U.S. Open: Collin Morikawa makes every little thing, now contending

Collin Morikawa couldn’t miss on Saturday, which explains why he posted top-of-the-line rounds of the championship.

He carded a bogey-free 4-under 66, a spherical wherein “every little thing labored nicely” for the two-time main champion. However most significantly, Morikawa climbed from 4-over to even par, setting himself up for a potential come-from-behind triumph at Pinehurst No. 2 on Sunday.

“I used to be making an attempt to get to even,” Morikawa stated after his third spherical on the U.S. Open.

“You possibly can’t be aggressive out right here, however I’m very blissful.”

Morikawa didn’t miss a putt inside 10 ft on Saturday, an enormous purpose why he didn’t drop a shot all day. As an alternative, he made 4 birdies, three of which got here on the again 9. His first birdie of the day got here proper out of the gate on the opening gap.

“Made up and downs, putted lots from off the perimeter. Simply made the putts that I wanted to,” Morikawa defined.

“[On Friday], I feel I missed every little thing that I might have made. The primary day was sort of a bit little bit of each. So it was good to see putts go in. Simply sort of construct that, hopefully, for [Sunday].”

The previous California Golden Bear gained almost 5 strokes with the putter on Saturday, which ranks first within the subject by a large margin.

“I used to be simply ensuring I caught with every little thing that we’ve been engaged on,” Morikawa stated of his placing.

Photograph by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Photos

“It was good to see the primary one go in and construct off that.”

His opening birdie got here from 10 ft out—a distance that all the time supplies a spark in momentum early in a spherical. One other putt from 11 ft on the 2nd gap, this time for par, additionally dropped. He wound up making two extra par saves on the 4th and sixth holes to maintain his scorecard clear early.

“My 4-under might have simply been the opposite means,” Morikawa stated.

“Whenever you play actually sensible golf out right here, I wouldn’t say it’s rewarding, however you could have to have the ability to put it in the best spots and take benefit while you do. I made the putts that I wanted to. Made up and downs. Made every little thing basically. That’s the one means you’re going to attain out right here.”

Now Morikawa will relaxation up for Sunday’s last spherical, when he’ll go off a lot later within the day than 10:39 a.m. That, in fact, is when he started his third spherical, 9 pictures off the tempo. However after his exceptional 66, Morikawa walked off the golf course 5 pictures again of 36-hole chief Ludvig Åberg, and given the issue of Pinehurst No. 2, he might be nearer to the lead by day’s finish.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. You’ll want to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.