TOMMY FLEETWOOD joined in a record-breaking scoring spree at Erin Hills to give himself a great chance to land the US Open title.
Fleetwood refused to be intimidated at playing alongside one of the biggest hitters in the game, Brooks Koepka, and also shrugged off a record-breaking charge from another American ace, Justin Thomas.
The long-haired Englishman started the third round in a four way tie for the lead at seven under par, and even though it was new territory for him there were no signs of nerves.
Follow all the US Open action with Sun Sport’s live blog
Fleetwood knew he had to keep the birdies flowing as most of the field were tearing it up at rain-softened Erin Hills – and he did just that to finish tied with Thomas and Koepka on 11 under par, one shot behind leader Brian Harman.
His coolness under pressure should have come as no surprise – and it will be even more vital on Sunday.
Fleetwood, 26, ended a four-year wait for his second European tour win with a dazzling victory at the Abu Dhabi Championship earlier this year, when he held off a late surge from world No 1 Dustin Johnson.
US OPEN LEADERBOARD
1. Brian Harman -12
T2. Tommy Fleetwood -11
T2. Justin Thomas -11
T2. Brooks Koepka -11
5. Rickie Fowler -10
6. Si Woo Kim -9
MOST READ IN SPORT
He showed that was no fluke by finishing runner up to Johnson in the World Golf Championship event in Mexico a couple of months later, proving he can hold his own in elite company.
Thomas had earlier carved out a slice of US Open history with a sensational nine under par 63.
That is the lowest score in relation to par in the 122 year history of the US Open, and it allowed Thomas to come hurtling out of the pack to set an imposing 54-hole target as he walked into the clubhouse at 11 under.
His round was a one-shot improvement on the eight-under-par 63 Jonny Miller fired in the final round at Oakmont in 1973 – rated as possibly the greatest round in Major championship history.
It was the 30th time a player has shot 63 in the Majors – both Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson posted that score during their classic battle in last year’s Open at Troon.
Thomas’ main claim to fame before this was the fact that he is Jordan Spieth’s best pal, although he has managed four PGA Tour victories, including this year’s Sony Open.
He completed his record-breaking score by smashing his second shot to eight feet on the 667-yard closing hole, setting up an eagle which brought a roar that could be heard all over Wisconsin.
He said: “I didn’t know about the below-par record, but that is just a fantastic bonus. I was just chasing a 63, which seems to be the magic score in the Majors.
“We’d all love to be the first to shoot 62, but that would have meant holing my second shot from just inside 300 yards, which was asking a lot
“But it feels great to be part of US open history, and I’ve obviously put myself in with a great chance to win the tournament. I couldn’t be happier.”
While Fleetwood was enjoying himself, fellow Englishman Paul Casey saw his title hopes nosedived as he crashed to his second double bogey of the tournament.
Casey, 39, was another of the co-leaders heading out, and a birdie at the opening hole suggested he was in the mood to challenge for a first Major triumph.
But it all went wrong at the par four third, when he got snarled up in the knee-deep fescue and ran up an ugly seven.
Casey recovered from his triple bogey 24 hours earlier with a spectacular run of five straight birdies. Bu there was to be no miracle recovery this time.
He dropped another shot at the fourth, and despite showing his battling qualities with a birdie at the eight, another bogey at ten kept him down among the also-rans.
Casey knew he could not afford to stay still, let alone concede ground.
Leave a comment