SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) Phil Mickelson intentionally hit a moving putt on the 13th green Saturday, then asked the USGA to explain the ruling after hearing suggestions he should be disqualified from the U.S. Open.

His bogey putt from above the hole ran by the cup and was headed down a slope when he trotted over and swatted it back toward the hole with the ball still in motion. He was assessed a two-stroke penalty, scored a 10 on the hole – the highest number anyone has managed in this tournament – and wound up shooting 81.

Later, after acknowledging he was using Rule 14-5 to his advantage, Mickelson called USGA officials.

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”Phil really did want to understand how the rule operates because he didn’t want to – frankly, as he said to me: `I don’t want to play in this championship if I should have been disqualified,”’ said Mike Davis, the USGA’s chief executive.

”That’s where we clarified that, `Phil, you actually made a stroke at a moving ball, and so we have ..

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) Daniel Berger managed to hit a sweet spot that was even smaller than the target area on one of Shinnecock Hills’ glassy greens: He played well enough to make the cut at the U.S. Open, but not so well that he teed off among the leaders after the course turned treacherous late in the day.

Just one stroke ahead of the cut line after 36 holes, Berger parlayed an early tee time into a 4-under 66 on Saturday to improve to 3 over for the tournament – still seven strokes behind second-round leader Dustin Johnson as he began his round.

Tony Finau teed off 44 minutes later, at 10:57 a.m., and also shot 66 to finish at 3 over.

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Then they waited for more than four hours while the course brought the rest of the field back to them.

”I think to get out there early and play a good round really was to my benefit,” said Berger, who was in a four-way tie with Finau, Brooks Koepka (72) and Johnson (77). ”If someone shoots 4 under this afternoon, it’s ..

Golf Channel trio takes USGA to task for U.S. Open course setup: 'Sadly, we took a step back'

A glance at the third round of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York.

Leading: Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Tony Finau and Daniel Berger, all 3-over-par 213.

Just behind: Justin Rose is one stroke back, while Henrik Stenson is another shot behind.

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Big number: Phil Mickelson took a 10 on the 13th hole on his way to an 81.

Big controversy: Mickelson ran and intentionally hit his ball back to the hole while it was still moving on 13, getting a 2-stroke penalty.

Notable: It was the highest 54-hole score to lead in a U.S. Open since 1974.

Key stat: The scoring average was 75.33, the highest for a third round since Pebble Beach in 2000. There were three rounds under par, and eight over 80.

Quotable: ”I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s something you might see at your home course with your mates or something. But it was just a moment – I think it’s just a moment of madness.” – playing partner Andrew Johnston, on Mickelson hitting h..

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) The weekend is when it counts.

Only three amateurs at the U.S. Open advanced from the first two rounds; 17 were sent packing. Will Grimmer cleared the 8-over-par cut by three strokes. Luis Gagne and Matt Parziale advanced by one.

”It was a completely different ballgame than the last two days,” Grimmer said of Saturday’s round. ”Guys were chanting out all sorts of fun stuff, which was great. It was a new experience for me.”

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This is Grimmer’s second U.S. Open. The Ohio State senior-to-be played in 2014 as a 17-year-old but didn’t make the cut. He sits at 13 over heading into Sunday.

Parziale, a firefighter from Brockton, Massachusetts, leads the amateurs at 11 over. Gagne, a soon-to-be senior at LSU, is 12 over.

”Bottom line is we’re in our own little tournament within a tournament,” Grimmer said, ”and I’m two strokes away from where I need to be.”

Whoever wins the low-amateur race receives a medal and is honored at the closing ce..

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) Shinnecock Hills is one of the toughest challenges in golf. The last thing it needs is being turned into an unfair layout.

Yet the USGA admitted the course got out of hand Saturday in the third round of the U.S. Open, and apologized for it.

Only three players shot under par: co-leaders Daniel Berger and Tony Finau with 66s, and Kiradech Aphibarnrat with a 68. Two others were at even par, Gary Woodland and Brian Gay.

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Meanwhile, there were eight rounds of 80 or higher, including Rickie Fowler with an 84 and Phil Mickelson at 81. The average score was 75.33 on the par-70 course, but the afternoon rounds among the leaders skewed much higher.

”It was a tale of two golf courses, and no doubt, we would admit, well-executed shots were not only not regarded, but were punished,” said Mike Davis, the chief executive of the USGA and the man in charge of course setup. ”We would say that it was a very tough test, and really too tough this after..

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) The key hole in the third round of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

Hole: 13

Par: 4

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Yardage: 366

Average: 4.52

Rank: T3

Key fact: Phil Mickelson intentionally hit his ball while it was still going past the hole, taking a 2-stroke penalty for a 10. Co-leader Daniel Berger made birdie on the hole, while the other co-leaders all made par.

Dustin Johnson blew a 4-stroke lead but remains tied atop the leaderboard heading into Saturday. However, Phil Mickelson's 10 on the 13th hole was the story. Sponsored by #Lexus.

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — The 2018 U.S. Open is so difficult that players are still making bogeys after their rounds are over.
RELATED: Phil Mickelson's crazy penalty affects U.S. Open prop bet
Following a four-over-par 74, Henrik Stenson stopped by the Sky Sports set to do an interview with Sarah Stirk — but he didn't realize the cameras were rolling. In mentioning that he had just dropped an F-bomb somewhere else, Stenson dropped another F-bomb before being told he was on live TV. And his reaction was priceless:
https://twitter.com/GolfClubWanker/status/1008130580574277632
“Please don't swear,” Stirk said. “We are live on air, Henrik.”
You couldn't have told him that 10 seconds earlier? Poor guy. Playing a fast-and-firm burnt-to-a-crisp Shinnecock Hills was tough enough.
In any event, Stenson still has a great chance to capture a second major title on Sunday when he'll start the final round just two shots off the lead. And if he does, he'll probably be just ..

Dustin Johnson's 4 stroke lead disappeared quickly on Saturday after Johnson carded 5 bogeys on the front.