The sprinkling of stardust found others, as Scottie Scheffler and, even more so, Rory McIlroy were given lesser roles in this 125th edition of the US Open at Oakmont Country Club in western Pennsylvania. A revitalised Adam Scott was the only player inside the top-10 through 54 holes who had tasted Major success.
Sam Burns retained the outright lead, after the American – a five-time winner on the PGA Tour – shot a third round 69 for four-under-par 206 to hold a one-stroke lead over Scott and JJ Spaun, who bogeyed his closing hole after finding a greenside bunker with his approach to also sign for 69.
Only four players reached the 54-holes point under par, with Norway’s Viktor Hovland – despite issues with the driver – posting a 70 for 209, one under, three adrift.
For Scheffler, the world number one and US PGA champion, the task is not impossible: seven shots behind; for McIlroy, the world number two and Masters champion, the task would appear impossible: 13 strokes adrift.
On a course softened by heavy overnight rain which partially took the sting away, the number of rounds in the 60s moved into double digits – 12 – with Carlos Ortiz’s 67 moving him up to solo fifth, while other significant moves came his fellow LIV Golf member Tyrrell Hatton.
Scott, though, was the big mover. Playing in his 96th consecutive Major – the longest current streak and second only to Jack Nicklaus in the history books – Scott’s 67 for 207 positioned him to challenge for the title some 12 years after his Masters victory.
“I really haven’t been in this position for five or six years — or feeling like I’m that player. But that’s what I’m always working towards. If I were to come away with it tomorrow, it would be a hell of a round of golf and an exclamation point on my resume,” said the 44-year-old Australian.
A week after his playoff loss to Ryan Fox in the RBC Canadian Open, Burns – whose last of five wins on the US circuit came in the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Matchplay, an event which no longer exists – remained cool and calm in methodically working his way to a 69 that included a run of eight straight pars from the fifth to the 12th in avoiding any disasters.
Hovland, too, moved into a challenging position with 70 for 209 to lie three behind Burns: “I know kind of what it takes to win a major championship, so I know the shots to try to hit and what shots not to try to hit. I just need to get that driver sorted, and I’ve got the game to do it. So it’s like I’m super proud that I’m that close, but it’s kind of frustrating that the driver is still just kind of holding me back a little bit,” said Hovland, a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour including this season’s Valspar Championship.
Hatton, meanwhile, has often found it difficult to juggle life on LIV with his personal ambitions to contend – and win – in Majors and, also, to make Europe’s Ryder Cup team for the match against the United States in Bethpage later this year.
“I knew at the start of the year and certainly last year when I signed with LIV that the Majors were going to be very important for me. I’d love to go out there tomorrow and have another day like today and finish off a strong week for World Ranking points, Ryder Cup points, Race to Dubai points. There’s a lot to play for.
“At the end of the day, I just have to go out there and try my best, and I can’t really worry about that. I just have to focus on one shot at a time, and that’s what I’ll try and do,” said Hatton.
