US Open golf 2022: third spherical – dwell! | US Open

Scottie Scheffler will get up and down from a greenside bunker at 10 to scramble an excellent par. It appears like he’s the one one on the market – apart from Will Zalatoris – not shedding his head in these testing circumstances. However then he bounces a wedge over the again of the brief par-three eleventh and into the hazard on the again. He’ll have a job on to rise up and down efficiently from there. Inform you what, Denny McCarthy and Gary Woodland, for a while clubhouse leaders at +1, may have the cigars on proper now. The way in which everybody’s going, they may very well be within the thick of it by the tip of the day.

… not least as a result of others are struggling too! Morikawa sends his second at 7 right into a greenside bunker, from which he solely finds the perimeter. He then hits a sizzling putt six ft previous the opening, and misses the one coming again. A double bogey, and he’s -2. On 8, Rahm’s drive finds the roots of an enormous tree, and he’s pressured to improvise a left-handed clip again into play. He whips an iron up in the direction of the inexperienced, and must rise up and down from close by tough to save lots of par. Then Rodgers misses 11 with a wedge, and requires three makes an attempt to chip on. A double, and he’s -1.

McIlroy’s head isn’t on correctly in the present day. He screeches a world-class chip at 8 pin excessive to a few ft, however then pulls a skittish putt that’s at all times lacking on the left. He no less than knocks within the par putt coming again. Whereas he’s removed from the one participant going backwards at tempo, he’s visibly struggling greater than most. Coronary heart at all times on sleeve. Preserve going, Rory.

Rahm rolls one in eventually! He sends a left-to-right slider from 20 ft into the cup at 7, for his first birdie of the day. It strikes him again right into a share of second at -4. In the meantime up on 8, McIlroy lands his second onto the inexperienced … however solely simply … and it topples off the false entrance and 50 yards again down the green. An enormous mistake, and one you could recall costing Xander Schauffele pricey. Rory had higher not get too cute with the chip up.

McIlroy sends his strategy at 7 straight on the flag, six ft brief. A terrific alternative to test his downward momentum, however he pushes his birdie putt nicely to the fitting. He appears completely sickened proper now. He’ll have to snap out of it shortly, as a result of it’s nonetheless solely the entrance 9 on Saturday, and there’s a giant alternative at a par-five developing. In the meantime bogey for Morikawa on 6, the punishment for sending his tee shot right into a deep, tall-faced bunker. Inevitable bogey for Fitzpatrick on 10. And Scheffler pars 9 to show in 32. That is wanting superb for the world primary proper now.

-6: Scheffler (9)
-4: Rodgers (9), Morikawa (6)
-3: Zalatoris (13), Smart (7), Rahm (6), Buckley (6), Dahmen (6)
-2: Fitzpatrick (10), Hossler (7)
-1: Hadwin (11), Burns (10), NeSmith (9), Hardy (8), McIlroy (7)
E: Energy (16), Bradley (13)

Matt Fitzpatrick has to get artistic on 10. He sends his drive onto the highest of the rockery down the fitting of the green. He’s fortunate to have any shot in any respect, his ball wedged between a few massive boulders. He makes use of his 3-wood to softly pop it again out and down onto the green. He’s again in place, however hitting three into the par 4.

A enjoyable stat flashed up by NBC. Scottie Scheffler had made one eagle within the first 247 holes of his US Open profession. He’s simply made two within the final 13. Elsewhere, Jon Rahm sends an excellent tee shot at 6 to 5 ft, however a weak birdie effort is at all times lacking on the fitting. He appears completely disgusted with himself. In the meantime again on 5, Collin Morikawa makes bounceback birdie regardless of flaying his drive into the gallery. He bumps a wedge in to a few ft, and he’s only one off the tempo set by Scheffler.

-6: Scheffler (8)
-5: Morikawa (5)
-4: Rodgers (8), Smart (6)
-3: Zalatoris (13), Fitzpatrick (9), Rahm (6), Buckley (6), Dahmen (5)

Rory McIlroy is in a sizzling funk. His tee shot at 6 holds up within the wind and dunks within the tough. He can’t rise up and down, and that’s one more shot gone. He’s -1 … and his temper received’t enhance as he hears the roars ring throughout Brookline! Scottie Scheffler, who chipped in for eagle at 14 yesterday to ignite his cost up the leaderboard, lands a wedge simply previous the flag from 110 yards on 8 and screws it again into the cup! One other eagle at a par-five, and abruptly this US Open shifts up a few gears! He chest bumps along with his caddie and smiles a smile of nice contentment.

-6: Scheffler (8)
-4: Rodgers (8), Smart (6), Morikawa (4)
-3: Zalatoris (12), Fitzpatrick (9), Rahm (5), Buckley (5), Dahmen (4)

Morikawa tickles in his 20-foot, downhill, left-to-right bogey putt! Shades of McIlroy at 3 yesterday! He limits the harm of a dreadfully performed gap to bogey. In the meantime his accomplice Joel Dahman, having simply missed the inexperienced along with his strategy, can’t rise up and down and sheds a shot as nicely. However some optimistic information from 8. Matt Fitzpatrick makes birdie, then within the following match, Patrick Rodgers stabs a chip onto the inexperienced from the tough on the again, his ball swinging spherical proper to left and in for eagle … and a share of the lead! There are going to be fairly a couple of probabilities to this leaderboard in the present day. Bear with me.

-4: Rodgers (8), Scheffler (7), Smart (5), Morikawa (4)
-3: Zalatoris (12), Fitzpatrick (8), Rahm (4), Dahmen (4)

Morikawa takes an age to work out the wind. Too lengthy, perhaps, as a result of when he lastly will get spherical to taking his shot, he chunks it. His ball settles into the semi-rough 20 yards from the inexperienced. He’ll be doing nicely to restrict the harm to bogey right here. He whips up and over a bunker, however 20 ft previous the flag. Huge bogey putt developing.

The wind is whipping throughout Brookline and no one’s wanting notably comfy proper now. Collin Morikawa’s tee shot at 4 disappears into tall fescue down the left. He’s pressured to take his drugs and gouge out sideways. Up on 5, Aaron Smart makes a giant error from the centre of the green, having laid up on the drivable par-four. He pulls his wedge right into a deep bunker and may solely splash out to 12 ft. He doesn’t hit the par putt, and drops out of the lead … although until Morikawa can rise up and down from 100-plus yards again on 4, he’ll have a share once more in a couple of minutes.

Birdies at 11 and 13, and Séamus Energy goes alongside properly at -1. A late bloomer at 35, Energy is making his US Open debut this week, having made his Masters debut in April, ending within the high 30, and his PGA debut final month, tying for ninth. He clearly fancies these huge occasions, and is presently tied thirteenth. Open debut at St Andrews developing as nicely! Some yr he’s having.

Aaron Smart joins Collin Morikawa within the lead. The 25-year-old from Vegas crashes a drive miles down 4, chips to 5 ft, and guides in a difficult putt that oscillates this fashion and that. Rory McIlroy tries to match him shot for shot, however the putt stays stubbornly excessive on the fitting. He stays three off the leaders at -2, and is visibly irritated by his lack of fine fortune on the greens thus far. In the meantime Zalatoris calmly flips shut from down the financial institution at 11, and sashays off having accomplished one other superb scramble.

-5: Smart (4), Morikawa (2)
-4: Scheffler (5), Dahmen (2)
-3: Zalatoris (11), Burns (7), Hossler (4), Rahm (3)
-2: Fitzpatrick (7), Rodgers (6), Hardy (4), McIlroy (4)

Will Zalatoris sends what suspiciously appears like a shank into the tall fescue to the fitting of 10. No hassle! He calmly clacks a wedge out of the thick filth to a few ft and secures his par. That’s one hell of a scramble, and he stays at -3, although for a way for much longer? As a result of he’s been very aggressive on the brief downhill par-three eleventh, going for the flag positioned within the far proper nook, and toppling down the financial institution and into the tough. He’ll have fairly the chip coming again with little or no inexperienced to work with.

The third gap does a quantity on Rory McIlroy once more. Nothing as dramatic as yesterday’s fescue-embroidered fiasco, however a poor strategy results in bogey. He’s -2. Jon Rahm is unable to rise up and down from the aspect of two and slips backwards. In the meantime the ultimate group have simply performed the opening gap, Collin Morikawa making a no-fuss par, Joel Dahmen trudging off after a three-putt bogey.

-5: Morikawa (1)
-4: Scheffler (4), Smart (3), Dahmen (1)
-3: Zalatoris (9), Burns (6), Hardy (3), Hossler (3), Rahm (2), Buckley (2)
-2: Fitzpatrick (6), Rodgers (5), McIlroy (3)

Callum Tarren, briefly two photographs clear on the high yesterday, is struggling. He’s adopted that opening bogey with a double at 2, then extra bogeys at 3 and 6. He’s +4. He can take solace in the truth that he’s removed from the one one. The 2-time winner Brooks Koepka, who hauled himself again into rivalry yesterday with a superb 67, has gone out in 40 strokes. He’s +5. The 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed has simply bogeyed 10, 11 and 13; he’s +5 too. The 2013 champion Justin Rose is six over for his spherical via 13. Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton have recorded 76s. It’s not simple on the market. A number of struggling happening.

Xander Schauffele has by no means completed decrease than seventh at a US Open in his 5 earlier begins. He’ll not be sustaining that proud report this week. He’s had a whole nightmare of a entrance 9. Bogeys at 2, 3 and 4, a double at 6, one other bogey at 7, and eventually bogey on the par-five eighth after seeing his second topple again down the false entrance of the inexperienced, and chips three and 4 ending up again by his ft. He’s +7.

After a few chilly holes, Will Zalatoris’s putter warms up once more. He fires his strategy at 9 to 10 ft, then rolls within the birdie putt to show in 33. In the meantime Matt Fitzpatrick birdies the beneficiant par-four fifth to regain the shot he dropped on the opening gap.

-5: Morikawa, Dahmen
-4: Scheffler (3), Smart (2), Buckley, Rahm (1)
-3: Zalatoris (9), Burns (5), Hardy (2), Hossler (2), McIlroy (2)
-2: Kim (9), Fitzpatrick (5), Rodgers (3)

The defending champion Jon Rahm is out. He clips a 3-wood down the observe, then pauses for an awfully very long time as he and his caddie attempt to suss out what the wind’s as much as. They do a fairly good job of working it out, and he’ll have a 12-foot uphill have a look at birdie. In the meantime on 3, Scottie Scheffler lotions a blind strategy to a few ft and tidies up for a bounceback birdie. Then on 2, Rory McIlroy sends his tee shot over the again, fails to decide to his chip, leaving a 15-foot putt … and watches in horror as a putt seemingly destined to topple into the centre of the cup screeches to a cussed halt on the sting. McIlroy’s jaw nearly hits the ground, however he’ll should faucet in and settle for the bogey.

-5: Morikawa, Dahmen
-4: Scheffler (3), Smart (1), Buckley, Rahm

Will Zalatoris had a sizzling putter. Now it’s abruptly stone chilly. A par putt missed from eight ft at 7; a birdie effort passes by the opening from comparable distance on 8. He’s -2. A poor begin for Brian Harman, who bogeys 2 and three to slide to -1. And again on 1, Rory McIlroy finds his errant drive in an honest lie, solely to hit a sizzling wedge over the again of the inexperienced. However he’s capable of chip out of the cabbage to a few ft, from the place he salvages his par. It’s all about hanging on in there in the present day.

Right here comes Rory! A heat ovation from the gallery. Boston Celtics, you see. Then silence as he screams LEFT! and sends his opening drive in the direction of the concession stands down that aspect of the opening. Hazard right here. Additionally some hassle for Scottie Scheffler on the par-three 2nd. He leaves his tee shot brief and left, then skulls a chip via the inexperienced. He does nicely to restrict the harm by getting up and down from the perimeter, however that’s handed again the shot he picked up on 1. He’s again to -3.

Cameron Tringale can be but to make his mark within the majors. His finest end is a tie for twenty sixth eventually yr’s Open; he hasn’t performed on the US Open since 2015, when he tied for 54th at Chambers Bay. However the 34-year-old Californian goes alongside properly this afternoon: delivering level-par 35, he’s simply birdied 10, 12 and 13 to whisk himself up the standings to -1.

Sam Burns already has three victories on the PGA Tour this season. The most recent got here on the Charles Schwab Problem three weeks in the past, so he’s bang in kind. He doesn’t have a lot of a report within the majors but, however this may very well be the 25-year-old from Louisiana’s breakthrough occasion. He rattles in an extended birdie putt throughout 3, and joins the group at -3.

Scottie Scheffler has a pleasant flat lie within the bunker, and may take a shy on the inexperienced from one of the best a part of 200 yards. The Masters champ whips an excellent iron into the guts of the inexperienced, straight on the flag. He’ll take a look at birdie and a really perfect begin from 25 ft. In it goes, calm as you want. What a putt. What a second shot. What a phenomenon Scheffler is. He’s now one off the lead, already an ominous transfer.

-5: Morikawa, Dahmen
-4: Scheffler (1), Buckley, Rahm, McIlroy, Smart, Hossler

The world primary Scottie Scheffler takes to the first tee. He pulls his opening tee shot right into a fairway bunker. In the meantime Tom Kim follows up his eagle at 5 with a 20-foot birdie roll at 7, strolling it in, within the Kevin Na model. At -2, Tom is on the fitting tracks. Sorry. Sorry. I’m sorry.

Not the beginning Matt Fitzpatrick wished. A 3-footer for par pulled left at 1. He slips again to -1. He left the flagstick in there, as he normally does, however the wind was blowing it round like loopy. That absolutely can’t have helped. A good probability he’ll be taking it out for the shorter putts from now. In the meantime on 6, Will Zalatoris misses the inexperienced to the fitting and doesn’t get notably shut along with his chip on, however he steers within the left-to-right 12-footer to stay at -3.

-5: Morikawa, Dahmen
-4: Buckley, Rahm, McIlroy, Smart, Hossler
-3: Zalatoris (6), Hardy, Scheffler, NeSmith, Rodgers, Harman
-2: Burns (2)
-1: Kim (6), Lingmerth (4), Vick -a- (2), Hadwin (2), Fitzpatrick (2)

Min Woo Lee already has one huge title to his identify: final yr’s Scottish Open, which the younger Australian received after a last spherical of 64 and a play-off with Thomas Detry and Matt Fitzpatrick. He’s additionally obtained the US Junior Novice on his resumé, and when he received that in 2016 it meant he and sister Minjee, who lifted the US Ladies’ Junior in 2012, grew to become the primary brother and sister to land each of the USGA’s junior championships. Minjee, after all, received the US Girls’s Open simply a few weeks in the past in sensational model. Little bro received’t be finishing one other double this week, however he has completed up with birdies at 17 and 18 for a spherical of 69 to finish Transferring Day at +2. Perhaps subsequent yr?

Kim Joo-hyung, 19 years outdated from Seoul, is making his US Open debut this week. He’s not losing any time, both. A 68 yesterday, and now he’s simply holed out from 50 yards on the par-four sixth for eagle. Kim – who has already been within the winner’s circle this yr, along with his second Asian Tour title on the Singapore Worldwide in January – is understood to family and friends as Tom. Why? “Really, it was Thomas. I obtained it from Thomas the practice after I was younger. I had the entire thing, I had the lunchbox, I had the toys, yeah. As I grew older, some individuals began calling me Tom and I assumed it was simply shorter and extra easy. My brother even calls me Tom. It was form of pure. And my household calls me Tom as nicely, my pals name me Tom, so it form of simply got here pure to me. It was that form of identify.” Tom is presently -1 total.

Will Zalatoris will get loads of pelters for his erratic placing, however when he’s on, he’s on. A protracted birdie effort drained at 2, one other probability shaving the cup at 3, and now he’s picked up one other shot with one other rake on 4! This man loves the majors – 5 top-ten finishes in seven begins, together with two runner-up locations – and he promised he’d attempt his damnedest to go one higher after shedding the PGA play-off to Justin Thomas final month. He may very well be making good on that. He’s -3.

Callum Tarren has introduced his expertise this week. The 31-year-old from Darlington led the US Open by a few photographs at one level yesterday, they usually’ll by no means take that away from him. However he suffered a dismal again 9 yesterday, coming again in 38, and it might have rocked his confidence. A shaky three-putt bogey at 1 and he slips again to stage par total.

It’s robust on the market, and it’s solely going to get more durable. But it surely’s at all times potential to submit a rating. Denny McCarthy is in with a two-under 68, although the 29-year-old from Maryland demonstrates how you must carry on scrapping at 18, tapping a 20-foot birdie putt that runs and runs and runs 5 ft previous. He’s not of a thoughts to spoil his good work on the the final gap, although, steeling himself to roll within the par putt. He’s +1, presently exterior the highest 20, however on Sky, the ever-excellent Dame Laura Davies suggests he’ll definitely be inside it come the tip of an attritional day.

The one really notable transfer thus far has been made by the PGA runner-up Will Zalatoris. The 25-year-old from San Francisco has already made his mark on the US Open, making a hole-in-one throughout his first spherical at Winged Foot in 2020 then very almost making one other six holes later. A dimple away from historical past. He tied for sixth that yr. He’s going alongside properly this yr too, having carded 69 and 70 whereas below the radar for the primary two days. He solely simply will get onto the entrance of the par-three 2nd along with his tee shot, however steers in an extended right-to-left swinger for birdie, then almost drains one other at 3. He’s made the primary transfer close to the highest of the leaderboard to -2.

Having mentioned all that, one of many first gamers to finish his spherical in the present day has executed so below par. Sebastián Muñoz completed birdie-birdie, and signed for a one-under 69. The 29-year-old Colombian’s finest end at a US Open was a tie for 59th at Winged Foot a few years in the past; at +2 total, he’s presently tied for thirtieth and on track to higher that considerably.

… so, any early movers, then? Effectively, the wind has been brisk at Brookline … so no. Of the 40-odd gamers already on the market, a grand whole of three are presently below par for his or her rounds, and a kind of has solely performed two holes. The USGA will likely be cock-a-hoop. Hey, it’s the US Open, it’s simply the way it’s obtained to be. The common rating on the entrance 9 on the primary two days was 35.9; in the present day it’s 36.9. The wind’s anticipated to choose up, as nicely, which in flip will additional harden the greens. Count on it to be a grind … however grinding, as Prince by no means bored with telling us, generally is a very pleasant expertise certainly. Right here we go, then.

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