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Jason Day returns from vertigo to share U.S. Open lead

 
Jason Day lines up a putt on the third green with caddie Colin Swatton, who says Day considered quitting three times.
Jason Day lines up a putt on the third green with caddie Colin Swatton, who says Day considered quitting three times.
Published June 21, 2015

UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. — One day after he collapsed from a bout of vertigo, Jason Day was standing taller than ever Saturday at the U.S. Open.

For most everyone else in the third round, it was a matter of hanging on.

Day shot 31 on the back nine en route to 2-under 68 and was in a four-way tie for the lead at 4-under 206 with Dustin Johnson (70), Branden Grace (70) and Jordan Spieth (71).

The four-way tie for first through 54 holes ties the U.S. Open record. The other time was in 1973. That Sunday, Johnny Miller, who began the final round tied for 13th, shot 63 to win in the "Miracle at Oakmont."

Day crashed to the ground as he finished his second round Friday and later was diagnosed with vertigo, which had caused him to withdraw from a 2014 tournament. Though he was three shots off the lead, he wasn't sure he would be able to play Saturday. Groggy from medication and coping with symptoms of vertigo on a long, brutal afternoon at Chambers Bay, he fought his way to the top.

He used the slopes for a short birdie on No. 15. He made a 15-foot birdie on the 17th. And he brought the fans in the grandstand to their feet when he holed a 5-foot birdie putt on the 18th.

Day, a 27-year-old Australian who had never held a 54-hole lead in a major, chose not to speak to reporters after his round, wanting to get back to his room to rest.

"I didn't feel that great coming out early," he said in comments to the U.S. Golf Association. "I felt pretty groggy on the front nine just from the drugs that I had in my system, then kind of flushed that out on the back nine.

"But then it kind of came back. The vertigo came back a little bit on the 13th tee box, and then (I) felt nauseous all day. I started shaking on 16 tee box and then just tried to get it in, really. Just wanted to get it in."

His caddie and coach, Colin Swatton, said Day considered quitting three times.

"I think the goal was just to go through (Saturday) and see how it goes," Day said.

The conditions were the toughest they had been all week, no surprise for Saturday at a U.S. Open.

Spieth, who led by one after the second round with Patrick Reed, raced out to a two-shot lead with a pair of long birdie putts early in his round, only to make a pair of three-putt bogeys that had him slapping a knee in disgust. This year's Masters champion rallied with two key par saves and birdie on the 15th.

Spieth, 21, is in position to become the fourth player to win multiple majors before age 22. The last was Gene Sarazen in 1922. A win also would make him the first player to win the first two majors of the year since Tiger Woods in 2002.

Johnson built a two-shot lead only to give it back with a double bogey on the 13th due to a poor second shot into the bunker.

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Grace had three bogeys in a five-hole stretch and rejoined the leaders with birdie on the 15th. The South African, 27, goes for his first major title on the 50th anniversary of Gary Player becoming the first from that country to win the U.S. Open.

South African Louis Oosthuizen set himself up for a shot at Open history. Not since World War II has a player shot 77 in the first round, as Oosthuizen did, and gone on to win.

Oosthuizen was part of the horror show with Tiger Woods (80) and Rickie Fowler (81) in the opening round. He shot 66 in the second round and shot another 66 Saturday to move to 1-under 209.

Also at 1 under were Australian Cameron Smith (69), Ireland's Shane Lowry (70) and American J.B. Holmes (71).

Reed shot 6 over and fell to 1 over for the tournament. Rory McIlroy shot 70 and was at 4-over 214. Phil Mickelson lost another bid at the career Grand Slam with 7-over 77 that put him at 10-over 220.

Mickelson had little to say other than: "As bad as my score was, I hit a lot of good shots that ended up as bogeys. And through three rounds, I haven't made a (double bogey)."