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There we go then: the end of a dramatic Saturday that started with plenty of birdies but ended in classic US Open style. Thanks for reading the blog – we’ll be back tomorrow at 6.30 BST.
A little thought ahead of the final round: every winner of the US Open in the 21st century was within four shots of the lead after 54 holes.
Rory McIlroy on his third round: “Felt like I played really smart, solid golf. Hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens. Felt somewhat stress free out there, if you can ever call a US Open stress free.
“I’m in a good spot heading into tomorrow. I haven’t been playing out of the rough that often this week. I’ve played smart off the tee and I’ve done what I needed to to get the ball in play. I just need to do that for one more day.”
What a back nine that was. The leaders had to dig in, Scheffler emerged from (almost) nowhere and English struggled but has done enough to give himself a shot in the final round.
54-hole leaderboard
Here is the top 10 heading into Sunday’s final round:
-10: W Clark, R Fowler
-9: R McIlroy
-7: S Scheffler
-6: H English
-5: D Johnson, X Schauffele
-4: R Nagano
-3: T Kim, B DeChambeau, C Smith
A wonderful curling birdie try from Fowler which misses by millimetres. Then Clark attempts to atone for the error at 17 and he nails it. A very courageous birdie.
Oh Rickie! He misses the par putt from 5-feet! Bogey and it’s a two-shot swing on the 54th hole.
Just two men left out on the course. Fowler’s approach finds the 18th green but he’s not close to the hole, around 42-feet. Clark’s effort dances around the hole and he has 6-feet for birdie (and with it nicking a spot in tomorrow’s last group).
A brave putt from Clark and he gets away with a bogey, dropping to -9 for the week.
McIlroy has safely two-putted for par at 18. He’s recorded scores of 65-67-69 for a 54-hole total of nine-under 201.
Drama at 17 for Clark. His approach shot has veered off into the barranca to the right of the green and the referee is involved with what happens next after his ball was declared unplayable. He’s outside the barranca on the fairway now, having taken a penalty and will be hitting his fourth shot on to the green. It’s not a bad shot but not good either.
Up ahead McIlroy hits a seven-iron into the heart of the final green.
A brutal back nine for Harris English. He drains a 7-foot bogey putt at 18 but, remember, he was bang in the hunt after 10 holes – just one shot back of the lead in fact. Four bogeys followed and, currently, he is alone in fifth and five shots off the lead.
After a hectic period, a slight lull. Pars for Fowler and Clark at the 16th. English has found the rough short of the 18th green. Schauffele will have 17-feet for par at the 17th but first: McIlroy takes aim from 30-feet and comes up an inch or two short of pace.
Oh yikes. English has just played an air shot in that rough on 18. And his next attempt scared the hole but, McIlroy style in round one, he’ll have a nasty bogey saver to come.
Schauffele cannot save par and drops to -5.
McIlroy hitting into the 17th green: he has 170-yards and finds the putting surface but not a great deal more. Schauffele has missed the green. Update state of play:
-11: R Fowler (15)
-10: W Clark (15)
-9: R McIlroy (16)
-7: S Scheffler (F), H English (17)
-6: X Schauffele (16)
-5: D Johnson (17)
English has overcome more difficulties at the 17th. He zigzagged down the hole but hung tough to complete his par and stay on -7 for the week. McIlroy has made par at the 16th to remain two back of the leader Fowler on -9.
Down to earth Scottie Scheffler on his round: “Very satisfied. I didn’t play so well on the front nine. But then I got myself back into the tournament. I was between clubs on the eagle and I got a break. I’m excited for tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll get off to a hot start but I’ve got myself in a good position.”
Scheffler’s third round full stop:
BOOM! Scottie Scheffler has 22-feet for birdie at the 18th and makes it! He’s right back in this championship. Rounds of 67-68-68 and he’s set a clubhouse target of seven-under 203.
Forgive me, Wyndham Clark. But I can’t help thinking that a Rickie/Rory final pairing tomorrow is the golden ticket …
Ouch. Fowler played a superb approach to the par-five 14th, setting up a 6-foot birdie try but it lips out. Update state of play as we hit the closing stretch:
-11: R Fowler (14)
-10: W Clark (14)
-9: R McIlroy (15)
-7: H English (15)
-6: S Scheffler (17), X Schauffele (15)
McIlroy hits the diddy 81-yard par-three 15th - and he has 20-feet for birdie. But first Schauffele tries from 60-feet – and it comes up millimetres short. Great effort.
All quiet for McIlroy’s effort but it never looks like dropping, hung out too far to the right. He’ll tap in for par.
McIlroy got lucky with his second shot at the par-five 14th but took advantage. That second blow skipped out of thick rough and then he got up-and-down for birdie. He’s now -1 for the day and -9 for the week.
Playing partner Schauffele dropped a shot and is suddenly tied with Scheffler in a share of fifth on -6.
Here’s that sensational blow from the World No .1.
HERE COMES SCOTTIE! Scheffler has solved his putting problems – by holing out from 196 yards at the 17th for an eagle-2! Immediately he leaps into contention. He’s -1 for the day, -6 for the week and he’s only got one more hole of this fiendish back nine to play!
Bad news for Harris English. He’s scratched a third bogey in four holes on his card at the 14th and has frittered away all the gains he made in the first 10 holes. He’s evens for the round, -7 for the week and tied 4th with Schauffele.
Wow! Rickie Fowler had 70-feet from short of the 13th green and he’s knocked it in for birdie. He’s -1 for the round, -11 for the week.
Clark has 13-feet to match his playing partner’s par breaker and he does it. He’s also -1 for the day, -10 for the week and two clear of third placed McIlroy.
A cry of frustration from McIlroy. His 80-foot first putt at the 13th has pulled up 10-feet short of the pin. Schauffele’s approach didn’t even reach the green and he has 18-feet for par.
It’s a swinging line and the American under-reads it. McIlroy stalks his par-saver from all angles, walking through many shadows, the light filtering through the trees … but he stands up before it even reaches the hole and taps it in for bogey. Schauffele matches him.
Up ahead English has played three shots at the par-five 14th and he’s not reached the putting surface yet – a nasty bunker shot to come.
This is the most US Open this week has been!
Leaderboard update
Fowler’s birdie attempt at 12 is tentative but secures par he’s the solo leader again.
-10: R Fowler (12)
-9: R McIlroy (12), W Clark (12)
-8: H English (13), X Schauffele (10)
-5: S Scheffler (15)
The 12th hole has a blind tee shot. Fowler took the conservative route and his approach has left him a makeable birdie putt. But Clark took aim over trees and was lucky not to stay in them. From the rough his approach cannot hold the green and he’ll have a scruffy little scramble to come.
Oh crikey! He tried to be very delicate, went right under the ball and moved it no more than a few inches. The second effort nudges the ball close to the hole. Bogey coming up.
Clark cannot save his par at the 11th from the sand so falls into a share of the lead with Fowler.
And what did I say about Cam Smith? He’s just found a terrible lie at the back of a bunker and only just escaped it. He will almost certainly be under-par for the back nine for just a few more minutes more.
Only one man in the current top 12 on the leaderboard is under-par for holes played today on the back nine. The next two hours should be classic US Open golf. (Cam Smith is that man at -1.)
A testing period for English. After his bogey at the 11th, his tee shot at the par-four 12th finds rough and he can only hack it down the fairway. The third shot skips through the green so he needs to get up and down for bogey. He bunts the ball past the hole and has 4’9” for bogey … he makes it. He isn’t chewing as he walks away – does he need more gum or is it a sign of pressure? He’s now -1 for the day, -8 for the week and three back of Clark.
Fowler saved par at 10 and Clark matched it. The 11th is a par-three measuring 273-yards, but downhill. Fowler lands his ball short and it runs down into the centre of the green. Clark takes dead aim at the pin and the ball clatters into a bunker short of the putting surface.
Matt Fitzpatrick talked about the course earlier and LA CC members won’t be rushing to TripAdvisor to read his review.
“I just think the golf course is interesting, to be polite,” he said. “There’s just too many holes for me where you’ve got blind tee shots and then you’ve got fairways that don’t hold the ball. There’s too much slope.
“You hit a good tee shot and end up in the rough by a foot and then you’re hacking it out. Meanwhile, someone has hit it miles offline the other way and they’ve got a shot. Yeah, not my cup of tea.”
Yikes! English has a short putt catch the hole but not enough of it to drop at the 11th to make bogey and Fowler’s approach to the 10th has landed in, well, it looks like cabbage.
How have the leaders played the back nine so far this week? It’s been the tougher nine, remember. Here are their numbers (the par is 36):
Clark 33-32 = -7
English 34-36 = -2
Fowler 32-36 = -4
McIlroy 35-37 = E
Schauffele 32-36 = -4
Par-threes for Clark and Fowler at the 9th. The field is through the turn and the top of the scoring looks like this:
-11: W Clark (9)
-10: H English (10), R Fowler (9)
-9: R McIlroy (10)
-8: X Schauffele (10)
Trouble for McIlroy straight after the turn. His drive hoops to the left and from the clinging rough he can only hack the ball into the bunker in front of the green.
Forward at the 14th, a birdie for Ryutaro Nagano, the Japanese qualifier. He’s -4 for the three par-fives today, -5 for the tournament and tied 6th.
McIlroy plays a fine sand shot and should save par at 10.
Richard Hirst emails about Dave’s music references this week: “Will Rory be Mr Mojo risin’?” he asks and then adds: “By the way, spare a thought for those of us in France, where it is even later!”
The putts are dropping again! First Schauffele nails a 19-foot birdie putt at the 9th to turn in level-par. He’s fought hard but he’s done so on the easier nine. Then English drops a chance from 12-feet at the 10th. He’s -3 for the round, -10 for the week and tied second.
Cam Smith joins in with a beautifully curving effort from 18-feet. It’s for birdie but only gets him back to level-par for the day.
There was talk earlier today that the pin position at the par-five 8th was opening up all sorts of opportunities for eagles. But the leaders aren’t taking the chance.
Dustin Johnson and Harris English made fives. McIlroy did so, too. Schauffele did tick a birdie, but Clark is another to only write “5” on his card after needing four shots to reach the green. And Fowler? Yep, another five.
Schauffele fails to take advantage of his sensational 266-yard approach to the par-five 8th and misses from 6-feet. But the birdie continues his fight back. He’s -7 for the week now.
McIlroy can only make par from the barranca and, behind them, Clark’s drive hangs in the rough at the top of the sloping fairway. It’s set up an awkward second, almost certainly taking eagle out of the equation.
And now Fowler makes a move! To the delight of the galleries he drains a 36-foot birdie putt at the 7th. He’s level-par for the day again and -10 overall, one behind Clark.
The leader secures his par-three with a superb up-and-down at the same hole.
Harris English avoids a mistake from the barranca short of the par-five 8th. He can only hack out but he two putts safely. Chewing his gum and pulling at his shirt I can half imagine him in a pair of dungarees, sat in a rocking chair, looking out across a prairie.
In the group behind him, Schauffele hits a wonderful approach to just 6-feet but McIlroy is in the same spot English was in.
English (US)