Remembering The Controversial Penalty That Almost Cost Dustin Johnson The 2016 US Open At Oakmont

With the US Open returning to Oakmont you can't help but think back to the last time the event was held at the venue, when Dustin Johnson emerged with his maiden Major - but not without controversy.

Johnson had suffered several heartbreaking near misses in the Majors, and there threatened to be another one as he made his bid for a breakthrough at Oakmont.

He was racining away towards the US Open trophy but for most of his final round he had the spectre of a penalty hanging over his head from his ball moving on the fifth green.

Johnson called a rules official over after his ball moved before he addressed it with his putter, who told him to finish off the hole.

Only on the 12th hole, when Johnson was neck-and-neck with Shane Lowry, was he told he'd likely have a penalty, but the United States Golf Association would decide after his round.

For a player that had seen Majors slip from his grasp before, the next few holes most have been agony for Johnson, who would've feared that looming penalty might make all the difference.

However, Lowry fell away in the closing stretch and Johnson managed to complete a final round of 68 to win by four shots - which was then altered to a 69 and three-shot victory after being assessed that penalty.

"I've had a lot of opportunites that I didn't quite get it done. So this one's definitely really sweet," said Johnson with a mixture of elation and relief after pocketing his first Major championship.

A stunning iron shot on the 18th helped him card a closing birdie and summed up the fact Johnson was just not going to be denied - even by the rules officials.

Perhaps Johnson was destined to win a Major championship this way, having had more than his fair share of close calls - starting when he let a three-shot lead at the 2010 US Open go after a horror start to the final round.

He also had a penalty assessed at the 2010 PGA Championship for grounding his club in one of Whistling Straits' unique bunkers, which cost him a place in a playoff.

And of course at the 2015 US Open he had a 12-foot putt on the last to win the title at Chambers Bay, only to three-putt and lose to Jordan Spieth by a shot.

Just 12 months later though he battled through a penalty issue to lift a fully deserved maiden Major victory.

2016 US OPen leaderboard

• -4 D Johnson
• -1 S Lowry
• -1 J Furyk
• -1 S Pirecy
• E S Garcia
• E B Grace
• +1 K Na
• +2 J Day
• +2 J Dufner
• +2 Z Johnson
• +2 D Summerhays