Justin Thomas came out blazing in the third round of the 2017 US Open, finally sinking an eagle on the 18th hole to complete a record-breaking round
The 2017 US Open has been lower scoring than most installments of the second major in years past. Coming into the third round on Saturday at Erin Hills, Justin Thomas wasn’t one of those players putting up exceptionally low numbers, however. Though always dangerous, he entered Round 3 at 2-under par. He would end the day in a far better position.
Thomas started off his round with back-to-back birdies. Thus, he had to be thinking about making the biggest move of the famed Moving Day at the US Open. However, when he bogeyed No. 4, he and others had to question if that was just an early tease. Suffice it to say that it was not.
Including the first two, Thomas would birdie nine of the first 17 holes that he played in Round 3. Despite two total bogeys in the round, he was still in the hunt for the lowest round under-par in US Open history (8-under, set by Johnny Miller in 1973 with a 63 on a Par-71). Given that No. 18 at Erin Hills is an attackable Par-5, it was definitely in play.
He started off with a booming drive, but the real mastery came with his second shot. Launching a three-wood, Thomas put it within just a few feet of the cup for his eagle putt:
Though the pressure was on and the stage big at the US Open, Thomas was unfazed as he sunk the eagle to put him at 9-under for the round, and at 11-under for the tournament with sole possession of the lead:
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Thomas has been phenomenal this season, notching three wins and seven top-10 finishes coming into the US Open. However, no feather in his cap will be quite as flashy as this one. And his historic Round 3 puts him in a great spot to potentially win his first major.