Or as major-championship Saturdays will soon be rebranded, Best Keep An Eye On What Brooks Is Doing Day.
The two-time defending champion, looking to become only the second player to three-peat at a US Open, hasn’t been playing that well this week, by his own lofty standards anyway. Yet he’s still in a tie for sixth, just five shots off the lead, and Gary Woodland’s had to post a bogey-free 65, equalling the Pebble Beach US Open record of Tiger Woods (2000) and Justin Rose (Thursday) to establish such an advantage. So it’s on. The three-peat is still on.
Woodland already looks tough to beat, mind. He was sensational yesterday. His birdie down 9, made despite his drive finding a deep divot, exemplified both his talent and steely determination. Long tipped for better things, without ever quite delivering, perhaps this is his time.
But of course there are still 36 holes to play. With plenty of big names lurking, much could, and probably will, change over the next few hours, as the 119th United States Open Championship takes proper shape. Buckle up, it’s going to be one heck of a ride around a track that’s expected to get a little harder – and therefore harder – over the weekend. It’s on!
-9: Woodland
-7: Rose
-6: Oosthuizen
-5: Wise, McIlroy
-4: Reavie, Hadley, Kuchar, Koepka, Wallace
-3: Stenson, Scott, Piercy, Rahm, Z Johnson, McDowell, Garcia, Schauffele
Today’s tee times (all BST, USA unless stated):
3.36pm Justin Walters (SA)
3.47pm: Rhys Enoch (Wal), Patrick Reed
3.58pm: Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)
4.09pm: Shane Lowry (Ire), Martin Kaymer (Ger)
4.20pm: Kyle Stanley, Nick Taylor (Can)
4.31pm: Adri Arnaus (Spa), Tom Hoge
4.42pm: Clement Sordet (Fra), Erik Van Rooyen (SA)
4.53pm: Bernd Wiesberger (Aut), Alex Prugh
5.04pm: Andrew Putnam, Patrick Cantlay
5.15pm: Brandt Snedeker, Rafa Cabrera Bello (Spa)
5.26pm: Michael Thorbjornsen -a-, Chip McDaniel
5.37pm: Brian Stuard, Marcus Kinhult (Swe)
5.48pm: Colin Morikawa, Andy Pope
5.59pm: Cameron Smith (Aus), Jason Day (Aus)
6.10pm: Rickie Fowler, Bryson DeChambeau
6.21pm: Kevin Kisner, Marc Leishman (Aus)
6.32pm: Billy Horschel, Billy Hurley III
6.43pm: Daniel Berger, Rory Sabbatini (Svk)
6.54pm: Abraham Ancer (Mex), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn)
7.05pm: Danny Willett (Eng), Luke Donald (Eng)
7.16pm: Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Chandler Eaton -a-
7.27pm: Tiger Woods, Byeong Hun An (Kor)
7.38pm: Viktor Hovland (Nor) -a-, Webb Simpson
7.49pm: Paul Casey (Eng), Charles Howell III
8.00pm: Charlie Danielson, Phil Mickelson
8.11pm: Haotong Li (Chn), Jason Dufner
8.22pm: Jordan Spieth, Nate Lashley
8.33pm: Harris English, Brandon Wu -a-
8.44pm: Dustin Johnson, Carlos Ortiz (Mex)
8.55pm: Sepp Straka (Aut), Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng)
9.06pm: Francesco Molinari (Ita), Jim Furyk
9.17pm: Xander Schauffele, Sergio Garcia (Spa)
9.28pm: Graeme McDowell (NI), Zach Johnson
9.39pm: Jon Rahm (Spa), Scott Piercy
9.50pm: Adam Scott (Aus), Henrik Stenson (Swe)
10.01pm: Matt Wallace (Eng), Brooks Koepka
10.12pm: Matt Kuchar, Chesson Hadley
10.23pm: Chez Reavie, Rory McIlroy (NI)
10.34pm: Aaron Wise, Louis Oosthuizen (SA)
10.45pm: Justin Rose (Eng), Gary Woodland