Wolff builds 2-shot lead with impressive 3rd round at U.S. Open
Matthew Wolff will carry a two-shot lead into the final round of the U.S. Open after posting a 5-under 65 in Round 3 on Saturday.
The 21-year-old, who is playing in his first U.S. Open and only his second major championship, made five birdies on the front nine at Winged Foot to take the outright lead. He played the remainder of the round at level par while many of his competitors faltered down the stretch.
"Everything," Wolff said, about what was working well in Round 3. "I think my putting was by far the best it's felt in the last two or three months. I feel like I'm really hitting the ball well. My irons were really good, and even though I only hit two fairways, my driver was - it was just barely off, but that's the U.S. Open."
Wolff is tied for 58th in driving accuracy for the week but is tied for 16th in strokes gained: off the tee due to his length. Additionally, with a 65 in Round 3 and his 66 from Day 1, he's now posted two of the six lowest scores in U.S. Open history at Winged Foot, according to CBS Sports.
Bryson DeChambeau battled back to shoot an even-par 70 after opening his third round with back-to-back bogeys. He will play in the final pairing alongside Wolff.
Here's how the top of the leaderboard looks going into Sunday:
| Place | Player | To Par | R3 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Wolff | -5 | 65 |
| 2 | Bryson DeChambeau | -3 | 70 |
| 3 | Louis Oosthuizen | -1 | 68 |
| T4 | Hideki Matsuyama | E | 70 |
| T4 | Xander Schauffele | E | 70 |
| T4 | Harris English | E | 72 |
| 7 | Rory McIlroy | +1 | 68 |
| T8 | Zach Johnson | +2 | 68 |
| T8 | Viktor Hovland | +2 | 70 |
| T8 | Rafa Cabrera Bello | +2 | 74 |
Second-round leader Patrick Reed plummeted down the leaderboard with a 7-over 77. He was 1-under through nine but a 43 on the back nine that included six bogeys and a double-bogey dropped him into a share of 11th.
With the wind lying down on Saturday, Winged Foot did not have as much bite as it did in Round 2. The third-round scoring average was 73.54, according to Data Golf, nearly two strokes easier than Friday.