MAMARONECK, N.Y. (Reuters) – Overnight leader Matthew Wolff kicked off the final round of the U.S. Open with a rock-steady par on Sunday to maintain a two-shot lead over fellow American Bryson DeChambeau on another tough scoring day at Winged Foot.
Wolff found the fairway with his drive at the difficult par-four first and then stuck his approach to 13 feet en route to a routine par before playing partner DeChambeau missed a four-foot birdie opportunity.
Wolff, who began the final round of only his second major with a two-shot lead over DeChambeau, is looking to become the first player to win the U.S. Open in his tournament debut since Francis Ouimet in 1913.
A win for the 21-year-old Wolff, who matched the lowest round of the week on Saturday when he carded a five-under-par 65 despite hitting just two of 14 fairways, would also make him the youngest major winner since Tiger Woods won the 1997 Masters.
Winged Foot was proving another difficult test as no player in the clubhouse or on the course was in red figures for the final round.
Harris English began the day five shots back of Wolff but quickly fell further back after a double-bogey at the first where he lost his tee shot but then bounced back with a birdie at the second.
Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, playing in the penultimate group, was even par on the day and four shots back of Wolff while Xander Schauffele was a further shot back two holes into his round.
The U.S. Open was originally scheduled for mid-June but was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and is being played in September for the first time since 1913.
The tournament is being held without fans and is the first of six majors that will be held over the next 10 months.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
