Ex-Washington Husky golfer Joel Dahmen leaves U.S. Open with confidence, big check

After four days of residing on the U.S. Open leaderboard, former University of Washington golfer Joel Dahmen learned a ton about his game and dealing with the intense pressure of contending at a major championship.

The 34-year-old Clarkston native liked what he saw, for the most part. Perhaps more important, he goes forward with added confidence, recharged batteries and a clearer understanding of what it takes to succeed.

Dahmen had two birdies on the front nine and made the turn Sunday with only three names — Scottie Scheffler, Will Zalatoris and eventual champion Matt Fitzpatrick — ahead of him in the tournament at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Dahmen settled for a 1-over-par 71, a four-day total of even-par 280 and a share of 10th place, a placing that comes with an exemption into next year’s U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. He earned $407,220.

Dahmen was generally pleased but a tad irritated he didn’t take advantage of several opportunities to close the gap on the leaders.

“I can hit it with the best of them, I learned that, especially on a course like this where you have to hit it in the fairway and it’s not overly long,” Dahmen said. “I think I was one of the best ball-strikers over the four days. I always knew I needed to kind of clean up the wedges and the putter if I really wanted to do this, and the putter just wasn’t quite there. It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t good enough to win, especially with the wedges. I kind of impressed myself, I guess, in this situation. I hung in there.”

Dahmen, a cancer survivor, was four shots behind Zalatoris and Fitzpatrick before making a bogey on the 15th hole. He nearly holed his approach from 156 yards on the finishing hole, but couldn’t connect on the 3½ -foot birdie putt.

“I said this multiple times, where I’m pretty good at golf,” Dahmen said. “I always believed that, but I probably need to believe a little more. Being in these moments, especially over the weekend, I handled myself really well. I felt comfortable out there, I really did. I played well.”

Dahmen finished tied for first with Fitzpatrick in greens in regulation (72%) and tied for third in hitting fairways (71%), but tied for 59th in total putts.

Kupcho wins LPGA Meijer title

BELMONT, Mich. — After missing a 2-foot eagle putt on the first hole of a playoff, Jennifer Kupcho won the LPGA Meijer Classic when Leona Maguire’s 3-foot birdie try lipped out on the second extra hole.

Kupcho closed with a 1-under 71 to match playing partner Nelly Korda (72) and Maguire (65) at 18-under 270 at Blythefield Country Club. Kupcho birdied both playoff holes.

Korda, in her second event since missing four months because of a blood clot in her left arm, dropped out of the playoff with a par on the first extra hole.

Kupcho, 25, won for the second time on the LPGA Tour and earned $375,000.