Michael Collins' Round 4 U.S. Open grades
— -- It's time for finals. How much studying did you do? Are you confident, or were you up all night cramming? Sunday is supposed to be the toughest day of all at our national championship, but it seemed the USGA decided to set up the course so that guys would have a chance to shoot a good score. That didn't keep the USGA from getting verbally tattooed by some golfers, and it won't keep me from being fair and honest about the grades I hand out. Here are the final grades for the 2015 U.S. Open.
Rory McIlroy
Grade: C+
World Ranking: No. 1
Score: 72-72-70-66 (-4)
McIlroy made a valiant run on the final day, similar to a pitcher taking a perfect game into the seventh inning. But history doesn't remember kind of good. Just like the last major, having a good last day and trying to back-door your way into a top 10 isn't going to get it done. He struggled with the putter all week, and I expect him to have those kinks worked out by the next major, or I may be grading the No. 2 golfer in the world.
Jordan Spieth
Grade: A+
World Ranking: No. 2
Score: 68-67-71-69 (-5)
You know that guy you've all been asking about? The guy who's going to save the PGA Tour since Tiger is crashing and burning? Well, he's here in front of all of you, and he just won his second straight major. Spieth is halfway to golf's Grand Slam, and he's not a massive driver, he's not the greatest iron player, and he's better at putts outside of 20 feet than he is inside of 12. You know what else he is? Everything we've hoped for.
Jim Furyk
Grade: C
World Ranking: No. 3
Score: 71-73-73-70 (+7)
For all intents and purposes, Furyk shouldn't have even made the cut. But that is what makes him one of the greatest grinders of his generation. He saved his best for last, shooting an even-par 70 on the last day, that included starting with three bogeys in the first seven holes. I reserve the right to grade him according to what I deem fair conditions toward the golf game he plays and the course he's on. In that sense, he played admirably and should be happy with the grade.
Bubba Watson
Grade: C-
World Ranking: No. 4
Score: 70-77 (+7)
At the beginning of the week, Watson tried to show a fun face, using Periscope and having fun during practice. The fun almost made it to the first hole. He started with a double-bogey, and by the time he got to No. 7 and made his first birdie, the old Bubba came out. Show me more at St. Andrews next month.
Justin Rose
Grade: D
World Ranking: No. 5
Score: 72-70-72-72 (+5)
He couldn't figure it out just once? The greens confused Rose for four straight days. Rose has a U.S. Open title, and it wasn't from that long ago, so not being able to get one round under par is more than disappointing. It's unacceptable. He was one of the favorites coming into this week. He missed only 10 fairways all week and hit 74 percent of the greens. While I understand how bad the putting surfaces were, I will not allow Rose to use that an excuse for someone ranked as high as him. I know he expects more from himself, so I should, too.
Henrik Stenson
Grade: D+
World Ranking: No. 6
Score: 65-74-72-74 (+5)
It's called the crash and burn. He earned the plus for a brilliant Round 1. The rest of the grade was well-earned. By the end of the championship, I felt like Stenson needed to be wrapped in bandages similar to what his caddie had on his broken left arm. He had more birdies in the first round than the last three rounds combined. For a guy who was ranked No. 2 in the world earlier this year, this week does not meet the standards.
Dustin Johnson
Grade: A-
World Ranking: No. 7
Score: 65-71-70-70 (-4)
The best thing that happened to Johnson happened as soon as he walked off the green at the 18th after three-putting to lose the U.S. Open: He saw his baby son. A father smiled at his son on Father's Day. In that moment, the sting of this loss won't ruin his career. Remember Phil Mickelson losing to Payne Stewart? As for the golf he played, he put himself in position to win, and that's all you can ask for. For a big-hitter like Johnson to hit 80 percent of his fairways should scare the heck out of everyone for the rest of the year. And St. Andrews is next.
Sergio Garcia
Grade: B-
World Ranking: No. 8
Score: 70-75-70-68 (+3)
Everyone has one bad round during a major. The difference between the guys who win is their bad rounds are 71s not 75s like Garcia's second round. I give him this overall grade because he came out on Twitter and told the truth about the greens after shooting even par, then went out the final round and shot 68. Garcia still has plenty of room for improvement going to St. Andrews, but I like the way he's trending.
Rickie Fowler
Grade: F
World Ranking: No. 9
Score: 81-73 (+14)
Fowler may be the only player on tour right now who's still intimidated to play with Tiger Woods. This is the second time he has been paired with Woods and shot in the 80s. That is not OK by today's standards of players under 30 years old. As the guy many were touting as a favorite to win this championship, maybe the trip over to Ireland as a favor to McIlroy wasn't the right move. Next time do yourself a favor, stay home and be rested and ready.
Jason Day
Grade: A
World Ranking: No. 10
Score: 68-70-68-74 (+4)
Everything changed on Friday. It was too much to ask of Day to play two straight days when he knew at any moment he could collapse on the course and be forced to withdraw because of his vertigo symptoms. He started Sunday tied for the lead, but it was too much to ask, so I don't care what he shot on Sunday. All that matters is that on Father's Day, his son Dash will tell other kids just how tough his daddy (a golfer) really is.
Steve Williams
Grade: A
World Ranking: N/A
Score: N/A
If you're mad that I'd put a caddie in my grades, remember they're my grades. I give this grade as proof that who you have on the bag matters to the guys at the highest level. Going into the final round at 3 over, I'm sure Williams was in Adam Scott's ear from before they teed off, saying all the right things throughout the day. Scott is a better golfer with this man on the bag, period.
Cameron Smith
Grade: A+
World Ranking: 167
Score: 67-72-69-68 (-3)
In his first U.S. Open, the 21-year-old Australian was the only player in the field to shoot all four rounds at par or better. He finished off the final round with flair, coming within inches of an albatross. He tapped in an eagle for a share of fourth place with Scott and Branden Grace. Smith just turned professional in 2013 and this week should give him a huge jump in the learning curve of confidence towards future success.
Chambers Bay golf course
Grade: D
World Ranking: N/A
Score: N/A
As I understand it, Chambers Bay is a lot of fun to play, but at the U.S. Open, the greens were a clear issue. One caddie who works here told me that the greens are always bumpy. But as a one-time experiment, I won't write a failing grade because players did say it was an OK course overall. The fan experience should have been better. And when someone like Ian Poulter takes to Instagram to apologize to the fans, that's a miscue this sport can't afford to make again.
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