SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — Golf is filled with tales of players improving their score by 12 shots over two rounds. Most astounding about Keith Mitchell was doing it in just over two hours.
Mitchell set a U.S. Open record Thursday at Shinnecock Hills when he became the only player to post a score in the 40s on nine holes, and follow that with a score in the 20s on the next nine.
He went 41-29. It added to an even-par 70, and Mitchell still isn't sure what
happened. He was coming off a bogey on the par-5 16th, and his first thought was whether he would finish.
“I was thinking about trying to break 80,” he said. “I was just trying to keep in it in the fairway, on the green and maybe have a chance to make the cut. And then it all flipped.”
His 29 tied the Shinnecock Hills record for nine holes set by Neal Lancaster in 1995 (Lancaster is the only player to twice shoot 29 on nine holes in the U.S. Open).
How it started is something Mitchell would like to forget. He went over the par-4 10th green to start his round, took two chips and two putts and had a double bogey. He went over the green on the par-3 11th and made bogey. Going long is to be avoided on those holes.
“All week I've been told not to do that,” Mitchell said. “It's the sum of all fears.”
After a string of bogeys, he hit a good tee shot into the par-3 17th and two-putted for par. He hit another good iron on the 18th and two-putted for par, both of them in the 20-foot range.
Those pars sparked the turnaround.
“There's a lot less pressure when you're 6 over and you're just rocking and rolling,” he said.
He was rolling, all right. The wind switched and was at his back on the first hole, so his caddie suggested he hit driver.
“Best swing of the day,” Mitchell said. It led to birdie, and he was on his way.
He hit wedge to 3 feet on the third, holed a 10-footer for birdie on the fourth, and then hit his second shot to 12 feet on the par-5 fifth and made eagle. He closed out his remarkable round with an approach to 8 feet on the rough nine for his 29.
He might have taken a 70 at the start of the day. He certainly would have taken it after his opening seven holes.
“If you hit the fairway, you have a chance — I didn't do that very often on the back nine — and then you have a chance to get on the green,” Mitchell said.
He did that on the front nine, not missing a fairway and only missing the green on one of the long holes. And suddenly, the game felt easy.
“Fortunately, I hit it really, really well,” he said.
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