Tommy Fleetwood falls agonisingly short of golf history

Fleetwood’s missed putt on the 18th stopped him breaking the record for the best final round in men’s major golf history

Tommy Fleetwood carded a brilliant 63 at Los Angeles Country Club (Getty Images)

Tommy Fleetwood came agonisingly close to making major championship golf history as the battle for the 123rd US Open looked set to be an unusually low-scoring affair.

Fleetwood began the final round 12 shots off the lead, but carded a stunning closing 63 at Los Angeles Country Club to surge through the field.

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And it could have been even better for the Ryder Cup star as he missed from five feet for birdie on the 18th.

That would have seen Fleetwood shoot the first 62 in the final round of a major, the record having been set by Branden Grace in the third round of the 2017 Open and equalled by Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele on Thursday.

Fleetwood birdied the second, holed from six feet for eagle after driving the green on the short par-four sixth and birdied the eighth and ninth to reach the turn in 30.

The back nine has played far tougher than the front all week, but Fleetwood hit a brilliant tee shot on the 295-yard 11th to set up another birdie and then holed from 20 feet for eagle on the 14th.

A bogey on the 16th looked to have ended his chances of a 62 until he hit a superb approach to the last, only for the birdie chance to go begging.

It is the second time Fleetwood has carded a 63 in the final round of the US Open – he also missed a short putt for a 62 at Shinnecock Hills in 2018 and finished a shot behind Brooks Koepka.