Key events
Viktor Hovland is so close to making his birdie putt on 6. A left-to-right curler that looks like dropping. He raises a fist in order to punch the air … then as his ball kinks around the left lip and stubbornly stays up, Hovland styles it out, unclenching his hand and holding the nape of his neck in disbelief. Just a par … but that’s a lot better than poor JJ Spaun, whose 11-foot par attempt shaves the same side of the cup and that’s a fifth bogey in six holes. Meanwhile bogey for the leader Sam Burns back on 5, the result of finding a fairway bunker from the tee. We’re tied at the top!
(Two birdie lip-outs in a row for Scottie Scheffler, by the way, at 9 and 10. Which illustrate the narrow margins between success and failure in golf, because … well, look where he is now, and where he could be …)
-2: Scott (5), Burns (5)
E: Hovland (5)
+1: Hatton (6)
+2: Ortiz (6), Spaun (6)
+4: Rahm (F), Scheffler (10), Young (8), MacIntyre (8), Neergaard-Petersen (7), Lawrence (7)
JJ Spaun just can’t get going at all. His tee shot at the par-three 6th is never clearing the bunker at the front. It dumps into the sand, and he can only splash to 11 feet. Having made four bogeys in the first five holes, this is a big putt coming up. Meanwhile Viktor Hovland finds the centre of the green and will have a 30-foot look at birdie.
The clouds in the middle distance are dark. We’ll be very fortunate if they give Oakmont Country Club the bodyswerve.
JJ Spaun sends his third at 5 to ten feet, but he can’t make the par saver. That’s a 5-5-5-5 start for the 34-year-old Californian. He mopes away, dejected. He needs a reset – and he may have some luck coming his way, courtesy of Mother Nature, because there are some very grumbly dark clouds heaving into view. Meanwhile Viktor Hovland tidies up for his birdie, and he’s in a much better mood now, his early damage repaired. And bogey for Carlos Ortiz, who lands his tee shot at 6 onto a downslope in front of a bunker, then finds the bunker, and does well to limit the damage by getting up and down.
-3: Burns (4)
-2: Scott (4)
E: Hovland (5)
+1: Hatton (6), Spaun (5)
+2: Ortiz (6)
Back on 4, a big break for Adam Scott. His second finds rough to the right of the green. But there’s a sprinkler head messing with his stance, so he’s able to take relief. And instead of chipping out from thick stuff, he’s now able to use putter from the fringe. He nearly drains the 40-foot eagle putt, which would have been really pushing it, but it’s a tap-in for birdie. He’s -2. Par for Sam Burns, who remains one clear at -1.
JJ Spaun and Viktor Hovland do some ship-steadying at 4. Hovland makes a sandy par, splashing out to six feet, while JJ two-putts from 30 feet. Pars. Spaun remains at level par, Hovland at +1. Then on 5, mixed results after off-line tee shots. Spaun yanks his right, and can only gouge out. Hovland finds a fairway bunker, then swishes his second pin high to set up a very good birdie chance.
Hastings wins low amateur
As the only amateur to make the cut, Justin Hastings was pretty much guaranteed this honour. But you still have to complete the 72 holes. A 76 today, and the 21-year-old from the Cayman Islands finishes his week at an extremely respectable +15. A fair chance we’ll be hearing from Hastings again, as well. Not only has he already proved his worth as the best-performing amateur at this year’s Masters (though he didn’t make the cut, so he couldn’t win the Silver Cup), he’s also following in a grand tradition: recent US Open low amateurs include Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay. See you again soon, Justin.
67 for Jon Rahm
Up on 18, birdie for the 2021 champion Jon Rahm. He’s finished with three of those in a row, and suddenly he’s signing for a 67 – equalling Rory McIlroy’s best of day. He’s inside the top ten. He’s the early clubhouse leader.
Hovland lays up from the fairway bunker on 4. But his wedge in is undercooked, and dunks into the bunker guarding the front-left of the green. With the pin tucked just behind the trap, he’s short-sided. Trouble ahoy. Spaun meanwhile hacks from the rough into a fairway bunker, but finds the centre of the green with his third. His par looks more likely.
Viktor Hovland and JJ Spaun continue to struggle. Hovland drives into the Church Pews to the left of 4, Spaun snags in the thick stuff beside them. Adam Scott is short of the 3rd green in two, and can’t get close with his chip coming up. He drops his second shot of the day. His partner and leader Sam Burns nearly makes an uphill 20-footer for birdie, though. And it’s birdie for Tyrrell Hatton on the par-five 4th, though he’s a little bit disappointed, having creamed his second from 283 yards to eight feet, the pin tucked awkwardly in a nook back-left of the green. But he doesn’t make the eagle putt. Ah well, moving back to +1 will cushion the blow.
-3: Burns (3)
-1: Scott (3)
E: Spaun (3)
+1: Hatton (4), Ortiz (4), Hovland (3)
The nerves are kicking in, and everyone is going backwards. A three-putt bogey for the leader Sam Burns on 2. A three-putt bogey for Viktor Hovland on 3, the result of a tentative prod from three feet. His partner JJ Spaun can’t get up and down from the front of 3 and that’s a bogey-bogey-bogey horror show. And Cameron Young sends his tee shot wide at 5 and he can’t scramble par this time. And with this all happening … well, here’s the thing. We may have written off Scottie Scheffler too soon. Because he’s responded to that double bogey at 3 with birdies at 4 and 6. He’s +4 again. He couldn’t, could he? If everyone ahead of him keep making errors, it’s not beyond the realms.
-3: Burns (2)
-2: Scott (2)
E: Spuan (3)
+1: Ortiz (3), Hovland (3)
+2: Young (5), Hatton (3)
+3: MacIntyre (5), Neergaard-Petersen (4)
+4: Grillo (8), Greyserman (8), Scheffler (7)
JJ Spaun is enduring a nightmare start to his major-championship Sunday. Having opened bogey-bogey, thanks to a mixture of poor driving, average putting, and sheer bad luck, he now adds misjudged ironplay to the mix. His second into 3 only just finds the front of the green, and topples back off the false front. A big up and down for par, and to stem the bleeding, coming up.
Viktor Hovland’s always out of position after that wild drive at 2. Bogey. He’s back to level par, and there are now just three players under it. Meanwhile Cameron Young’s approach into 4 goes almost straight right. On Sky, Ewen Murray tentatively raises the possibility of the S-word, but doesn’t actually say it. He does use the words “shaft” and “hosel”, though. Young can’t escape the thick rough with his first chip, but gets close enough with his second to salvage par. That save may yet be priceless. He’s still +1.
Robert MacIntyre drops his second shot of the day at 3. So how does he respond? By taking two shots at the monster par-five 4th to reach the front of the green, then absolutely rattling in a tramliner from 58 feet for eagle! That hit the hole at speed and jumped a little before dropping. Had it not, his ball might already be halfway to Maryland. He’s back where he started the day, at +3, and all is not yet lost for Oban’s finest!
JJ Spaun nearly saves himself on 2 by sending his third over the flag from 50 yards to eight feet. But he doesn’t commit to the putt coming back. It stops one turn short, and while on balance that’s an extremely unfortunate bogey after that flagstick-flavoured fiasco, that wasn’t a good putt. Back-to-back bogeys to open and he’s -1.
Two putts from the fringe at 1 for Adam Scott. That’s an opening bogey. Sam Burns, who had sent his first two strokes down the middle, shaves the hole with his 30-foot birdie effort, but happily tidies up for a par that establishes a two-shot lead.
-4: Burns (1)
-2: Spaun (1), Scott (1)
-1: Hovland (1)
+1: Young (3), Ortiz (2)
An awful break for poor JJ Spaun on 2. His approach is arrowed straight at the flag. A big bounce before the pin. When it lands past the hole, it should spin back close. But it doesn’t get the chance. It clatters into the flagstick, and twangs back down the green, off the front, 50 yards away. When that ball was sailing towards the green, he’d have been dreaming of bounce-back birdie. Now he’s got a battle on to avoid consecutive bogeys.
Viktor Hovland needs his oft-erratic driver to behave if he’s to win this afternoon. Not a great sign on 2, as he takes one hand off the grip on his follow-through while carving ostentatiously into a bunker down the right of the fairway. JJ Spaun meanwhile rediscovers his metronomic tee-box mojo of yesterday by splitting the fairway. Meanwhile an unforced error by Adam Scott from the middle of the 1st fairway. He pulls his approach into the thick grass, then doesn’t given the chip out enough juice. The ball topples back towards the fringe, and like JJ Spaun before him, from that position he’ll be doing well to take two putts for his bogey.
JJ Spaun’s first putt from the fringe isn’t the greatest. A big right-to-left swinger that stops four feet short. But he limits the damage to bogey by making what’s left. Meanwhile Viktor Hovland makes a no-fuss par, having traversed one of the hardest opening holes in golf by sauntering down the middle.
-4: Burns
-3: Scott
-2: Spaun (1)
-1: Hovland (1)
+1: Young (3), Ortiz (2)
The final pairing is out on the course. Adam Scott and Sam Burns take turns to split the fairway. A confident start from the leaders. Meanwhile up the hole, trouble for JJ Spaun, who hacks from the rough on the right to the rough on the left. He manages to power his third up to the green, but the camber takes his ball towards the fringe on the left. He’ll have a very tricky two putts for bogey.
Back-to-back birdies for Cameron Young! This one at 3, as he rakes in from 28 feet. He’s up to -1 in short order. But a disastrous start for Thriston Lawrence, who sends his approach at 2 into a native area to the left of the green, and ends up with a double-bogey six. Factor in an opening bogey, and he’s clattered down the standings to +4, the jig already pretty much up. Meanwhile an opening three-putt bogey for Carlos Ortiz.
-4: Burns
-3: Scott, Spaun
-1: Hovland
+1: Young (3), Ortiz (1)
+2: Neergaard-Petersen (2), Hatton (1)
+4: Schauffele (13), Perez (6), Grillo (6), Greyserman (5), Taylor (4), Lawrence (2)
Xander Schauffele is going along very nicely. Birdies at 2, 4 and now 12, and the 31-year-old Californian is beginning to rediscover last season’s form just in time for the defence of his Open Championship title next month. He’s suddenly into the top ten at +4.
Tyrrell Hatton initially appears to play the 1st in textbook fashion. Drive down the right-hand side of the fairway, approach into the heart of the green. But he races his 30-foot birdie effort three feet past, then clumsily shoves his short par putt wide right. An opening bogey, and already the lid is beginning to gently rattle as he prods away at the green with his putter. He’s +2.
Viktor Hovland flayed his opening drive yesterday into the bushes down the right. He sends this one down the middle. He’s going round today with JJ Spaun, who hit just about every fairway from the tee box yesterday. But he missed the 18th to the right, en route to a closing bogey, and perhaps that’s been nagging at him overnight, because he misses on the same side again. His ball disappears into the thick stuff. Some work to do already.
Cameron Young is the first of the in-range players to make a move. He splits the 2nd fairway then wedges from 105 yards to seven feet. In goes the putt, and the 28-year-old from New York state moves to +2. He’s yet to win on the PGA Tour. This would be some way to break his duck.
Scottie Scheffler’s race is undoubtedly run. Having driven into the Church Pews on 3, he’s always playing catch-up. From the centre of the green, he gives his long par putt an aggressive roll – it has to go in, he can’t be leaving another one short like he did on the previous green – and it slips five feet past. He’s unable to make the one coming back, and that’s a double-bogey six. The world number one is +6, and even from the get-go on Thursday, it never ever really looked like being his week. But he’ll always have Quail Hollow. And Augusta. Twice. And possibly Portrush next month.
Robert MacIntyre starts the day just about within striking distance of the leaders. But at +3 he’s not got much margin for error. So he could do without sending a wild Hovland-esque drive towards the bushes down the right. It stops just short, but he’s still hacking out of the thick stuff, and the errant tee shot leads inevitably to bogey. He’s now +4 and the look on his face suggests he knows any slim hope of a sensational Arnold Palmer style comeback is gone. He’s +4.
Seems clearing out the pipes last night did Rory some good. A weight lifted. He should bollock the press pack more often.
67 for Rory McIlroy
A spot of luck for Rory on 18. His tee shot ends up in that aforementioned native area, but it’s stopped just short of the knee-high grass. Another 12 to 18 inches to the left, and he’d have been toast. As it is, he can get a club to his ball, and he’s able to muscle his second into the front of the green. The camber takes the ball off to the right, and onto the fringe, but he’d have taken that outcome back on the tee box, watching his drive sail off to the left. Two to get down, and he ends a rough week on the up with 67. The best of the morning starters. He’s +7. On to Portrush!
Scottie Scheffler sends a fine wedge into 2, using the camber of the green as a backstop to bring his ball round to 14 feet. But he leaves the birdie putt a good foot short. A great chance goes by. Then he sends his tee shot at 3 into the Church Pews down the left, and up against one of those holy seats, he’s forced to take his medicine and chip out. His third finds the middle of the green, but he’s miles from the flag. The fast start he needed isn’t materialising. A long shot is beginning to morph into a pipe dream.
Rory McIlroy three-putts 16. But he responds to the careless bogey by sending a glorious tee shot at the drivable par-four 17th to 20 feet, and two putts later that’s a bounce-back birdie. Par up the last will be enough for the valedictory 67 he spoke of before the round … but good luck with that, because he’s just wheeched his drive at 18 into a native area down the left. It’ll be over soon.
Philip Barbaree signs for a final round of 82. At +24, he’s certain to finish rock bottom, 66th in a weekend field of 66. But he’s smiling broadly anyway, because this is the culmination of the biggest week of his career. The 27-year-old from Louisiana made it to Oakmont via local and final qualifying. He’d only played in one US Open previously, and missed the cut at Shinnecock Hills in 2018. In fact until this week, he’d never made a cut on either the PGA or Korn Ferry tours, playing mostly these days on the PGA Tour Americas. But on Saturday morning – after being left to stew as a result of Friday evening’s weather suspension – he made the par he needed on the 9th (the second-hardest hole in the second round) to squeak inside the cutline with a round of 71. SO this is the result of his life so far. He’s clearly enjoyed the week, and gets the crowd onside by putting out with a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball shirt draped over his shoulders. Then he embraces Chloe, his wife and caddie. Sweet scenes, and here’s to the pair of them making it to another major soon.
Scottie Scheffler needs to pull a Johnny Miller if he’s to realistically challenge today. A fast start is essential; par at the 1st, the self-styled hardest opening hole on the US Open rota, and one that’s averaging 4.34 shots this week, isn’t the worst way to begin the gargantuan task in hand. He remains at +4.
The weather could play a part this afternoon. It’s sunny enough now, but there’s a possibility of thunderstorms quite soon, or possibly in a few hours, or both. Hard to forecast anything with supreme confidence, given that when the heavens opened during yesterday’s third round, the rain was coming down heavily on some holes while the sun still blazed on others. Not untypical Pennsylvania weather, the locals will tell you. Fingers crossed none of this comes to pass, but if it does, we could be heading towards a Monday finish. Let’s cross this bridge if and when it’s necessary.
Yesterday evening, Rory McIlroy got a few things off his chest. Having unburdened himself, he cut a cheerier figure this morning, telling one interviewer that a good score was possible around Oakmont today, and he expected to see a few 67s. Well, he might be in the process of carding one of those himself. Or even better. He’s on track at the moment, having just hit a hot streak after the turn, making birdies at 11, 13 and now 14. If he pars his way home, he’ll be signing for that 67 before departing the scene quicksmart for some well-earned peace and quiet. He’s finishing the week as he started it, playing well. Just a shame about the big bit in the middle. He’s currently +7.
Preamble
The good news for Sam Burns: he’s in fine form after last week’s near miss at the Canadian Open; his 65 on Friday is the best round of the week, proof positive that the five-time PGA Tour winner has the game to get the job done around Oakmont; he’s one of only two players (along with Ryan Fox) yet to three-putt on treacherous greens once described by a USGA bigwig as the “scariest in golf”.
The bad news for Sam Burns: only three players out of nine have converted a 54-hole lead at an Oakmont US Open into victory; one of the biggest final-round comebacks in US Open history occurred at Oakmont (Johnny Miller winning in 1973 from six back); someone’s won from seven behind going into the final round of a US Open before, Arnold Palmer in 1960, and if anyone in the field can go one better than Arnie, it’s surely Scottie Scheffler.
So history proves that nothing’s certain. And with the leaderboard packed tight, featuring plenty of big names waiting to pounce, pretty much anything could happen if the leading trio stumble. Most of it unlikely, admittedly, but all of it possible. Here’s what the top of the tree looked like after 54 holes …
-4: Sam Burns
-3: Adam Scott, JJ Spaun
-1: Viktor Hovland
E: Carlos Ortiz
+1: Tyrrell Hatton, Thriston Lawrence
+2: Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
+3: Robert MacIntyre, Cameron Young
+4: Marc Leishman, Chris Gotterup, Scottie Scheffler, Nick Taylor, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Max Greyserman, Emiliano Grillo, Russell Henley, Victor Perez, Ben Griffin
… and here are the tee-times (all BST). It’s on!
12.52 Cam Davis (Aus)
13.03 Matthieu Pavon (Fra), Jordan Smith (Eng)
13.14 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Harris English (US)
13.25 Ryan McCormick (US), Taylor Pendrith (Can)
13.36 Johnny Keefer (US), Michael Kim (US)
13.47 James Nicholas (US), Brian Harman (US)
13.58 Philip Barbaree Jr (US), Im Sung-jae (Kor)
14.14 Niklas Norgaard (Den), Denny McCarthy (US)
14.25 Daniel Berger (US), Tony Finau (US)
14.36 Rory McIlroy (NI), Andrew Novak (US)
14.47 Adam Schenk (US), Mackenzie Hughes (Can)
14.58 Justin Hastings -a- (Aus), Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng)
15.09 Collin Morikawa (US), Rasmus Hojgaard (Den)
15.20 Ryan Fox (NZ), Corey Conners (Can)
15.36 Patrick Reed (US), Laurie Canter (Eng)
15.47Jon Rahm (Spa), Tom Kim (Kor)
15.58 Maverick McNealy (US), Xander Schauffele (US)
16.09 Kim Si-woo (Kor), Jhonattan Vegas (Col)
16.20 Aaron Rai (Eng), Trevor Cone (US)
16.31 Jordan Spieth (US), JT Poston (US)
16.42 Brooks Koepka (US), Thomas Detry (US)
16.58 Jason Day (US), Chris Kirk (US)
17.09 Keegan Bradley (US), Sam Stevens (US)
17.20 Matt Wallace (Eng), Ryan Gerard (US)
17.31 Ben Griffin (US), Victor Perez (Fra)
17.42 Russell Henley (US), Emiliano Grillo (Arg)
17.53 Max Greyserman (US), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA)
18.04 Nick Taylor (Can), Scottie Scheffler (US)
18.20 Chris Gotterup (US), Marc Leishman (Aus)
18.31 Cameron Young (US), Robert MacIntyre (Sco)
18.42 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Den), Thriston Lawrence (SA)
18.53 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Carlos Ortiz (Mex)
19.04 Viktor Hovland (Nor), JJ Spaun (US)
19.15 Adam Scott (Aus), Sam Burns (US)
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