Bryson DeChambeau will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the US Open as Rory McIlroy tries to end his long major drought at Pinehurst.
DeChambeau carded a superb third-round 67 to reach seven under par, while McIlroy's 69 left him tied for second at four under with Patrick Cantlay and Matthieu Pavon.
Halfway leader Ludwig Aberg made a costly seven-bogey on the 13th as he fell back to two-under par with former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama.
DeChambeau won the US Open at Winged Foot in 2020 and has been in excellent form at the majors this season, finishing sixth at the Masters and runner-up at the US PGA Championship to Xander Schauffele, who needed a 21-under par. in search of a title.
CROWD SUPPORT
“The support from the crowd has been great and I'll keep feeding them if they keep giving it to me,” said a relaxed DeChambeau, who signed autographs in the third round and joked with fans as he decided whether to try to drive. green on the short par-four 13th.
McIlroy will play Cantlay in the final round for the first time since his bitter row with Cantlay's Joe LaCava at the Ryder Cup.
The four-time champion felt LaCava's celebrations after Cantlay's long putt on the 18th green were out of line, and the brawl later continued in the parking lot as McIlroy had to be held back by teammate Shane Lowry.
“I love the challenge that Pinehurst presents and you have to focus and concentrate on every shot there is,” said 2011 US Open winner McIlroy, his last major victory at the 2014 US PGA.
“It's the way the US Open should be. Obviously, it's fun to be on the bandwagon.”
Quote of the day
“Don't see me, I'm sorry” – Bryson DeChambeau apologizes to fans for not trying to drive the green on the 13th.
Statistics of the day
Senior statistician Justin Ray suggests the winner of the US Open will come from the quartet of Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy, Matthieu Pavon and Patrick Cantlay.
Shot of the day
The eighth green is one of the hardest to hit on the course, but Akshay Bhatia made his third shot look easy.
The cycle of the day
Collin Morikawa started the day in a tie for 51 and finished tied for ninth after an impressive, bogey-free 66.
A very difficult dungeon
The second hole played very hard with three birdies, 26 bogeys, four double bogeys and three bogeys leading to a 4.500 rating.
A simple hole
The par-five fifth hole was the easiest for the second time this week, with three eagles, 34 birdies and just two overs to lead to the same 4.500 rating as the 4 second.
Selected playing times (all BST)
1848 – Tony Finau, Tyrrell Hatton
1859 – Ludwig Aberg, Hideki Matsuyama
1910 – Patrick Cantlay, Rory McIlroy
1921 – Matthieu Pavon, Bryson DeChambeau
The weather
Partly cloudy skies on another hot day, with a high of 89 degrees. Light winds from the east will only reach between 5-10mph.
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