The U.S. Open is half over. But we’re just getting started. Here’s what you need to know for Saturday’s third round at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, N.Y.
1. The final pairing is a good one
Patrick Reed leads at four under, and Bryson DeChambeau is just one back at three under. That’s your final pairing (2:25 p.m. ET) for Saturday. Both players are among the sport’s most intriguing, perhaps enigmatic, figures. They have a combined 14 PGA Tour wins and wear their hearts on their sleeves, so watching the ups and downs of Saturday’s third round play out live on TV should be fun.
2. Will Winged Foot get even tougher?
Twenty-one players shot rounds under par on Thursday. That number was reduced to just three on Friday, twice in the morning wave and once in the afternoon. Surely Winged Foot’s membership (and the USGA) wants the iconic venue to be a difficult but fair test, so it will be interesting to see which way the scores start to head on Saturday, aka Moving Day. (One guess? Not very far under par.)
3. How far back is too far back?
How many birdies are there to go around at Winged Foot? There are only two par-5s, and the course (as mentioned above) might only get tougher. What lead is safe? What score is good enough to win? Are players like Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson (both at three over and seven back) too far back at this point?
4. Can Bryson DeChambeau continue the major momentum?
DeChambeau played in 15 major championships up until this week. In the first 14, he never recorded a top-10 finish, but he finally did that at the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park last month, where he tied for 4th. Can he keep the momentum going? If he stays hot with his wedges and continues his strong play around the green, watch out.
5. Are we positioned for a first-time major winner?
Of the 11 players atop the leaderboard — all at even par or better, with Reed leading at four under — only two have won majors: Patrick Reed won the 2018 Masters, and Justin Thomas won the 2017 PGA. There are some strong resumes behind that top 11, but it will be exciting to see who is still sticking around in contention come Sunday afternoon. A few of those 11 players will be in the thick of it — but a few, not all.
