U.S. Open, Sunday preview
Jason gives an extensive rundown of what to look for today in the final round of the U.S. Open, where Michelle Wie, Morgan Pressel, and Karen Stupples (last year’s British Open champ) share a tie for the lead at +1. Let me add a few pitch shots.
1. Tournament is still wide open. The final round is up for grabs, just as it was for the men’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst. 12 players are within 4 or fewer shots of the lead. If 1 player pulls a Michael Campbell and gets under par for the day on the back nine, that player will likely win.
2. Annika’s got a shot, but needs to go low and get help. Yes, Annika’s heard about Arnold Palmer shooting 65 to win the U.S. Open in 1960, from 7 strokes back. 65 is a tough score to hit on Cherry Hills. 68 is the best score this week, and 69 is a little bit more doable. I’d say if Annika can make some noise with a 67, to get to +2 for the tournament, some of the leaders may start getting a little tight down the stretch.
3. Youth is served. No doubt about it, the story of the tournament is the emergence of teen phenoms Michelle Wie, Morgan Pressel, and Paula Creamer. I would’ve liked to see Morgan and Michelle paired together today in the last pairing — that would’ve been electrifying, but unfortunately, they are split in the final two groups: Michelle and Birdie Kim at 1:50 p.m., Morgan and Stupples at 2 pm. Pairings. NBC Coverage 3-6 pm.
Don’t expect any of the teens to pull a Jason Gore — or Retief Goosen — today in the final round. Sure, it’s possible, but not likely. Two weeks ago, Michelle played in the final pairing with Annika in a major and played well, finishing second. Last week, Paula Creamer (who’s won once already) played in the final pairing with Lorena Ochoa (who went on a birdie train to win). And Morgan is the No.1 ranked amateur, with a lot of moxie (although she’s apparently afraid of the swans on 18). Maybe one of the teens might have a bad round, but I expect at least two of them to be in thick of it in the back nine. Day 3 Leaderboard.
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