Branden Grace and Brandon Stone were not among the many players to card low rounds during Saturday’s third round at the US Open.
Grace found just 50% of the fairways and made only two birdies as he signed for a third round 71. With two top finishes in his last two US Open outings, he was unable to get anything going at Erin Hills.
A bogey on the third hole was only cancelled out when he made his first birdie of the day on the 16th hole, when his tee shot from some 216-yards rolled six feet past the hole. A closing birdie helped his dip under par for the first time after opening rounds of 72 and 72,
Stone’s round was a lot more mixed as he hit just 57% of the fairways and only half of the greens in regulation. His saviour? His length off the tee – he was T5 in driving distance – and a hot putter, as he took just 25 putts on Saturday.
The Olympian also made a five at three, but moved under par when he added a birdie on the eighth to the one he secured on the fifth. ‘Pebbles’ then went drop, drop after the turn, but got his round back to par on the short par four 15th. Stone will rue a wayward drive on the 18th, as he failed to make birdie after finding the right fescue.
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Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images
