US Open Golf 2020: Saturday Tee Times, TV Schedule, Live Stream, More
Patrick Reed and Justin Thomas are the only previous major winners in the top 10 on the 2020 U.S. Open leaderboard entering Saturday's third round.
Reed is the 36-hole leader of the event at Winged Foot Golf Club and he has been one of the more consistent golfers on the difficult course. Bryson DeChambeau will partner Reed in Saturday's final pairing. DeChambeau is the lone golfer with two rounds in the 60s.
Thomas used a late rally to place himself two shots back of Reed alongside Harris English and Rafa Cabrera Bello.
Reed and Thomas will face stiff competition from DeChambeau and others in search of their first major crowns, as well as a collection of previous major winners lurking in the top 20 and 30 who could piece together solid third rounds to give themselves a chance at triumphing Sunday.
US Open Round 3 Information
TV: NBC (11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. ET)
Live Stream: Peacock (9-11 a.m. ET); NBCSports.com and NBC Sports app
Saturday Tee Times
Preview
Reed's path to the 36-hole lead was not easy.
The 2018 Masters winner hit 10 fairways in the first two rounds, which is the lowest total of any second-round leader since at least 1983, per PGA Tour Communications.
Reed was one shot off Thomas in the first round and then survived the brutal conditions Friday to produce an even-par round.
The leader noted how difficult the course setup was Friday compared to Thursday, per Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press: "It's almost like they set it up to ease our way into it and then showed us what it's supposed to really be like."
Reed produced 10 pars, five birdies and five bogeys and closed with two birdies and two bogeys in his final five holes Friday.
Although such a high number of bogeys is not great, Reed displayed his ability to bounce back from dropped shots, which could be critical when managing the course Saturday and Sunday.
DeChambeau experienced a similarly up-and-down second round. In his first seven holes, he produced three bogeys, three birdies and a par. The second set of nine holes was as shaky too, as he used an eagle on the ninth hole to rally back from bogeys at No. 2 and No. 5.
If the conditions at Winged Foot worsen Saturday, Reed and DeChambeau may be in for a tougher fight to remain in the top two positions.
Thomas struggled at the start of Friday's round with four bogeys in a five-hole stretch, including a double bogey at No. 1.
The 2017 PGA Championship winner pulled it together and carded six pars and two birdies in the closing stretch to put himself in a decent position to pounce Saturday.
According to PGA Tour Communications, 22 of the past 24 U.S. Open champions have been within two shots of the lead through two rounds.
Thomas is one of three players at two under, and with how brutal Winged Foot can be, a swing in his favor over Reed or DeChambeau could happen in an instant.
Xander Schauffele and Brendon Todd could be the best candidates to buck the U.S. Open trend. The two players in a tie for seventh at even par produced rounds of 68 and 72 Thursday and Friday.
Schauffele opened Friday with seven pars, one bogey and a birdie. If he starts in a similar fashion Saturday, he may climb a few positions based off errors from other golfers. Todd, meanwhile, could find himself in the same position if he rides the confidence from an eagle on his final hole Friday.
If one player comes from the over-par ranks to win, it could be Dustin Johnson. The FedEx Cup winner shot a second-round 70 and has experience winning the U.S. Open on a difficult course from 2016 at Oakmont Country Club.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from PGATour.com.
