With another round to go and the U.S. Open hanging in the balance, Harman wasn't about to let go of the chip on his shoulder a day early and had a message for the media at Erin Hills.
It is the 31st time a 63 has been recorded at the four big dances, with Greg Norman and Vijay Singh the only golfers to do it twice. A few years later, Thomas won two junior tournaments in one day.
First-round leader Rickie Fowler is one shot back and tied with Jamie Lovemark and J.B. Holmes. Tied at 11-under with Thomas and in the second to last group are Brooks Koepka and Tommy Fleetwood. I can't say how much it means to have one of my best mates on my bag [caddie Ian Finnis].
"It doesn't matter how long, how whatever the course is", Thomas said about the longest course in major championship history. First was this absurd putt on the 5th hole, where he lined up facing away from the hole and used the slope to sink a birdie.
"All Jimmy (caddie Jimmy Johnson) and I were trying to do is give ourselves a best chance to make a four". I would lean Thomas, but Koepka shot a quiet 68 today with nothing near his best stuff.
"I've felt like my game has been good enough to compete in the majors this year. And it came out nicely". "I was excited to shoot 63". "Nine-(under) is pretty darn good".
But Thomas' lead, which sat at two shots after he eagled 18, lasted only temporarily as Fleetwood and Harman each birdied Nos.
First he ripped a 331-yard drive.
After sinking his eagle put on the 18th hole, Thomas ended his round with an overall score of 11-under par and in sole possession of the lead among an extremely crowded field. He got down in three from there.
From that near meltdown, he hit the next wedge to 3 feet and made the putt to save a 6.
Thomas had 300 yards to the hole for his second shot at the 18th. Then he picked up a birdie on 12 with a 9-footer. He got that up-and-down for a bogey and a 68. Thomas admitted that as he walked up the 18th fairway Saturday afternoon, he wasn't aware that he was on the verge of history. Spieth was low amateur in 2012 and the guy he edged out, 17-year-old Beau Hossler, had already signed with Texas.
Schauffele posted a round of 73 after hitting a first round of 66, while Champ remains at five under for the tournament.
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Thomas produced a 59 at the Sony Open in January. Yet by close of play, he did not even lead the tournament.
An eagle that completed a 9-under 63, the lowest score to par in the history of this tournament. The course took an inch of rain overnight, making it about as menacing as a Golden Retriever puppy.
Even at 7,818 yards, almost 4 ½ miles, the kids are having their way, with five players joining Thomas with double-digit under-par totals on Saturday and more than half the remaining field, 42 of 68, lingering on the red side of par.
"You could keep knocking it back and forth over that green", said Fleetwood, "staring seven or eight in the face".
"It was a good display, all my own fault, of what can happen if you get out of position on this golf course, which is what I did on 14", Casey said.
"Bad shots make bogeys and 18 was a good example". On typical U.S. Open greens, that would have run all the way off the back of the green.
Fowler's putting stroke has looked great - aside from a brief blip late in Round 2 - which is why he's been able to shake off some inconsistent ball-striking. And most of my birdie putts were uphill and I could attack. He said he has a plan in the works for Sunday.
"I'm going to enjoy my time tonight with my little girl and my wife. When I get it going, I don't fear it like I used to of stalling".
The one thing all of these golfers have in common? Only Louis Oosthuizen, Zach Johnson and Sergio García realistically have the prospect of another major win from here, with even that trio's chances highly remote. Unprecedented achievement had been sealed courtesy of a Thomas 63.
On that occasion Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Hale Irwin and Ray Floyd shared the halfway lead, with Irwin going on to win the "Massacre at Winged Foot" on seven over par. "I'm looking forward to my shot at it, and I know it's going to be - it's not going to be an easy day, for sure. I think I did a good job with that".
An Associated Press report is included.
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