Justin Thomas’ nuked 3-wood finishes off U.S. Open record-breaking round

Justin Thomas is on top of the leaderboard at Erin Hills. He may not win, but this shot and this round will go down in U.S. Open history.

The final groups on moving day are just getting onto the back nine on Saturday, and we still have a full round to go on Sunday, but we just got our shot and moment of the 2017 U.S. Open, so far.

Justin Thomas, one of the smaller players on the PGA Tour, is well known for getting every inch of power out of his slight frame. He smashes the ball well over 300 yards with regularity, and almost never takes his foot off the gas. The lay ups are rare and on Saturday, with a potential record round in his sights on the longest hole on the longest course in U.S. Open history, JT went for it.

From 299 yards out, Thomas pulled his 3-wood and took a mighty lash from the middle of the fairway on this massive par-5. As soon as he hit it, Thomas knew it was good, barring some bad bounce. He pleaded with his caddie, Jimmy Johnson, for it to be good. And it was.

Thomas said after the round he didn’t know how good it was, thinking he had just put himself in a good spot to make a birdie to post 64. But when he walked up with his caddie, he knew he had a perfect chance for an eagle and the record-tying 63 and record-breaking 9-under in relation to par. Thomas converted to break Johnny Miller’s 43-year-old record and post the 9-under 63.

The total number, 63, of course, matches Miller’s number from that legendary round at Oakmont in 1973. And it’s the 31st time that record number has been posted in a major championship — the 62 still eludes us despite almost annual threats to break it.

This is the latest in a year full of highlights for Thomas, who posted a 59 and won three times this season before mid-January. Thomas is a mega-talent and likely future major winner. But beyond the talent is the style, and this round was full of it as he got to 11-under for the championship.

There was the same 3-wood at the drivable par-4 15th hole, which Thomas exhorted to “be as good as you look.” That got close to being an albatross. There was the putt he sent out up on a ridge, almost 90 degrees from the cup. And there was the 25-foot putt on the 17th which set up the possibility for a record on the last.

This is the kind of style that has made JT a golf hero on Twitter and elsewhere. But that nuked 3-wood on the 18th exceeded them all and should go down as the shot of the tournament.

We’ll have a full round recap from Kyle Robbins, who followed Thomas from start to finish, coming soon. Thomas is two clear of the field on a day where birdies have been piling up at Erin Hills: