Masters champion Phil Mickelson, going for the second leg of an unprecedented Grand Slam, stood on the tee at the short 17th one ahead, but double-bogeyed it after going into sand and then taking three putts from under five feet.

Goosen, rolling in a 12-foot birdie putt on the 16th to draw level, went into the same bunker, but splashed out to less than three feet and saved his par.

Mickelson sensed he needed a birdie at the last to have a chance, but could only par and so Goosen, twice winner of the European Order of Merit, was able to bogey and still win.

He three-putted from 12 feet to fall into a play-off with Mark Brooks three years ago, but on this occasion he got down in two and so won by two.

Not one of the field broke the Shinnecock Hills par of 70, Goosen’s superb 71 giving him the trophy again with a four-under-par total of 276.

Ernie Els, paired with Goosen, collapsed to an 80 and joint ninth spot, Tiger Woods was down in 17th place after a 76 that actually moved him up the standings, while Sergio Garcia was leading European – in 20th place after also shooting 80.

Play even had to be suspended for 20 minutes after the seventh green, always controversial, just got farcical.

After three of the first four players on the 189-yard hole had taken triple bogeys and the other a miraculous bogey the action was halted so that hoses could be used to soften the surface. Officials stood accused of waiting far too long before taking action.

Even with the soaking just 12 of the field saw their tee shots finish on the green and it was not only there that water was necessary.

Billy Mayfair’s 89 was the worst, while Alex Cejka had 85, Phillip Price 84 and Ryder Cup hopeful Joakim Haeggman an 83 after he putted off the green at the 10th, down a 50-foot slope and ran up a quintuple bogey nine. Price had an eight there.

Padraig Harrington, eight over for his first 13 holes, needed three birdies in the last five for a 75.

“I did have fun – a strange sort of fun,” said Harrington, who finished 15 over par a week after losing a play-off to Sergio Garcia. “I spent most of the day trying to break 80.”

Lee Westwood did so by just one shot and ended up 16 over.

Els’ failure to win means Woods remains world number one, but it might not be for much longer. He finished 10 over and then said: “It is terrible in our national championship that they lost control of the course. This is not the way it is supposed to be.

“They just lost it. It got away from them. The first two days were tough, but fair. Don’t make it like it’s unfair.”

Woods did not like being criticised by his former coach Butch Harmon during the week either, while his caddie Steve Williams was spoken to by a rules official after grabbing a photographer’s camera on the second tee.

David Fay, executive director of the United States Golf Association, stated: “If there is an issue that Steve has he should bring it to the official’s attention. Let security deal with these incidents – it does not help Steve, Tiger or the championship.

“Something could get ugly out there and you want professional security to be dealing with it.”

Haeggman said: “My girlfriend asked me yesterday what’s the highest score I have ever had on a hole. I told her eight. Now it’s nine.

“I thought this would be the greatest chance of winning an US Open and I am 22 over. They are the toughest greens I have ever played on – my caddie and I bounced balls on the practice green and caught the balls without them making a pitch mark.”

After an 81 Jerry Kelly commented: “When are they (the USGA) going to grow a head? They have done it again. If they were smart they would realise they look really stupid.

“Just try to be intelligent. Apparently they have no idea what that means. I could go on and on.”

Mark Calcavecchia added: “It is not the first time they have done this and it won’t be the last. And on that note I need a beer.”