Australian golfing champion Adam Scott faced a surprising setback during the final round of the US Open, where he dropped nine strokes, ultimately derailing his hopes for a second major title. The unheralded JJ Spaun surged to victory with a stunning performance, while Scott and overnight leader Sam Burns slipped down the leaderboard.
At 44 years of age, Scott, who secured his only major win at the Masters in 2013, began the final round just one shot behind Burns. He remained competitive for much of the day, matching Burns at the top multiple times. However, the round was interrupted by a heavy downpour that lasted for approximately an hour, impacting play.
Starting the day at three under par, Scott struggled on the challenging Oakmont course, finishing six over for the tournament, which placed him seven shots behind Spaun, who solidified his win with a remarkable birdie putt on the 18th hole. Meanwhile, Burns faltered, shooting an 8-over on the day, concluding the tournament at four over and tying for seventh place.
Scott received accolades on social media for his sportsmanship, notably embracing Spaun in celebration after the event. In a post-game interview, he commented on the difficult conditions, saying, “It was tough. It was bad conditions. No one really had a good score. I missed the fairway, and I hadn’t done that all week.” He acknowledged that his inability to recover after a poor shot led to significant drops in his score.
Scott described the challenges of the day, noting that the wind was the strongest it had been all week and that the soaked fairways made controlling the golf ball increasingly difficult. He reflected on the harsh nature of the final round, stating, “All things being equal, it’s Sunday of the US Open, one of the hardest setups, and the conditions were the hardest of the week. Thank God it wasn’t like this all week.” Ultimately, he finished tied for 12th place, a disappointing result for a player who had begun the day with high hopes.