The 29-year-old Irishman had already established a two-shot advantage in the evening shadows on Saturday evening with four holes left of his round to complete. Not since Payne Stewart at the Olympic Club in 1998 has anyone lost a lead that large in the U.S. Open.
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Oakmont: A shocking back-nine implosion sent Rory McIlroy reeling out of the US Open on Saturday, the world number three missing the cut at a major for the first time since the 2013 British Open.
But then he bogeyed each of the first two holes in third round and had a double-bogey on the par-4 third, which dealt a swift and harsh blow to his chance of competing for the title on Sunday. It was costly, considering he posted a 70 and was two shots behind Johnson at the start of the third round instead of one….
The combination of a session on the range with coach Michael Bannon and a more aggressive approach then paid off for McIlroy on day three as he birdied the 10th, 12th, 14th and 16th and then drove the green on the short par-four 17th, only to three-putt for par from 80 feet.
Lowry has never finished higher than ninth in majors, although he did win a World Golf Championship event past year. Not only when you’re out there, but when you get back, you’re always thinking about it at nighttime. He hit his next tee shot so far left that it went over a counter of lemonade glasses and into a concession stand, the ball settling next to a blue tub filled with bags of ice.
A few missed putts and an inaccurate iron game, gave him few opportunities to make up ground once he fell behind. I’m not the player who’s going to go out and shoot 28 under par.
South African Branden Grace, who began the third round seven shots off the pace, was the leader in the clubhouse at one-under 209 after firing a sparkling 66 to surge into contention for the year’s second major championship.
At that stage, Lowry led by two on five under with four holes to play. Bogeys followed and he also was three shots behind.
England’s Lee Westwood is on two under after parring his final three holes. Landry, who trails Lowry by two strokes, closed at 1,000-1 and drew one ticket for $5 at the Westgate. Day and Johnson are tied for eighth, six strokes behind Lowry.
“To be honest. I would have taken four pars and gone home for a bit of rest”, Lowry said. He shot 68-67 in Memphis last week to qualify for his first major.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport at the close of play last night, the Clara man added: “It’s up to us now to just go out and keep doing what we’ve been doing and not get ahead of ourselves”.
Miller famously closed with a 63 at Oakmont to win the 1973 U.S. Open, which remains the greatest final round by a major champion.
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And Johnson has 11 top 10s in majors, famously bombing on several occasions, including last years US Open where he had a 12-foot putt to win, only to three-putt to miss a playoff.
