No golfer has higher withstood the circumstances at this 12 months’s U.S. Open at Oakmont than Adam Scott. Due to that, the PGA Tour veteran has put himself in a superb place to safe his second main and first because the 2013 Masters.
With a win, Scott, 44, would develop into the second-oldest golfer to win the U.S. Open, behind Hale Irwin, who gained the occasion at 45 in 1990. (h/t PGA.com)
On Saturday, Scott shot a 67 following two rounds at 70 to enter the ultimate spherical at three-under par. Scott is the one participant to keep away from a spherical above par by 54 holes at this 12 months’s U.S. Open.
He enters the event’s closing day tied for second, with the Australian trailing American Sam Burns (-4), who’s looking for his first main title.
Scott was happy along with his spherical, telling NBC Sports activities afterward, “I put myself in a pleasant spot… I am fairly comfortable to be one behind.
“I am not sleeping on the lead,” he added.
Scott credited his stroke off the tee as the explanation for his robust three rounds at one of many hardest programs in skilled golf.
“I began hitting it higher off the tee,” Scott stated, including, “I am feeling far more assured.”
Per U.S. Open stats, Scott is second in strokes gained off the tee by three rounds (1.87), which measures how he is fared relative to different golfers.
Scott is tied for twelfth in fairways hit (27-of-42) and eleventh in greens in regulation (38-of-54), or the variety of holes a golfer reaches the inexperienced with at the least two strokes to par.
In the course of the third spherical, Scott hit 10-of-14 fairways, his most because the event’s begin. He additionally had his finest day scrambling, or changing par with out hitting a inexperienced in regulation.
Scott reached 11 greens in regulation (61 p.c), his fewest within the first three rounds. Nevertheless, he did not put up a single bogey after the primary gap, moderately posting three clutch sand saves, essentially the most by any golfer within the third spherical.
On the par-four, 396-yard No. 14, Scott’s robust strategy shot gave him a straightforward birdie putt, one in all three on the again 9.
He ended the third spherical with a superb drive on No. 18, giving him a powerful closing be aware coming into championship Sunday.
At a course like Oakmont, consistency is vital. And thru three rounds, Scott has been as constant as they arrive. By the point he wraps up gap No. 72 on Sunday, he may discover himself alone atop the leaderboard.
