Key events
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)
