Wake Forest Athletics
Zalatoris Chases U.S. Open Championship on Sunday
6/19/2022 11:42:00 AM | Men's Golf
The former Wake Forest men’s golfer is tied for the lead and in the final group to go off for the final round at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.
BROOKLINE, Mass. – Former Wake Forest men's golfer Will Zalatoris will be chasing his first major championship at the 122nd U.S. Open Championship Sunday at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.
Zalatoris, who was a three-time All-American during his time in Winston-Salem, heads into the final round tied for the lead and in the final group to go off.
He moved up the leaderboard with the help of the lowest third round in the field, carding a near bogey free 67 (-3).
Contending in a major on Sunday yet again.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 18, 2022
The round of the day goes to @WillZalatoris. pic.twitter.com/zNbro87bc6
Zalatoris is one of just three players in the field to be par or better in all three rounds, turning in a 69 (-1) on Thursday and a 70 (E) on Friday to make the cut and head into four strokes off the lead.
Zalatoris continues his impressive run at major championships in his young career. After earning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors last season with the help of a runner-up finish at the Masters and a top-10 finish at the PGA Championship, he continued his clutch play this season.
The Texas native once again was in contention for the Masters, tying for sixth in Augusta. He followed that up in May by nearly claiming his first major title of his career. He was tied for the lead after 72 holes at the PGA Championship and lost in an epic playoff to Justin Thomas by just one stroke.
Overall, Zalatoris has been inside of the top 10 at five of his eight major starts in his young career.
Is Sunday the day for @WillZalatoris? pic.twitter.com/ArBpiTRrEW
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 19, 2022
He will look to become the second Demon Deacon to claim a U.S. Open title in the last decade after Webb Simpson took home the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif.
Wake Forest has a strong history in U.S. Open play as Zalatoris could be the fourth Demon Deacon to win the major. Former Deacs have took home five U.S. Open titles since Arnold Palmer became the first to win in 1960.
The last time the U.S. Open was contested at The Country Club, Curtis Strange captured the title in 1988. It was the first of back-to-back titles for Strange who also won the 1989 U.S. Open at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.
