Oakmont is a beast. Anyone who has ever stepped foot on those Pennsylvania grounds knows the greens aren't just fast; they’re basically glass tilted at impossible angles. When you look back at the 2016 US Open leaderboard, you aren't just looking at a list of scores. You’re looking at a survival map of who didn’t mentally collapse under the weight of USGA officiating blunders and a golf course that wanted to punish everyone.
Dustin Johnson won. Finally. After the heartbreak at Chambers Bay and the meltdown at Pebble Beach, DJ actually did it. But man, the way he had to do it was borderline cruel.
The Day the USGA Almost Broke the 2016 US Open Leaderboard
Let’s talk about the fifth green.
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Dustin Johnson is standing over a par putt. He’s locked in. Suddenly, the ball moves. It’s a tiny, microscopic wiggle. DJ backs away, talks to the walking official, and they agree: he didn't cause it to move. He plays on. He thinks it’s fine. The fans think it’s fine.
Then, on the 12th tee, the USGA officials pull him aside. They basically tell him, "Hey, we might penalize you later. We aren't sure yet. Just keep playing and we'll let you know after you're done."
Can you imagine that? Imagine playing the back nine of a major championship—the hardest test in golf—not knowing if you are leading by two or leading by one. It was a mess. It turned the 2016 US Open leaderboard into a guessing game for the players, the media, and the fans at home. Shane Lowry, who started the day with a four-shot lead, was watching his advantage evaporate while the guy chasing him was essentially playing under a "delayed penalty" shadow.
The pressure at Oakmont is already high enough. Adding a layer of "maybe" to the score is just bad for the sport. Players like Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy were losing their minds on Twitter while the round was still happening. They knew it was unfair.
Breaking Down the Top Five Finishers
Dustin Johnson ended up at 4-under par. He smoked a 6-iron on the 18th hole to about five feet and drained the putt, which made the one-stroke penalty the USGA eventually tacked on completely irrelevant. He won by three anyway.
Shane Lowry finished T2. It was a tough pill to swallow. He had it. He really did. But Oakmont has a way of finding your weakness, and for Lowry on Sunday, it was the putter. He shot a 76 in the final round. You can't do that and expect to hold off a charging DJ.
Scott Piercy and Jim Furyk also finished at 1-under. Piercy is one of those guys who always seems to linger on major leaderboards without quite getting the "elite" tag from the general public, but his performance at Oakmont was clinical. Furyk, the veteran, just did what Jim Furyk does—hit fairways, hit greens, and let everyone else make mistakes.
Brandt Snedeker and Sergio Garcia were right there too. Sergio was still in his "can he ever win a major?" phase back in 2016. He finished T5 at even par. It was another close call that made people wonder if he’d ever get it done before he finally broke through at Augusta a year later.
Why the Scores at Oakmont Stayed So High
Usually, if you see a winning score of 4-under, you think the course was set up fairly but tough. But 2016 was different. The weather played a massive role.
Thursday was a washout. Multiple rain delays meant some players didn't even start their rounds until Friday. This created a weird rhythm. Some guys were playing 36 holes in a day; others were sitting in the clubhouse staring at the walls. When Oakmont gets wet, the rough becomes thick and "juicy." It grabs the clubhead. If you missed the fairway by three feet, you were basically hacking it out sideways.
The 2016 US Open leaderboard reflects that struggle. Only four players finished under par for the week. Four. Out of the best field in the world.
Andrew Landry was the Cinderella story of the early rounds. He was a qualifier who somehow shot a 66 in the first round to lead. Everyone expected him to disappear immediately. Honestly, he hung in there much longer than people expected, eventually finishing T15. It was a life-changing week for him, proving that the US Open "Open" format actually works.
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The Misconception About DJ's "Luck"
People like to say Dustin Johnson got lucky that he won by enough to ignore the penalty. I disagree. I think he showed more mental toughness in those final seven holes than almost anyone in the history of the tournament.
Think about the 18th hole. He’s standing in the fairway. He knows the USGA is probably going to dock him a stroke. He knows he needs a par to be safe, but a birdie to be certain. He hits the shot of his life. That wasn't luck. That was a guy who had been through the fire at Whistling Straits and Chambers Bay and decided he wasn't going to let a rulebook technicality take his trophy.
Detailed Look at the Final Standings
If you look back at the official record, here is how the top of the 2016 US Open leaderboard actually shook out:
- Dustin Johnson: -4 (67-69-71-69)
T2. Jim Furyk: -1 (71-68-74-66)
T2. Scott Piercy: -1 (68-70-72-69)
T2. Shane Lowry: -1 (68-70-65-76)
T5. Sergio Garcia: E (68-70-72-70)
T5. Brandt Snedeker: E (69-71-69-71)
The gap between DJ and the rest of the field was significant. While Lowry was sliding backward with that 76, Furyk was charging with a 66. If Furyk had started just two shots better on Thursday, we might be talking about him as a two-time US Open winner. But that's the thing about Oakmont—it doesn't give you "what ifs." It only gives you what you earned.
The Impact on Future Rules
Because of the drama surrounding the 2016 US Open leaderboard, the USGA and the R&A actually changed the rules. They realized how stupid it looked to penalize a player for a ball moving when there was no clear evidence they caused it. They introduced a new local rule that eliminated the penalty for accidentally moving a ball on the putting green.
DJ’s frustration became the catalyst for a more sensible approach to the game. In a weird way, his victory saved other players from future headaches.
Actionable Takeaways from the 2016 US Open
Whether you’re a golf historian or a casual fan trying to understand why this specific year matters, there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, look at the equipment. 2016 was a turning point where distance started to absolutely dominate the US Open setup. DJ’s ability to blast it past the trouble made Oakmont—a course designed to stop long hitters—look manageable.
Second, the mental game is everything. Shane Lowry is a world-class player, a Major winner now. But Sunday at Oakmont in 2016 showed how even the best can get swallowed up by the pressure of a four-shot lead and a fast-closing Dustin Johnson.
If you want to dive deeper into this specific era of golf, compare this leaderboard to the 2015 one at Chambers Bay. You’ll see a lot of the same names, but the way the courses played couldn't be more different. Oakmont is traditional, punishing, and green. Chambers Bay was brown, fescue-heavy, and experimental.
To really understand the 2016 US Open leaderboard, you have to watch the highlights of DJ’s 18th hole. It’s the definitive moment of his career. It’s the moment he stopped being the guy who "couldn't win the big one" and became a Hall of Famer.
Go back and watch the final round footage if you can find it. Pay attention to the body language of the USGA officials on the 12th hole. It’s an masterclass in how not to handle a sporting event, and it’s the reason why that year’s leaderboard remains one of the most controversial and discussed in the history of the United States Open.