U.S. Open: Collin Morikawa makes the whole lot, 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 by which “the whole lot labored nicely” for the two-time main champion. However most significantly, Morikawa climbed from 4-over to even par, setting himself up for a doable 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 may’t be aggressive out right here, however I’m very glad.”

Morikawa didn’t miss a putt inside 10 toes on Saturday, an enormous purpose why he didn’t drop a shot all day. As a substitute, 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 rather a lot from off the perimeter. Simply made the putts that I wanted to,” Morikawa defined.

“[On Friday], I believe I missed the whole lot that I might have made. The primary day was form of just a little little bit of each. So it was good to see putts go in. Simply form 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 area by a large margin.

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

Photograph by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Pictures

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

His opening birdie got here from 10 toes out—a distance that all the time gives a spark in momentum early in a spherical. One other putt from 11 toes 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 manner,” Morikawa stated.

“Once you play actually good golf out right here, I wouldn’t say it’s rewarding, however you have got to have the ability to put it in the proper spots and take benefit if you do. I made the putts that I wanted to. Made up and downs. Made the whole lot primarily. That’s the one manner you’re going to attain out right here.”

Now Morikawa will relaxation up for Sunday’s remaining spherical, when he’ll go off a lot later within the day than 10:39 a.m. That, after all, is when he started his third spherical, 9 photographs off the tempo. However after his outstanding 66, Morikawa walked off the golf course 5 photographs again of 36-hole chief Ludvig Åberg, and given the problem 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 Enjoying By way of. Make sure you take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.