PEBBLE BEACH, CA., June 16 (Reuters) - Louis Oosthuizen and Adam Scott put themselves in contention at the U.S. Open on Sunday but their runs came to a screeching halt with double-bogeys and they eventually finished tied for seventh behind champion Gary Woodland.
Sweet-swinging South African Oosthuizen picked up two early birdies after starting the day four shots adrift of Woodland at Pebble Beach.
He was in the hunt until dropping two shots at the par-four 10th that hugs the coast. Oosthuizen's second shot finished in an awful lie in thick rough some 60 yards from the hole, from where he had little chance of stopping his next shot downhill anywhere near the hole.
"I played well enough to win this event, and that's where you want to be in a major," said Oosthuizen, who carded a one-over-par 72.
He finished at six-under 278, seven strokes behind Woodland.
Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, has also finished runner-up in all four majors, including two playoff losses.
"I just need to do what I've been doing," said the 36-year-old.
"I need to just keep on putting myself in position and see if I can knock down that second major."
Fellow single major winner Adam Scott came from eight strokes off the pace with a furious charge as his long putter ran hot.
The Australian picked up six strokes in 12 holes and strode to the 13th tee with the wind in his sails, but a wild drive out-of-bounds at that par four halted his run.
"For 12 holes I hit a lot of good shots and made some putts and was feeling pretty good out there but 13 was really costly, said Scott. "It was just out by a couple of inches."
Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, later missed a three-foot putt at the 16th hole. He shot a 68.
Scott said he would not play again until next month's British Open at Royal Portrush.
"I just need to be a little bit closer going into a Sunday at one of these things," he said.
"I think that's really the big takeaway, and I'll be working on that, but I like where my game is at." (Reporting by Steve Keating; Writing by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Peter Rutherford )
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