Furyk swings into the big league

US Open review: Now, Jim Furyk, the US Open champion, and Mike Weir, the Masters champion, have something else in common apart from a birthday: they're major winners.

By a twist of fate, both of this season's major winners were born on the same day - May 12th, 1970 - but, in terms of their swings, there the coincidence ends. Furyk's is unique, unconventional, and, for him, perfect.

By winning the 103rd US Open at Olympia Fields on Sunday - with a 72-hole aggregate of eight-under-par 272, which tied the lowest-scoring record held by Jack Nicklaus (1980), Lee Janzen (1993) and Tiger Woods (2000) - Furyk, much maligned and often mocked for his unorthodox swing, produced a focused performance that was vindication for one of the game's hardest workers.

He is also one of golf's most consistent performers. Prior to this win, Furyk had garnered no fewer than 11 top-10 finishes in majors. This win gave him his most prestigious title of his career, and removed his name from the list of Best Players Never to Have Won a Major.

"I never paid much attention to that," insisted Furyk. "I still consider myself young at 33, but it does become more difficult as the years go on. You start to put more pressure on yourself."

Strangely, on what should have been the most pressurised day of his career, there was virtually no pressure. No one made a charge at him; in fact, most of those who started the final round as pursuers went into retreat. Furyk started out with a three-shot lead over Australian Stephen Leaney and, by the end, even finishing with two bogeys, his right to the title was beyond question.

He wasn't even disturbed by the sight of a topless woman running onto the 11th green, so focused was he in pursuit of his dream.

That dream first surfaced when as a child he would imitate his hero, Arnold Palmer, and pretend he was holing a putt to win a major. "From a professional standpoint," he admitted, "the most special thing is that my name will forever be on the trophy with the unbelievable names in golf. You can't take that away from me, it is a special feeling."

Although he stoutly maintains he wasn't obsessed with winning a major, Furyk's form in the build-up was impressive. He had seven top-five finishes coming into the US Open, including a fourth in the US Masters and a fourth in the Players Championship, while he also lost a play-off to Scott Hoch in the Honda Classic.

"He's played solid," said his caddie, Mike "Fluff" Cowan, who was ditched by Tiger Woods four years ago. "It was just a matter of time before he won somewhere. The fact it's the US Open makes it more special."

Furyk's swing was built by his dad, Mike, the only teacher he has had and the man also responsible for the cross-handed putting grip adopted by golf's newest major winner, which extends to three - after Weir and Rich Beem (last year's US PGA) - the sequence of first-time major champions.

Not one of the game's long hitters, Furyk, however, puts the ball in play better than most - in this championship, he was second in fairways hit and first in greens in regulation - and thinks his way around the course methodically.

He has his idiosyncrasies too, like backing off a putt at least once and, more often, twice. All in all, it has proved to be a winning formula, and one which could achieve more major success.

"Jim's an absolute artist," said Nick Price. "He's a wonderful strategist and a complete golfer. It's great to see his type of player win. He's going to win multiple majors, there is no doubt. He has got another eight years, at least, of great golf left in him."

Furyk's win, meanwhile, ensured that Tiger Woods no longer has any major trophies - the very measure he uses to determine whether a year has been successful - in his showcase.

"That's my ultimate goal, to win championships," insisted Woods. "These are the biggest championships and all you can do is give it your best. I gave it my best this week."

It is the first time since August 1999 that Woods has not had a major title to defend (his last major title was at Bethpage Black a year ago), but veteran Tom Watson claimed that Woods had not lost any of his desire.

"How many years did Jack Nicklaus go without a major?" asked Watson, adding: "A couple of three-year gaps. I wouldn't worry about Tiger."

Still, this was Woods's worst US Open weekend since 1996, when he finished 77-72 as an amateur at Oakland Hills, and it was his worst weekend anywhere since the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie, when he shot 75-75.

For runner-up Leaney, his reward - at last - is a place on the US Tour. For the past five years, the Australian has attempted to come through qualifying school and failed each time.

His second-place cheque for $650,000 means Leaney can now receive unlimited sponsors' exemptions for the rest of this season, and Sunday's earnings are enough to ensure he will finish in the top 125 on the money list, which earns him a tour card for next season. He is also guaranteed a spot in next year's majors.