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NEWPORT, R.I. — The wind at Newport Nation Membership hasn’t been capable of decelerate Hiroyuki Fujita within the U.S. Senior Open.
Perhaps the rain will cease him.
The Japanese Tour veteran shot a 3-under 67 on Saturday to enhance to 14 beneath in pursuit of a wire-to-wire win and his first victory on American soil. He’ll have to resist thunderstorms forecast for the ultimate spherical in addition to a cost from 2019 champion Steve Stricker, who made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to shoot his third straight 66 and reduce a four-stroke deficit in half.
“The situations are alleged to be fairly unhealthy, from what I hear, tomorrow,” Fujita mentioned. “I haven’t got plenty of distance on my membership, so I am positively going to be in some robust spots. I am simply going to deal with the truth that I am taking part in on the final day within the final group and deal with the truth that I am fortunate to be right here.”
Richard Green shot 69 to sit down at minus-11, with Richard Bland (69) at 9 beneath and Bob Estes (66) at 8 beneath.
Gamers teed off early and in threesomes from each nines on Saturday in an try to complete earlier than the fog rolled in on the 7,024-yard, par-70 course on the mouth of Narragansett Bay. Tee occasions have been moved up once more for the ultimate spherical on Sunday, when rain and lightning have been forecast for the afternoon.
“This place is supposed to be type of agency and quick and type of linksy in really feel. If it stayed this manner, a little bit breezy, and firmed up a little bit bit, it will be a extremely robust take a look at tomorrow,” 2021 winner Jim Furyk mentioned.
“If it rains fairly a bit, I believe you may see some guys who’re capable of rating, the place it is simpler to maintain it on the green, simpler to get the balls on the greens, and perhaps rather less troublesome,” he mentioned. “If it is moist, if it rains, somebody will go on the market and fireplace it.”
Fujita, who had by no means damaged 70 on the 50-and-over tour, did it for the third day in a row whereas posting the one bogey-free spherical on Saturday. He has only one bogey within the first 54 holes and has missed only one fairway within the match.
“He did not actually miss a shot all the way in which round. He is very constant,” mentioned Stricker, who was the match’s runner-up in every of the final two years. “We’ll should exit and have a very good spherical to attempt to catch him. It appears like he is in command of what is going on on together with his recreation and emotion.”
Fujita had three birdies on the entrance on Saturday to open an enormous lead at 14 beneath earlier than making 9 straight pars on the again 9.
“He simply did not make any errors,” Inexperienced mentioned. “If he performs like that tomorrow, it’ll take a very good spherical from the fellows coming from behind to catch him. You by no means know within the stress of a U.S. Open on the finish of the week what would possibly occur. However I am going to simply play my recreation and see the place it finally ends up.”
Stricker fell 4 strokes again with a bogey on the par-3 thirteenth however then obtained the stroke again on No. 16. He drained a 40-foot putt on the seventeenth proper earlier than Fujita missed his birdie putt from about 12 toes.
Stricker, who was second by two strokes to Padraig Harrington in 2022 and one shot behind Bernhard Langer final 12 months, has posted a 33 on all six nine-hole sides of the match.
“You have obtained Greenie, clearly, who’s taking part in nice on the minute. Steve Stricker’s been there, executed it,” Bland mentioned. “I do not know an excessive amount of concerning the man that is in entrance, however he is just about had the lead all week.”
