BROOKLINE, Mass. (AP) — The Latest on U.S. Open (all times local):
4:05 p.m.
The leaders are on the course at the U.S. Open — and just in time to avoid some contenders who are making a charge in the third round at The Country Club.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is up to 4 under, and Aaron Wise has also moved one stroke in back of second-round leader Collin Morikawa. Joel Dahmen started the day as a co-leader at minus-5 but bogeyed his first hole to drop into second.
Only about a half-dozen golfers are under par in the windy and dry conditions outside of Boston. Denny McCarthy is in the clubhouse at 2 under for the day, bringing him to plus-1 for the tournament.
Will Zalatoris made the turn at minus 2 for the day and 3 under overall.
2011 champion Rory McIlroy started the day one stroke back but bogeyed two of the first three holes.
2:40 p.m.
A whipping wind and dry conditions at The Country Club are sending scores soaring early in the third round of the U.S. Open.
The field was a combined 103 over par shortly after 2 p.m. — with only three golfers in the red. Co-leaders Collin Morikawa and Joel Dahmen don’t tee off until 3:45 p.m. They were minus-5 through 36 holes.
Will Zalatoris was one of the few making birdies on Saturday morning, knocking in a 40-foot putt for birdie on the second hole and just missing another from 30 feet on No. 3.
He sank a 15-footer for birdie on No. 4 to improve to 2 under for the day and 3 under for the tournament.
Zalatoris is looking for his first major championship. He finished second at the Masters last year, and was the runner-up at this year’s PGA Championship.
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11:45 a.m.
The co-leaders in the U.S. Open are still four hours from starting the third round and no one is making a big run up the leaderboard.
Only two of the 18 players on the course at The Country Club are under par for the third round.
One is Sam Stevens. He’s 1 under through six holes — 2 over for the championship — and is part of a small group at Brookline that worked the hardest to get here. Stevens and two other players went through 18 holes of local qualifying in May and then made it through 36 holes of final qualifying in June.
The others are Oklahoma star Chris Gotterup and Chris Naegel. None are likely to win. One advantage to making the cut is they can advance straight to final qualifying next year.
Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth started seven shots behind and bogeyed his opening hole. Patrick Cantlay is 1 over for his round through seven holes and is nine shots back.
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8 a.m.
The U.S. Open is wide open going into the weekend at The Country Club, and not just at the top.
Collin Morikawa and Joel Dahmen are tied at 5-under par and won’t tee off until 3:45 p.m. Dahmen has never won on the PGA Tour and jokingly says that he’s used to being home at 5 p.m. to have dinner.
The cut was at 3-over 143. That means only eight shots separate the leaders from last place with 36 holes to go. Such a small margin has only happened once in the last decade at the U.S. Open. That was in 2017 at Erin Hills, which wasn’t nearly the stern test Brookline has been.
Erin Hills in Wisconsin is where a record seven players finished the U.S. Open at 10 under or better. The Country Club is expected to be firm and fast, and big numbers are easy to find.
Among the players who made the cut on the number is Patrick Cantlay, the reigning PGA Tour player of the year. Jordan Spieth was one better. He starts seven shots behind.
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