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How Andrew Landry completely altered the final round with this prayer of a putt
Put simply, Andrew Landry will not go away at the 116th U.S. Open.
After grabbing the Day 1 lead -- thanks in part to weather suspending play early -- the 624th-ranked player in the world quickly gave back his four strokes under par in the second round. Then he rallied to get back to three under.
He fell away again on the back nine of Round 3 as darkness brought play to a halt. Then he woke up and rallied again.
Landry birdied Oakmont's short par-4 17th on Sunday morning and then made this looooong, curling putt for birdie on No. 18:
The putt that put Landry back at three under entering the final round was obviously huge for the man playing in his first major, but it had another major effect on the tournament. With that birdie, Landry snatched Dustin Johnson's spot in Sunday's final pairing. Instead, this surprising PGA Tour rookie will play alongside leader Shane Lowry, who had two birdies of his own in the conclusion of his third round on Sunday morning.
Only time will tell, but the consensus seems to be that this helps Lowry since he won't have to play with the more intimidating DJ, who is certain to have the overwhelming support of the fans at Oakmont. Of course, one could also make a case that not playing in the final pairing could be a blessing in disguise for Johnson, whose failures to close out majors has been well documented.
And then there's Landry. Could the pressure of this position finally slow him down? Or perhaps, it will inspire him to his most unlikely rally yet.