US Open 2020: Matthew Wolff takes lead in two shots to last day at Winged Foot
-5 M Wolff (USA); -3 B DeChambeau (USA); -1 L Oosthuizen (SA); Level H Matsuyama (Jpn), X Schauffele (US); +1 R McIlroy (NI) Selected others: +3 P Reed (USA); +4 J Thomas (US); +5 P. Casey (Eng), D Johnson (US), L Westwood (Eng); +7 J Rahm (Spa); +8 M Wallace (Eng); +12 R MacIntyre (Sco); +13 S Lowry (Ire)
American Matthew Wolff produced a sparkling five-under-65 on Saturday to get a two-shot lead to to take the final round of the US Open at Winged Foot.
The 21-year-old, who played in his first US Open, ran six birdies to improve to five under par in New York. ]
Bryson DeChambeau is three below, with Louis Oosthuizen one below par.
Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland is also in the fight against an over par after recovering from a 76 on Friday to the "very good round" of 68 card.
The number four in the world said he felt he would have a chance on the last day if he could stay within six days of the lead.
"The key for me was just to play the first five holes well. I saw from a few guys early on that those holes really played" tough & # 39; " said McIlroy, after a round with three birdies and a bogey.
"I knew you could do a few birdies in the middle part of the round and then you have to stay a bit enter.
"I did the plan really well, I hit a few if I could. It was a really good round of golf."
Wolff did not play in his second major until after qualifying for this tournament by finishing in fourth place at last month's US PGA Championship, in which he played five birdies as he played the first nine holes in 30 shots.
The world's No. 36, who has one win on the PGA Tour, hit only two of the 14 fairways, but scored well and made only one bogey
"I've been pretty lucky with my crude lies," he said. & # 39; I stuck to my game. It was a grind out there, but hopefully I hit a few more fairways on Sunday.
Victory on Sunday would make Wolff the first player to win the US Open on his debut since Francis Ouimet in 1913. Sunday has also been 107 years since the 20-year-old amateur took the title. claimed after an 18-hole play-off.
DeChambeau seemed ready for a third consecutive round in the 60s after birdies on 16 and 17, but he bogeyed the 18th to give Wolff a two-stroke advantage
The world's number nine, on the hunt for his first major title, was satisfied with his level-par round after starting the day with consecutive bogeys.
"It shows persistence and resilience," said DeChambeau, adding that he was headed to the training track to "fix a few things".
"(Sunday) is another day of golf. I have to see it this way. "
Reed crumbles after leadership expansion
Only three players come below par on the final day, although Japanese Hideki Matsuyama and American Xander Schauffele have on Both filed brief charges on Saturday.
Matsuyama is trying to be his country's first big winner and climbed to third only to bogey the 15th and then double the 17th to win. remain level for the championship.
He will leave on Sunday in the penultimate group next to Oosthuizen from South Africa, who finished in second place in this tournament in 2015.
] The former Open champion is four times slower than an underperformer after a third round 68 with four birdies and two bogeys.
Schauffele meanwhile rolled in for eagle on d The par-five ninth to go down to two for three bogeys, then the turn, although he ended with a birdie to tie too.
Former Open Champion Oosthuizen, runner-up in this tournament in 2015, is four to one below par after a 68 with four birdies and two bogeys.
The Night Leader Reed started with a one-stroke lead and expanded that advantage to three with a birdie on the second while his closest challengers got away.
But Wolff's electric start meant that by the time Reed ran a bogey off the third green, his advantage was wiped out.
Reed was one under for the day when he hit the turn, but soon fell away with six fallen shots in six holes on the back nine, including a double bogey on 11 after the fluff from a chip that didn't escape the rough.
The former Masters champion ended up with two bogeys to sign for a seven-over-77 that leaves him three over par and eight shots off the lead.
Conditions remained difficult at Winged Foot & # 39; s West Course, where Geoff Ogilvy won five over par when it last hosted the US Open in 2006, as only seven players posted underperformance rounds on Saturday.
Paul Casey was one of them, with a one-under-69 that took him to five above par, along with fellow countryman Lee Westwood and world number Dustin Johnson.
Casey dropped to 11 above par after five bogeys in his first seven holes, but birdied the ninth and made five more on the back nine.
"Frankly, I wanted to walk in after the first five, six, seven holes. It was just ugly," said the 43-year-old. “I just didn't try to shoot 80 after those first nine. I'm glad I finally got one from Winged Foot.
“ It takes his pound of meat every time you seem on this golf course, so I feel like I have an ounce or two of my own meat back. "
