Five things to watch on Sunday at the U.S. Open
Three days down, one to go, and the U.S. Open is setting up well for a spectacular finish. Four players sit tied at -4, with four more three strokes back.
1. Jason Day. If Day had just completed a round the day after collapsing from vertigo, that’d be impressive. If Day had just finished Saturday in a tie for the lead at the U.S. Open, that’d be impressive as well. But astonishingly, Day did both, somehow managing to remain upright while closing with three birdies on the final four holes. He snagged the clubhouse lead and ended the day in a tie with Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, and Branden Grace. He could tap out without even taking a swing on Sunday and he’d still be one of the best stories of the weekend.
2. Jordan Spieth. Golf’s Golden Boy lost a touch of his luster on Saturday afternoon, giving away what was at one point a two-shot lead on the field. His characteristically strong putting abandoned him, but fortunately for Spieth, nobody else did much either. He ended the day in a four-way tie for the lead, with an ideal opportunity to add to his burgeoning legend. If he falls short, he will politely trench the greens with a backhoe.
3. Dustin Johnson. Five birdies, three bogeys, one double bogey on the afternoon. But also a perfect record for fairways hit. That’s characteristic of Johnson’s game, and a perfect encapsulation of why he’ll either dominate or fall apart on Sunday. Johnson has been here before, having been in competition late in both the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship, but in both of those instances surrendered a late lead. Can he hold it together this time?
4. The sprinter. As Louis Oosthuizen showed on Saturday with a 66, anybody posting a low score early has a chance to sneak into the mix when the leaders come back to the pack. And come back they almost surely will. Virtually every player has complained about Chambers Bay’s layout, either on Twitter, in postround commentary, or via microphones on the course. Combine a rugged course with a sadistic USGA and you’ve got the makings of a tangled Sunday.
5. The course. Chambers Bay turned absolutely brutal late in the afternoon on Saturday, devouring virtually every golfer who teed off after noon Pacific Time. You can bet on a tough setup on Sunday, tricky pin positions and undulating greens, plus the ever-present noise from trains and the occasional unexpected environmental hazard:
It’s going to be a fine U.S. Open Sunday. Get your food and drink of choice ready; you’re not going to want to miss any of this.
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter.
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