AKRON, Ohio – Jason Day pulled out of the Olympics on Tuesday because of the Zika virus, costing golf its No. 1 player as it returns from a century-long absence at the games.

The sport has lost two of its biggest stars in the last week, adding to the perception that the Olympics are not a high priority. Rory McIlroy, a four-time major champion, also said Zika will keep from competing in Rio de Janeiro.

“The sole reason for my decision is my concerns about the possible transmission of the Zika virus and the potential risks that it may present to my wife’s future pregnancies and to future members of our family,” Day said in a statement. “I have always placed my family in front of everything else in my life.”

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— Jason Day (@JDayGolf) June 28, 2016

Day and his wife, Ellie, had their second child in November, and he has said they want more children.

The 28-year-old Australian is the fifth golfer and one of the most prominent athletes to specifically cite Zika for not going to Rio. The others are McIlroy, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and Marc Leishman, whose wife’s immune system has not fully recovered after she nearly died last year of toxic shock syndrome.

American cyclist Tejay van Garderen is among a handful of athletes outside of golf who also cited Zika as the reason behind not going to Rio. Basketball star Stephen Curry didn’t specifically cite Zika but noted that “other factors” played a role in his decision to skip the games.

Brazil has been the hardest hit of the approximately 60 countries that have reported an outbreak of Zika, the mosquito-borne virus linked to severe birth defects and possible neurological problems in adults.

Day first expressed concern a month ago at the Memorial and said he had been consulting doctors so he could make a smart choice.

“Medical experts have confirmed that while perhaps slight, a decision to compete in Rio absolutely comes with health risks to me and to my family,” Day said. “While it has always been a major goal to compete in the Olympics on behalf of my country, playing golf cannot take precedent over the safety of our family. I will not place them at risk. … I hope all golf and Olympics fans respect and understand my position.”

Australia has three players in the top 50 in the world, and all of them have withdrawn – Day, Adam Scott (No. 8) and Leishman (No. 39). Next in line would be Scott Hend (No. 75) and Marcus Fraser (No. 81).

Day had been among the strongest proponents of competing in the Olympics, as had McIlroy and other young stars. But as the July 11 deadline nears for qualifying for Rio, some top golfers have been wavering.

Among the stars who plan to play or have not decided are Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, along with Canadians Graham DeLaet, David Hearn, Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp.

The sport has not been part of the Games since 1904 in St. Louis, where Canada’s George S. Lyon captured gold.

BETHESDA, Md. – Billy Hurley III held the club in his left hand and fist pumped with his right. Not far from his Annapolis home and the Naval Academy he graduated from 12 years ago, he became a champion.

Hurley shot a 2-under 69 on Sunday to win his hometown Quicken Loans National at Congressional for his first PGA Tour victory. He finished at 17 under in Tiger Woods’ annual tournament, three strokes ahead of three-time major champion Vijay Singh.

“Billy played well,” Singh said. “He’s been playing well all week. You can see he’s under control and it’s nice to see him play well and not lose it actually at the end of the tournament.”

Hurley didn’t lose it. He only got better as it went along.

To beat Singh, Ernie Els and 21-year-old Jon Rahm, Hurley showed the poise he developed at the Naval Academy and during his five years of service. Mental toughness and focus he said help with adversity on the course, and that showed through in his 104th PGA Tour start.

With the 53-year-old Singh closing on him, Hurley was at his best. He holed out from 35 yards on the fairway for birdie on the 15th, a shot worthy of celebration and one Woods himself called “impressive, really impressive.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Hurley made a 27-foot putt on the 16th to seal the tournament and wrap up the $1,242,000 first-place prize and a spot in the British Open. He had never finished higher than a tie for fourth in a PGA Tour event.

Hurley celebrated on the 18th green with wife Heather, daughter Madison and sons Will and Jacob. His children held miniature American flags as they watched their father reach a high point in his career.

“I couldn’t think of a better tournament for my first PGA Tour win,” Hurley said. “I’m just thrilled to have gotten it done today.”

Singh closed with a 65. Rahm, the former Arizona State star from Spain, wrapped up his professional debut with a 70 to tie for third with Bill Haas (68) at 13 under. Els was fifth at 12 under after an eventful 72 that included five bogeys and one double.

David Hearn (69) of Brantford, Ont., and Nick Taylor (70) of Abbotsford, B.C., finished in a tie for 12th at 6-under par.

Hurley also had his father on his mind, 10 months after he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He thought of his dad, a police officer, when he saw officers following his group Saturday.

“It’s been a hard year,” Hurley said Sunday. “It’s been a really hard year, so it’s nice to have something go well.”

Hurley maintained his focus in the final round with Woods watching in his trademark Sunday red and with galleries full of fans supporting the local boy who grew up in Leesburg, Virginia, and proudly sports Navy colours including a club head cover of the academy’s goat mascot.

All week, Hurley heard chants of “Maryland” and “21412,” the zip code for the Naval Academy. The honorary starters on the first hole Sunday were Naval officers Georges Labaki and Matthew Cook, who both had met and talked to Hurley about golf and service.

“He served, for one,” Labaki said. “He did his time and he’s also representing the Navy. I’ve had a talk with him, personally, also, a few years ago. He said it’s been an honour to serve, but he wanted to follow his passion, golf.”

BETHESDA, Md. – Naval Academy graduate Billy Hurley III shot a 4-under 67 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead over Ernie Els into the final round of the Quicken Loans National.

Hurley had four birdies in the bogey-free round at Congressional to reach 15 under.

Els holed out for eagle on the par4 12th with the shot of the week and finished with a 65.

Jon Rahm, who held the lead after one round and shared it with Hurley after two, struggled. Playing his first event as a professional, the 21-year-old former Arizona State star from Spain had four bogeys in a 70 that left him three strokes behind Hurley.

Hurley, who grew up in Leesburg, Virginia, has been able to take advantage of favourable conditions at Congressional this week for Tiger Woods’ annual tournament.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is tied for 14th after a 69 and is 5 under. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., is 4 under after shooting a 72.

BETHESDA, Md. – The PGA Tour announced Saturday that the Greenbrier Classic scheduled for next month has been cancelled because of the devastating flooding in West Virginia.

The tournament had been scheduled for July 7-10 at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, which was inundated with floodwaters after heavy storms rolled into the state Thursday. Tour officials say the Old White TPC, the host course, suffered extensive damage and “is beyond reasonable repair to conduct the tournament.”

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said officials were heartbroken by the devastation in West Virginia and offered their thoughts and prayers.

“Cancelling the Greenbrier Classic is certainly the most prudent course of action as our foremost concern is the well-being of those who are having to live through this tragic situation,” Finchem said.

Greenbrier County claimed 15 of the 23 deaths attributed to the flooding.

This is the first time a PGA Tour event has been washed out since the Viking Classic in Madison, Mississippi, in 2009. Unplayable conditions also led to the cancellation of the 1996 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

More than 150 players had committed to playing the Greenbrier, which was set to follow the World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational. The PGA Tour is at Congressional this weekend for Tiger Woods’ Quicken Loans National.

The Greenbrier was supposed to be the final chance to qualify for the British Open at Royal Troon on July 14-17, with one spot available to the highest finisher who was not already eligible. Andy Pazder, the tour’s chief of operations, said the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, which runs the British Open, was deciding what to do with that spot.

One possibility is to award it to the Barracuda Championship, to be played next week opposite the WGC-Bridgestone.

At the Greenbrier, owner Jim Justice said the focus is on helping the people of West Virginia.

“So many have lost loved ones, their homes, and have no place to go,” Justice said. “All of us are united with only one common goal: to help the people through this terrible time.”

The Greenbrier Classic began in 2010. The PGA Tour is committed to holding the event through 2021.

“We know we will have the opportunity to return again next year, and we look forward to that time,” Finchem said. “But for now, that is of secondary concern. The priority is safety of the residents and their recovery from this disaster.”

BETHESDA, Md. – Jon Rahm was surprised about the level of fan support he has received at the Quicken Loans National, far away from his native Spain and where he went to school at Arizona State.

It helped that Rahm was playing with local guy Bobby Hurley III and helped even more that the two players went shot-for-shot Friday to share the lead. Rahm and Hurley were tied at 11 under, three strokes ahead of Vijay Singh going into the weekend at Congressional.

Rahm, who’s playing his first event as a professional, said he couldn’t be happier by following a great first round with a second-round 67.

“I’m just lucky to be here today,” said Rahm, who led Thursday after a 64. “If you tell me 10 years ago when I was 11 years old that I would be leading a PGA Tour event when I was 21, I wouldn’t believe you.”

Rahm would’ve had sole possession of the lead had he not missed a 10-foot par putt on the 18th hole. As a result, he was tied with Hurley, a Naval Academy graduate who lives in nearby Annapolis and grew up in Leesburg, Virginia.

Hearing chants of the Annapolis zip code and more from the galleries, Hurley shot a 6-under 65.

“I just hit a lot of good shots,” Hurley said. “I was just able to keep the pedal down and continue to attack the golf course, which is not something you usually do around Congressional. But being soft I was able to take advantage of the conditions and get the ball a little closer to the hole than you’re used to.”

Before Rahm and Hurley even got onto the Blue Course on Friday, Singh put on a show to rival what Ernie Els did Thursday. Singh turned in a 66 that was most memorable for his shot from the edge of the water on No. 18.

The 53-year-old Singh hasn’t won on the PGA Tour since 2008. He would be the oldest PGA Tour winner if he captures the Quicken Loans National, but said he wasn’t thinking about making that kind of history.

“It would be good to win,” the three-time major champion said. “But it’s only halfway, so I’ll be focused on my game tomorrow and see what happens.”

Singh looked to be in trouble on the 18th when he hit into the rough under a tree and then landed his approach shot just inches from the water. He rolled up his pants and waded in to hit the shot that dropped him to 8 under at Tiger Woods’ annual tournament.

“I was unfortunate that it went that far in and fortunate that it stayed out,” Singh said. “I kept sinking when I got in the water. I started out with just my foot in the water and then it started getting up to my ankles. The more I moved the deeper I went, so I kind of had to play a very safe shot. I got away with a bogey.”

Els bogeyed holes Nos. 1 and 18 but played well enough in between to finish with a 69 to get to 7 under along with Webb Simpson (68), Bill Haas (69) and Harold Varner III (69). The 46-year-old Els said he has to be happy with where he’s at and hopes he and Singh can play well Saturday to set up a vintage showdown.

“I’m not quite as old as Vijay, but I’m getting there,” Els said. “He’s obviously a legend of the game and done so much for the Tour and a great champion. I know he’s been working hard on his game and he’s been quietly optimistic. Same with me. I’d love to maybe see if we can really go low tomorrow and see him on tomorrow.”

Sixth-ranked Rickie Fowler had just one bogey in his second round, shooting 68 to get to 6 under. Fowler ended his streak of missed cuts at three.

“I was able to just kind of stay patient and give myself a lot of looks at birdie, which is always good,” Fowler said. “Nice to have a tee time on the weekend.”

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., carded a 4-under 67 to hold a share of 11th, and Abbotsford, B.C., native Nick Taylor is tied for 25th at 3-under.

BETHESDA, Md. – Jon Rahm couldn’t remember a single shot he took in a professional debut to remember. Ernie Els recalled shots he hit on the same course 19 years ago.

Rahm shot a 7-under 64 on Thursday at Congressional to take the first-round lead in the Quicken Loans National, Tiger Woods’ annual tournament that started two hours late because of rain.

The soft course, with a fox lounging on the edge of a bunker and darting around with little care for the golf going on around him, allowed players to attack fairways and play aggressively. Rahm took advantage of that with seven birdies in a bogey-free round.

“I was anticipating this moment,” the 21-year-old Spaniard said. “I’m working on it a long time that I kind of blacked out a little bit. I don’t remember a single swing I made all day or any putting stroke or anything. I just remember the ball flying or rolling.”

The former Arizona State star was the only amateur to make the cut last week in the U.S. Open, tying for 23rd at Oakmont. With momentum from the U.S. Open, Rahm tried to temper his expectations and relied on advice from golf great Jack Nicklaus.

“What he told me is to just never do more than what I can do,” said Rahm, who cited not looking at social media as another key to his success. “Try not to risk too much. And that’s certainly something I did today.”

The long-hitting Rahm had a one-stroke lead over Jhonattan Vegas and a two-stroke advantage over a pack that included Els, who won the 1997 U.S. Open at Congressional. Rickie Fowler and Vijay Singh were among those at 68.

Els, who turned pro five years before Rahm was born, chose to play the Quicken Loans immediately after missing the cut at the U.S. Open because of how much he likes the course. He has the same caddie, Ricci Roberts, who was on his bag back in 1997, and Thursday was full of useful memories.

“Winning a major at a special place like Congressional, playing here again, you just keep thinking back on shots,” Els said. “Almost every single hole there’s a moment back in ’97 where we can remember still.”

The 46-year-old Els is almost four years from his last victory, when he won the 2012 British Open. But he started feeling more like himself during the pro-am Wednesday and showed it by shooting a 66.

“I felt comfortable with my swing this week,” Els said. “I’ve had a very tough year. I haven’t played very well, so I need to start playing well.”

Rahm, on the other hand, has been gradually improving. He opened eyes by tying for fifth at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February 2015 and turned pro as the top-ranked amateur.

Now his challenge is to keep expectations low while leading a tournament. Rahm’s plan was to go see a movie and get away from golf rather than focus on it.

“It is a challenge,” Rahm said. “I’ve been playing a lot of golf lately and maybe trying to get time off golf is just as important as time practicing, so maybe just resting my mind a little bit would be the best way to do it.”

Bill Haas, Jamie Lovemark, Kyle Reifers, Camilo Villegas, Harold Varner III, Billy Hurley IIIand Wesley Bryan were at 66 along with Els.

The 7,569-yard course, which last hosted the U.S. Open in 2011 when Rory McIlroy won it by eight strokes, could play even longer once it dries out by the weekend. After rain that started before dawn, players said the fairways weren’t bouncing, so clean shots could get the job done.

“On this course you had better drive it well in the fairway and it’s a bonus if you can drive it long and straight,” Vegas said. “Put it in the fairway and greens being a little softer than normal, you can play a good round today.”

Abbotsford, B.C., products Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor opened with matching 2-under 69 showings and hold shares of 35th. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., sits T55 at 1-under.

BETHESDA, Md. – Tiger Woods can play soccer with kids and ride a bike but hasn’t progressed far enough in his rehab to set a timeline on when he’ll return to professional golf.

Woods, who hasn’t played on the PGA Tour in 10 months after two back surgeries last year, isn’t yet able to play 36 holes a day and practice how he’d like. Before getting back, he said he’d have to play several days to show his body can handle the workload.

“I need to get to where I can play 18 holes out here and go to the range for an hour and work on my game,” Woods said Wednesday on the eve of the first round of his Quicken Loans National tournament. “That’s what I used to do, that’s one of the reasons why I think I’ve had some success – I was able to work on it during the week. Just not quite there yet.”

The 40-year-old is battling soreness day-to-day when he practices and said he needs to get into golf shape some more. He hasn’t had any setbacks and hasn’t lost distance on his drives, but the strain of playing on consecutive days is still a struggle.

Woods said he has pushed through injury rehabs before and vowed not to do it again. He missed nine months in 2008 and 2009 after surgery to repair the ACL in his left knee.

“Trying to do it correctly this time,” he said. “I’m just playing it week-to-week and I keep getting better, I keep getting physically better. I just hope that everything clicks in and I can do it sooner rather than later.”

Woods hasn’t played since the Wyndham Championship in August. The 14-time major winner said it’s especially tough to miss his own tournament, which he has hosted since 2007.

“I want to be out there,” Woods said. “I feel like I should be able to compete against these guys. I miss playing against these guys. I have to sit on the sidelines just like everybody else. I might get an inside-the-ropes pass, though.”

The Quicken Loans National following the U.S. Open hurt the quality of the field that will tee off Thursday at Congressional Country Club. But Woods appreciates that Jim Furyk, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh are among those taking part, along with sixth-ranked Rickie Fowler.

“These guys could be resting and get ready for next week but they’re here playing,” Woods said. “It’s neat to see these guys are veterans and they’ve gone through countless wars with us, they’ve been around for a long time and for them to come out here and play.”

Watching the U.S. Open on Sunday, Woods criticized the USGA for how it handled a rules situation with eventual champion Dustin Johnson. Officials told Johnson at the 12th hole they’d decide after his final round whether to penalize him for his actions on the fifth green, and he had to play the final seven holes not knowing what his score was or how far ahead he was of the rest of the field.

“It was awful because no one knew what was going on,” Woods said. “It wasn’t fair to Dustin, it wasn’t fair to the other players who had a chance. It just wasn’t fair to anyone.”

Asked how he would’ve handled that situation, the three-time U.S. Open champion said: “I’m a little bit feistier than Dustin, so I think I would’ve probably said a few more things during the round.”

Woods would like to get back into competition and won’t rule out playing in any future event. That doesn’t mean he’ll be ready for the British Open next month, only that he’ll continue doing his “mundane” exercises and building up strength.

“I’m just playing it week to week and I keep getting better,” Woods said. “I keep getting physically better. I just hope that everything clicks in and I can do it sooner rather than later.”

LATROBE, Pa. – Arnold Palmer didn’t make a live television appearance at Bay Hill. For the first time, he didn’t hit the ceremonial first tee shot at the Masters. He struggles with mobility, which kept him from attending the U.S. Open.

Just don’t get the idea Palmer is slowing down entirely.

The day after the U.S. Open, he drove his golf cart up to the back entrance of his office across from Latrobe Country Club. The 86-year-old Palmer had just returned from hitting balls. And he was as frustrated as ever.

“I’m just not making very good contact,” Palmer said. “I’ll get there.”

Palmer, who lost in a playoff at Oakmont in 1962 and played in his final U.S. Open there in 1994, watched the final round and like everyone else, questioned the USGA’s handling of a penalty stroke on Dustin Johnson for his ball moving on the fifth green.

Palmer could relate. The conversation shifted to the 1958 Masters, as Palmer recalled a dispute with rules official Arthur Lacey over whether he was entitled to relief from an embedded ball on the fringe behind the 12th green. Told that he wasn’t, Palmer declared he was playing two balls until he could reach the rules chairman. He made double bogey with the embedded ball, par with the second ball that he dropped. On the 15th hole, he was told he was right and would have a par on the 12th.

“I played two holes” without knowing what he would he make on the hole, he said.

He was sharp. He was funny. And he is busy.

One of his projects is book being published by St. Martin’s Press called, “A Life Well Played: My Stories.” The book allows him to share new stories and provide more insight into old stories. In a release announcing the book, Palmer writes, “Though I have written a number of books in the past, this one was particularly important to me because I delved into the process, I realized just how much I still wanted to say to my friends in golf and to fans of the game in general.”

The book is to be published at the end of October.

More evidence of how Palmer occupies his time was behind his desk. On a table was a stack of items nearly a foot high – photos, pin flags, books – from people around the world wanting to get them signed. His press secretary, Doc Giffin, said Palmer takes time every day to sign them. How long does he spend? Thirty minutes? An hour?

“Oh no,” Giffin said. “Sometimes, depending on how he’s feeling, he’ll do it for two or three hours.”

The British Open returns next month to Royal Troon, where Palmer won his second claret jug with a six-shot victory in 1962. When told he would be thought of during that week, Palmer came to life.

“I might be there,” he said. “I’m thinking about playing.”

There was a pause. There was a wink. There was a smile.

“Or maybe I’m just being ornery,” he said.

HAMILTON – The third and final RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifying event saw a field of 144 players combat heat and humidity at King’s Forest Golf Course in hopes of gaining entry into Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship. Branson Ferrier finished 4-under 68 to claim medallist honours and earn an exemption into the 107^th playing of the RBC Canadian Open to be contested at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 18-24.

Ferrier, who began the day on the 10^th hole, opened with a 1-under 35 across the back nine. The Barrie, Ont., product finished his round with four birdies across his final six holes to secure the victory amidst rising temperatures and gathering winds.

“It was quite difficult out there,” said the 22-year-old. “I was off at 8:30 a.m., so I definitely give a lot of credit to being on the right end of the draw with the weather we had this afternoon. Even this morning towards the end of my round, the winds were picking up and it was very hot and sticky. There were a lot of crosswinds, so it was very difficult to judge.

“I had it going right out of the gate. I was making birdies and I knew that they were out there, so I just had to clean up a few things around the greens. I knew that there were two par-5s coming in my last six; my goal was just to get those two and play steady coming in.”

The former Alabama State University Hornet had trouble finding the right words when looking ahead to playing at the 2016 RBC Canadian Open. “I’ve only been playing professional golf for a few weeks. This is my fourth event as a professional, so this comes as a bit of a shock to me. I had been playing well at school and my game just kind of carried over. I’ve been to the Open at Glen Abbey a few times, and I’m beyond excited to be on the other side of the ropes this time.”

Matthew Scobie of Ajax, Ont., was the only other player to card a round under-par. The 21-year-old collected four birdies en route to a 1-under 71 showing. Peter Campbell of Windermere, Fla., Donnie Trosper from Canton, Mich., as well as, Ontarians Brian Hadley (Sarnia) and Will Mitchell (Bowmanville) finished with shares of third-place at even-par.

A total of 25 competitors, excluding the low medallist, shot 4-over 76 or better to advance to the Final Qualifier in which a minimum of four players will gain entry into the 2016 RBC Canadian Open.

The two-stage qualifying procedure for Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship is comprised of a trio of regional qualifying events held in British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario, followed by the final qualifying competition on July 18.

The previous two qualifying events at Victoria’s Bear Mountain Resort and Club de golf La Vallée du Richelieu in Sainte-Julie, Que., awarded 14 players with spots into the Final Qualifier.

Additional information and full results from the RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier in Ontario can be found here.

OAKMONT, Pa. – All the chaos and confusion couldn’t stop Dustin Johnson from proving he had the head to be a U.S. Open champion.

One year after the most devastating of all his close calls in the major, Johnson endured two hours of not knowing the size of his lead while the USGA questioned whether he should be penalized one stroke for his ball moving on the fifth green.

Johnson said it didn’t. The USGA said it would wait until after the final round to decide.

America’s most powerful golfer took matters into his own hands Sunday at Oakmont with a 10-foot par save on the 16th hole, a tee shot he smashed down the middle of the 18th fairway and an approach to 5 feet for birdie that left no doubt who won the toughest test in golf.

Only after he was guaranteed that silver trophy did the USGA assess him a one-shot penalty, turning his final score into a 1-under 69 for a three-shot victory.

The lingering question was whether this U.S. Open was tougher than it needed to be.

Johnson had a short par putt on the fifth hole, took a few practice strokes and as he placed the putter behind the ball, it moved slightly – backward. Johnson stepped back and called over the rules official, told him it didn’t move and he tapped in for par.

The USGA later decided to review it, and the timing was peculiar.

Johnson was in deep rough left of the 10th fairway when he was given relief from a television tower in his line-of-sight to the flag. He was able to move left toward the 11th fairway and drop it in the first cut of rough, and he powered it over the tower and onto the green, setting up a par. It was a huge break – within the rules – the kind that major champions often get.

One hole later, the USGA informed they had questions about the ball moving on No. 5.

“After looking at video, the actions he took could have caused the ball to move,” said Jeff Hall, director of rules and open championships for the USGA. “We asked if there was some other reason the ball could have moved. He didn’t state a reason.”

The USGA wanted him to know that a one-shot penalty was likely so he could play accordingly, but it led to confusion over the back nine – for Johnson and for the players trying to catch him.

Shane Lowry, who began the final round with a four-shot lead that he lost on the front nine, caught him when Johnson made his only bogey on the back nine. Were they tied? Was Johnson one shot behind? No one knew.

Johnson played through it all, thinking only of that silver trophy that got away from him at Chambers Bay last year when he had a 12-foot eagle putt to win and then three-putted for par to lose by one to Jordan Spieth.

Lowry, the first player since Payne Stewart at The Olympic Club in 1998 to lose a four-shot lead in the final round of the U.S. Open, lost his putting touch that had carried him to the lowest 54-hole total at Oakmont. He three-putted from long range on three straight holes, and Johnson was flawless at the end.

Johnson finished at 4-under 276.

He gave three quick fist-pumps when the birdie putt fell on the 18th, hugged his brother, Austin, who caddies for him and scooped up his son Tatum on Father’s Day.

Among the first to greet him was Jack Nicklaus, who won his first major at Oakmont in 1962. The gold medal for the winner is named after Nicklaus.