Bryson DeChambeau will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the US Open as Rory McIlroy attempts to end his long major drought at Pinehurst.
DeChambeau carded a superb third round of 67 to reach seven under par, with McIlroy’s 69 leaving him joint second on four under with Patrick Cantlay and Matthieu Pavon.
Halfway leader Ludvig Aberg ran up a costly triple-bogey seven on the 13th as he fell back to two under par alongside former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama.
DeChambeau won the US Open at Winged Foot in 2020 and has been in superb form in the majors this season, finishing sixth in the Masters and runner-up in the US PGA Championship to Xander Schauffele, who needed a record-low score of 21 under par to claim the title.
“The crowd’s support has been fantastic and I will continue to feed off them if they continue to give it to me,” said a relaxed DeChambeau, who signed autographs during the third round and joked with fans as he weighed up whether to attempt to drive the green on the short par-four 13th.
McIlroy will play alongside Cantlay in the final round for the first time since becoming involved in a heated exchange with Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava in the Ryder Cup.
The four-time major winner felt LaCava’s celebrations after Cantlay holed a lengthy putt on the 18th green had been out of line, with the argument later continuing in the car park as McIlroy had to be restrained by team-mate Shane Lowry.
“I love the test that Pinehurst is presenting and you’ve got to focus and concentrate on every single shot out there,” said 2011 US Open winner McIlroy, whose last major victory came in the 2014 US PGA.
“It’s what a US Open should be like. It’s obviously great to be in the mix.”
Quote of the day
"Don't boo me I'm sorry!"
Bryson DeChambeau having some fun with the crowd 😆 pic.twitter.com/1VpcMWbOKq
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) June 15, 2024
“Don’t boo me, I’m sorry” – Bryson DeChambeau apologises to fans for not attempting to drive the green on the 13th.
Statistic of the day
Each of the last 25 U.S. Open champions have been within 4 of the lead entering the final round.
41 of the last 42 men's major winners overall have been within 4 of the lead entering the final round.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) June 15, 2024
Top statistician Justin Ray suggests the US Open winner will come from the quartet of Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy, Matthieu Pavon and Patrick Cantlay.
Shot of the day
Bringing the fans to their feet 🗣️
A long-range chip-in for @AkshayBhatia_1. pic.twitter.com/kx1nh9AfyP
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 16, 2024
The eighth green is one of the hardest to hit on the course, but Akshay Bhatia made his third shot look simple.
Round of the day
The first bogey-free round @USOpenGolf in @Collin_Morikawa's career 🔥 pic.twitter.com/CFd3D8OD9y
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 15, 2024
Collin Morikawa began the day in a tie for 51st and ended it joint ninth after a superb, bogey-free 66.
Hardest hole
The second hole played the hardest with three birdies, 26 bogeys, four double bogeys and two triples leading to an average of 4.500.
Easiest hole
The par-five fifth hole was the easiest for the second time this week, with three eagles, 34 birdies and just two scores over par leading to the same 4.500 average as the par-four second.
Selected tee times (all BST)
1848 – Tony Finau, Tyrrell Hatton
1859 – Ludvig Aberg, Hideki Matsuyama
1910 – Patrick Cantlay, Rory McIlroy
1921 – Matthieu Pavon, Bryson DeChambeau
Weather forecast
Partly cloudy skies on another hot day, with a high of 89 degrees. Light winds from the east will only reach between 5-10mph.