After Thursday’s first round of the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach, Phil Mickelson said, “There’s no way under par is going to win here.” And he was right.  Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell shot +3 on Sunday but held on to win the tournament at even par, the highest winning score at a US Open in 25 years.  Tiger Woods looked like he might finally be back after his long adultery/tabloid hiatus after shooting -5 on Saturday, but he went on to shoot +3 on Sunday to finish tied for 4th with Phil Mickelson three shots off the lead.  McDowell’s closest competition was Gregory Havret, some random Frenchman ranked 391st in the world, a single stroke behind.  Ernie Els took third at +2.

“I made three mental mistakes,” Woods said in defeat. “The only thing it cost us was a chance to win the U.S. Open.” It’s unclear if Woods was using the royal “us” or was referring to America.  McDowell became the first European to win a US Open since England’s Tony Jacklin of England won in 1970.

Mickelson was impressed by McDowell and to a lesser degree by the tournament:

To play steady and to withstand some tough holes the way Graeme did and to come out on top, he played some great golf. It was a wide-open tournament. Many guys had a chance. And it made for kind of an exciting U.S. Open, I thought.

On a more ignominious historical note, Dustin Johnson carded an 82 on Sunday, the highest final round for anyone leading a US Open after 54 holes since 1911.