A steady hand gave Justin Rose the shiny U.S. Open Trophy. A wild ride gave Phil Mickelson yet another silver medal.
Rose captured his first major championship on Sunday with remarkable calm and three pure shots on the punishing closing holes at Merion. A par on the 18th hole gave him an even-par 70, and that was good enough to become the first Englishman in 43 years to win America's national championship.
Rose hit 5-iron to the first cut of rough, pin-high on the 17th for an easy par. He smashed the most important tee shot of his career down the middle on the final hole, about 15 feet short of the famous Ben Hogan plaque. And his approach rolled near the pin and settled against the collar of the green.
As usual, someone's big moment in the U.S. Open came at Mickelson's expense.
Rose was in the scoring area a half-mile from the grandstands behind the 18th green where the fans began to chant, "Let's go Phil!" as Mickelson paced off a last-ditch effort to force a playoff. It was a long shot _ the 18th hole didn't yield a single birdie all weekend. From about 40 yards away, Mickelson's chip for birdie raced by the cup, securing Rose's victory.
Mickelson, already in the U.S. Open record book with five second-place finishes, added another that will hurt as much any of them. Sunday was his 43rd birthday. It was the first time he was equipped with the outright lead going into the last day. His week began with a cross-country trip home to San Diego to watch his oldest daughter graduate from the eighth grade, returning just three hours before his tee time on Thursday. This was the same daughter born the day after his first runner-up finish in 1999.
All the stars were aligned. None of the putts fell in.
What hurt Mickelson even more was a wedge from about 121 yards on the 15th hole. It should have given him a good look at birdie, but it came up so short that Mickelson's best chance was to use one of his five wedges to chip from the front of the green. He hit that one too far, 25 feet by the hole, and the bogey wound up costing him a chance at the major he covets. Mickelson wound up with a bogey on the 18th for a 74 and tied for second with Jason Day, who closed with a 71.
AIR CAPITAL CLASSIC
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ Scott Parel won the Air Capital Classic on Sunday to become the fourth-oldest winner in Web.com Tour history, closing with a 7-under 64 for a three-stroke victory.
The 48-year-old Parel finished at 18-under 266 at Crestview Country Club after opening with rounds of 69, 66 and 67. He earned $117,000 to jump from 153rd to 14th on the money list with $124,808.
Parel won for the first time in 171 starts on the tour. He eagled the par-4 14th for the second straight day and had six birdies and a bogey.
Kirk Triplett is the oldest Web.com Tour champion, winning the 2011 News Sentinel Open at 49.
Alex Aragon was second after a 65.
NAJETI HOTELS OPEN
SAINT-OMER, France (AP) _ Ireland's Simon Thornton won the beat South Africa's Tjaart Van der Walt with a par on the first hole of a playoff in the Najeti Hotels Open for his first European Tour title.
Thornton and Van der Walt each shot 1-under 70 to finish at 5-under 279.
England's Seve Benson closed with a 70 to finish a stroke back.
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