U.S. Open 2012: Webb Simpson Wins 1st Career Major

U.S. Open Winner Webb Simpson Has A New Best Friend

Numbers Tell The Tale Of Tiger Woods’ 2012 U.S. Open Collapse

Tiger Woods says his turn at last week's U.S. Open resulted in several positive outcomes. The numbers beg to differ.

U.S. Open Golf 2012: Sunday Ratings Up From Last Year

The 2012 U.S. Open ending was quite a bit closer than when Rory McIlroy won the event in 2011. That seems to be the reason the television ratings for the United States' golf major were given a solid boost on Sunday night despite relative no-name Webb Simpson coming out on top.

This year's Open was forced to compete with a compelling Game 3 of the NBA Finals, which likely pulled casual sports fans over to ABC, but the ratings were still up considerably from last year. USA Today's Michael Hiestad rounded up the ratings in his column on Monday morning.

The U.S. Open on NBC Sunday drew a 6.6 overnight. Predictably, that's up from last year's final-round coverage -- by 29% -- when the event's finish wasn't close and, more importantly, it didn't run in East Coast primetime.

But compared to two previous West Coast U.S. Opens that has similar primetime schedules -- in 2008 and 2010 -- NBC's Sunday coverage was down. It was down 22% from 2008 and 4% from 2010.

It's difficult to conclude anything from the fluctuating numbers, but it seems to be a good thing that this many people decided to tune in to watch golf on Sunday evening despite the factors working against the ratings.

For all your news and updates in the run-up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

U.S. Open 2012: Following Tiger Woods, From Good To Bad To The Worst

U.S. Open Golf 2012: Did Slow Play Warnings Affect Furyk, McDowell?

Despite being in the final group at the U.S. Open on Sunday, both Graeme McDowell and Jim Furyk received two slow-play warnings during their round. Could that have played into their respective struggles late on Sunday?

The Olympic Club Won: U.S. Open 2012 Final Thoughts

Final thoughts from San Francisco, where Webb Simpson has the U.S. Open trophy, but the Olympic Club was the real winner.

U.S. Open Prize Money 2012: Webb Simpson Earns Nearly $1.5 Million For Win

Webb Simpson won the 2012 U.S. Open over the weekend -- his first major. But the good news didn't stop there: He was also able to add a hefty chunk to his bank account by way of the prize money pool. Simpson, a 26-year-old golfer out of Wake Forest, took home $1,440,000 for his victory at the Olympic Club.

Winning is huge simply from a prestige standpoint, but when one considers that Michael Thompson and Graeme McDowell each took home a much more modest $695,916 for finishing a second-place tie, the money isn't bad either.

The top 20 finishers each made at least $100,000 for their work this past week -- not a bad take for spending a weekend golfing in San Francisco.

For all your news and updates in the run-up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

World Golf Rankings 2012: Webb Simpson Rises To 5th

With his win in the 2012 U.S. Open, Webb Simpson climbed up the World Golf Rankings, as the 26-year-old is now ranked fifth in the world. The North Carolina native rose nine spots from No. 14 with his win on Sunday.

The top four golfers remained constant, as neither Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood nor Tiger Woods made much headway this weekend, even if Woods was tied for the lead after the second round.

Since he hasn't won a major in the last four years, it's easy to forget that Woods is still one of the most dominant golfers in the world. And in an era where 15 different golfers have won the last 15 major championships, he's still putting himself in a position to contend.

The other big riser this week was second-place finisher Graeme McDowell, who moved from No. 21 to No. 11.

This is Simpson's third career professional victory; his previous best finish at a major was a tie for 16th at the 2011 U.S. Open.

For all your news and updates in the run-up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

Webb Simpson Passes Final Test At The Olympic Club

Webb Simpson managed to conquer The Olympic Club for two rounds, but had to pass one final test before earning the U.S. Open trophy.

Beau Hossler’s Attitude Adjustment Was 'Kiss Of Death,' Says Johnny Miller

Beau Hossler loses low-am honors to Jordan Spieth.

VIDEO: British Bird Man Interrupts U.S. Open Trophy Presentation

2012 US Open Golf Winner: Webb Simpson Wins At Olympic

Webb Simpson, a relatively unknown fifth-year pro from Raleigh, North Carolina, won the 2012 U.S. Open on Sunday.

Simpson shot 2-under on the day, finishing the tournament at 1-over, one stroke ahead of Michael Thompson and Graeme McDowell. He became the 15th different winner in the last 15 major championships, as golf has entered a new age of parity after the decline of Tiger Woods.

Jim Furyk, who many thought would win the event after starting the day tied for the lead, had a frustrating 4-over in the final round, finishing the tournament at 3-over.

It was a tough day for many golfers, as the course at the Olympic Club in San Francisco stiffened up on Sunday.

This is Simpson's third career professional victory; his previous best finish at a major was a tie for 16th at the 2011 U.S. Open.

For all your news and updates in the run-up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

Jim Furyk, Graeme McDowell Head To 72nd Hole Of U.S. Open Needing Birdies

Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell are going to need near miracles to force a playoff at the 2012 U.S. Open. Furyk bogeyed the 16th hole to fall to two-over par, then sunk a difficult par putt at the 17th hole to keep his chances at a title alive. McDowell went to the 17th hole three-over par and made a birdie, giving himself an outside chance to force a playoff on the final hole as well.

The man they're facing is Webb Simpson, who finished his day at one-over for the championship. The 18th hole has only yielded six birdies on Sunday, while Furyk has not birdied yet, so Simpson has to like his chances at avoiding a playoff and winning the title outright.

Fans can follow along with the action at The Olympic Club with the 2012 U.S. Open leaderboard at USOpen.com.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

Webb Simpson Is The 2012 U.S. Open Leader In The Clubhouse

Webb Simpson has pulled off an impressive par on the 72nd hole to go into the clubhouse as the leader of the 2012 U.S. Open at 1-over par. This means that the previous leader in the clubhouse, Michael Thompson, won't be winning the tournament, while the players currently at 3-over have quite a bit of work to do if they want to force a playoff.

Jim Furyk is currently tied with Simpson at 1-over, but he hit a poor tee shot on the 16th hole and has a lot of work to do to save par. Ernie Els and Graeme McDowell are both still on the course at 3-over par, though Els is on the 18th and has little to no chance to equal Simpson's score. It's going to take some spectacular play from Furyk and McDowell to keep Simpson from at least getting to a playoff.

Fans can follow along with the action at The Olympic Club with the 2012 U.S. Open leaderboard at USOpen.com.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

2012 U.S. Open Leaderboard: Jim Furyk Bogeys 13th, Tied With Webb Simpson

Jim Furyk is still in a good position to win the second major of his career, but he's no longer alone in the lead at the U.S. Open. He bogeyed the 13th hole to drop to 1-over par for the tournament. That ties him with Webb Simpson, who is 1-over through 16 holes of play.

Simpson has had an excellent day, shooting 2-under par for his fourth round, which is exceptional considering his terrible start. He was 2-over through his first five holes and answered with a string of three birdies on the 6th through 8th holes, and he added another birdie on the 10th.

Michael Thompson is currently the leader in the clubhouse at 2-over par. Graeme McDowell and Ernie Els are 3-over and still on the course with a chance to catch him, but they might need mistakes from Furyk and Simpson to have a reasonable chance at winning the Open.

Fans can follow along with the action at The Olympic Club with the 2012 U.S. Open leaderboard at USOpen.com.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

Tiger Woods Begins U.S. Open With A Bang, Ends With A Fizzle

A promising first two rounds were overshadowed by dismal weekend rounds for Tiger Woods. And the questions about his game will continue as a result.

U.S. Open Leaderboard 2012: Webb Simpson Surging

The race for the title at the 2012 U.S. Open is beginning to heat up during Sunday's final round. Although Jim Furyk is clinging desperately to his lead, he is having to contend with a pesky Webb Simpson.

Simpson is 2-under for the day and is at 1-over, just one stroke off the lead. Close behind at 2-over are Graeme McDowell, Michael Thompson and Ernie Els.

Furyk made a massive bunker save and long putt for par on hole 12 to remain at even par and retain a one-stroke lead. Furyk is at 1-over for the day.

Fans can follow along with the action at The Olympic Club with the 2012 U.S. Open leaderboard from USOpen.com.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

U.S. Open Golf 2012: Tiger Woods Finishes At 7-Over In The Tournament

On Sunday, Tiger Woods has completed his fourth and final round in the 2012 U.S. Open. Woods entered the third round with a share of the lead, but by the beginning of the day on Sunday, he was on the verge of falling out of contention. Woods' start on Sunday was so rough that he ensured he would be out of contention by the time he finished his first three holes.

Woods started his round with a bogey, bogey and double-bogey in his first three holes and ended up being over par on five of his first six. Woods turned things around admirably after the tough front six, but of course the damage had already been done. After three birdies the rest of the way, Woods finished his final round at 3-over for the day and wrapped things up at 7-over for the tournament, in a tie for 21st place before all golfers have finished.

Fans can follow along with the action at The Olympic Club with the 2012 U.S. Open leaderboard from USOpen.com.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

U.S. Open Leaderboard 2012: Jim Furyk Still Leads, Michael Thompson And John Peterson Making A Push

Through seven holes in Sunday's final round of the 2012 U.S. Open, Jim Furyk is clinging to his lead, but the field is getting ever tighter. Furyk is at 1-over for the day following a bogey on the par-4 sixth hole.

Close behind are a quartet of golfers tied at 2-over. Michael Thompson has had a fantastic round and is 3-under through 16 holes. John Peterson is at 1-under through 12 holes and Webb Simpson is at 1-under through nine. The co-leader at the beginning of the day Graeme McDowell has bogeyed on three of his first seven holes but is still in the running.

Another five players are at 3-over, including Fredrik Jacobson and Ernie Els.

Fans can follow along with the action at The Olympic Club with the 2012 U.S. Open leaderboard from USOpen.com.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

U.S. Open Golf 2012: Tiger Woods Steadies, Still At 9-Over

On Sunday's final round in the 2012 U.S. Open, Tiger Woods has finally settled down and managed a consistent run. Unfortunately, it has come too late to make any sort of legitimate run at his fourth career U.S. Open title. Through his first 13 holes on Sunday at the Grand Slam event, Woods is 9-over.

Woods's awful start knocked him out of any serious contention, as he was over par on five of his first six holes. Woods managed to settle down after the turn and birdied on eight. He has made par on all holes after his sixth, but is still 5-over for the day and in a tie for 31st place in the tournament.

Fans can follow along with the action at The Olympic Club with the 2012 U.S. Open leaderboard from USOpen.com.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

US Open Leaderboard 2012: Jim Furyk Alone In First Place After 3 Holes

Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell entered the final round of the 2012 U.S. Open on Sunday tied atop the leaderboard at 1-under. After the first three holes, Furyk has managed to retain his score but McDowell has fallen one stroke off the lead.

Furyk managed to keep an even par through the first three holes on Sunday, but McDowell bogeyed on the par-3 third hole to fall to 1-over on the day and move to even in the tournament, putting him alone in second place. Tied for third place through four holes are Lee Westwood and Fredrik Jacobson.

Fans can follow along with the action at The Olympic Club with the 2012 U.S. Open leaderboard from USOpen.com.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

2012 U.S. Open Golf: Tiger Woods Falls Out Of Contention As He Goes 9-Over

The fourth and final round of the 2012 U.S. Open is well underway on Sunday at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. The day has turned foggy and windy, but the course remains just as diabolical as it has been all week. Tiger Woods is falling further and further off the pace as his day progresses. Through Woods's first five holes, he's already at 5-over for the day.

Tiger was over par on four of his first five holes and fell victim once again to the tough front six at Olympic Club. Now at 9-over, Woods is well out of contention for his fourth career title.

Amateur Beau Hossler is continuing his impressive run. Hossler bogeyed on his third hole and is tied for 12th place at 4-over through three. Co-leaders Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell have yet to tee off.

Fans can follow along with the action at The Olympic Club with the 2012 U.S. Open leaderboard from USOpen.com.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

2012 U.S. Open Golf: Tiger Woods Off To Rough Start On Sunday

Tiger Woods entered Sunday's final round of the 2012 U.S. Open with an outside shot at capturing his fourth career title at the event. He was only five strokes off the lead as he teed off on the final day; that's not an insurmountable lead, but is a plenty difficult order. Woods, however, has gotten off to a terrible start.

Woods bogeyed the first hole on Sunday, bogeyed the second and then double-bogeyed on the third. He is now 4-over for the day through his first three holes and drops all the way down to a tie for 33rd place at a cumulative 8-over. It is exceedingly unlikely he will be able to sniff the lead again after this start.

Fans can follow along with the action at The Olympic Club with the 2012 U.S. Open leaderboard from USOpen.com.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

U.S. Open Leaderboard 2012: K.J. Choi 2-Under Through First 9 Holes

The leaders have yet to tee off on the final day of the 2012 U.S. Open on Sunday, but there's progress being made at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

The biggest ground-gainer in the early going of Sunday's fourth round is K.J. Choi, who is 2-under through his first nine holes and has moved into a tie for 17th place at 5-over. While Choi still has plenty of work left to do, being under par through the spectacularly tricky first nine holes is a good indication that he's on top of his game today. Choi may be making a late move and is certainly someone to keep an eye on.

Fans can follow along with the action at The Olympic Club with the 2012 U.S. Open leaderboard from USOpen.com.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

U.S. Open Golfer Predicts 'Complete Disaster' At Olympic Club

U.S. Open 2012: Rickie Fowler, Patrick Cantlay Produce Two Eagles On No. 7

The leaders and those in contention of the 2012 U.S. Open have yet to tee off, but there's plenty of excitement being generated from the action out at the Olympic Club Sunday afternoon.

Despite playing well off the lead as they close out the weekend, American golfers Rickie Fowler and Patrick Cantlay have both eagled the 294-yard par 4 seventh hole.

Playing together, Fowler and Cantlay took advantage of the shortest hole on this challenging course, "sticking" their drives within near gimme distance from the pin, according to the Los Angeles Times' Jill Painter.

The eagles from these two golfers were the ninth and tenth eagles recorded during this tournament. Fowler had parred the hole through the first three rounds of the U.S. Open while Cantaly bogied No. 7 on Thursday and Friday, and birdied it on Saturday.

Hole No. 7 is clearly a "scoring hole." And with so few of them out on the course today, it could prove to be a crucial hole for those in contention.

The eagles dropped Fowler to 11-over and Cantlay to 8-over for the tournament.

Fans can follow along with the action at The Olympic Club with the 2012 U.S. Open leaderboard from USOpen.com.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event

California Dreamin’: Graeme McDowell Eyes Another Left Coast U.S. Open Title

Graeme McDowell may take up residence in California -- especially if he wins another U.S. Open crown in Tiger Woods's home state.

U.S. Open Golf 2012: Clouds Roll In, Sun Disappears

For the first time this week, clouds have rolled in over The Olympic Club, shielding the sun from view. For the leaders, still about two hours from stepping onto the tee box, the overcast skies are a welcome sight. Without the sun baking the course throughout the day, the fairways and greens should stay somewhat receptive, though The Olympic Club is still playing firm and fast.

This morning, some of the greens were rolled again, and all were stimped as Mike Davis setup the course. Davis has yet to announce the Stimpmeter readings, but I'd assume the greens are still rolling at about 13, just as they were the last three days.

Still, the short grass remains rock hard. The 17th green feels like a driveway, with no real give in the ground. While 13 or so on the Stimpmeter is fast, the measurement doesn't tell the whole story: The greens haven't been terribly receptive all week, preventing players from spinning shots. Balls hit into the greens with a long iron roll out a significant amount, and wedges just aren't spinning as much as one would expect.

But with clouds overhead, the course conditions should stay a touch softer throughout the day instead of firming up even more by the time the leaders tee-off.

U.S. Open Golf 2012: Morgan Hoffmann Not Wilting With Field

The frustration continues for golfers at the Olympic Club, which is giving fits to the field up and down the U.S. Open 2012 leaderboard. But as the field fires bogey after bogey, there is at least one golfer keeping it together, even scoring on the front nine. Say hello to Morgan Hoffmann.

A bogey on the ninth hole sent Hoffmann into the turn at even par after he pulled out birdies on the fifth and seventh holes. The most striking thing about Hoffmann has been his adaptation to the No. 5 over the weekend. Hoffmann shot bogey-double-birdie-birdie through the four rounds.

For Hoffmann, it's an accomplishment just to be golfing on Sunday. He is playing in just his second U.S. Open and he missed the cut in his first trip, Pebble Beach in 2010.

There's no dream charge in the cards for Hoffmann, who at +8 is T42, nine shots off the lead. But if he can keep it together on the back nine, this has the makings of one of Sunday's most personally satisfying rounds of golf.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

U.S. Open Golf 2012: Mike Davis Sets Up Finishing Holes For Scoring

Just got done walking a couple holes, watching USGA executive director Mike Davis and his crew put the finishing touches on The Olympic Club. You'd think setting up a hole is a relatively simple task: Find the pin location, punch a hole, fill the old hole and stick a flag in the ground. But not so.

Davis and his crew are painstakingly meticulous, scouting out each hole location to fractions of an inch, then making sure everything is set how they want it to be. There's the tee boxes, measured and calculated. Using one tee box may require a left-to-right shot off the tee while picking out one a little closer to the hole may require a different shape or trajectory.

I watched as Davis placed the tee markers at a mere 575 yards on 16, almost 100 yards shorter than the par-5 player on Saturday. He picked a somewhat difficult, but still accessible, front-left hole location on the 16th green, perhaps allowing players to hit a hook in and chase it up somewhere near the pin. The swale from the bunk provides a backstop, but a false front up the gut and another on the back-left side of the green add difficulty. With two good shots, however, the green is absolutely reachable, whereas it took three strong shots on Saturday.

The 17th hole is ripe for scoring, setup with a pin right in the middle of the green, about six paces off the back. It's reachable in two, and players can chase shots up by landing them on or near the fringe. The play is to the left of the hole, allowing the ridge to feed shots back down towards the ridge. Anything right will funnel into the chipping area near the 18th hole.

On 18, the pin is tucked just a few feet from the back of the green and three feet off the right. It's in a difficult spot, but most players should leave themselves an uphill putt. Going long is, essentially, a penalty stroke here.

Finally, the seventh hole is both reachable and accessible. The pin is just four paces on and three feet off the right edge. Where players were bombing tee shots to get up onto the third tier on Saturday, there should be a bit more caution in the third round. Anything long leaves a trick putt that has to navigate multiple tiers and risks running all the way off the front of the green.

The OIympic Club is still going to be difficult on Sunday, especially through the first nine holes. But there are low scores to be had on the back-nine, perhaps setting up for an exciting finish.

All that's left to do is wait to see who emerges from the dust at Olympic later this weekend.

Fans can follow along with the action at The Olympic Club with the 2012 U.S. Open leaderboard from USOpen.com.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

U.S. Open Golf 2012 Leaderboard: Players Struggling At Olympic On Final Day

The 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic is midway through the final round and players are still struggling to get a handle on the course. Canadian Stephen Ames is the furthest along on the day through 13 holes and he's playing better on Sunday than he did in the first couple of rounds, shooting a 1-over on the day, but his total on the tournament is still an abysmal 17-over.

American Joe Ogilvie is right on the heels of Ames on the course and the leaderboard, as Ogilvie is shooting a 7-over through 13 holes and shooting a 21-over on the tournament as a whole.

The only player who's under par today so far is Bob Estes, shooting a 1-under as he birdied the first hole. He's only played the single hole however, so it's unlikely Estes will stay under par.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

U.S. Open Golf 2012 Leaderboard: Jim Furyk And Graeme McDowell Lead The Way

The final round of the 2012 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club is set to tee off with Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell tied at the top of the leaderboard at 1-under entering Sunday's round. The two players won't tee off until late this afternoon, but there are a handful of players who could take the lead before Furyk and McDowell even hit the course.

Fredrik Jacobson moved up on Saturday with a 68, and sits at 1-over for the tournament. He's followed by Ernie Els and Lee Westwood at 2-over. With strong rounds, all three players could potentially find themselves on top of the leaderboard.

Tiger Woods had been sitting at the top of the leaderboard entering Saturday's round, but after shooting a 75 and picking up six bogeys in the third round, he finds himself at 4-over and tied for 14th place. Olympic is an unforgiving course, however, so if players at the top of the leaderboard struggle and Tiger plays like he did the first two days, he could still make a move to win the U.S. Open.

Fans can follow along with the action at The Olympic Club with the 2012 U.S. Open leaderboard from USOpen.com.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

Tiger Woods Isn't Done At The U.S. Open

After two days of superb play, Tiger Woods fell back to earth on Saturday. He's not out of the running yet, and was only a tad bit off during the third round.

Ace In The Hole: John Peterson's Shot To Remember

John Peterson holed his tee shot on the par-3 13th on Saturday, and it was an incredible thing to watch.

2012 U.S. Open Golf: TV Schedule, Live Updates, Stream Online And More

Final round television coverage of the U.S. Open begins at 4 p.m. ET on NBC.

U.S. Open 2012 Tee Times And Pairings For Sunday: Final Round Begins at 12:20 P.M. ET

Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell will play in the last group during the final round of the U.S. Open.