US Open Moving Day: What Is ‘Moving Day’ At The US Open & How Important Is It To The Final Tournament Outcome?

If you watch coverage of the 125th US Open over the next few days, you might hear commentators mention the term ‘Moving Day’.

Here at SportsCasting, we are on hand to explain everything there is to know about ‘Moving Day’ and what it means in golf circles, including at major tournaments such as the US Open.

What Is ‘Moving Day’ In Golf?

If you’re a golf fan tuning in to a tournament and hear someone mention ‘Moving Day’, you might not know exactly what this means.

This is why we are on hand to explain what the term means in golf circles and how important it is in major championship events.

In short, ‘Moving Day’ is another name given to the third round of a golf tournament. This typically falls on a Saturday and is a term you will probably hear in the biggest major tournaments such as The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and Open Championship.

When it comes to professional PGA Tour tournaments, LIV Golf events or DP World Tour events, ‘Moving Day’ can be vital in the final outcome of a tournament. More on that later.

Why Do People Call Saturday At A Major Championship ‘Moving Day’?

Now that we have outlined exactly what ‘Moving Day’ is in golf, you might be wondering where the term actually comes from and why people call Round 3 at a major championship ‘Moving Day’.

The third round at a major championship often provides some of the most exciting action across the tournament as a whole, including at the 125th US Open at Oakmont Country Club.

Golf commentators call Saturday at a major tournament ‘Moving Day’ as it is the day where golfers often make their move up and down the rankings most prominently.

Shooting a low score on ‘Moving Day’ will set players up perfectly for the final round on Sunday, giving them a chance to win the tournament. In the case of the US Open, a big ‘Moving Day’ performance could go a long way in helping a player go on to claim victory.

Sometimes there are various different approaches taken to ‘Moving Day’. Some of the leaders from the first two rounds might go out hoping to consolidate their position on ‘Moving Day’, with others playing a far riskier game.

If a player needs a big third round to bring themselves into contention on Sunday, they might climb the leaderboard significantly with a stellar ‘Moving Day’ round after a slow start over the first two days.

However, this can often go the other way too. Some players might fall out of contention after a strong start on Thursday and Friday, with ‘Moving Day’ proving their downfall. This has certainly happened before.

How Significant Is ‘Moving Day’ To The Final Outcome?

At the US Open, six of the last 10 years has seen a golfer go on to lift the US Open trophy who did not sit at the top of the leaderboard after two rounds of major action.

Another way of looking at this is that six of the last 10 US Open victors made their move on ‘Moving Day’ to go on and win the tournament come Sunday.

The only four players who sat at the top of the US Open leaderboard after two rounds and went on to win the overall event were Gary Woodland in 2019, Brooks Koepka in 2017, Dustin Johnson in 2016, who was also the last US Open winner at Oakmont, and Jordan Spieth in 2014.

Looking at the statistics of players who sat top of the leaderboard after ‘Moving Day’ is a completely different story.

Of the last 10 players who were top of the pile after ‘Moving Day’, six of them went on to win the US Open. Of these six players, three of them also led after two rounds heading into ‘Moving Day’.

The only players who led after three rounds at the US Open in the last 10 years but didn’t go on to win were Shane Lowry in 2016, Brian Harman in 2017, Matt Wolff in 2020 and the three players tied for the lead in 2021, none of whom went on to clinch victory.

Best US Open ‘Moving Day’ Performances In The Last 10 Years

One of the best ‘Moving Day’ performances in recent years at the US Open was Matt Fitzpatrick’s move in 2022 en route to winning his first major.

Fitzpatrick went from T-13 after 36 holes to tied for the lead after ‘Moving Day’, before following that up with a stellar Sunday performance to win the US Open and his first major championship.

Bryson DeChambeau’s -3 ‘Moving Day’ round at last year’s US Open also ended up being pivotal, trailing by one to Ludvig Aberg, who boasts a net worth of $2m+, to then leading by three heading into the final 18 holes.

One sensational ‘Moving Day’ performance was Shane Lowry at the 2016 US Open. Lowry shot a -5 round of 65 at Oakmont, leading by four shots heading into the final round. However, Lowry had a nightmare on Sunday and didn’t go on to win his first major.

In short, more often than not the player that is top of the pile coming out of ‘Moving Day’ goes on to lift the US Open trophy after Sunday’s final round. That being said, it most definitely isn’t a foregone conclusion.

How Round 2 Leaders Fared At The US Open – Last 10

How ‘Moving Day’ Leaders Fared At The US Open – Last 10