US Open leaderboard, round three
-7 B DeChambeau (US); -4 M Pavon (Fra), R McIlroy (NI), P Cantlay (US); -2 H Matsuyama (Jpn), L Aberg (Swe); -1 T Hatton (Eng), T Finau (US)
Selected: Level C Morikawa (US); +1 A Rai (Eng), S Garcia (Spa), X Schauffele (US); +5 S Lowry (Ire), T Fleetwood (Eng); +6 T McKibbin (NI), S Scheffler (US); +14 M Fitzpatrick (Eng)
Bryson DeChambeau takes a three-shot lead over Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay into the final round of the US Open after a captivating third day at Pinehurst, North Carolina.
The 2020 champion was paired in the final group with overnight leader Ludvig Aberg but left the Swede behind with a thrilling three-under-par 67 to improve to seven under.
Despite the grinding challenge and needing some physio, DeChambeau was relaxed throughout, chatting with fans, signing an autograph and celebrating vigorously when making birdies.
He led by four shots after the 14th, but a double bogey at the 16th halved his advantage.
McIlroy heads the chasers as he hunts a first major title in a decade.
The four-time major champion is four under after a patient one-under 69, albeit bogeys at the 15th and the 17th have made his task on Sunday more difficult.
American Cantlay, who led after round one alongside McIlroy, found a majestic birdie on his penultimate hole to rejoin the Northern Irishman and French debutant Matthieu Pavon at four under par.
Aberg, playing in only his third major, saw his his challenge falter with a triple bogey at the 13th and he is two shots further back, alongside 2021 Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama.
England’s Tyrrell Hatton threatened to contend after a stunning eagle at the fifth lifted him to four under but he faded on the back nine and his 70 saw him stay at one under.
‘I’d love to go for the green’
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There is always theatre when DeChambeau tees up and his popularity was evident when a birdie at the 10th brought the outright lead, two huge fist pumps and a wall of noise from the fans.
The American, who plays on the LIV Golf circuit, moved two shots clear with another birdie at the next hole and, if he felt pressure, it did not show as he cheerfully waved to the crowd walking down the 12th fairway.
He then engaged with the supporters flanking the tee box at the short par-four 13th, discussing going for the green with his caddie before deciding better of it and telling the fans: “Don’t boo me, I’m sorry.”
It was an example of his distinctive and refreshing approach to the sport but moments later he pushed his tee shot into a fairway bunker.
Rather than it unravelling his round though, it seemed to galvanise him as he flushed his next shot to inside seven feet and just missed out on birdie. He then found a birdie on the next hole to extend his lead.
“It was amazing – I can’t thank them enough,” DeCheambeau said of the support he received. “It was a blessing. Man, they riled me up.
“It just gives me a spike in my adrenaline and allows me to focus more on delivering for the fans, for myself and for my family. It just inspires me.”
Just when he threatened to run away with the tournament, a sloppy chip and a wayward bogey putt at 16 cost him two shots and brought the field back into contention.
It was a more muted celebration when he immediately bounced back with birdie at the 17th to extend his lead to three shots.
All this happened while he was seemingly battling injury. He called for a physiotherapist towards the start of his back nine and received some treatment before pummelling a drive 350 yards.
When DeChambeau won at Winged Foot four years ago, he came from two back after 54 holes to win by six.
And he has shown good form in the majors this year, with a joint sixth at the Masters and second at last month’s US PGA Championship.
McIlroy makes move as other pursuers fade
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McIlroy led the field after round one on five under and flirted with that number throughout a well-executed third day at Pinehurst’s Number Two course.
The 2011 US Open champion showed some fine iron play and made numerous important par putts to go with his usual excellence off the tee.
When out of position, he generally found a way, but a poor tee shot on the par-three 17th cost him outright second as he was unable to get up and down from a greenside bunker for par.
He has talked this week about staying in contention and giving himself opportunities, a standard he lived up to while many of his peers faltered.
“I’m embracing the questions that the golf course asks of you,” McIlroy said. “It tests your chipping. It tests your putting. It obviously tests your mental fortitude more than any other golf tournament.
“It’s a style of golf I’ve started to try and embrace over these past few years.
“I’m pretty much in the same position that I was last year going into the final day and hopefully I produce the golf that’s needed to go one better,” he added, referring to his US Open runner-up finish in 2023.
In Sunday’s final round, McIlroy will play with Cantlay, who showed resilience in his level-par 70.
It will provide an intriguing subplot given their rivalry at the Ryder Cup last September, when McIlroy criticised the celebrations of Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava, and the American golfer’s position on the PGA Tour board.
Both players will look to continue their approach which has seen them record six bogeys – the fewest made this week.
Six shots is the total Aberg shipped in a round that started brightly, with a birdie on the third hole but a wasted eagle opportunity at the 10th cost him the chance to put pressure on DeChambeau.
The 24-year-old, hoping to become the first debutant to win the US Open since 1913, then had a ruinous seven on the par-four 13th after twice chipping across the green.
It was a similar story for American Tony Finau who was also well placed until a triple bogey at the same hole plummeted him down the leaderboard.
Scheffler rues ‘mental torture chamber’
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At the other end of the leaderboard, Scottie Scheffler described golf as “a mental torture chamber at times” after dropping to six over par for the tournament.
He was only one over for his day but, after closing at Muirfield Village last week with a 74, Saturday’s round meant he recorded four straight over-par rounds for the first time in 120 professional starts on the PGA Tour.
It was a tough day for England’s 2022 US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick too as he carded five bogeys and two double bogeys on his way to a round of nine over par.
Meanwhile, the best round of golf belonged to two-time major champion Collin Morikawa who shot a four-under 66 to drag himself back into the top 10.
He played in the final group on Sunday of the Masters and the US PGA Championship and his emotional reaction after draining a fine birdie putt at the 18th showed how much this still means to the 27-year-old.
Asked his aims for Sunday, Morikawa said: “To win. Who knows what could happen? The course is only going to get tougher.”