Golf
U.S. Open Golf
Championship
live
Updated 5s ago
Sam Burns backed up his second-round 65 with a 69 in the third round of the U.S. Open, and he has a one-shot lead over J.J. Spaun and Adam Scott. Burns will enter the final round at 4 under.
Spaun also shot a 69, while Scott fired a 67 and will play in the final group with Burns on Sunday. Viktor Hovland is the only other player under par at 1 under after a third-round 70. Carlos Ortiz shot a 67 and is at even par.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is tied for 11th at 4 over after a third-round 70
GO FURTHER
Making the U.S. Open was a dream. Then he shot 35-over-par
By managing to two-putt it from 59 feet on No. 18 for par, Sam Burns remains one of two players in the field without a three-putt this week. The other is Ryan Fox. Burns is statistically considered the best putter on the PGA Tour this year, but we're less than a week removed from him missing in the RBC Canadian Open playoff. Will his nerves stand up to the pressure putts on a U.S. Open Sunday? We're going to find out.
Advertisement
Sam Burns follows up his second round with another sub-70 score at the U.S. Open. He fires a third-round 69 to sit alone atop the leaderboard after 54 holes at 4 under.
Burns will play in the final group alongside Adam Scott.
For J.J. Spaun, he bogeyed the 18th hole after landing his second shot in the bunker and missing a 21-foot par putt. The American shot a 69 to sit one off the lead.
A fascinating Sunday at the U.S. Open awaits.
After two rounds at 70, Adam Scott fires a third-round 67 to sit at 3-under-par. The Aussie had four birdies on the card to just one bogey, which he recorded on his opening hole.
For Viktor Hovland, he fires a 70. The Norwegian hit his tee shot in the right bunker, forcing him to lay up. Hovland couldn't convert the par save from 16 feet away, resulting in a bogey.
Hovland sits at 1 under, three off the lead. A fun third round from the penultimate group.
Like the penultimate group ahead of them, Sam Burns and J.J. Spaun both make a birdie at the short par-4 17th. Burns fired his 39-yard approach to seven inches from the hole, knocking in a birdie.
Then, Spaun, after 12 straight pars, drains a 13 footer for birdie to tie the lead again.
The Americans in this final group are answering. With the tension rising in this tournament. They go to the 18th sharing the lead at 4-under-par.
Adam Scott's ball speed on that tee shot on 18?
187 mph.
My goodness is the Aussie locked in with one hole to play. His tee shot goes 331 yards in the right fairway.
What a PUTT from Adam Scott on No. 17. After landing his bunker shot 14 feet from the hole, the Aussie drains his birdie putt to move into a tie for the lead.
Viktor Hovland also birdied 17 after a miraculous shot from the rough.
This penultimate group is showing out as the sun sets on this Saturday at Oakmont. To go from likely bogeys to birdies? Are you kidding me? What golf from Scott and Hovland with one hole to go.
Advertisement
Remember that shot from Viktor Hovland if he goes on to win the U.S. Open. The Norwegian was absolutely dead off the tee, going right into the rough. However, he got a lucky lie in the gnarly grass.
Hovland landed his approach shot two feet from the hole. A birdie seems imminent to go one off the lead.
Wowza!
Sam Burns finally makes a bogey from a putt inside six feet. After landing his tee shot well short of the hole, Burns' lag putt was left to five feet. He missed the putt out to the left, resulting in a bogey.
J.J. Spaun makes his 12th consecutive par, maintaining incredible consistency. The final group is now tied for the lead at 3 under with two holes to play in the third round.
The steady penultimate group continues. Both Adam Scott and Viktor Hovland make pars at No.16.
The Aussie remains two off the lead at 2 under while the Norwegian sits at 1 under. Very much in the thick of things with two holes left of their respective third rounds.
That is a scintillating par save for Sam Burns. After his second shot from the fairway didn't cut, it landed in the green side bunker. Entering today, Burns' sand saves for the week were 0-for-1.
But on No. 15, his sand game was impeccable. He chunked and ran the chip shot from the bunker, landing it two feet from the pin. He saved par to remain atop the leaderboard at 4 under.
J.J. Spaun makes his 11th-straight par to stay one off the lead.
It's a scramble fest for Adam Scott and Viktor Hovland at No. 15. For the Aussie, he chips out of the deep bunker to two feet from the hole, saving par. For the Norwegian, he putts off the fringe, making a 27 footer to save par.
Those are the type of moments that keep your U.S. Open chances intact or completely fall apart. Scott and Hovland remain in contention as this third round winds down.
Advertisement
What an escape for Sam Burns. After landing his 267-yard tee shot in the right bunker, he chipped it out to the fairway, before landing his 104-yard approach to six feet from the hole. Burns' par putt did a 360 before going in the hole, keeping his one-shot lead.
J.J. Spaun makes his 10th consecutive par to remain at 3-under-par, one back of his playing partner and fellow compatriot. Four holes to go in this third round. A lot can happen!
Adam Scott NEARLY chipped in for eagle at the short par-4 14th. His second shot, 94 yards, landed 14 inches from the hole.
After opening the round with a bogey, Scott is 3 under since and is now two off the lead at the U.S. Open.
Here comes the Aussie!
Sam Burns has the sole possession of the lead at the U.S. Open. After taking an aggressive line at the par-3 13th, his tee shot lands seven feet from the pin.
Burns drains the putt, his first birdie of the back nine. He moves to 4 under for the tournament, one stroke ahead of playing partner J.J. Spaun.
Burns is playing steady and gets rewarded.
The par-5 12th is playing the easiest today at Oakmont, given the soft conditions. J.J. Spaun and Sam Burns couldn't take advantage.
Spaun missed a 28-foot birdie putt, leaving him an easy par save. Burns, who missed the fairway in the left bunker off the tee, left his third shot approach four feet from the pin. He made the tricky four-foot downhiller for par to stay at 3-under-par.
Both golfers are still playing solid and are tied for the lead at the U.S. Open.
Viktor Hovland had a glorious birdie opportunity at the par-3 13th. His 16-foot birdie attempt hung out to the left and didn't turn, resulting in a par save.
Meanwhile, Adam Scott finally drains a birdie putt, a four footer to move him into red figures. Hovland and Scott are tied at 1 under, two off the lead.
Advertisement
J.J. Spaun is clinging to the share of the lead. He's doing so by sinking critical par putts.
On No. 11, after leaving his 39-foot birdie putt five feet short, Spaun drained the par save to remain at 3-under-par. Sam Burns narrowly missed his birdie attempt, saving par.
The two Americans in the final group head to the par-5 12th tied for the lead.
If Carlos Ortiz posts a number that holds: There is one instance in U.S. Open history of a player from Mexico leading or co-leading after any round.
Cesar Sanudo was part of a six-way tie for first after round 2 at Pebble Beach in 1972.
Adam Scott is going to be looking back at these short birdie opportunities and thinking what could've been. It's another short birdie miss for the Aussie, this time at the 11th.
This time, it was an 11-foot, uphill putt that touched the hole, missing to the right. Scott remains at even, sitting three off the lead.