The par-4 13th at Pinehurst No. 2 played only 368 yards on Saturday at the U.S. Open, but it took its toll on a couple of big-name contenders.
First, it was Tony Finau.
A co-leader at one point during the round, Finau was two back when his second shot at the 13th spun off the front of the green. He then elected to use his putter for his third shot and his ball sped over a mound, past the flag and into the back bunker. His fourth shot, from the sand, landed on the green but rolled off the front. After five shots, his ball finally settled on the putting surface, 7 feet from the hole, but he missed the putt for double bogey.
That dropped Finau to 1 under, five off the pace. He finished on that number, ultimately six back, after a 2-over 72.
“Obviously, 13 is going to jump out at me as a hole that was the toughest pin in the whole championship, in my opinion,” Finau said. “That green is pretty crazy right there where that pin is. Just wrong time to miss a shot.”
Then, it was Ludvig Åberg.
The overnight leader was playing catchup when he reached the 13th. Trailing by two, Åberg hit his tee shot into the native area on the left. His second shot finished short of the green, in a similar spot to where Finau was. And like Finau — but with a wedge — Åberg’s third shot rolled through the green into the back bunker. And, just like Finau, Åberg couldn’t keep his fourth shot on the green as it rolled off the front slope.
He went on to make triple bogey as well and dropped to 2 under, five off the lead. That’s where he finished, following a 73.
