BROOKLINE, Mass. (Reuters) – The stage is set for a wild U.S. Open finish with Jon Rahm’s bid for a repeat title certainly one of many riveting storylines going into the ultimate spherical on Sunday the place unseasonably chilly and windy situations are in retailer.
Rahm, who’s one shot again of co-leaders Matt Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris, is scheduled to set off within the penultimate pairing alongside New England native Keegan Bradley at 2:34 p.m. ET (1834 GMT) at The Country Club exterior Boston.
Masters champion and world primary Scottie Scheffler is a part of a gaggle sitting two pictures again of the leaders whereas pre-tournament favorite and phrase quantity three Rory McIlroy is amongst a pack an additional shot adrift.
Spanish world quantity two Rahm, who capped his third spherical with a double-bogey after his first shot from a fairway bunker hit the lip and rolled again towards him, is trying to grow to be the eighth participant to efficiently defend a U.S. Open title.
Englishman Fitzpatrick, 27, will attempt to as soon as once more style success on the identical Brookline venue that launched his profession having gained the U.S. Amateur at The Country Club in 2013.
If Fitzpatrick can pull off the victory he would be a part of {golfing} nice Jack Nicklaus as the one gamers to win a U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur at the identical venue and he feels his prior expertise on the format provides him a bonus.
“I definitely suppose it provides me an edge over the others, yeah. I genuinely do consider that,” Fitzpatrick stated after the third spherical. “It’s an actual, clearly, constructive second in my profession. It sort of kickstarted me.”
Zalatoris, the PGA Tour’s reigning rookie of the yr, has knocked on the door at majors earlier than and can attempt to lastly bust by way of after ending runner-up at the 2021 Masters and final month’s PGA Championship the place he misplaced in a playoff.
“I believe particularly coming off the PGA it gave me a number of perception and confidence that I belong on this scenario,” stated Zalatoris. “There’s a distinction in considering it after which truly being within the scenario and believing it.”
Bradley will undoubtedly have loads of help from the Boston crowd as he bids to grow to be the primary New Englander to win the U.S. Open since Connecticut native Julius Boros prevailed in a playoff in 1963 at The Country Club.
Players loved wonderful climate for the primary two rounds however temperatures worsened on Saturday and the forecast is asking for continued gusting winds and chillier temperatures on Sunday that might creep into the low 60s Fahrenheit (15 levels Celsius).
Each of the three earlier U.S. Opens held at The Country Club required a playoff to find out a winner, the newest in 1988, and with such a tightly-bunched leaderboard to begin the ultimate spherical further holes may once more be required.
Should there be a tie at the top of regulation, a two-hole combination playoff will happen instantly after the fourth spherical utilizing the par-four first and par-four 18th holes. If nonetheless tied, the identical holes will probably be utilized in a sudden-death format.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Brookline, Massachusetts, modifying by Pritha Sarkar)
