Stalled by rain in the first round, the U.S. Open is almost back on schedule and poised for a big finish.
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Sergio Garcia had two straight bogeys from the bunker and shot 72.
Jason Day began his big run early. He missed the putt, and then missed the putt coming back as Jordan Spieth escaped with the win.
Australian Day completed his third round, a four-under-par 66, before darkness halted play on Saturday with the leaders still out on the course. He was thrilled to stop and catch his breath.
“I’ve been playing well and not getting the results that I deserve”. “I’m two ahead with 22 holes left”. “It was a really good morning’s work for me. I just tried to push forward”. If I would have missed that, it would have been hard to get back from there.
“I’m here now. I might as well enjoy it while I’m here”. It will be interesting to see how he holds up in unfamiliar territory.
He took the one-shot penalty and then saved his mood with an 8-foot bogey putt.
No stranger to near misses, boasting 11 top-10 finishes after his heartbreaking runner-up placing to Jordan Spieth past year having three-putted the final hole at Chambers Bay, Johnson experienced it all on Saturday.
After two of the longest days brought on by three rain delays in the opening round, Sunday becomes a sprint.
“(The leaders are) going to be waking up around 5 a.m.as well (to) play the rest of their holes”, he said.
Marc Leishman rounds out the Aussie contingent and with just one hole to play tomorrow morning the Victorian is yet to put a birdie on his round 3 scorecard. Good news for the South African: A train can be heard from Oakmont, but not hit.
Dustin Johnson is also four shots behind Lowry after shooting a 1-over 71.
Phil Mickelson, who has never won a U.S. Open but finished second a record six times, finished the second round at 7-over following a 73.
Johnson remained optimistic as ever.
‘I’ll be honest, when I’ve had a few moments to myself I have envisaged winning, ‘ he said. I feel very comfortable out there. At some point, they will start to go in.
“Hopefully, I’ll make the cut”.
“I will only know (what it means) the day that it happens”. I know how to handle it.
Koepka moved as low as even par for the tournament, but Oakmont bit back as he bogeyed four in a row from the 14th. He played with Johnson on Friday and got his 36 holes in at 2 under. He had to settle for a 70 and was nine shots behind Lowry.
The last time a player won a major with an opening round 76 or higher came when Jack Fleck won the 1955 US Open.
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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. But the course was drenched that Sunday, and that won’t be the case now. There are a total of six players under par heading into the final day.
