Brian Harman looks for major breakthrough at US Open

ERIN, Wis. (AP) – An 11-year-old golf course shaped from Wisconsin pastureland was sure to bring something different to the U.S. Open. In the history of the U.S. Open, only six players previously had ever gotten to double digits under par.

The banner, flown by a group called UltraViolet, will read “USGA/LPGA: TAKE A MULLIGAN, DUMP TRUMP” and will be in the air over the Erin Hills course from 5:30 to 7:30 EDT, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Fleetwood continued his consistent form in the third round at Erin Hills and shared the lead with playing partner Brian Harmon after the Englishman made three birdies in four holes from the 12th.

There were a lot of low scores Saturday.

“The course wasn’t created to be soft, and if it was going to be soft, it should have been 26- or 27-yard-wide fairways”. Everyone is still in it as this was just the 1st Round, but some notables in the hunt are; Scott who had a great Eagle Putt on 18 to go to Even par.

“I was excited to take the lead”, Thomas said. However, no feather in his cap will be quite as flashy as this one. No one ever has had a lower score in any major.

Seven other players are within five shots of the lead. Johnson withdrew from the Masters after injuring his back in a fall and didn’t arrive at Erin Hills until Tuesday because his fiancee gave birth to their second child. But Thomas was not about to apologize.

Speaking about the changes he made a year ago, Fleetwood added: “I went back to my old coach and had one of my best mates caddying and I think that can’t be underestimated, having your friend with you, whether you’re leading the US Open or playing a casual round at home”.

It was the second straight year McIlroy missed the cut at the U.S. Open. “Whether it’s 20 under or 20 over, they want a good tournament and an action-packed leaderboard“. Not that he will care about that; Thomas has etched his name into golfing folklore, switching the narrative of a hitherto competitive but hardly dramatic US Open in the process. His whole life has been marked by high aspirations and low scores.

Thomas’ record-breaking 63 was clinched on No. 18 when he fired a 3-wood right at the pin and stuck it to set up an eagle putt that he walked in.

QUOTEWORTHY: “That means I’m a part of history”.

“Any time you shoot under par in it, let alone 4-under”, Johnson said, “yeah, I’m going to eat well tonight”. “This is what he does”.

Thomas has had a breakout season on the PGA Tour, winning three times before February, including consecutive titles in Hawaii in January. It dropped him two shots off the lead and, to add insult to injury, it will still count as a three-putt.

A three-time victor on the PGA Tour this season, Thomas also joined the exclusive “59” club by breaking 60 at the Sony Open, but he may have saved his best for Father’s Day weekend and his quest for his first major crown.

“I played 54 holes around here before the golf tournament, and I felt really, really comfortable”.

Joining Thomas in joint second place is countryman Brooks Koepka and England’s Tommy Fleetwood (both 68). He finished the day at 12 under and way under the radar.

His purple patch has instilled the belief he’s ready to become the seventh consecutive first-time major victor, a run started by Jason Day at the 2015 US PGA Championship. “Two yards either way, I would have been stuck”. This is the first [U.S.] Open I’ve been exempt for.