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US Open 2022 – Sights, sounds and highlights of the third round

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BROOKLINE, Mass. — A lot can happen on a Saturday at the US Open, especially with a qualifier as packed as this one. With a mix of big and lesser-known names, things could get interesting on a cooler, windier day at The Country Club.

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This is what is happening:

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It’s getting spicy out there

Justin Thomas was unhappy after a USGA rules official denied him relief from a drain in the middle of the street. His ball was inches to the right of the drain. He would have been granted relief if the draw was affecting his stance or his swing line. After making his shot, Thomas let out his frustration in a, well, very colorful way. “That’s what pisses me off, because a lot of other people would lie about being able to hit that, but it’s like, I’m not going to hit him. That’s f—— b—— -, man,” he told him. Thomas to caddy Jim “Bones” Mackay, before tossing his iron into his bag. — Mark Schlabach

bad bounce

The course at The Country Club is already playing much harder during early Saturday’s swell than it had in the first two days, so it felt like an insult when Hideki Matsuyama’s second shot on the short par-4 5th hole he hit the flag on a bounce and rolled all the way back to the greenside bunker.

Matsuyama got up from the sand and went back to the green, but the damage was already done. What probably would have been a birdie to get him into the red turned into an unlucky bogey that put him 1 over. — paolo uggetti

harsh conditions

Moving day at the 122nd US Open might seem more like a grueling day for the 64 players who survived the 36-hole cut. With the winds picking up at The Country Club and the USGA having fun pinning over the weekend, players are having a very tough time so far. According to the USGA, the greens rolled in the top 12 and were mowed twice and rolled on Saturday morning.

With more than half the course having started their round, only two players who have played at least nine holes, Australians Todd Sinnott and Denny McCarthy, are under par. Several high-profile players, including Joaquin Niemann, Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton, and Max Homa, already have 5 or less. — Schlabach

a sting

Xander Schauffele is not the only member of his team that will try to fight back on Saturday. His father and his trainer, Stefan, is back at The Country Club after a hornet stung his upper lip. Probably not the stinger he had in mind in the windy conditions. — Schlabach

the name game

The announcements on the first tee of this US Open have not gone well. On Friday, Scott Stallings, who grew up in Worcester, was introduced as being from “War-chester.” It’s actually pronounced “Wu-str” and the locals let the guy who said it know. On Saturday, things got worse.

Justin Thomas is quite famous. He just won the PGA Championship. Ranked fifth in the world. Simple, right? No. He was introduced as “Justin Thompson”.

for the sake of accuracy

At the US Open, you pick your spots very carefully. This is what gamers will be looking at all day.

Money talks

Thanks to LIV Golf, the sport talks a lot more about money these days. On Saturday morning, the USGA released the full stock market breakdown for this week.

Let’s start first with those who didn’t make the cut. They each received $10,000 for the two days of work. Now to the real money (considering Charl Schwartzel took home $4.75 million for winning the first ever LIV event in London. The total payout is $17.5 million. This is what a spot among the top 10:

1. $3.15 million
2. $1.89 million
3. $1.23 million
4. $859,032
5. $715,491
6. $634,415
7. $571,950
8. $512,249
9. $463,604
10. $425,830

The player who finishes in 60th place will take home $36,852.

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