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Brooks Koepka equals scoring record with US Open win

19th June, 2017
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Brooks Koepka has bagged his first major championship with a four-shot US Open victory at Erin Hills in Wisconsin.

The 27-year-old American fired a stunning final-round five-under-par 67 to finish with a 16-under total of 272, equalling the championship’s lowest 72-hole score in relation to par set by Rory McIlroy in 2011.

Overnight leader Brian Harman (72) slumped to a share of second place at 12-under with Japanese world No.4 Hideki Matsuyama.

Matsuyama’s 66 was the lowest round of the day, while England’s Tommy Fleetwood (72) finished a shot back in fourth at 11-under.

Sharing fifth were Americans Xander Schauffele (69), Bill Haas (69) and Rickie Fowler (72) at 10-under.

Florida native Koepka becomes the seventh consecutive first-time major winner, a run started by Jason Day at the 2015 US PGA Championship.

Starting the final round with a bunched leaderboard, Koepka and Harman emerged from the pack to trade blows throughout the front nine.

The turning point came when Koepka bagged three consecutive birdies, starting with the par-five 14th while Harman carded back-to-back bogeys on the difficult 12th and 13th holes.

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Despite rallying back with two closing birdies, a bogey at the 18th sealed 30-year-old Harman’s fate.

The only Australian who made the cut, Marc Leishman, fought back from an early tumble down the leaderboard.

He overcame a five-over front nine by picking up two shots coming home to salvage a 75 and a respectable 27th place.

World No.13 Justin Thomas dropped to eight-under with a 75 a day after setting the record for lowest round relative to par in US Open history with a nine-under 63.

Jordan Spieth, the 2015 US Open winner, shot a 69 to claw back to one-over.

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