OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA | It may sound strange after all that Oakmont has taken and how little it has given but now comes the hard part of this U.S. Open.
Finishing it.
For Sam Burns, who sits atop the leaderboard at 4-under par with 18 demanding holes remaining, his first major championship victory is potentially one long day away. One week ago, Burns lost a sudden-death playoff to Ryan Fox at the RBC Canadian Open and now finds himself with another chance to be the one holding the trophy.
If there is any value to the company one keeps, Burns and his family are sharing a house with their friends the Schefflers, who know a thing or two about winning major championships.
“Sam’s been preparing for moments like this for a long time and he’s put himself in position to win the golf tournament and he’s going to go out tomorrow and try and execute,” Scottie Scheffler said.
One stroke behind are 44-year-old Adam Scott and J.J. Spaun, both of whom have spent three days avoiding Oakmont’s trapdoors to have their Sunday opportunity.
Scott plays now for moments like this one, looking to add a second major championship to his 2013 Masters victory to further distinguish his 25-year career. Spaun, meanwhile, has just one PGA Tour victory but he was good enough to push Rory McIlroy to a playoff before finishing second at the Players Championship in March.
Then there is Viktor Hovland, electric and eccentric and capable of delivering the biggest victory of his still-developing career. A closing bogey dropped Hovland three off the lead but Oakmont’s built-in turbulence can make holding and chasing the lead feel like a moving target and Hovland may be ideally suited to handling all that Oakmont is likely to demand in the final round.
“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. Feel like I’m way better equipped, just need to get that driver sorted, and I’ve got the game to do it,” said Hovland, whose best major finish was a T2 at the 2023 PGA Championship.
Softened by heavy overnight rains, Oakmont lost a bit of its bite on Saturday, playing more than two strokes easier (72.6) than it had in each of the first two rounds.
And, if you’re into history, the two most recent U.S. Opens played at Oakmont were won by players who started the final round four strokes behind, giving Carlos Ortiz a reason to believe he could do what Ángel Cabrera and Dustin Johnson have done.
Softened by heavy overnight rains, Oakmont lost a bit of its bite on Saturday, playing more than two strokes easier (72.6) than it had in each of the first two rounds. With the potential for more rain in the forecast, Oakmont will likely lack some of its famous fire in the final round.
Burns played the second and third rounds a combined 6-under par and though he shared the lead with Spaun much of Saturday, he has looked comfortable in the role of front-runner.
Rory McIlroy finished his third round before the leaders teed off Saturday and his 4-over-par 74 didn’t do much for him. McIlroy did, however, speak briefly with the media after his round, his first post-round interview at a major championship since he won the Masters.
Asked if his silence has been a result of his spotty play, McIlroy told the gathered media, “No, not really. It’s more a frustration with you guys. …
“I’m just, yeah, I don’t know. I have, I’ve been totally available for the last few years, and I’m not saying – maybe not you guys, but maybe more just the whole thing.”
Since his Masters victory, McIlroy has seemed unsettled. While trying to enjoy the victory that completed the career Grand Slam, he has also talked of not having a specific goal to pursue.
In danger of missing the cut at Oakmont, McIlroy made two late birdies to get into the weekend then admitted he wasn’t sure he wanted to play two more rounds.
“It’s funny, like it’s much easier being on the cut line when you don’t really care if you’re here for the weekend or not,” McIlroy said.
“I was sort of thinking, do I really want two more days here or not? So it makes it easier to play better when you’re in that mindset.”
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler shot 70 on Saturday, his best score of the week, but continued to chase the form that earned him three victories in his previous four starts, including the PGA Championship.
“Today, once again, another battle. It’s been three days of battling out there,” said Scheffler, who is T11 and eight strokes behind.
“Usually over the course of 72 holes you have a couple days where your swing feels pretty good, a couple days where maybe it’s off, and weeks where you win it’s maybe you have three or four days of good ball striking and holing some putts, and a week like this week I’ve had three days where I haven’t really had my swing, and I’ve been battling out there and still have a chance, albeit an outside chance, but still a chance.”