OAKMONT, Pa. – Controversy and heartbreak have been Dustin Johnson’s constant companions at the end of so many major championships over the last half dozen years that it was hard to believe what actually happened to him as the sun was setting over the 116th U.S. Open Sunday evening.
This time, Johnson didn’t lose. No, this time, with uncertainty swirling around him, Johnson stormed to such a resounding victory at Oakmont Country Club that even U.S. Golf Association officials who ended up adding a stroke to his scorecard based on an arcane rules violation hours earlier had no impact on the totality of his victory.
Johnson, 31, not only won his first major title, he saved the USGA from what might have been the organization’s most embarrassing moment in memory, if not history – causing Johnson to lose his national championship not on the golf course, but in a small room tucked away in the clubhouse.
As it turned out, Johnson finished with a stunning 190-yard approach shot leading to a three-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, initially giving him not a precarious…
