Golf is a strange game. You can play 71 holes of the most grueling, pressure-packed golf of your life at Oakmont—arguably the hardest course on the planet—and still have the result decided by a rules official in a golf cart. That’s basically what happened when we look back at the us open 2016 leaderboard. It wasn't just about who made the most birdies; it was about who survived a USGA officiating saga that nearly turned the year’s second major into a complete farce.
Dustin Johnson won. Finally. After years of heartbreak at Pebble Beach, Whistling Straits, and Chambers Bay, DJ finally grabbed his trophy. But the way it happened was messy.
Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania is a beast. The greens are like glass. If you breathe too hard on a five-footer, it might roll off the surface. Heading into the final round, everyone was chasing Shane Lowry. The Irishman had a four-shot lead. Four shots! In US Open terms, that’s usually a lock. But Oakmont doesn't do "locks."
The Drama Behind the US Open 2016 Leaderboard
Let’s talk about the fifth hole on Sunday. This is where the us open 2016 leaderboard became a matter of legal debate rather than athletic prowess. Dustin Johnson was over a par putt. He grounded his putter near the ball, and the ball moved. Just a tiny, microscopic flinch. DJ backed away, told the official his putter hadn't touched it, and the official on the ground told him to play on. No penalty.
Simple, right? Wrong.
A few holes later, USGA officials approached Johnson on the 12th tee to tell him they might penalize him after the round. Imagine that. You’re trying to win the toughest tournament in the world, and the people in charge tell you, "Hey, your score might be one stroke worse than you think it is, but we won't tell you for sure until you're done." It was total chaos.
The leaderboard was essentially in flux for the entire back nine.
While DJ was dealing with the psychological weight of a phantom penalty, the rest of the field was crumbling. Shane Lowry, who looked so steady through 54 holes, started leaking oil. He shot a final-round 76. You can’t win a US Open with a 76 on Sunday when a guy like Dustin Johnson is charging. Lowry eventually finished in a tie for second, three strokes back.
Who Actually Showed Up at Oakmont?
If you look at the names near the top of the us open 2016 leaderboard, it’s a list of guys who thrive on misery. Scott Piercy and Jim Furyk joined Lowry in that tie for second place.
Furyk is a legend of consistency. At 46 years old, he was out-grinding kids half his age. He shot a 66 on Sunday. That is a monstrous score at Oakmont. While everyone else was complaining about the speed of the greens or the thickness of the "Church Pews" bunkers, Furyk just kept hitting fairways and greens. He finished at 1-under par for the tournament.
Piercy was the surprise for many casual fans. He’s a ball-striker’s ball-striker. He didn't do anything flashy; he just didn't make the catastrophic mistakes that doomed others.
Then you had Sergio Garcia and Branden Grace finishing at 2-over. Sergio was, well, Sergio. He hit some brilliant shots and missed some putts that probably kept him awake at night for a month. Branden Grace has always been a "tough track" specialist, and his T5 finish proved he belongs in the conversation of the best players never to win a major (at least at that point in time).
The Top Finishers in Detail
Dustin Johnson: 67-69-71-69 = 276 (-4)
Jim Furyk: 71-68-75-66 = 279 (-1)
Scott Piercy: 68-70-72-69 = 279 (-1)
Shane Lowry: 68-70-65-76 = 279 (-1)
Branden Grace: 70-70-66-71 = 281 (+1)
Sergio Garcia: 68-70-72-71 = 281 (+1)
Honestly, seeing Lowry’s 65 followed by a 76 is the most "US Open" stat you’ll ever find. It shows how quickly Oakmont can take away everything it gives you.
✨ Don't miss: Indiana Hoosiers football schedule 2025: Why This Season Is Different
Why This Leaderboard Mattered for Golf
Before 2016, Dustin Johnson was the guy who "couldn't win the big one." He had the talent of a god but the luck of a man walking under ladders daily. Remember the 2010 PGA at Whistling Straits? He grounded his club in a "bunker" that looked like a patch of dirt where fans had been standing. Penalty. He missed the playoff. Remember the 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay? Three-putted from 12 feet on the final hole to lose to Jordan Spieth.
When the USGA told him on the 12th tee at Oakmont that he might get penalized, the entire golf world held its breath. It felt like "here we go again."
But DJ did something different this time. He ignored it. He striped a drive, hit a clinical approach on 18 to about five feet, and drained the putt. Even with the one-stroke penalty the USGA eventually tacked on (which was widely criticized by pros like Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth on Twitter in real-time), DJ won by three.
He didn't just beat the field; he beat the course and the rulebook.
The Impact of the Oakmont Conditions
People forget that the week started with massive thunderstorms. The first round was a mess of delays. Some players didn't even finish their first round until Friday. This usually favors the power hitters because the course plays "soft," but Oakmont dries out faster than a spilled drink on a hot sidewalk. By Sunday, it was lightning fast.
The us open 2016 leaderboard reflects a very specific type of golf. It wasn't a birdie-fest. Only four players finished under par. That’s the hallmark of a true US Open. It’s supposed to be a survival test.
Jason Day, the world number one at the time, finished T8. He tried to make a late run with an eagle on the 12th, but a double-bogey on the 17th ended his hopes. It just goes to show that even the best player in the world couldn't master the nuances of those greens when the pressure was at its peak.
Lessons From the 2016 Leaderboard
What can we actually learn from looking back at this specific tournament?
First, momentum is a lie in golf. Shane Lowry had all the momentum in the world on Saturday evening. By Sunday afternoon, he was just another guy trying to break 80. Second, the rules of golf are often too complex for their own good. The "Dustin Johnson Rule" (officially Local Rule Decision 18-2/0.5) was actually changed shortly after this because the backlash was so severe.
If you’re a golfer looking to improve your own game based on what happened at Oakmont, focus on the "mental reset." DJ's ability to stay calm while the USGA was essentially officiating a moving target is the greatest mental performance in modern golf history.
✨ Don't miss: What Teams Did Bill Belichick Coach? The Full List From The 70s To Now
Actionable Takeaways for Golf Fans and Players
- Study the "Stay in the Present" Mentality: Dustin Johnson’s 2016 win is the gold standard for ignoring outside noise. In your own rounds, if you get a bad break or a "rub of the green," give yourself 10 seconds to be mad, then move on.
- Short Game Over Power: While DJ is long, he won Oakmont because his wedge play was dialed in and he didn't three-putt the back nine. If you want to lower your handicap, stop at the putting green before the driving range.
- Respect the US Open Setup: Understand that a US Open leaderboard isn't about who is the "best" golfer that week; it's about who is the most disciplined. Jim Furyk didn't outdrive anyone, but he out-disciplined almost everyone.
- Know the Rules (But Don't Let Them Rule You): The USGA changed the ball-moved-on-green rule specifically because of the 2016 controversy. Now, if it's accidental, there's no penalty. It’s worth staying updated on USGA and R&A biennial changes so you don't penalize yourself unnecessarily.
The 2016 US Open remains a pivotal moment in golf history. It was the coronation of Dustin Johnson and the end of an era for how the USGA managed its flagship event. It was gritty, confusing, and ultimately, a display of incredible athleticism under a cloud of administrative uncertainty.