Mother Nature held sway Friday afternoon at the Straits course at Whistling Straits in Cheese Land driving golfers and spectators to shelter, softening the course with a deluge of rain and tearing down TV towers, TV studio sets and scoreboards with 50 mile per hour winds. But she was a Perfect Lady on Saturday offering up clear skies and soft breezes while the golfers did all the tearing up of this muscular sandbox on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Although we didn’t see another 63 ( Hiroki Iwata posted that crazy low number on Friday) there was a 64, and 65’s and 66’s galore.
That low round of 64 was authored by 27 year old South African Branden Grace with a highlight reel birdie from the bunker on the torturous 18th. Grace was in the mix at Chamber’s Bay, finishing T4 and seems ready and able to make another major bid.
Grace is paired in the next to last group with Justin Rose who bogeyed the 18th to post a 68. Rosie is the highest placed European on the leader board and the World #6 knows how to close out a major. He’d love to back up his 2013 U.S. Open win tomorrow, and he might, but my money isn’t on the likable Brit.
Eight birdies, one eagle, one bogey and one double and seven pars equal an absolutely crazy scorecard. Jason Day produced majestic shots and impressive comebacks from both poor play and bad breaks in this explosive, roller coaster round. His fire was on full boil when he sunk a snaking thirty five footer on the the par three 17th for bird. A bounce back and shot of self belief after a painful self inflicted double on 15 which was compounded by a terrible break on 16. We call it the rub of the green when a good shot is punished with a poor result which is what Day experienced after two brilliant shots left him only fifteen feet from the hole on this par five. But his lie was in a sheep pasture masquerading as green side rough and a sure birdie chance, or reasonable eagle try, went by the boards as he could only manage par.
Day is a Colossus on the course, a fit 5 foot 10 inch tall Dynamo who cranks it with the biggest hitters of the game. His recent record in majors is sterling, he’s done everything but win one. And tomorrow he carries a two stoke lead into the final round. I love this kid and he’ll be a worthy major champion someday but it won’t be tomorrow.
Day will be undone by the Golden Child, the WunderKind, the All American Boy Next Door named Jordan Spieth. Spieth continues to chase history. At St Andrews last month he was in pursuit of three straight majors and the tight rope walk to the single season Grand Slam. Just missed that one. Now he’s on track to complete the American Triple, becoming the only man to ever win in one season all three majors held on American soil.
Spieth has an ineffable quality that only the greatest champions have, an ability to stay in the moment while being fully aware of the bigger picture. Jack calls it ” having an uncluttered mind” and watching Jordan work his way around the course in these pressure situations you can see his intent, his commitment, his calm. He’s a zen master in golf shoes and polyester. He’s been there before and has prevailed. He knows he’s on the brink of historic achievement . And he knows how to treat it just like another round.
Spieth is paired with Jason Day tomorrow in the final group. It will be a great pairing for both of them and for us.
I’m betting we crown a new king on Sunday, a new World#1.
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