Justin Thomas makes history with record score but lags behind Brian Harman
Justin Thomas carded the lowest subpar round ever at a US Open but still surrendered the third-round lead to fellow American Brian Harman on a helter-skelter Saturday at Erin Hills.
Thomas, decked out in fluorescent pink trousers, produced a no less electric performance signing for nineunder 63 to equal the lowest numerical score in a major and the best ever in the 117 year-history of the US Open in relation to par.
But the 24-year-old American will start Sunday’s final round trailing by a stroke after Harman turned in a rock-solid fiveunder 67 to top the leaderboard alone at 12-under 204.
A dizzying day of action could be topped on Sunday with six players within three shots of the lead all eyeing their first major.
Joining Thomas one back are American Brooks Koepka (68) and Englishman Tommy Fleetwood (68) with first round leader Rickie Fowler (68) two adrift and South Korean young gun Kim Si-woo (68) three behind the pacesetter.
The leaderboard may not be packed with household names but the frontrunners bring legitimate credentials to what should be an intriguing Sunday showdown.
Harman, bidding to become the first left-hander to win a US Open, is a winner on the PGA Tour this year while Thomas is the world number 13, a three-time winner this season and a member of the exclusive “59” club after breaking 60 at the Sony Open this year.
Fleetwood picked up a victory in Abu Dhabi on the European Tour while Fowler is widely regarded right now as the best golfer never to have won a major.
Thomas, decked out in fluorescent pink trousers, produced a no less electric performance signing for nineunder 63 to equal the lowest numerical score in a major and the best ever in the 117 year-history of the US Open in relation to par.
But the 24-year-old American will start Sunday’s final round trailing by a stroke after Harman turned in a rock-solid fiveunder 67 to top the leaderboard alone at 12-under 204.
A dizzying day of action could be topped on Sunday with six players within three shots of the lead all eyeing their first major.
Joining Thomas one back are American Brooks Koepka (68) and Englishman Tommy Fleetwood (68) with first round leader Rickie Fowler (68) two adrift and South Korean young gun Kim Si-woo (68) three behind the pacesetter.
The leaderboard may not be packed with household names but the frontrunners bring legitimate credentials to what should be an intriguing Sunday showdown.
Harman, bidding to become the first left-hander to win a US Open, is a winner on the PGA Tour this year while Thomas is the world number 13, a three-time winner this season and a member of the exclusive “59” club after breaking 60 at the Sony Open this year.
Fleetwood picked up a victory in Abu Dhabi on the European Tour while Fowler is widely regarded right now as the best golfer never to have won a major.