Here's what the top of the leaderboard looked like after Saturday:
T1. M. Fitzpatrick (ENG): -4 (68+70+68=206)
T1. W. Zalatoris: -4 (69+70+67=206)
3. J. Rahm (ESP): -3 (69+67+71=207)
T4. K. Bradley: -2 (70+69+69=208)
T4. A. Hadwin (CAN): -2 (66+72+70=208)
T4. S. Scheffler: -2 (70+67+71=208)
T7. S. Burns: -1 (71+67+71=209)
T7. J. Dahmen: -1 (67+68+74=209)
T7. R. McIlroy (NIR): -1 (67+69+73=209)
10. N. Hardy: Even (69+68+73=210)
The big story yesterday was that Collin Morikawa, who led after the second round, blew up to a 77 and fell out of contention. Today he finished with a 66, so he went 69+66+77+66=278, 2 under par. If he had simply shot par on Saturday, he would have run away with the tournament.
But he did not, so here we are with about an hour to go:
T1. Zalatoris: -5 (67 holes)
T1. Fitzpatrick (ENG): -5 (67)
3. Scheffler: -4 (67)
4. Matsuyama (JPN): -3 (72)
Fitzpatrick just made a 50-footer, or something like that, to make a birdie on 13 and tie Zalatoris for the lead. Then Zalatoris responded by holing a 12-footer for par to stay in the lead.
Now here's Scheffler putting for birdie on 14. His eight-footer slides past, and he remains one shot behind.
This tournament really should have come down to Scheffler (the Masters Champion) versus Zalatoris (the PGA Runner-Up). But Fitzpatrick, who has never won on the PGA Tour -- he mainly plays in Europe -- loves The Country Club. He won the U.S. Amateur at The Country Club in 2013, and he's tied for the lead here.
ReplyDeleteHere's what we have left:
ReplyDelete14th hole (Primrose 8): 619-yd par 5
15th hole (Liverpool): 510-yd par 4
16th hole (Clyde): 202-yd par 3
17th hole (Elbow): 373-yd par 4
18th hole (Home): 451-yd par 4
The Country Club is in Brookline, southwest of Boston. According to Google Maps, it takes 15 minutes to drive the 4.3 miles from The Country Club to Fenway Park.
ReplyDeleteZalatoris and Fitzpatrick both lay up on the 14th hole, and they will have short pitch shots to the green. Scheffler drives into the short rough on 15.
ReplyDeleteFollowing up on Eric's posts about the World Golf Ranking, here is the current top 10:
ReplyDelete1. S. Scheffler (2022 Masters Champ)
2. J. Rahm (ESP) (2021 U.S. Open Champ)
3. R. McIlroy (NIR)
4. P. Cantlay
5. J. Thomas (2022 PGA Champ)
6. C. Smith (AUS)
7. C. Morikawa (2021 British Open Champ)
8. V. Hovland (NOR)
9. S. Burns
10. J. Spieth
Zalatoris is number 14. Fitzpatrick is number 18.
ReplyDeleteMcIroy birdies the 15th and moves to minus 2. Zalatoris makes an excellent pitch shot to about 10 feet, but Fitzpatrick's shot comes up about 30 feet short.
ReplyDeleteLast week, the USA beat GB & I to win the Curtis Cup. So the Golf Cups currently look like this:
ReplyDeleteRyder Cup: USA won in 2021
Presidents' Cup: USA won in 2019
Solheim Cup: Europe won in 2021
Walker Cup: USA won in 2021
Curtis Cup: USA won in 2022
That's about as good as you can expect from the Americans.
Neither Fitzpatrick nor Zalatoris can make their birdie putts, and they remain tied at 5 under with four holes left.
ReplyDeleteThe last Englishman to win the U.S. Open was Justin Rose, who won at Merion in 2013. That tournament was covered quite thoroughly in these pages, and it was a cracker.
ReplyDeleteScheffler misses the green on 15, but gets up and down to save par. McIlroy holes a nervy 10-footer to stay at 2 under through 16.
ReplyDeleteT1. Zalatoris: -5 (68 holes)
ReplyDeleteT1. Fitzpatrick (ENG): -5 (68)
3. Scheffler: -4 (69)
Here's an update on some other big names. Rahm is three over for the day and even par for the tournament. Dustin Johnson finished 2 over for the tournament. Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth tied at 7 over. Brooks Koepka finished at 12 over. Byson Dechambeau finished at 13 over.
ReplyDeleteOn 16, Scheffler puts his tee shot into the middle of the green. He should make par from there.
ReplyDeleteOn 15, Fitzpatrick slices his drive into the right-hand gallery. Zalatoris slices into the right-hand rough.
ReplyDeleteFrom 31 feet, Scheffler putts for birdie on 16. He rolls the ball to within a foot, and then taps in for par.
ReplyDeleteHere are the locations for future U.S. Opens:
ReplyDelete2023: Los Angeles C.C.
2024: Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort & C.C.
2025: Oakmont (Pa.) C.C.
2026: Shinnecock Hills G.C., Southampton, N.Y.
2027: Pebble Beach (Calif.) G. Links
McIlroy misses a 10-footer for birdie on 17, and he stays at 2 under. He will not win the 2022 U.S. Open.
ReplyDeleteFrom the gallery, Fitzpatrick whacks a beautiful shot to the middle of the 15th green.
ReplyDeleteFrom the rough, Zalatoris hits a poor shot that lands in a greenside bunker.
ReplyDeleteFrom the bunker, Zalatoris gets onto the 15th green, but his par putt will be longer than Fitzpatrick's birdie putt.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Scheffler is 80 yards away from the 17th green. His pitch shot is wonderful, and stops about 5 feet from the hole.
ReplyDeleteZalatoris has 27 feet left for par on 16. He comes up a foot short, and falls back to 4-under par.
ReplyDeleteNow Fitzpatrick can give himself a two-shot lead if he makes the birdie putt. Leaving the flag in the hole, as usual, he nails the putt -- his second long birdie putt in the last three holes.
ReplyDeleteIf every tournament were played at The Country Club, Matthew Fitzpatrick would be the greatest golfer of all time.
ReplyDelete1. Fitzpatrick (ENG): -6 (69 holes)
ReplyDeleteT2. Scheffler: -4 (70)
T2. Zalatoris: -4 (69)
I'm pretty sure this tournament is over, because I don't think Fitzpatrick will make a bogey, and I don't think anyone else can get to 6 under.
ReplyDeleteBut Scheffler hasn't given up. He holes his putt on 17 and moves to 5 under, one shot off the lead.
ReplyDelete1. Fitzpatrick (ENG): -6 (69 holes)
ReplyDelete2. Scheffler: -5 (71)
3. Zalatoris: -4 (69)
Zalatoris hits a great tee shot on 16, and he will have a decent chance for a birdie that he really needs.
ReplyDeleteOn 18, Scheffler's drive lands in the middle of the fairway.
ReplyDeleteThis will be only the third time Fitzpatrick has finished in the top 10 in a major.
ReplyDeleteFitzpatrick's putter is on fire. He almost holes another really long birdie, but settles for a tap-in par.
ReplyDeleteMcIlroy pars out and finishes at 2 under par for the tournament.
ReplyDeleteNow Zalatoris with a must-make birdie. He knocks it in and moves back to within one shot of the lead.
ReplyDelete1. Fitzpatrick (ENG): -6 (70 holes)
ReplyDeleteT2. Scheffler: -5 (71)
T2. Zalatoris: -5 (70)
Now we go to 18, where Scheffler is about to hit his approach shot. He hits the ball to the middle of the green, and he will probably make par from there.
ReplyDeleteThe 17th hole is one of the easiest on the course, and Fitzpatrick and Zalatoris both drive into the middle of the fairway.
ReplyDeleteRemarkably, there hasn't been a playoff at the U.S. Open since 2008, when Tiger Woods beat Rocco Mediate in one of the greatest tournaments ever played.
ReplyDeleteZalatoris and Fitzpatrick both pitch onto the 17th green, and both will have decent chances at birdie.
ReplyDeleteScheffler has a long birdie putt on 18, and it just rolls past by an inch or two to the left.
ReplyDeleteAccording to NBC, Zalatoris is 11' 11" away on 17; Fitzpatrick is 11' 6" away. So Zalatoris will go first.
ReplyDeleteZalatoris's putt was online, but he didn't hit it hard enough, and it comes up a few inches short. Scheffler taps in for par. And now Fitzpatrick can clinch the tournament with his birdie putt on 17.
ReplyDeleteFitzpatrick's putt was downhill, so he just barely touches it, and it rolls to within tap-in range. One hole left.
ReplyDelete1. Fitzpatrick (ENG): -6 (71 holes)
ReplyDeleteT2. Scheffler: -5 (72)
T2. Zalatoris: -5 (71)
Fitzpatrick's drive on 18 goes into a fairway bunker, which is probably the only way he could have made things interesting. Paul Azinger says Fitzpatrick has made a big mistake, which is probably true.
ReplyDeleteRahm shoots a 74 and finishes at 1 over par for the tournament. Meanwhile, the fans are pouring into the 18th fairway behind Fitzpatrick and Zalatoris.
ReplyDeleteFitzpatrick's ball is not wedged, and he can reach the green from where he is. He is 159 yards from the hole. Here he goes, and it is a perfect shot -- right into the middle of the green. That beats Scheffler, and now the only drama is whether Zalatoris can make birdie.
ReplyDeleteZalatoris is 129 yards from the green, and his wedge lands about 20 feet away from the hole. Assuming that Fitzpatrick doesn't make birdie, Zalatoris will have that putt for a tie.
ReplyDeleteFitzpatrick goes first. His putt goes past about six inches to the left, and he taps in for par. He finishes at 274, which eliminates Scheffler.
ReplyDeleteHere's Zalatoris for birdie, and a tie. Like Scheffler, his putt goes just an inch off to the left, and Matthew Fitzpatrick wins the 2022 U.S. Open. Presumably we will see him again the next time The Country Club hosts a major.
ReplyDelete