Another bird for Rory McIlroy, this time at 15! That couldn’t be turned on, could it? No. Certainly not. But he has -2, and has made some impressive late shots, albeit useless, before the line. Will Zalatoris, meanwhile, had a great chance to score, but Matt Fitzpatrick’s shot rattled off the post. Fitzpatrick does not respond particularly well, sending a very average third to 25 feet.
Fitzpatrick and Zalatoris turn to divide fairway number 14, and then rise with 3 sticks and long iron respectively. At 15, Scheffler sends his starting shot to the second cut to the left. A brief period of calm before the next dramatic storm.
Matthew Fitzpatrick faces a downhill break from left to right from the best 60 feet. Do not you worry! Drive the monster to the cup without any problems, one of those that seemed destined to fall from a fairly old exit! It’s a sensational moment that is taking this US Open in another direction! He punches the air with excitement. The gallery roars. Will Will Zalatoris, who had climbed his third to 15 feet, be able to answer, giving himself an outside chance to cross the parity? Sure you can! Roll the slider from left to right, and what a savings! Rugit II. Meanwhile, at 14, Scottie Scheffler misses the shortest putt of the three and will have to settle for par. The Master’s champion seems surprised. The chance to regain some of the leadership passes.
-5: Fitzpatrick (13), Zalatoris (13) -4: Scheffler (14) -3: Matsuyama (F)
Another awkward mistake here, this time by Scottie Scheffler. He is only playing for the position with his second at 14 … but he sends his ball to a rough patch that divides the fairway. However, a few tones of playing off the divot at 1, he comes out of the cabbage into the heart of the green, with his ball rolling serenely towards the flag, with a high pin, just six feet to the right! An opportunity for birds, as everything threatened to fall apart!
Too little, too late for Rory McIlroy, sure, but he sinks 12 feet out of 14 and hits the birdie putt. Returns to the red numbers at -1. Back at 13, Matt Fitzpatrick finds the green in regulation, but like Scottie Scheffler before him, he faces two long putts for his pair. Will Zalatoris, on the other hand, has a terrible day. Goodbye turn!
Matt Fitzpatrick splits fairway number 13 … but Will Zalatoris’s driving force suddenly leaves him, and sends another shot off the right. Meanwhile, on the 14th, Scottie Scheffler does what needs to be done on the long par-five and finds things short off the tee. Denny McCarthy, by the way, while not concerned about NBC coverage, is still on the sidelines of the dispute. A bird at the age of 12 brought it to -2, where it stays until the age of 14.
Zalatoris almost makes this putt! It rolls over the false forehead, and holds it straight to the flag until the last bend, when it breaks to the left. Aim for a bogey that could have been worse. Fitzpatrick can’t make his bird, but he tidies up and is closer. In the meantime, it’s a pair of two putts for Scheffler on the 13th, and a pair for Hideki Matsuyama on the 18th. know if the knees of the leading herd are starting to hit. This is the US Open after all.
-5: Zalatoris (12) -4: Scheffler (13), Fitzpatrick (12) -3: Matsuyama (F)
Zalatoris is on the right of 12 with high fescue. All you can do is go back out on the street. Complete this task, but leave the door slightly open for Fitzpatrick. It sends its second needle high but 30 feet wide of the flag. However, it has the advantage, with the third of Zalatoris demolishing the small false front of the green. His ball doesn’t roll up to the fringe, which is something, but there’s likely to be bogey unless he can catch the putt going up again.
This two-shot swing will hurt Matt Fitzpatrick. But the pendulum can swing in both directions, and after seeing Will Zalatoris send a hysterical portion to the nuisance to the right of 12, he divides the street. Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler reaches 13th green in regulation, although a 30-foot putt has been left with plenty of rest. We’ve seen him do them, mind you. Lots of drama yet to be developed.
Hideki Matsuyama does a hard job of 17. He leaves his approach short, and even though he gets up and down from an awkward position next to a bunker, it’s just a pair in a hole that has been giving up birds . Meanwhile, a great matchplay style moment on the 11th! Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick are side by side, facing almost identical 15-foot putts for birdie. Zalatoris gets up first and he empties his. That gives Fitzpatrick the tremors. He throws his effort three yards further, then throws the one back to the right. Suddenly, Zalatoris has a two-stroke advantage!
-6: Zalatoris (11) -4: Scheffler (12), Fitzpatrick (11) -3: Matsuyama (17) -2: Morikawa (D), McCarthy (13)
Finally, a bird for Jon Rahm! Get to the 11-yard short, reward for hitting your high exit needle, ten feet to the right. Keegan Bradley also makes one, after being on the verge of achieving it. People loved watching their local boy approach. Both players return to the red numbers at -1 and, although it is a long shot, they are not yet fully kaput. Then the final group climbs the tee. Both Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick send their wedges to Rahm Territory, and they will both be thinking about the bird.
Will Zalatoris is on a revolution to exhaust his swinger from left to right by birdie on the 10th. Only the pair, though Matt Fitzpatrick can’t save his pair, now have a share of the lead. Meanwhile, at 18, he equals Open champion Collin Morikawa, who signs for a final round of 66. A whole shot of 11 better than yesterday! Think about Saturday in Brookline for a while. Still, he is the new club leader with -2.
-5: Fitzpatrick (10), Zalatoris (10) -4: Scheffler (11) -3: Matsuyama (16) -2: Morikawa (D), McCarthy (13)
Will Zalatoris had total control of his game yesterday, and it starts to look like he has rediscovered this mojo. Three birds in the last four holes, and now he has put his ball in the heart of two, from where he will look up another bird. Meanwhile, Matt Fitzpatrick puts his second in sand problems. He attacks well on six feet, though he will be left with a tickle from left to right to save his pair. For now, all the momentum is with Zalatoris (and Hideki Matsuyama, of course).
Things started to go wrong for Scottie Scheffler yesterday afternoon at 11. He made a double bogey hole, then made three more bogey in a row. These things can get in your head, and today he makes three putts for his second bogey on the rebound. The old ticker will go now. Meanwhile, Hideki Matsuyama makes another bird putt from a distance, this time at 16, and is about to post something that will make the leaders stop to think!
-6: Fitzpatrick (9) -5: Zalatoris (9) -4: Scheffler (11) -3: Matsuyama (16)
Welcome to the start of the 2022 US Open! Yes, the last group took their turn on Sunday. It’s on!
Will Zalatoris sends his starting shot to 9 on the rough right. But he shoots his second arrow at the green, leaving a swinger from left to right rising from 20 feet. In it he goes for his third bird in four holes! Matt Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, has to settle for parity, despite cutting his 170-yard second to eight feet. His putt stubbornly stands high to the right, and passes a chance to put some light between him and his pursuers. Meanwhile, on the 17th, Collin Morikawa fits his second to touch the distance, and will now be cursing on the 77th yesterday.
-6: Fitzpatrick (9) -5: Scheffler (10), Zalatoris (9) -2: Morikawa (17), Matsuyama (15), McCarthy (12), Dahmen (11)
Scottie Scheffler gently leaves the bunker at the back of 10. His ball threatens to hit the pin, but rolls to the left and eight feet further. He can’t make it back, and this is his first shot of the day. He has -5 and Matt Fitzpatrick is the sole owner of the lead. Meanwhile, a three-putt bogey for Rory McIlroy at 11, and at the level of his career is running. And Denny McCarthy draws in fourth place, leading a curler from left to right from ten feet over 12. He has -2.
Potentially some trouble for Scottie Scheffler at 10. His starting shot finds the first cut on the right. He calls his second on the green, but makes no turn, and the ball comes out through a bunker in the back. It has a bit of green to play with, but everything is downhill, so it will be a delicate splash. However, we’ve seen him get out of a tighter situation before.
Matt Fitzpatrick’s eagle putt, a 25-foot right-to-left slider through 8, briefly considers dropping, but doesn’t turn enough. He plays with confidence from a couple of feet to his bird. Just the pair of Will Zalatoris. Meanwhile, another bird effort goes through the hole for Rory McIlroy, this time at 10, then his starting shot at 11 only finds the margin. It has not been his weekend. Next month in St Andrews, where he once shot 63, perhaps.
-6: Scheffler (9), Fitzpatrick (8) -4: Zalatoris (8) -2: Matsuyama (14), Dahmen (11) -1: Morikawa (16), McIlroy (10), Hadwin (9), Bradley (8), cream (8)
Scottie Scheffler is six inches from the birdie in 9 and a nine in front of 30. No matter, 31 will be enough on a major championship Sunday! On the other hand, the reigning champion Jon Rahm cannot be started, and another shot goes to the eighth par-5, where he was never in position. Once he left the green, Matt Fitzpatrick filled it with his ball, breaking a beautiful second high pin. Today he will take his second look at the eagle.
It’s getting to the point where the challengers have to do …