Ireland’s Shane Lowry made up for Ireland’s thrashing at the Euro Cup moving two shots clear of the field when poor light halted played on weather-delayed US Open at Oakmont.
The reigning WGC – Bridgestone Invitational winner was at five under par through 14 holes and three under for this third round.
The round included ‘calling’ a penalty on himself during the second round when his ball moved as he addressed a birdie putt on the 16th.
Lowry had been aware heading out to his third round that Ireland had been humbled 3 nil by Belgium, the games second-best nation, and with the Emerald Green nation now needing to defeat Italy this week if they are to continue in the competition.
However Lowry is on the verge of delivering Ireland a huge golfing headline and a 10th Major on the ninth anniversary of Padraig Harrington’s Open Championship victory.
“This is exactly where you want to be playing the Majors but then I have been beating myself up for the last six months to get into this position so I might as well enjoy it now,” he said.
“But then we all know this course can jump up and bite you in a second but I am not about to get ahead of myself.
“I’ve been playing good golf for a while now, a couple of years I’d say, and it always depends for me whether I hole a few putts or not. I’ve managed to hole a few and not make any silly mistakes this week, so I just need to do that for another round and a bit.
Shane Lowry moves two shots clear on a day when Ireland were thrashed 3 nil in the Euro Cup. (Photo – www.europeantour.com)
“I’m just going to hit shot after shot and see where it leads me. It’s the same old clichés in golf, you can’t get ahead of yourself, you just need to hit one shot at a time, especially in tournaments like the US Open. This golf course can jump up and bite you very quickly.”
Little known Texas born Andrew Landry was two back on three under with five holes to play, with Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson all another shot back.
South Africa’s Branden Grace, who was tied for the lead with eventual winner Jordan Spieth at Chambers Bay last year until driving out of bounds on the 16th, had set the clubhouse target on one under after six birdies and two bogeys in a 66.
World No.1 Jason Day was a shot further back after four birdies and an eagle in his own 66, the 28-year-old Australian battling back from an opening 76 which had left him 10 shots off the pace.
Johnson held a one-shot lead when the delayed second round was finally completed on Saturday afternoon and quickly doubled that with a birdie on the first, before his pulled tee shot on the second hit a male spectator on the head and bounced under a concession stand but from where he went so close to holing a delicate chip shot for birdie.
Johnson had led going into the final round of the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach.
“I’ve got 22 holes left and if I keep playing the way I’ve been playing then God knows where I’ll be this time tomorrow,” said ‘DJ’.
“I knew that, I looked at the leaderboard and I knew Dustin was after making bogey on the hole before and I had a 20-footer down the hill,” Lowry added.
“When that went in I knew it was to take the lead, which is pretty cool. To take the lead in a major, the US Open, going into the back nine on Saturday is always pretty cool.”
