Dustin Johnson proud despite Chambers Bay horror ending

It was perhaps the most agonising three-putt in majors history but Dustin Johnson insisted he was proud of his efforts after another last-day heartbreak.

Denied a major title by his own fallibility, and not for the first time, Johnson took solace in his family, having handed the US Open on a plate to Jordan Spieth on Sunday night.

The American trudged off the 18th green to be greeted by his partner Paulina Gretzky and their six-month old son Tatum, whom he hugged as he came off the 18th green. The 30-year-old also sought out his prospective father in law, ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, “The Great One” who knows about a thing or about the thin line between success and failure.

Dustin Johnson's missed putt was absolutely heartbreaking. http://t.co/mHcHa6LjnN https://t.co/hTKp1PZGPS

— SB Nation (@SBNation) June 22, 2015

“At the end of the day, golf is golf. I’ve got my family and that’s most important to me,” Johnson said. “My trophy at the end of the day is holding up my little man.

“I couldn’t be more proud of myself and my family. No matter what, I’m going to keep my head high and I’m going to be happy.” Johnson, who has had a win at the WGC-Cadillac and five other top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour since returning from a six-month leave of absence taken to resolve personal problems, had been on the brink of his first major championship victory at Chambers Bay on Sunday night.

The last man out on the course in the final group alongside the fading Jason Day, he had the ability to overtake the already finished Spieth, watching nervously in the scorers’ office and privately hoping he would at least get into a play-off after Johnson played two wonderful shots at the par-five 18th to leave himself an eagle putt from inside 13 feet for victory.

A two-putt birdie would at least get the Masters champion an 18-hole Monday play-off but instead, Johnson added a third major disappointment to his collection.

At Pebble Beach in 2010 he had held the 54-hole US Open lead by three strokes, only to press the panic button almost immediately on the final day, his advantage gone after just the opening two holes, with Graeme McDowell ultimately the beneficiary.

And two months later at Whistling Straits, a grounded club in a bunker Johnson had wrongly assumed was a waste area denied him the chance of a play-off spot for the PGA Championship, which Martin Kaymer won.

At Chambers Bay, Johnson’s inability to seal the deal with his putter left him with a closing level-par 70 and share of second with the fast-finishing Louis Oosthuizen on four under par, a shot behind the new champion.

“Disappointed. I played really well,” Johnson said afterwards. “I didn’t make any putts today, I really didn’t. I had all the chances in the world.

“I’m really proud of the way I hit ball. Proud of the way I handled myself all day. I gave myself chances all day long. If I rolled the putter halfway decent today, which I did roll it well, just any putts go in the hole, I win this thing by a few shots, it’s not even close.

“It’s just how it goes. I thought I played really well. I did everything that I could. I tried my damndest to get in the hole, I just couldn’t do it.

“Other than that, I had a damn good week. I’m happy with the way I played. I’m happy with everything in my game right now. I had a chance to win again a major on a Sunday. I thought I handled myself very well. I hit the shots when I needed to. So I know what it takes to get it done, it’s real simple. I need to get in the hole faster.”