Fujita (14 under) pads lead at US Senior Open, but Stricker is lurking from familiar second place

By The Associated Press

The clubhouse at the Newport Country Club is visible Friday, June 28, 2024, behind a sign for the U.S. Senior Open which is being played June 27-30 in Newport, R.I. (AP Photo/Jimmy Golen)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Jimmy Golen]

NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Hiroyuki Fujita shot a 3-under-67 in the U.S. Senior Open to improve to 14 under in pursuit of a wire-to-wire win and his first victory on American soil. He’ll have to withstand a charge from Steve Stricker at Newport Country Club. The 2019 champion made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to shoot his third straight 66 and cut a four-stroke deficit in half. Richard Green shot 69 to sit at minus-11, with Richard Bland at 9 under and Bob Estes at 8 under. Players will tee off early and in threesomes from both nines on Sunday in an attempt to finish before thunderstorms that are forecast for the afternoon.