It’s amazing what a close call in a major can do for a player in professional golf.
Scott Piercy was pretty much an afterthought until he stepped up big-time at the U.S. Open and eventually finished tied for second.
Saturday at the WGC Bridgestone he stepped up and challenged the world’s No. 1 player on one of the world’s most famous courses.
Piercy’s 67 on moving day moved him into a tie for the 54 hole lead with Jason Day, who many think is the perfect player to win at this challenging Firestone Country Club.
Piercy’s round put him at five-under par and he’ll go head-to-head with Day on Sunday in the final pairing.
Right behind them is David Lingmerth, who played with day in the third round and tied day with a one-under par 69 that put him alone at four-under.
Brian Stuard is the surprising name at three-under who will pair with Lingmerth in the penultimate group on Sunday.
Round of the day went to Dustin Johnson, the U.S. Open champion. He shot 66 and that washed away the sins of his previous rounds and parked him at two-under par with first-round leader Will McGirt and Charl Schwartzel.
Jordan Spieth second straight 71 left him five behind Piercy and Day.
“I played clean, solid and didn’t really have a lot of stress,” said Piercy, who could have owned the lead by himself had it not been for a bogey at the closing hole. An errant drive in the left trees left him playing for five.
Day ran into trouble on the front nine with consecutive bogeys at seven and eight. He three-putted the par three seventh and a drive that sailed too far right on the eighth hole led to the other bogey. Other than those two holes, Day looked like the man to beat.
