Old man par golf has Adam Scott contending at Oakmont
Adam Scott in action this week – image courtesy of USGA
In 23 previous US Opens, Australia’s Adam Scott has recorded just three top tens but in this weekend’s final 36 holes of the US Open at Oakmont, the 44 year old has a chance to not only improve on that record but to perhaps add a second major championship title to his already impressive career resume.
Today, Scott added a second consecutive round of 70 to be at even par and just three from the lead held by Sam Burns and, importantly for his chances, all three of the players ahead of him have yet to win a major. So, the experience he takes into the final two rounds will be of significant benefit on a golf course that appears will be impacted by the forecast rain overnight on Friday evening and into Saturday morning.
It will not only be those ahead of him that Scott needs to be aware of in terms of his chances, however, as all of those making the cut are within ten shots of the lead and perhaps as many as half of the 70 or so making it into the weekend fancy their chances of contending on Sunday, especially with even par looking, increasingly, like a potential winning total.
Scott described how he feels about where he stands ahead of what will be an exciting final 36 holes at arguably the most demanding layout on the US Open roster of courses.
“I mean, I guess I would have expected to be in this position if you said even par through two rounds. It’s just hard out there. It’s hard to keep it going when guys have got on a run. It seems like they’ve come back a bit. I’m playing old-man-par golf at the moment.
“For most of the first two days, I’ve been in the fairway off the tee, and therefore, there hasn’t been too much stress in the rounds. I think I’ve played well off the tee, and the rest of the game has been okay from there. But I’d say I’ve been fairly strong off the tee.”
When asked how proud he has been of a career that has been perhaps underrated, especially given his longevity in terms of the number of consecutive majors (96) he has played, Scott answered.
“I’d be pretty proud of winning this thing on the weekend. Right now, that’s really what I’m here to do, and I feel like there’s probably not been many signs to anyone else but me the last month or six weeks that my game is looking better. But I definitely feel more confident than I have been this year.
“Not to put down anything else, but this is really where my mind goes at the start of every year and what I think about is — of course I’d like to win lots more tournaments, any of them, to be perfectly honest. I’d like to win something.
“I have put together a nice career, but I think another major more would really go a long way in fulfilling my own self, when it’s all said and done. This is all I’m really playing for are these big events. There’s probably eight of them off the top of my mind a year that I really want to win.”
Jason Day found his major championship mojo with a round of 67 to finish at 3 over and now just six shots from the lead after being ten shots behind following his opening round of 76.
“Putted a lot better today,” said the man who finished runner-up on debut in this event 14 years ago and recorded four top tens in his first five starts. His more recent record at the US Open has not been quite so good, however.
“Obviously, I hit it nice on the front side, which was the back side. I got into a little bit of trouble kind of midway round. Just started missing a few greens. Then kind of settled it a little bit with a birdie on 6 and 7 for me. So that was, it was a big day to come back and shoot 3-under to make the cut.”
Day indicated that improved putting was the secret today and highlighted an interesting means of improving his putting stats in round two. After his opening round, he took to some remedial work on his putter.
“I bent my putter. Yeah, no, I just manually bent it myself. Stood on it. That’s kind of how I used to do it back in the day. It just hadn’t been looking very good to me personally, kind of looks a little bit hooded, the grip’s on a little bit closed too, so that’s not a positive for me. But I bent it enough to make it look more open, which is good.
“3-over right now, if I can just keep climbing the leaderboard, get into contention on Sunday that would be great.”
The highlight of Day’s round was an eagle at the 12th (his third hole).
“Yeah, just driver and then a 3-wood just to about 20 feet,” said Day when asked to describe the feat. “I think it was over 300 yards to the pin, but slight down slope on the second shot, it was going to be tough to try and clear the front part, that’s just about 30, 40 yards short and left, so played a little bit right, hit a nice shot in there and then obviously rolled in a good putt there too.”
Of the other Australasians, Ryan Fox has done well to make the cut at 5 over and be placed 36th after what has no doubt been a busy and exhausting week following his win in Canada. Fox will begin round three eight behind the lead.
Marc Leishman battled to a round of 75 after his opening 71 to be at 6 over and one inside the cutline of 7 over, while Cam Davis has finished on the cutline at 7 over after a second round of 73.
Cam Smith missed weekend play by one and Min Woo Lee missed by two.
The leader, Sam Burns, has yet to win a major title, but he is a five-time PGA Tour winner and just last week lost a playoff in Canada to Ryan Fox.
Burns is playing his 18th major championship but has just one top ten to show for those attempts, that coming when 9th at Pinehurst in this event last year.
Jason Day in action during round two – image courtesy of USGA
