Adam Scott and Jason Day have failed to make an early charge on the final day of the US Open Championship, remaining well off the pace of leader Martin Kaymer.
Scott and Day are just one-under on their rounds at the midway point despite easier set up conditions at Pinehurst No.2, leaving them two-over for the championship and still 10 shots back of Kaymer’s lead.
Looking to get out early and cause some heart palpitations for the field, world No.1 Scott birdied the third hole but gave the shot right back on the fourth.
He dropped in a six-foot birdie on the sixth but parred the next four holes to sit in a tie for 12th with eight holes remaining.
Day looked the more likely to get a run going after knocking in a 10-foot birdie on the second hole but failed to get any of his next five birdie chances, all between 10 and 20-feet, to drop.
He closed out the front nine with seven straight pars to join Scott in 12th.
Kaymer, the 2010 PGA Championship winner, has parred the opening two holes of his final round to maintain his five-shot buffer at the top.
He’s looking to win wire-to-wire (no ties) for just the eighth time in US Open history, joining Walter Hagan (1914), James Barnes (1921), Ben Hogan (1953), Tony Jacklin (1970), Tiger Woods (2000, 2002) and Rory McIlroy (2011).
World No.2 Henrik Stenson of Sweden, who could take Scott’s No.1 spot with a win, is part of the tie for second at three-under having played three holes.
Americans Rickie Fowler (two holes) and Erik Compton (three holes) join Stenson chasing the German.
Aaron Baddeley is two-over on his final round through 11 holes to be six-over and a tie for 30th.