BROOKLINE, Mass — Saturday at The Country Club wasn’t the complete carnage that some golf fans wait all year to see during the U.S. Open. The kind of brutal golf that inspires books like Dick Shaap’s “Massacre at Winged Foot,” which documented the grueling 1974 U.S. Open won by Hale Irwin at 7 over par.
Saturday was, however, the most challenging day we have seen so far at the 2022 U.S. Open, and it frustrated many of the game’s best players, including Rory McIlroy, who shot 73 and Collin Morikawa, who shot 77.
After a front passed through the area overnight, the wind switched from south to north and the temperature hovered in the mid-60s. Twenty-three players started the day below par, but when the final scorecards were signed, only nine remained in red figures heading into Sunday.
With just 18 holes left to be played, two young players who are becoming consistent contenders in major championships, Will Zalatoris and Matthew Fitzpatrick, find themselves tied at the top at 4 under par. One shot behind them is defending champion Jon Rahm, who is currently ranked No. 2 on the Official World Golf Ranking. Two shots off the lead at 2 under are 2022 Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, New Englander Keegan Bradley and Adam Hadwin.
Here are five things we learned Saturday at the 2022 U.S. Open.