1999 - STEWART EARNS DRAMATIC WIN

By Mark Garrod, Press Association Golf Reporter at Pinehurst

A dramatic 18-foot birdie putt gave 42-year-old Payne Stewart his second US Open title at Pinehurst.

Labelled a choker after throwing away a four-stroke lead on the final day last year, Stewart gave the best possible response in a pulsating climax with Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

Two ahead again with 12 to play, 1991 champion Stewart found himself one behind with three to go as Mickelson, due to become a father for the first time any day now, looked set to celebrate Father's Day with his first major title.

But in another demonstration of knickerbocker glory, Stewart, known for his plus-four trousers, refused to give in.

He sank a 20-foot par putt on the 489-yard par four 16th and when Mickelson missed from seven they were level again.

He hit his tee shot to four feet at the 191-yard 17th and after Mickelson, replying brilliantly to six feet, missed again Stewart stepped up to his birdie putt and made that too.

Now one ahead, he drove into the right-hand rough at the last and could not make the green.

He then left his pitch 18 feet short and after Mickelson had failed with a 25-foot birdie attempt Stewart saw his putt to win die into the hole almost on its last roll.

With that he let out a huge yell, punched the air and hugged his caddie. There will be no ``choker'' accusations again.

Stewart won with a final level par round of 70 for a one under aggregate of 279.

Mickelson was second on 280, having also shot 70, and Woods, who missed a four-foot putt on the 17th just as he was poised to go into a share of the lead for the first time all week, had to settle for a share of third with Fiji's US PGA champion Vijay Singh.

Ulsterman Darren Clarke finished as top European, joint 10th on eight over after a closing 71.

Eight behind at the start of the day, Clarke four-putted the second for a double bogey six, but could take a lot of comfort from how he battled back from that - and indeed how he struck the ball over the entire week.

``You don't like to say that you're happy with 10th because that's not why I am playing,'' he said. ``But thinking back to how my game was eight weeks ago (simply dreadful) I'm pleased.

``My game improved as the week went on and I now feel I can win one of these. I'm looking forward to the Open next month.''

So is Colin Montgomerie, the course record holder at Carnoustie.

His joint 15th place after a closing 72 was not his objective last Thursday either, but Europe's number one, twice a runner-up in this event, never felt the course, lacking rough, suited him as much as previous US Open venues.

He conceded defeat after a Saturday 74 left him nine adrift and went 31 holes without a birdie before finishing with two in the last eight.

``It wasn't to be here, but I'm very positive about Carnoustie,'' he said. After five missed cuts in his last seven Opens nobody can say he is not due a good one.

With Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, 10th overnight, and Swede Jesper Parnevik falling away Tony Jacklin, champion in 1970, remains Europe's last winner of the trophy.

Welshman Phil Price had no fewer than 11 bogeys in an 81 which sent him tumbling to a final total of 300, 20 over par, in his first major in America.

That was far from the worst aggregate, however. John Daly smacked a moving ball in anger on the eighth, took 11 on the hole and returned an 83 to finish 29 over.

One shot off the lead after his opening 68, the controversial former Open and US PGA champion exited with the words that he might never play the US Open again in protest at the penal setting-up of the courses.

Stewart will never agree with that. Tough, but fair he considered Pinehurst - and virtually everybody else agreed.

``Last year's experience made me tougher,'' he admitted. ``I could never give up. Phil played unbelievable and is going to have his opportunities again - but at my age I could not be sure I was.''

Mickelson commented: ``The outcome was not what I hoped, but Payne's putts on the 16th and 18th showed what a great champion he is.''

Stewart hit only seven greens in regulation all day, yet scrambled magnificently - as did Mickelson until it really mattered.

World number one David Duval looked as if he might come through when he birdied the second and third, but he ended up with his second successive 75 for a share of seventh place.

If Woods had finished second he would have taken back the world number one position, but as at the Open at Birkdale last summer the 23-year-old came up just short.

Collated final totals in the United States Open championship at Pinehurst No 2, North Carolina, (US unless stated, par 70):

(x) denotes amateur

279 P Stewart 68 69 72 70 (£388,319)

280 P Mickelson 67 70 73 70 (£229,885)

281 V Singh (Fiji) 69 70 73 69, T Woods 68 71 72 70 (£124,422 each)

285 S Stricker 70 73 69 73 (£82,755)

286 T Herron 69 72 70 75 (£73,375)

287 H Sutton 69 70 76 72, J Maggert 71 69 74 73, D Duval 67 70 75 75

288 D Clarke (GB) 73 70 74 71, B Mayfair 67 72 74 75

289 P Azinger 72 72 75 70, D Love 70 73 74 72, P Goydos 67 74 74 74

290 C Montgomerie (GB) 72 72 74 72, J Leonard 69 75 73 73

291 D Hart 73 73 76 69, J Furyk 69 73 77 72, J Haas 74 72 73 72, J Parnevik (Swe) 71 71 76 73, S Verplank 72 73 72 74, J Huston 71 69 75 76

292 B Watts 69 73 77 73, N Price (Zimb) 71 74 74 73, T Scherrer 72 72 74 74, DA Weibring 69 74 74 75, MA Jimenez (Spain) 73 70 72 77

293 D Berganio 68 77 76 72, T Lehman 73 74 73 73

294 G Sisk 71 72 76 75, B Estes 70 71 77 76

295 S Cink 72 74 78 71, S Struver (Ger) 70 76 75 74

296 G Hjertstedt (Swe) 75 72 79 70, C Pavin 74 71 78 73, B Fabel 69 75 78 74, C Parry (Aus) 69 73 79 75, S Pate 70 75 75 76, C Franco (Para) 69 77 73 77, E Toledo (Mex) 70 72 76 78, R Mediate 69 72 76 79

297 S Allan (Aus) 71 74 77 75, L Mattiace 72 75 75 75, C Perry 72 74 75 76, G Hallberg 74 72 75 76

298 L Janzen 74 73 76 75, D Lebeck 74 70 78 76, R Allenby (Aus) 74 72 76 76, J Carter 73 70 78 77, B Chamblee 73 74 74 77

299 S Elkington (Aus) 71 72 79 77, C Tidland 71 75 75 78

300 G Kraft 70 73 82 75, J Tyska 72 74 75 79, S McRoy 70 74 76 80, P Price (GB) 71 73 75 81

301 J Kelly 73 74 79 75, T Watson 75 70 77 79, K Yokoo (Jap) 68 74 78 81

302 T Kite 74 72 80 76, J Cook 74 73 77 78

303 B Tway 69 77 79 78, C Smith 69 77 77 80

304 L Mize 69 75 84 76

306 (x) H Kuehne 72 75 81 78

308 B Burns 71 76 84 77, T Tryba 72 75 82 79

309 J Daly 68 77 81 83