PEBBLE BEACH, United States (AFP) - Gary Woodland stretched his lead to two strokes over Justin Rose after two holes of the final round of the US Open Golf Championship at Pebble Beach on Sunday (June 16).
On a day when Pebble Beach remained receptive in cool, cloudy weather, England's Rose rolled in a seven-foot birdie putt at the first to join Woodland atop the leaderboard at 11 under.
But Woodland birdied the second to reach 12-under and Rose bogeyed to fall back to 10-under - where he was soon joined by two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka when the American made his third birdie of the day at the fourth.
South African Louis Oosthuizen was nine-under after birdies at the first and fourth.
The fireworks among the final-round leaders were no surprise.
Marcus Kinhult, ranked 122nd in the world, and 2012 US Open champion Webb Simpson both fired five-under par 66s among the early starters.
"It's a perfect hard test," said US veteran Phil Mickelson, who couldn't capitalize and finished his latest bid to complete a career grand slam with a US Open win at four-over.
"When you struggle a little bit or if you pull shots like I did it's very penalising. And the guys that are playing well it gives them a chance to separate and make some birdies."
Tiger Woods, who won the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach with a 12-under par total, couldn't take advantage either.
After he rallied from four bogeys in his first six holes, he was even for the tournament through 14.