No doubting Thomas as he shoots brilliant 63
WORLD No.13 Justin Thomas felt ready to win a maiden major championship after shooting a record-setting 63 during a dramatic third round of the US Open at Erin Hills.
Yesterday, the 24-year-old American fired the lowest score relative to par in the 117year history of the champion- ship, his nine-under round eclipsing Johnny Miller’s eight-under 64 at the 1973 US Open at Oakmont.
He was to start today just one shot behind unheralded American Brian Harman, whose 67 put him in the lead at 12-under.
Joining Thomas in joint second place was countryman Brooks Koepka and England’s Tommy Fleetwood (both 68).
World No.9 Rickie Fowler (68) was solo fifth, with Players Championship winner Si Woo Kim, from South Korea, a shot back in sixth after also carding a 68.
The championship is set to crown a first-time major winner, as the closest previous major champion is Louis Oosthuizen in a tie for 17th at fourunder.
Harman liked his chances.
“I’ve got a good plan for this course. I’m confident I’m prepared for whatever happens, good or bad. I’ll just rely on confidence,” said Harman, who won his second PGA Tour event at the Wells Fargo Championship in May.
At new host Erin Hills, with its wide fairways and relatively slow greens after rain yielded uncharacteristically low scores for a US Open, Thomas became the 29th golfer to shoot 63 in a major championship.
It is the 31st time a 63 has been recorded at the four majors, with Greg Norman and Vijay Singh the only golfers to do it twice.
As the only Australian left, Marc Leishman raced up the leaderboard early yesterday but dropped three shots on the back side to shoot 72 and stay at four under, sharing 17th.