U.S. Open leaderboard: Jordan Spieth drains back-to-back bombs, shoots into 1st

It did not take long to get some separation in the Saturday superstar final pairing. Jordan Spieth, attempting to become the first player to win the first two majors of a season since 2002, bombed in a birdie putt on the second green to jump to 6-under. Pars are great at Chambers Bay on Saturday, so any birdie is gravy -- especially when you pour it in from a mile away on these wildly unpredictable and bumpy greens.

While Spieth was moving up the board, his playing partner, Patrick Reed was making a mess. Reed double bogeyed the hole for a three-shot swing in the final group and a multi-shot lead for Spieth. Dustin Johnson moved into solo second at 4-under.

Right after draining that putt at the second, Spieth hit a poor tee shot at the par-3 third. He was upset with himself as soon as it left the club. But no matter, the putter was there to save him again. The tee ball put him in a rough position on the green some 40 feet out, but again he found the center of the cup after navigating this bumpy fescue and poa annua.

The putter was the club most responsible for Spieth’s runaway win at the Masters. If he can roll it anything like that on these greens, where pretty much every pro is frustrated and scrambling to figure out how to find any consistency, then he could make this one a laugher, too. Here’s the leaderboard as that final pairing hits the midpoint of the front nine:

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