SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — Keith Mitchell's U.S. Open started with a wild ride and ended with historic consistency.
And with a spot in next year's Masters.
Mitchell shot his fourth straight 70 on Sunday, becoming the first player in U.S. Open history to have four rounds of even par. He tied for fourth to secure an invitation to next year's first major.
Quite a reward for a player who wasn't sure he'd even see the weekend at this tournament after a brutal
beginning.
Just one round of even par to start things seemed impossible when Mitchell stumbled to a 6-over 41 in his opening nine holes. He then put up a 29 on his second, becoming the first player in a U.S. Open to post a score in the 40s on nine holes, and follow that with a score in the 20s on the next nine.
“I might have not won, but I felt like I achieved a lot more than potentially I thought I was going to after about two hours into the round,” Mitchell said. “You can always look at winning a tournament, but I think I won the week after the start.”
He spent the entire final round at even — where else? — or 1 under. Mitchell made birdie at the par-5 fifth hole to get to red numbers, and stayed there until going long over the 10th green and failing to make a short putt to save par.
He quickly recovered with a birdie at the par-3 11th, and stayed at 1 under until three-putting the 17th for bogey.
Some golfers would gladly sign up for a total of 280 if it was offered before a U.S. Open, especially at Shinnecock Hills, where only three players had finished under par in the four times it had hosted since 1986.
It wasn't good enough to win this time, but it was good enough to tie for fourth when Scottie Scheffler failed to birdie his 18th hole. If Scheffler had, he would have created a tie for third with Tom Kim and knocked Mitchell and J.T. Poston into a tie for fifth.
After earning his way to Shinnecock by advancing from a 36-hole qualifier in Georgia, the 34-year-old Mitchell went on to his best finish in a major — and in any PGA Tour start this season.
Mitchell, who is No. 100 in the world golf ranking, said he is used to not knowing from week to week where and when he will be playing next. But now he knows he will be playing the Masters and U.S. Open next year.
“My best finish in a major by far, might be the best finish of the year, actually, and it’s at this kind of place,” Mitchell said. “I’ve never necessarily believed that I was — I don’t know if it’s good enough, but was able to accomplish something this big, and for me right now, a T-4 is a win in my book.”
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