US Open – DJ Shares the Lead, New Big Three Suffer
DJ is leading – he’s been there before – but Spieth says he’s still in the game as the US Open goes into its third day.
Dustin Johnson shared the lead at the US Open after his second round. The only problem is that due to weather delays half of the field hasn’t played round two yet.
They will tee off Saturday morning, and then DJ will really know if he is still in that premier position. Since 5-over par won the last US Open at Oakmont, he probably likes his chances.
Johnson’s original late tee time on Thursday meant he didn’t really start his US Open until Friday due to bad weather. When he finally started, the course was wet. Gettable. Still not quite user-friendly, but potentially as soft as Oakmont ever is.
His score could have been better, he thought, when he met with media after playing 36 holes on Friday.
“The greens. They’re so hard to putt,” he said. “No matter how close you are to the hole, it’s just, they’re tough to putt. I mean, I hit so many good putts today that I thought were going in, and burned the edge or lip out.”
He said the best part of his game Friday was driving. He was second in driving distance through two rounds.
He was first in greens in regulation through his two rounds, hitting 31 of 36 greens. But his Achilles heel was the putting, where he was 105th.
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Saturday morning, the other half of the field, which includes Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and Bubba Watson, tees it up again. They will play their second round, and then be regrouped for the third round. The weather has really upended the USGA’s choreographing of the 2016 US Open.
Watson, 1-under, took the long view after finishing his first round early in the day.
“Around here in ’07, I finished 9-over and finished fifth,” he said. “I’ve got eight more bogeys I can make and still finish fifth.”
He said he would just keep fighting.
“You don’t really think about the mistakes or the bogeys because you’re going to have – everybody’s going to make bogeys out here. The golf course is that difficult,” he assured everyone.
Sergio Garcia finished 36 holes at 2-under par and in fourth place.
“My legs – I’m too old for this,” he said after the marathon.
“It was tough, obviously. I’m not going to lie, it was much easier than it was in the practice rounds because of the rain,” he added. “But it was a little bit breezy this morning. It played tough. You still had to hit good shots.”
He said he was going to rest and take a warm bath.
Elsewhere in the field, hopes of hoisting the US Open trophy are fading. The so-called new Big Three didn’t fare as well as many anticipated.
Jason Day was 5-over through 15 holes of his second round, and because his round was not finished, he did not comment to media.
Jordan Spieth is 2-over through round one. He did not play any golf on Friday.
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“I felt like I didn’t quite get rewarded with my score for how I felt like I played. A couple tough breaks. It’s a U.S. Open,” he insisted after his first round was completed. “I know that at the end of the day, the USGA is going to try to have even par win the golf tournament, and I know that I can shoot 2-under in the remaining 54 holes, no matter how the course plays. I know I’m capable of it. I’m in it.”
He tees off at 8:50 EDT on Saturday.
Rory McIlroy finished 7-over after just 18 holes.
“Right now I just need to focus on trying to hit fairways and hit greens. I think I hit five fairways and eight greens out there, which obviously isn’t going to do anything,” he said when he finished. “Honestly, I’ve been struggling with my swing, even the practice rounds a little bit. I just — I mean, I know what I’m doing, but it’s hard to change it out there.”
He tees off at 8:39 EDT on Saturday at this somewhat jerry-rigged US Open.
Next: Jordan & Phil: Different Oakmont Strategies
No one knows how many players will finish their third rounds on Saturday. It may be Sunday morning before the third round concludes and 2016 US Open leaders are identified.