US Open Day Three

That Thomas, who earlier his season shot a round of 59 in Hawaii, became the fifth player in US Open history to sign for a 63 - finishing with an eight footer for eagle on the last hole - indicated more than anything that any one of a number of players can still have realistic hopes of winning.

His purple patch has instilled the belief he's ready to become the seventh consecutive first-time major victor, a run started by Jason Day at the 2015 US PGA Championship.

And they had even more company. A day after Rickie Fowler's seven-under opening round, that same score is still leading, but it's shared by four players, not including Fowler, who shot a one-over 73 to sit one back.

"Yeah, first cut made, too (at the U.S. Open)", Harman said. There were 18 rounds in the 60s on Saturday.

Thomas finished in style, and it had nothing to do with his hot pink trousers.

"We're in a good spot", Fowler said. I just struggled on the greens.

"The finish was awesome".

"All Jimmy (caddie Jimmy Johnson) and I were trying to do is give ourselves a best chance to make a four". I feel like I'm playing good.

"I'm definitely disappointed I'm not playing the weekend, but there is a lot I can take out of it". There were five players in double digits Saturday at Erin Hills.

A superb chip to three feet set up the birdie on the 597-yard first hole before he then demolished the short par-four second.

"It was close and my dad called me and said 'do you want to go?' And I said 'heck yeah!'" Perschke said.

Bill Haas played bogey-free in his round of 68 and joined a group at 4-under 140 that included Harris English (69) and Marc Leishman (72).

And despite starting his second round with bogeys on his first two holes, the South African bounced back to record a superb 66 which he matched in the third round. He was 10 under.

"I started feeling a couple of rounds at Colonial like that, where I really felt like I was seeing the lines, I was confident going into it". "I'm looking forward to my shot at it".

Whatever happens, the championship is set to crown a first-time major victor, as the closest previous major champion is Louis Oosthuizen in a tie for 17th at four-under. He missed almost two months at the start of the year when he was diagnosed with a slight rib fracture, and then the latest break after The Players Championship.

Leishman is in a share of 13th place, three shots off the pace.

Thomas, a major away from joining the young elite in golf, only added to a year of low numbers. "We get to go home today because Daddy played poorly".

It was all part of a dizzying day at the U.S. Open where at times the leaderboard resembled a game of musical chairs with names moving up and down.

The 39-year-old was only able to move his fourth shot a matter of inches in heavy rough over the back of the green on the par five, before hacking out sideways and taking three putts from just off the green. It took a hard turn to the right and rolled in. The 12-time PGA Tour victor hasn't had a Top Ten finish since March.

Fifteen of the 18 holes had been cut within seven yards of the edge of the green and despite the 68-man field being separated by eight shots, only former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen had been able to move into the top 15 after nearly four hours' play. His birdie putts for no gimmies, at 12, 8, and 15 feet. "When you set up a golf course in a fair manner and the weather's good, the scores are going to be low".

But the work is not done.

With the cut falling at one over par, the entire field was separated by just eight shots - but for the first time since the rankings were introduced in 1986, none of the world's top three would be around for the weekend. This was the goal going into the week to put ourselves in position to be in contention on Sunday.

Then again, none of the top 16 on the leaderboard has ever won a major.

This article was written by Doug Ferguson from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.