The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)

Erin Hills’ finale exciting, claims Spieth

Former winner looking forward to having a beer and watching good friends do battle for major

- PHIL CASEY

Former champion Jordan Spieth was among the interested spectators as the US Open headed for a thrilling climax at Erin Hills yesterday.

Despite winds gusting up to 25mph which forced tournament officials to change the pin position on the par-three 13th, Spieth showed what was still possible with a closing 69.

Previous rounds of 73, 71 and 76 meant the 23-year-old was finished before the final few groups teed off, but that allowed him to make plans to watch friends Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler battle with the likes of England’s Tommy Fleetwood for the year’s second major.

“It will be exciting,” said Spieth, who spent the Spring Break holiday with Thomas and Fowler the last two years.

“It wouldn’t be any surprise if either one of them come out guns blazing and win, with the way they’ve been able to do that in other events.

“They’re playing against the same people they always play against. It’s just a matter that this is one of the four majors in a year, and this is a US Open.

“It’s just kind of getting that out of your head and just playing against who you’re playing against like it’s a regular tournament.

“It’s going to be really fun. I’ll probably go back to the house, pack up and then I’ll come back and have a beer and watch the closing stretch.”

Spieth had struggled on the greens all week at Erin Hills and both of his bogeys yesterday came from three-putting, but the former world No 1 was pleased not to have “thrown in the towel”.

“I thought it was a fantastic round of golf, given what we were dealing with to start the day,” the 23-year-old said.

“This (wind) is light and variable compared to the beginning of the day, but that’s what you get for playing a poor first few rounds.

“I struck the ball the same way I have been. I think I hit 17 greens today which was just awesome in these conditions. And then my expectatio­ns were lowered on the greens given the conditions. I think that was the difference.

“I was able to get to a few under by just accepting the fact that the putt might miss instead of having to have it be perfect. That’s what we’ve been working on, but maybe a day like today is all it needed to just kind of calm down.”

Scotland’s Martin Laird closed with a one-over 73 to finish level par.

Fleetwood, who was hoping to become the third English winner since 1924 after Tony Jacklin (1970) and Justin Rose (2013), began the day in a tie for second with Thomas and Brooks Koepka, a shot behind surprise leader Brian Harman.

Asked about the prospects of emulating 2013 champion Justin Rose, the 26-year-old Fleetwood said: “It will change my life. I know that.

“I have pictured winning the US Open a lot of times before. Doing it all night is not going to help and not make any difference. It’s just a question of concentrat­ing on each day as it comes.

“Today I felt really good, played really well. If I wake up with the same feelings tomorrow I’m going to have a chance. Hopefully I do. I’ll take it one step at a time.

“If somebody shoots nine under tomorrow in the top few (as Thomas did on Saturday) then I’ll have to shoot 10, I guess.

“This is my first time in contention in a major, so whatever happens I’ll be doing my best and seeing how well I can finish. And that’s all you can do. But it will be a pleasure to go out on a Sunday trying to win a major.

“It would be great to follow in Justin (Rose)’s footsteps. He’s a good role model for English golf.”

Thomas meanwhile had equalled the lowest score in major championsh­ip history with a stunning 63 on Saturday, a nine-under-par round which was also the lowest in relation to par in a US Open.

Harman, playing in his first major since missing the cut in all four in 2015, was attempting to become the first lefthander to win the title in a week which saw six-time runner-up Phil Mickelson opt to attend his daughter’s high-school graduation rather than compete.

The world No 50 was also hoping to become the fourth player in succession to convert a 54-hole lead into victory after Henrik Stenson and Jimmy Walker in the last two majors of 2016 and Sergio Garcia in April’s Masters.

Victory for any of the top 16 players on the leaderboar­d would extend the streak of first-time major winners to seven, a run dating back to Jason Day’s win in the 2015 US PGA.

Meanwhile China’s Li Haotong demonstrat­ed what could go wrong as he struggled to an 84 which contained two birdies, two double bogeys, a triple bogey and seven bogeys,six of which came in succession from the third.

 ?? Pictures: Getty Images/PA/AP. ?? Tommy Fleetwood tees off at the first hole as he bids to become the third English winner of the US Open after Tony Jacklin and Justin Rose.
Pictures: Getty Images/PA/AP. Tommy Fleetwood tees off at the first hole as he bids to become the third English winner of the US Open after Tony Jacklin and Justin Rose.
 ??  ?? Masters champion Sergio Garcia on the second hole.
Masters champion Sergio Garcia on the second hole.
 ??  ?? Overnight leader Brian Harmon began on 12-under.
Overnight leader Brian Harmon began on 12-under.
 ??  ?? 2015 winner Jordan Spieth reacts on the sixth green.
2015 winner Jordan Spieth reacts on the sixth green.

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