With one round to go, the top ten looks like this:
T1. W. Clark: -10 (64+67+69=200)
T1. R. Fowler: -10 (62+68+70=200)
3. R. McIlroy (NIR): -9 (65+67+69=201)
4. S. Scheffler: -7 (67+68+68=203)
5. H. English: -6 (67+66+71=204)
T6. D. Johnson: -5 (64+70+71=205)
T6. X. Schauffele: -5 (62+70+73=205)
8. R. Nagano (JPN): -4 (71+67+68=206)
T9. T. Kim (KOR): -3 (73+68+66=207)
T9. B. DeChambeau: -3 (67+72+68=207)
T9. C. Smith (AUS): -3 (69+67+71=207)
Here are the odds for tomorrow:
R. McIlroy: +200 (2 to 1)
R. Fowler: +250 (5 to 2)
W. Clark: +275 (11 to 4)
S. Scheffler: +450 (9 to 2)
And that's it. No one else is given a chance of better than 33 to 1.
The leaders won't tee off until 4:30 PM Central. After yesterday's round, Wyndham Clark complained about having to play the last few holes in the dark. He said that was why he bogeyed 17, and he thinks that's why Fowler bogeyed 18.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, you may want to go back read our commentary on the 2014 PGA, when McIlroy beat Rickie Fowler (and Phil Mickelson) in Louisville. That tournament (one of my all-time favorites) finished in the dark. That was the last time McIlroy won a major.
ReplyDeleteIn Omaha, Texas Christian and UVA are playing an elimination game. The Frogs lead 2-1 in the top of the 4th, and of course ESPN has gone to a split screen so that they can interview the Texas Christian manager. I would love to see the market research that has convinced ESPN that fans want these in-game interviews. I hate them and silence the TV every time they come on.
ReplyDeleteIt was bad enough watching UK get eliminated by UNC in 1977 and 1995. If I'd had to watch Dean Smith in the middle of the game as well, I really would have lost it.
ReplyDeleteI understand that the folks at ESPN are bored by sports and don't really understand why so many of us watch them. But for me, and for most sports fans, a game is a big deal and we think it should be televised with the gravity it deserves.
ReplyDeleteFellow Kentuckian Justin Thomas tweets out the following prediction for today:
ReplyDelete"Front 9 full of fireworks. I think Xander makes a run, Rory gets off to a hot start, becomes a 2 man battle between Rory and Rick. Whoever plays 13-16 the best is in the driver seat. My guess is Rick gets it done at -11. Excited to watch!"
All along.
Texas Christian holds off UVA 4-3. The Wahoos go out after losing two one-run games in a row, which is what happened to Vandy. Now we can concentrate on golf.
ReplyDeleteOK, here we go:
ReplyDeleteT1. R. McIlroy (NIR): -10 (57 holes)
T1. W. Clark: -10 (57)
3. R. Fowler: -9 (57)
4. S. Scheffler: -7 (57)
T5. T. Fleetwood (ENG): -5 (72)
T5. C. Morikawa: -5 (64)
T5. X. Schauffele: -5 (59)
The best thing I can say about NBC's coverage is that NBC covers golf better than Fox does. But for me, Paul Azinger and Dan Hicks just don't have the gravitas you need for a U.S. Open.
ReplyDeleteThe next to last pairing is McIlroy and Scheffler. The last pairing is Clark and Fowler. Everyone else is pretty much out of it. Congrats to Tommy Fleetwood, who shot a 63 to get to 5 under for the tournament.
ReplyDeleteClark birdies the 4th, and moves to 11 under par.
ReplyDeleteTo me, Clark feels like a U.S. Open winner. The last two Americans to win U.S. Opens in California were Webb Simpson (2012) and Gary Woodland (2019). Clark seems like he could be the next.
ReplyDeleteA Rickie Fowler victory would be almost as dramatic as Ken Venturi's comeback in 1964. You don't get that sort of thing at the National Open very often.
ReplyDelete1. W. Clark: -11 (58 holes)
ReplyDelete2. R. McIlroy: -10 (58)
3. R. Fowler: -9 (58)
4. S. Scheffler: -7 (58)
Scheffler holes a six footer to save par on 5. McIlory also makes par.
ReplyDeleteMcIlroy and Scheffler come to the 316-yd par 4 6th hole. The big issue here is do you go for the green (by shooting directly over the trees between the tee and green) or do you lay up to one side or the other. Both McIlroy and Scheffler play it safe.
ReplyDeleteThe players have not been too happy with the LACC, and the fan response has been noticeably blah from the folks in Los Angeles. Next year the U.S. Open returns to Pinehurst Number 2 in North Carolina. The last Open at Pinehurst was the 2014 edition, which Martin Kaymer won by eight shots. That was one of the worst U.S. Opens ever played. On the other hand, the 1999 edition (won by Payne Stewart) was a thriller. So I don't know what to expect.
ReplyDeleteThis year's British Open -- the last major of the year -- will be at Royal Liverpool, which the Brits also refer to as Hoylake.
ReplyDeleteFowler three-putts the 5th hole and falls back to 8 under. It's pretty much down to Clark (-11) and McIlroy (-10).
ReplyDeleteMcIlroy and Scheffler par the 6th.
ReplyDelete1. W. Clark: -11 (59 holes)
ReplyDelete2. R. McIlroy (NIR): -10 (60)
3. R. Fowler: -8 (59)
4. S. Scheffler: -7 (60)
Clark attacks the short 6th hole, gets a birdie, and moves to 12 under par, two strokes clear of McIlroy.
ReplyDeleteScottie Scheffler bogeys the 7th hole and falls back to 6 under, six shots back. He's out of it.
ReplyDelete1. W. Clark: -12 (60 holes)
ReplyDelete2. R. McIlroy (NIR): -10 (61)
3. R. Fowler: -8 (60)
Fowler bogeys the 7th. He's three over for the day, 7 under for the tournament, and five shots behind Clark.
ReplyDeleteScheffler birdies the par-5 8th to move back to 7 under. McIlroy reached the green in two, but he three-putts for a par to remain two back. Now if Clark can birdie the 8th, he will have a three-shot lead.
ReplyDeleteClark's second shot on 8 misses the green and he's in an overgrown waste-like area. So he probably won't be making birdie.
ReplyDeleteNow this is getting unpleasant. Clark swung at the ball, which is buried in some sort of waste, but it didn't come out. So he swings again, and the ball comes flying out and lands on the other side of the green. Suddenly he's lying four on a par 5 and he's still not on the green.
ReplyDeleteMcIlroy pars the 9th and goes out in 34, 1 under par.
ReplyDeleteClark's fifth shot is an excellent chip that should allow him to save bogey and maintain a one-shot lead. But that's a terrible score on a 524-yard par 5.
ReplyDeleteScheffler pars the 9th and is out in 35, even par.
ReplyDeleteFowler birdies the 8th hole and moves back to 8 under. Clark gets his bogey and falls back to 11 under.
ReplyDeleteBrooks Koepka birdies the last to finish at 1 under par for the tournament.
ReplyDelete1. W. Clark: -11 (62 holes)
ReplyDelete2. R. McIlroy (NIR): -10 (63)
3. R. Fowler: -8 (62)
4. S. Scheffler: -7 (63)
Clark misses the green on the 155-yd 9th hole, and he is now under some real pressure.
ReplyDeleteFowler pars the 9th and is out in 37, 2 over par.
ReplyDeleteIf Scheffler is going to move it needs to happen soon. He has a decent look at birdie on 10, but his putt is never on line.
ReplyDeleteBig moment there: McIlroy was lining up his birdie putt on 10 while Clark was standing over a seven-footer for par on 9. McIlroy's putt just missed, and he leaned over the putter in agony. Then Clark popped his putt in the hole. He's out in 34, and he still has a one-shot lead.
ReplyDeleteSince 2014, McIlroy has finished in the top 10 of a major on EIGHTEEN different occasions. Last year, he finished 2d, 8th, 5th, and 3d. But he has yet to win one.
ReplyDeleteTo put McIlroy's frustrations in perspective, that's 18 top ten finishes in 32 major starts, but no wins. That's seems almost impossible, but apparently it's not.
ReplyDeleteNow Clark has a 15-footer for birdie on 10. That's almost exactly the same putt that McIlroy had, and Clark misses it as well. Meanwhile, McIlroy reaches the green on the 290-yd par 3 11th hole.
ReplyDeleteMcIlroy has an 18-footer for birdie on the 11th, but leaves it short and remains at 10 under. Scheffler cannot get up and down from a bunker, and he falls back to 6 under.
ReplyDeleteNow Clark and Fowler come to the 11th. It's a crazy shot -- a 295-yard par 3, downhill all the way. Fowler goes first and lands in the same bunker that caught Scheffler. Clark hits a three iron, misses the green, and his ball rolls into a collection area behind the green.
ReplyDeleteBoth Fowler and Clark make excellent recovery shots, and they will have short putts to save par. Meanwhile, McIlroy will have a long birdie putt on 12.
ReplyDelete1. W. Clark: -11 (64 holes)
ReplyDelete2. R. McIlroy: -10 (65)
3. R. Fowler: -8 (64)
Fowler misses his four-footer for par on 11, and falls back to 7 under. NBC, trying to jinx Clark, tells us that he's made 96.67 percent of his putts under 10 feet this week, which leads the field. But the jinx doesn't work, as Clark nails the putt anyway. He remains at 11 under, one shot clear of McIlroy.
ReplyDelete1. W. Clark: -11 (65 holes)
ReplyDelete2. R. McIlroy (NIR): -10 (65)
3. R. Fowler: -7 (65)
After the downhill 295-yd par 3 11th, you get an uphill 378-yd par 4 12th. Clark whangs his blind tee shot well up the hill and into the fairway. Meanwhile, McIlroy just misses another long birdie putt.
ReplyDeleteScheffler three-putts the 12th green and falls back to 5 under, and that's it for him.
ReplyDeleteFowler is almost done as well. He's only 130 yards from the 12th pin, but his blind drive ended up buried in the rough and he is trying to decide how to proceed. He finally accepts reality and pitches out into the fairway.
ReplyDeleteOK, here's Clark with a short pitch to the 12th green. He hits almost the same shot McIlroy hit under the same circumstances, and he's about 30 feet from the hole.
ReplyDeleteClark makes par on 12. Fowler cannot save par, and falls back to 6 under. It's down to Clark and McIlroy now.
ReplyDelete1. W. Clark: -11 (66 holes)
ReplyDelete2. R. McIlroy: -10 (66)
Here's what's left:
ReplyDelete13: 513 yards, par 4
14: 612 yards, par 5
15: 139 yards, par 3
16: 532 yards, par 4
17: 532 yards, par 4
18: 502 yards, par 4
Fowler is 4 over for the day. Scheffler is 2 over. Clark and McIlroy are each 1 under.
ReplyDeleteFrom the middle of the 13th fairway, McIlroy lofts a shot to the middle of the 13th green. That looks like another par.
ReplyDeleteThe fairways at LACC are much wider than we are used to seeing at U.S. Opens, but Clark misses the fairway on 13 and ends up in the left rough.
ReplyDeleteMcIlroy's 39-footer for birdie on 13 comes up short. But he makes another par (his 12th in a row) to remain at 10 under.
ReplyDeleteShout out to Vandy's Gordon Sargent, who shot 69+71+75+69=284 to finish in a tie for 39th and capture the Low Amateur trophy.
ReplyDeleteClark's lie on 13 isn't too bad, and his second shot ends up on the right fringe of the green, about 60 feet from the hole.
ReplyDeleteMcIlroy comes to the 612-yard 14th, probably the last birdie hole on the course. He ties to attack, but his drive misses the fairway.
ReplyDeleteFlorida leads Oral Roberts 5-1 after 4.
ReplyDeleteClark's approach putt is excellent, and he makes another par.
ReplyDelete1. W. Clark: -11 (67 holes)
2. R. McIlroy (NIR): -10 (67)
From the 14th fairway, McIlroy's third shot lands in the bunker in front of the green. Now he will need to get up and down to save his 13th par in a row. Meanwhile, Clark's drive goes well down the 14th fairway.
ReplyDeleteWell, McIlroy has an issue. The bunkers at LACC are dug into the ground, with high rough walls that surround them. McIlroy's shot on 14 did not land in the sand -- instead it plugged itself into the front wall of the bunker. He's consulting with the rules official on what happens next.
ReplyDeleteCameron Smith (AUS) finishes with a 67 to take the clubhouse lead at 6 under. I'm pretty sure he will be low-LIV.
ReplyDeleteMcIlroy is given a free drop, presumably on the grounds that the bunkers at the LACC don't make any sense. He then pitches his fourth shot onto the green. Now he has a 9-footer for par. It just misses to the right, and he falls back to 9 under.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Clark is doing stretches in the 14th fairway as he waits for McIlroy and Scheffler to clear the green.
ReplyDeleteOK, from 279 yards Clark decides to go for it. He gives it everything he's got, and bends down in an effort to urge the ball forward. It works, and his second shot bounds past the bunker that gave McIlroy so much trouble and rolls onto the green. He will be putting for eagle.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, McIlroy is at that tiny 15th hole, playing 139 yards today. His pitch gets on the right side of the bulge, and he'll have a decent birdie chance.
ReplyDeleteOn 15, McIlroy's 19-footer for birdie goes right past the edge of the hole, and he remains at 9 under. So far today, he has one birdie, one bogey, and 13 pars.
ReplyDeleteNow here's Clark for eagle. He rolls the ball right up to the hole, and taps in for birdie. Clark is now 12 under par -- 3 shots clear of the field.
ReplyDelete1. W. Clark: -12 (68 holes)
ReplyDelete2. R. McIlroy (NIR): -9 (69)
The record low score for the U.S. Open is 268. Rory McIlroy did that at Congressional Country Club in 2011, going 65+66+68+69=268 to win by eight shots. If Clark pars out, he would also finish with 268.
ReplyDeleteUntil today, McIlroy has been the only person ever to break 270 at the U.S. Open.
ReplyDeleteOn 15, Clark misses the green and will be chipping from just off the back. It's not a great chip, and it ends up about six feet from the hole.
ReplyDeleteMcIlroy reaches the 16th green in regulation, but he will have a very long birdie putt.
ReplyDeleteClark has 8 feet, 6 inches for par on 15. NBC gives him a 49 percent chance. He misses, and falls back to 11 under.
ReplyDelete1. W. Clark: -11 (69 holes)
ReplyDelete2. R. McIlroy (NIR): -9 (69)
Now Clark faces the three long par fours to end the course. These holes are all extremely long, but they also feature wide landing areas. On 16, Clark misses the fairway and drives into a bunker, which means an almost certain bogey.
ReplyDeleteScheffler birdies the 16th and moves to 7 under. McIlroy's 55-foot putt for birdie went about six feet past the hole, but he makes the par putt coming back. If Clark bogeys 16, McIlroy will once again be only one shot behind.
ReplyDeleteAfter 6, Florida leads Oral Roberts 5-1.
ReplyDeleteMcIlroy's drive on 17 goes into the left rough.
ReplyDeleteClark is in a bunker 189 yards from the green. He has no hope of reaching the green, so he blasts out into the fairway.
ReplyDeleteClark's third shot on 16 is excellent, and stops about 5 feet from the hole. Meanwhile, McIlroy did not drive into the rough on 17 -- he drove over into the bordering second fairway. So he's in the fairway, but there's a line of trees between him and the green.
ReplyDeleteFrom 205 yards, in the second fairway, McIlroy lets fly toward the 17th green. He clears the trees, he lands the ball on the fairway, and the ball runs to the fringe at the back of the green. He is in a good position to save par from there. Now it's up to Clark to make his putt on 16.
ReplyDeleteClark does NOT make his par putt -- the ball hits the right lip and rolls away. That will be a second bogey in a row.
ReplyDeleteSuddenly McIlroy is right back in this thing. He's only one shot back, and he has a 32-footer for birdie on 17. But his putt rolls just right of the pin, and he settles for his 15th par of the day.
ReplyDelete1. W. Clark: -10 (70 holes)
ReplyDelete2. R. McIlroy (NIR): -9 (71)
So it's all down to this. If Clark can par the last two holes, then McIroy would have to birdie 18 to tie him. But can Clark -- who has just bogeyed 15 and 16 -- par the last two holes?
ReplyDeleteTo his credit, Clark hits an excellent drive on 17.
ReplyDeleteMcIlroy birdied the first hole today. Since then, he has one bogey and 15 pars. Can he birdie the 502-yard 18th?
ReplyDeleteThis will be the first day all week that the final groups have had an audience on 18. The LACC crowds are usually long gone by now. The gallery sees McIlory hit his drive 303 yards up the hill and into the fairway.
ReplyDeleteClark is from the same school of American golfer as Jordan Spieth and others who look as though they are part of a surveying project. Every shot features a long series of consultations with the caddie, and there is much measuring, pointing, and looking at charts. Fowler plays much quicker, but then again Clark is four shots clear of Fowler.
ReplyDeleteFroom 186 yards, Clark misses the 17th green. But he's not in a hazard, and his chip shot shouldn't be too onerous. On the other hand, after two bogeys he was probably hoping for something easier.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, this would have been the part where I would have complained that the USGA no longer has an 18-hole playoff if the U.S. Open ends in a tie. And I still think it was a mistake to end that tradition. But I do not want to watch Clark and McIlroy go around this course one more time.
ReplyDeleteOK, here's McIlroy's last big swing. He lands the ball on the green, but he will have a long putt. Meanwhile, on 17, Clark chips the ball to within a foot of the hole. That was a great shot.
ReplyDeleteClark taps in for par:
ReplyDelete1. W. Clark: -10 (71 holes)
2. R. McIlroy (NIR): -9 (71)
McIlroy has a 41-foot putt for birdie. This will be his 270th shot of the weekend. He walks all around the green. For a long time, that putt appeared to be on line, but it drifted right at the last moment, and McIlroy will settle for par.
ReplyDeleteClark drives into the 18th fairway.
ReplyDeleteScheffler finishes with a 70, and he takes third place at 7 under. McIlroy also shoots a 70, and he finishes at 9 under.
ReplyDeleteSo McIlroy is in the clubhouse with a 271, and Clark just took his 267th shot. If he can finish in three more shots, Clark will win the U.S. Open.
ReplyDeleteNow Clark is ready for shot 268. He is 197 yards from the flag. He lands the ball on the front of the green, and he will have two putts for victory.
ReplyDeleteAnd now they are letting the crowd into the 18th fairway to surround the green. That's the most enthusiasm we've seen all week. The crowd at last week's Canadian Open was much more energetic than the folks at LACC.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Fowler is struggling. His third shot landed in the rough next to the green, and then his pitch went well past the hole.
ReplyDeleteClark lines up his 60-foot birdie putt. NBC, still trying to jinx him, tells us that he's only had two three-putts all week.
ReplyDeleteBut the jinx doesn't work -- Clark hits a wonderful putt that dies about one foot left of the hole.
ReplyDeleteFowler bogeys the last, and shoots 75. He finishes at 5 under for the tournament. And now Clark taps in, and he has won the 2023 U.S. Open. He was a well-deserved winner. His 70 on the last day brings him in at 270, the second-lowest score in U.S. Open history.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, we have chaos in Omaha. Florida leads 5-3 in the bottom of the 8th with two out and two on. The Florida closer then walked an Oral Roberts batter to load the bases. At this point, the Florida manager came out to talk to his closer. But that was Florida's seventh mound visit of the game. That's one too many, and the punishment is that Florida has to remove its closer. Florida had no one up the bullpen, so the Gators are having to bring in a new pitcher who's not even warmed up.
ReplyDeleteFlorida is now being mocked on social media.
ReplyDeleteOn a 3-2 count, the ORU batter flies out to left to end the inning. Gators lead 5-3 after 8.
ReplyDeleteI feel really bad for whatever Florida assistant is supposed to be keeping track of mound visits.
ReplyDeleteClark is the first American to win the National Open since 2020.
ReplyDeleteColorado, wow ... the Nuggets, now Clark ... Deion Sanders and Sean Payton this fall ...
DeleteAmericans have won 9 of 14 Major Tournaments contested in the 2020's.
ReplyDeleteSince 1967, they've only played the British Open twice at Royal Liverpool. In 2006, Tiger won with a score of 18 under. In 2014, McIlroy won with a score of 17 under.
ReplyDeleteFlorida still leads 5-3 in the bottom of the 9th, but Oral Roberts has runners on the corners with one out.
ReplyDeleteThe next batter walks, and the bases are loaded. And it's not like Florida's manager can do anything about it.
ReplyDeleteThe next batter hits a slow grounder to short. Florida gets the runner at second, but cannot turn the double play. Florida leads 5-4 with runners at the corners and two out.
ReplyDeleteNCAA Baseball Tournaments in the 2020's are like NCAA Basketball Tournaments in the 1980's.
ReplyDeleteThe last batter for Oral Roberts flies out to left center, and Florida wins 5 to 4. What a game!
ReplyDeleteGo, TCU!
ReplyDelete