Ernie Els (1994), Jack Nicklaus (1962) and Tommy Armour (1927) all coming through after extra holes were needed.

Neither Tyrrell Hatton nor Carlos Ortiz conjure miraculous hole-outs from the 18th fairway.

Their race is run.

Hatton takes his cap off in disgust. A beaten man.

Oh my word. Viktor Hovland is just shy of the greenside bunker in the rough and he needs a birdie big time.

The Norwegian has an awkward stance but nips his ball across the dance floor to three feet.

“Nooo!”

That’s the cry from Tyrrell Hatton as he leaks his drive on the last down the right.

It’s down deep in the rough and the birdie he needs looks most unlikely now.

He splashes back out on to the fairway. Needs to hole that. He looks livid.

Unbelievable. Is that the best shot JJ Spaun has ever hit? The American lashes his drive down the 17th and it runs and runs onto the green.

He will be putting for eagle from 17 feet. Could that be the defining moment at the US Open?

Really unlucky for Sam Burns not to get that drop away from all that water on the fairway, and that was undoubtedly in his mind as he then flubbed his chip out of the rough, which he had to play again – getting out to 16 feet.

He can’t finish that off though so it’s a double bogey for the overnight leader to slip back to three over.

Adam Scott joins him on three over after he misses a seven footer for par.

Tyrrell Hatton from the rough at the 17th. A huge mistake!

He only manages to advance the ball a few feet…and does the same thing with his third.

He cracks a wry smile towards his caddie before knocking his fourth to gimme distance, but it’s a most untidy and untimely bogey for the Englishman on the 71st hole.

He’ll need a birdie at the last to match Bob MacIntyre’s target.

JJ Spaun and Viktor Hovland both walk off the 16th with pars in their pocket.

This is getting tense.

So close to a grandstand finish for Cameron Young with a lengthy birdie putt at the last just running out of steam right at the death.

Richard Winton
BBC Sport Scotland

Right, Bob. Get in the house, get dry and keep the heid. It’s going to be an edgy next hour or so…

Bob MacIntyre is in the clubhouse and in great position to potentially claim the biggest victory of his career.

I wonder how his finger nails will be over the next hour.

Bob MacIntyre won the Canadian Open and Scottish Open last year.

But this is another level altogether. If he can knock this putt in for birdie and pull this off Oban might well run out of whisky….

“Get in the hole” is the familiar refrain from the fans surrounding the green but that never had the pace.