US Open Golf 2024: 3 Instant Reactions to Saturday Leaderboard Scores
Bryson DeChambeau separated himself from the pack on Saturday at the 2024 US Open.
The 2020 US Open champion used a four-under round to move three strokes ahead of a trio of players, led by Rory McIlroy.
DeChambeau broke free from the field on the back nine, where his score got as high as eight-under. He finished the round at seven-under for the tournament. He is only two strokes off the winning score from the last US Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
Past history can also teach DeChambeau to not be too confident at Pinehurst. Retief Goosen held a three-shot lead in 2005 and then catapulted off the leaderboard to finish at eight-over.
Nothing about DeChambeau's game through three rounds suggests he will fall off that far, but it is a cautious warning for just how difficult the North Carolina course can play.
The other warning to DeChambeau is how tough the course played on Saturday. DeChambeau, Collin Morikawa and Aaron Rai were the only golfers multiple strokes under par in the third round. Seven total players carded under-par rounds.
Bryson DeChambeau's Back Nine Created Separation on Leaderboard
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DeChambeau started to run away from the field on the back nine.
He started his second nine with birdies on the 10th and 11th holes. He added to that tally with a birdie at No. 14.
DeChambeau got to eight-under, the lowest score of the tournament yet, with the birdie at No. 14.
He dropped two shots with a double bogey at No. 16, but that did not faze him, as he bounced back with his fourth back-nine birdie on the par-three 17th.
The three-under 67 from DeChambeau made him the only golfer in the field with three rounds in the 60s at Pinehurst this week.
Consistency was key for DeChambeau when he won the 2020 US Open. He carded scores between 67 and 70 at Winged Foot.
Another consistent round, even if it an even-par 70, would likely give DeChambeau the title since most others in the field struggled to keep the same consistency as Pinehurst got more difficult on Saturday.
Chasing Pack Made Too Many Mistakes To Get Close to DeChambeau
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The seven other golfers who finished under par for the tournament after Saturday all dealt with difficulties on Saturday.
Second-round solo leader Ludvig Aberg fell back with a triple bogey on the 13th hole. He went birdie-bogey on the two holes directly after that in a failed attempt to get back within striking distance.
Matthieu Pavon took the course by storm on the front nine with six pars and three birdies, but his round fell apart with bogeys on the 11th and 16th holes.
Rory McIlroy got up to six-under before he dropped one shot at both the 15th and 17th holes. Patrick Cantlay did not make a low-scoring surge during his even-par round.
All of those players had solid rounds, but in comparison to DeChambeau, they were not good enough.
One or more of those golfers need to clean up their games to challenge DeChambeau on Sunday, or hope that Pinehurst wins its battle with the solo leader after 54 holes.
Collin Morikawa Dazzles with Rare Low Round
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Collin Morikawa proved low scores were still possible at Pinehurst.
The two-time major champion posted the low round of the day with a four-under 66.
The low round was a welcome sight for Morikawa, who was one shot away from the cut line after Friday's second round.
Morikawa dragged himself up to even-par for the tournament with the low round, and by the end of the day, he was in a tie for ninth.
Morikawa was one of six golfers to jump at least 25 spots on the leaderboard. He vaulted up 42 places on Saturday.
He may not be in contention for the win right away on Sunday, but if he replicates Saturday's round, he could at least earn a top-five finish, something that was out of the question going into the third round.
