Key events
⊠and in goes the putt. Given heâd have been chipping from knee-high fescue had the camera stand not been there, thatâs some result. But themâs the breaks. The only downside is a scratch on his arm, a twig or somesuch thatâs drawn a little blood. Heâll live. He wonât be withdrawing this evening, thatâs for sure. With the lead heâs built, thereâs half a chance he could win tomorrow with one arm.
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Clark gets a free drop from the podium. The ball then rolls back towards the same point, so heâs allowed to place. The pros get some breaks sometimes. Then he chops out to four feet. He makes those more often than not. That was quite the break. Hey, when itâs your week, itâs your week.
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Up on 18, Tom Kim pars for a round of 72. Heâs -1, and will go out late tomorrow. A disappointing 73 for his playing partner Collin Morikawa, who missed a few makeable ones with the flat stick today. The erstwhile PGA and Open champion goes into Sunday on +1.
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Clark follows up his best shot of the week with his worst. An iron yanked into nonsense front-left of the par-three 17th. Itâs near a TV camera podium, though, so he may well get a free drop. In which case, lucky boy. He reacted to the shot by yelping âAw shit!â, causing Sky commentator Ewen Murray to apologise for the swearing. Itâs nearly 1am in the morning in the UK. Whenâs the watershed again? Come on, weâre all adults here.
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Clark rolls in his eagle putt, and this US Open could already be over. That was outrageous. Up there with Ben Hoganâs one-iron at Merion in 1950? Well, letâs not get too far ahead of ourselves. But it was good.
-8: Clark (16)
-1: Scheffler (F), Theegala (F), Kim (17), Stevens (17)
Footnote: Ben Hogan at Merion, swiped at speed from an old MBM.
Ben Hogan, 16 months after a head-on collision with a Greyhound bus, famously creamed a 1-iron into the heart of Merionâs 18th green to force his way into a play-off that heâd eventually win. Given that doctors had initially thought Hogan would never walk again, the achievement was not far short of superhuman. Which isnât to say he didnât struggle. He had considered quitting with five holes of the final dayâs 36 to play, the pain in his legs too much to bear. âI physically canât make it,â he told his caddy. âDonât worry, Iâll pay you.â His caddy responded by telling Hogan: âI donât work for quitters. Meet you on the next tee.â Exhausted and in acute pain, Hogan managed to stumble home, scraping into the play-off. With time to recover overnight, he beat George Fazio and Lloyd Mangrum to register one of the Homeric US Open wins.
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Wyndham Clarkâs response to that messy bogey at 15 has been out of this world. First he splits the fairway at the par-five 16th with his drive. Then he sends a fairway wood from 275 yards to four feet and four inches! A gentle fade that lands on the narrow entrance of the green, and uses the camber to the right of the hole to bring his ball back to a position where eagle seems more likely than not! Thatâs the shot of the championship so far, and itâs one that could have sealed the deal for the 2023 winner, with 20 holes of this yearâs tournament still to play. If that goes in, heâll have a seven-shot lead!
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Updated at 01.53 CEST
Disappointing pars at the par-five 16th for both Xander Schauffele and Sam Stevens. The pair remain at level par and -1 respectively. Tom Kim meanwhile pars 17, and heâs -1 as well. Hope of nipping in ahead of Scottie Scheffler to join Wyndham Clark in the final group tomorrow not gone. Justin Thomas meanwhile ends the day with a 75.
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Clark chips. Clark putts. Clark par⊠er⊠oh! Having crisply knocked his wedge from the collar at 15 to three feet, he pulls the short par putt wide left. He makes no mistake with the one coming back, but thatâs an unforced error and, given whatâs gone before, a slightly shocking bogey. Heâs still got a five-stroke lead, mind. Par meanwhile for Matt Fitzpatrick, and birdie for Tom Kim on 16.
-6: Clark (15)
-1: Scheffler (F), Theegala (F), Kim (16), Stevens (15)
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From the centre of 15, Clark aims his wedge straight at the flag. He lands a little short, and the ball threatens to spin back into the bunker guarding the front left. It stops in the thick fringe instead. That shouldnât be the hardest up and down, not when compared to some of his earlier escapes, but nevertheless he might have preferred that to have made it all the way back into the bunker. Still, no great drama. Matt Fitzpatrick is on in regulation, albeit nowhere close to the cup.
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We havenât seen much of Sahith Theegala today. Thatâs probably because heâs parred every hole except 6, which he bogeyed. But heâs made his presence felt right at the last moment possible. From 117 yards on 18, he lands a gentle wedge a few feet in front of the flag, the ball nearly rolling in for eagle. Birdie will still please him, though, and thatâs a 70 which leaves him where he started the day, at -1. Par for his playing partner Sam Burns, who signs for a 71. Heâs level par. Meanwhile another birdie for Xander Schauffele, this time at 15, and heâs back to level par.
-7: Clark (14)
-1: Scheffler (F), Theegala (F), Stevens (15)
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Tom Kim bogeys 15, the cost of sending his tee shot into waist-high nonsense down the right. There are now just three players under par, and the chances of Scottie Scheffler playing in the final pairing tomorrow are growing apace. But Scheffler will have some ground to make up, because Wyndham Clark makes yet another five-footer, this time for birdie instead of par, and the lead is now six. Par for Matt Fitzpatrick meanwhile, and the 2022 champ remains at level par.
-7: Clark (14)
-1: Scheffler (F), Stevens (14)
E: Grillo (F), Mitchell (F), Theegala (17), Burns (17), Kim (15), M Fitzpatrick (14)
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Wyndham Clark has been scrapping hard since the turn. But now he goes on the attack. From the centre of 14, he sends a high draw into the green with his eight-iron, the ball resting five feet behind the flag. Huge chance for birdie thatâd lengthen his lead even further. Meanwhile to illustrate the small margins between success and failure at a US Open, his playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick looks to have replicated his approach, but the ball lands a couple of paces further on, and so topples off the back, from where par will be a great score.
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⊠and thatâs how it stays, because Clark makes yet another par putt. He could easily have shipped three shots since the turn, and the overall picture could be very different. But heâs got every chip close enough, tickled in every trickly putt, and this is a street-fighting US Open performance for the ages. Itâs not particularly pretty, but itâs mighty effective.
-6: Clark (13)
-1: Scheffler (F), Kim (14), Stevens (13)
E: Grillo (F), Mitchell (F), Theegala (16), Burns (16), M Fitzpatrick (13)
+1: Fleetwood (F), Morikawa (14), Schauffele (13)
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Clark is used to wriggling out of tight spots. So despite being knee-high in fescue, his ball tangled up at the bottom of it, he tries to land his vicious whip inches over the bunker, hoping to roll it out close. But the ball lands on the shoulder, and topples back into the sand. He gets a decent lie, and splashes out to six feet, but hereâs another big par putt coming up. Meanwhile on 14, Tom Kim canât get up and down from a greenside bunker, and for now, Clarkâs lead is back to five strokes.
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Wyndham Clark sets himself another big test. Itâs almost as though heâs enjoying the misery. At the drivable par-four 13th, he carves a wild tee shot miles right into the native area. Heâs only 60 yards from the flag, but in deep fescue, and thereâs a big bunker in between should anything go badly wrong. More escapology ahoy?
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Xander Schauffele is another player whose dream has been falling apart like cake left out in the rain. Oh no no! He followed up that double bogey at 10 with another double at 12. But heâs bounced back on 13 by whipping a lob wedge from thick fescue 50 yards out to kick-in distance. Nearly a hole-out for eagle. A birdie that takes him back to +1.
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Updated at 00.48 CEST
Rory McIlroy bogeys the last. What a miserable back nine: five bogeys, 40 strokes. In the space of couple of hours, the 2011 champion has fallen out of contention and into the pack. A 73 that puts paid to his dream of major number seven. Heâs +3.
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⊠and so having said that, the lead is now back down to four. Tom Kim birdies 13 to get himself back to -2, just one shy of where he started the round. This is a good response by the extremely likeable young Korean to starting the day with bogeys at 2, 3 and 6 ⊠and to a couple of quiet years after bursting onto the major scene with a top-ten finish at the 2023 US Open and a tie for second at the Open a month later. What a popular winner he could be!
-6: Clark (12)
-2: Kim (13)
-1: Scheffler (F), Stevens (12)
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Sam Stevens three-putts 12, and thatâs three bogeys in a row. Wyndham Clarkâs lead is now five strokes, so itâs worth pointing out that only one player has ever held such a large lead after 54 holes and failed to go on and win: Mike Brady, who was reeled in by Walter Hagen at Brae Burn, Massachusetts in 1919. Hagen won after a play-off, the pair having ended the week at +17. Now thatâs a winning US Open score.
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Scheffler shoots 69
⊠and then on 18, Scottie Scheffler lets his short birdie putt dribble off to the right. Par. What a dispiriting, diminuendo conclusion to his round. Heâs still back in 32, having inserted himself into the tournament picture front and centre, but it could have been so much better. And much will now depend on what Wyndham Clark does over the closing stretch. Itâs the US Open, so it could go either way. But the way Clark has been scrambling, you wouldnât expect him to give up too much ground, if any. Should he make a couple of birdies, tomorrow could be in danger of turning into a procession. A long way to go yet, but there are all the options, laid out.
-6: Clark (11)
-2: Stevens (11)
-1: Scheffler (F), Kim (12)
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This is no longer news, not really, but we report it anyway: Wyndham Clark gets up and down to save his par. Yet again. This is a masterclass in scrambling. How to win the US Open by numbers. He splashes out over the high-faced trap to five feet, then tickles in a missable putt. He remains -6.
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Scottie Scheffler bangs a drive down the middle of 18. Then from 112 yards, he sends a lob wedge straight at the pin. One bounce, then a gentle brush of the flagstick, and his ball screeches to a halt, four feet from the pin. Huge birdie chance coming up. Meanwhile back on the par-three 11th, Wyndham Clark looks to be in some trouble as his tee shot lands on the green but catches the slope towards the big bunker to the right. In it goes.
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Wyndham Clarkâs lead is now four. Sam Stevens doesnât find the dancefloor at the par-three 11th, and pays the price. Heâs -2.
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Itâs all about clinging on, though. And Scottie Scheffler, having just carded three birdies in a row, hands one of the shots back, dunking his tee shot at the par-three 17th into a bunker at the front, and failing to get up and down. Back to -1. And then on 10, Wyndham Clark uses the big bank he faces on 10 to take the sting out of his wedge and bump his ball up to four feet. Thatâs pretty much as close as anyone has got from down there. In goes the putt, and itâs another illustration of how Clark is currently dominating this tournament. Heâs simply scrambling better than everyone else, again and again.
-6: Clark (10)
-3: Stevens (10)
-1: Scheffler (17), Kim (11)
E: Grillo (F), Theegala (13), Burns (13), Morikawa (11), Schauffele (10), Fitzpatrick (10)
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âThatâs hot!â Wyndham Clark becomes the latest of very many players to send his wedge into 10 up and over the back of the green. Heâs scrambled so well, so often this week â especially yesterday and in the last hour or so â that youâd not be surprised if he gets out of Dodge unscathed here as well. But thereâs heat now in more ways than one, and the leader is only halfway through the third round. Wait until this time tomorrow!
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Xander Schauffele sends his second at 10 into a bunker front right. His splash out looks well-judged ⊠but itâs a smidgen too firm, and rolls slowly, dramatically past the flag and down the bank at the back. He canât get up and down from there, and thatâs a painful double bogey, despite not doing too much wrong. Thatâs the US Open for you. Bogey for his playing partner Sam Stevens, and theyâre level par and -3 respectively.
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Scottie Schefflerâs eagle putt looks bang straight. But his effort shaves the right-hand side of the cup. Just (!) a birdie. But thatâs three in a row, and it represents his best sequence in any of his 31 career rounds at the US Open so far. Heâs -2. Meanwhile back on 9, Wyndham Clark thrashes his second onto the front of the green, and though he leaves his first long putt six feet short, makes no mistake with the second. A wonderful par save, but one met with a couple of audible groans from the gallery, who you can be sure are four-square behind Scottie and his career-slam quest. Tough crowd, but thatâs showbiz.
-6: Clark (9)
-4: Stevens (9)
-2: Scheffler (16), Kim (10), Schauffele (9)
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Scottie Scheffler meanwhile is on an absolute heater. From the centre of the par-five 15th, he creams a fairway wood towards the green. It only just gets over the bunker guarding front left, but the distance has been judged to perfection, and it lands on the front-left corner of the green before breaking right, the camber gathering his ball, sent from 272 yards, to 13 feet. Huge eagle chance coming up, and if this goes in, the celebrations will reverberate all around Long Island!
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Updated at 00.04 CEST
Rory McIlroy has bogeyed three of his previous five holes. Now, from the bottom of a steep slope at the back of 15, he chunks a chip which barely makes the top of the hill, and rolls back down to the fringe. He putts up to kick-in distance, but thatâs now four dropped shots in six, and his slumped shoulders suggest a man who knows the jig is up this week. In each of his three rounds, heâs got himself into a good position only to strangely hit a wall and start shipping shots. Itâs not US Open winning behaviour. Heâs +2.
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Wyndham Clark compounds his mistake on 8 by sending a hot chip out of the bunker, past the flag, and down the slope on the other side of the green. He does exceptionally well to nearly hole a long putt from the fringe, but thatâs a shot gone from the centre of the fairway, wedge in hand, 110 yards out. All of a sudden, Scottie Scheffler is just five shots off the lead ⊠and with Clark finding thick rough down the right of 9 with his drive, there is movement aplenty on this titular day.
-6: Clark (8)
-4: Stevens (9)
-2: Schauffele (9)
-1: Scheffler (15), Kim (8), Burns (10)
E: Grillo (F), Theegala (11), Morikawa (9)
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Xander Schauffeleâs second into 8 takes a hot bounce through the green and nestles in thick oomska at the back. Heâs forced to whip a lob wedge high into the air, and does very well to land it six feet from the pin. Then he rolls in the par saver. Heâs -2. That could be big.
So could the birdie Scottie Scheffler makes at 15 that moves him to -1 with a birdie chance at 16 coming up: a 15-foot birdie putt absolutely rammed into the cup! Heâs -1.
So could the mistake Rory McIlroy makes on 14, racing a three-foot par putt four feet past. He makes the one coming back, but thatâs a bogey and heâs +1.
So could the wedge Wyndham Clark carves into a greenside bunker from 110 yards on 8! Itâs all happening, and there, in short order, are four reminders that the picture at the US Open can change at the drop of a hat. Moving Day, ladies and gentlemen!
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Updated at 23.36 CEST
Wyndham Clark pulls his tee shot at the par-three 7th down the big bank to the left of the green. But he chips up to four feet, and teases in the missable right-to-left turner. Thatâs his second big up and down in as many holes, and heâs clinging on to his three-shot lead with great determination. The sort of behaviour that wins US Opens. Heâs already got one, to be fair.
-7: Clark (7)
-4: Stevens (8)
-2: Burns (9), Schauffele (7)
-1: Kim (8)
E: Scheffler (14), McIlroy (13), Theegala (9), Thomas (9), Morikawa (8), M Fitzpatrick (7)
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Updated at 23.28 CEST
Tommy Fleetwood sends his tee shot into deep fescue down the right of 18. He thinks his ball is plugged, but he doesnât get the ruling, and heâs forced to take his medicine, hacking out. Always out of position, he ends the day with a bogey, and signs for a level-par 70. Heâs +1 overall, and isnât out of this by any means. Not yet, with the leader still 12 holes from home.
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Scottie Scheffler might have just kick-started his campaign! He bumps a chip up from the bottom of a swale at 14. He lands his ball on the flat ridge at the top, rolling it out, straight into the cup. The crowd roar and so does he, pumping his fist a couple of times, showing some rare emotion. The career slam not a pipe dream yet! Heâs level par again.
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Rory McIlroy drives the short par-four 13th green ⊠but the ball breaks off to the left and into a bunker. He splashes out to ten feet, but his birdie effort always looks like missing to the left ⊠until, that is, it suddenly turns right and stops one dimpleâs width away from dropping. McIlroy drops to his haunches in irritation. He remains at level par.
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âSo many rocks, dude.â Xander Schauffele drawls in irritation as his splash out of sand on 6 takes a screeching right-hand turn upon landing. His subsequent putt from 15 feet bobbles erratically, too, and the two-time major winner might want a word or two with the greenkeeper later. Heâs -2, and after a shaky first hour or so, this third round is trundling along most acceptably for the leader Wyndham Clark.
-7: Clark (5)
-4: Stevens (6)
-2: Burns (8), Schauffele (6)
-1: Kim (7)
E: Grillo (F), Fleetwood (17), McIlroy (12), Woodland (10), Cowan -a- (9), Theegala (9), Thomas (8), Morikawa (7), M Fitzpatrick (5)
+1: A Fitzpatrick (14), Scheffler (13), Mitchell (11), Hisatsune (10)
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⊠and in goes the putt. Given heâd have been chipping from knee-high fescue had the camera stand not been there, thatâs some result. But themâs the breaks. The only downside is a scratch on his arm, a twig or somesuch thatâs drawn a little blood. Heâll live. He wonât be withdrawing this evening, thatâs for sure. With the lead heâs built, thereâs half a chance he could win tomorrow with one arm.
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Clark gets a free drop from the podium. The ball then rolls back towards the same point, so heâs allowed to place. The pros get some breaks sometimes. Then he chops out to four feet. He makes those more often than not. That was quite the break. Hey, when itâs your week, itâs your week.
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Up on 18, Tom Kim pars for a round of 72. Heâs -1, and will go out late tomorrow. A disappointing 73 for his playing partner Collin Morikawa, who missed a few makeable ones with the flat stick today. The erstwhile PGA and Open champion goes into Sunday on +1.
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Clark follows up his best shot of the week with his worst. An iron yanked into nonsense front-left of the par-three 17th. Itâs near a TV camera podium, though, so he may well get a free drop. In which case, lucky boy. He reacted to the shot by yelping âAw shit!â, causing Sky commentator Ewen Murray to apologise for the swearing. Itâs nearly 1am in the morning in the UK. Whenâs the watershed again? Come on, weâre all adults here.
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Clark rolls in his eagle putt, and this US Open could already be over. That was outrageous. Up there with Ben Hoganâs one-iron at Merion in 1950? Well, letâs not get too far ahead of ourselves. But it was good.
-8: Clark (16)
-1: Scheffler (F), Theegala (F), Kim (17), Stevens (17)
Footnote: Ben Hogan at Merion, swiped at speed from an old MBM.
Ben Hogan, 16 months after a head-on collision with a Greyhound bus, famously creamed a 1-iron into the heart of Merionâs 18th green to force his way into a play-off that heâd eventually win. Given that doctors had initially thought Hogan would never walk again, the achievement was not far short of superhuman. Which isnât to say he didnât struggle. He had considered quitting with five holes of the final dayâs 36 to play, the pain in his legs too much to bear. âI physically canât make it,â he told his caddy. âDonât worry, Iâll pay you.â His caddy responded by telling Hogan: âI donât work for quitters. Meet you on the next tee.â Exhausted and in acute pain, Hogan managed to stumble home, scraping into the play-off. With time to recover overnight, he beat George Fazio and Lloyd Mangrum to register one of the Homeric US Open wins.
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Wyndham Clarkâs response to that messy bogey at 15 has been out of this world. First he splits the fairway at the par-five 16th with his drive. Then he sends a fairway wood from 275 yards to four feet and four inches! A gentle fade that lands on the narrow entrance of the green, and uses the camber to the right of the hole to bring his ball back to a position where eagle seems more likely than not! Thatâs the shot of the championship so far, and itâs one that could have sealed the deal for the 2023 winner, with 20 holes of this yearâs tournament still to play. If that goes in, heâll have a seven-shot lead!
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Updated at 01.53 CEST
Disappointing pars at the par-five 16th for both Xander Schauffele and Sam Stevens. The pair remain at level par and -1 respectively. Tom Kim meanwhile pars 17, and heâs -1 as well. Hope of nipping in ahead of Scottie Scheffler to join Wyndham Clark in the final group tomorrow not gone. Justin Thomas meanwhile ends the day with a 75.
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Clark chips. Clark putts. Clark par⊠er⊠oh! Having crisply knocked his wedge from the collar at 15 to three feet, he pulls the short par putt wide left. He makes no mistake with the one coming back, but thatâs an unforced error and, given whatâs gone before, a slightly shocking bogey. Heâs still got a five-stroke lead, mind. Par meanwhile for Matt Fitzpatrick, and birdie for Tom Kim on 16.
-6: Clark (15)
-1: Scheffler (F), Theegala (F), Kim (16), Stevens (15)
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From the centre of 15, Clark aims his wedge straight at the flag. He lands a little short, and the ball threatens to spin back into the bunker guarding the front left. It stops in the thick fringe instead. That shouldnât be the hardest up and down, not when compared to some of his earlier escapes, but nevertheless he might have preferred that to have made it all the way back into the bunker. Still, no great drama. Matt Fitzpatrick is on in regulation, albeit nowhere close to the cup.
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We havenât seen much of Sahith Theegala today. Thatâs probably because heâs parred every hole except 6, which he bogeyed. But heâs made his presence felt right at the last moment possible. From 117 yards on 18, he lands a gentle wedge a few feet in front of the flag, the ball nearly rolling in for eagle. Birdie will still please him, though, and thatâs a 70 which leaves him where he started the day, at -1. Par for his playing partner Sam Burns, who signs for a 71. Heâs level par. Meanwhile another birdie for Xander Schauffele, this time at 15, and heâs back to level par.
-7: Clark (14)
-1: Scheffler (F), Theegala (F), Stevens (15)
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Tom Kim bogeys 15, the cost of sending his tee shot into waist-high nonsense down the right. There are now just three players under par, and the chances of Scottie Scheffler playing in the final pairing tomorrow are growing apace. But Scheffler will have some ground to make up, because Wyndham Clark makes yet another five-footer, this time for birdie instead of par, and the lead is now six. Par for Matt Fitzpatrick meanwhile, and the 2022 champ remains at level par.
-7: Clark (14)
-1: Scheffler (F), Stevens (14)
E: Grillo (F), Mitchell (F), Theegala (17), Burns (17), Kim (15), M Fitzpatrick (14)
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Wyndham Clark has been scrapping hard since the turn. But now he goes on the attack. From the centre of 14, he sends a high draw into the green with his eight-iron, the ball resting five feet behind the flag. Huge chance for birdie thatâd lengthen his lead even further. Meanwhile to illustrate the small margins between success and failure at a US Open, his playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick looks to have replicated his approach, but the ball lands a couple of paces further on, and so topples off the back, from where par will be a great score.
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⊠and thatâs how it stays, because Clark makes yet another par putt. He could easily have shipped three shots since the turn, and the overall picture could be very different. But heâs got every chip close enough, tickled in every trickly putt, and this is a street-fighting US Open performance for the ages. Itâs not particularly pretty, but itâs mighty effective.
-6: Clark (13)
-1: Scheffler (F), Kim (14), Stevens (13)
E: Grillo (F), Mitchell (F), Theegala (16), Burns (16), M Fitzpatrick (13)
+1: Fleetwood (F), Morikawa (14), Schauffele (13)
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Clark is used to wriggling out of tight spots. So despite being knee-high in fescue, his ball tangled up at the bottom of it, he tries to land his vicious whip inches over the bunker, hoping to roll it out close. But the ball lands on the shoulder, and topples back into the sand. He gets a decent lie, and splashes out to six feet, but hereâs another big par putt coming up. Meanwhile on 14, Tom Kim canât get up and down from a greenside bunker, and for now, Clarkâs lead is back to five strokes.
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Wyndham Clark sets himself another big test. Itâs almost as though heâs enjoying the misery. At the drivable par-four 13th, he carves a wild tee shot miles right into the native area. Heâs only 60 yards from the flag, but in deep fescue, and thereâs a big bunker in between should anything go badly wrong. More escapology ahoy?
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Xander Schauffele is another player whose dream has been falling apart like cake left out in the rain. Oh no no! He followed up that double bogey at 10 with another double at 12. But heâs bounced back on 13 by whipping a lob wedge from thick fescue 50 yards out to kick-in distance. Nearly a hole-out for eagle. A birdie that takes him back to +1.
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Updated at 00.48 CEST
Rory McIlroy bogeys the last. What a miserable back nine: five bogeys, 40 strokes. In the space of couple of hours, the 2011 champion has fallen out of contention and into the pack. A 73 that puts paid to his dream of major number seven. Heâs +3.
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⊠and so having said that, the lead is now back down to four. Tom Kim birdies 13 to get himself back to -2, just one shy of where he started the round. This is a good response by the extremely likeable young Korean to starting the day with bogeys at 2, 3 and 6 ⊠and to a couple of quiet years after bursting onto the major scene with a top-ten finish at the 2023 US Open and a tie for second at the Open a month later. What a popular winner he could be!
-6: Clark (12)
-2: Kim (13)
-1: Scheffler (F), Stevens (12)
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Sam Stevens three-putts 12, and thatâs three bogeys in a row. Wyndham Clarkâs lead is now five strokes, so itâs worth pointing out that only one player has ever held such a large lead after 54 holes and failed to go on and win: Mike Brady, who was reeled in by Walter Hagen at Brae Burn, Massachusetts in 1919. Hagen won after a play-off, the pair having ended the week at +17. Now thatâs a winning US Open score.
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Scheffler shoots 69
⊠and then on 18, Scottie Scheffler lets his short birdie putt dribble off to the right. Par. What a dispiriting, diminuendo conclusion to his round. Heâs still back in 32, having inserted himself into the tournament picture front and centre, but it could have been so much better. And much will now depend on what Wyndham Clark does over the closing stretch. Itâs the US Open, so it could go either way. But the way Clark has been scrambling, you wouldnât expect him to give up too much ground, if any. Should he make a couple of birdies, tomorrow could be in danger of turning into a procession. A long way to go yet, but there are all the options, laid out.
-6: Clark (11)
-2: Stevens (11)
-1: Scheffler (F), Kim (12)
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This is no longer news, not really, but we report it anyway: Wyndham Clark gets up and down to save his par. Yet again. This is a masterclass in scrambling. How to win the US Open by numbers. He splashes out over the high-faced trap to five feet, then tickles in a missable putt. He remains -6.
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Scottie Scheffler bangs a drive down the middle of 18. Then from 112 yards, he sends a lob wedge straight at the pin. One bounce, then a gentle brush of the flagstick, and his ball screeches to a halt, four feet from the pin. Huge birdie chance coming up. Meanwhile back on the par-three 11th, Wyndham Clark looks to be in some trouble as his tee shot lands on the green but catches the slope towards the big bunker to the right. In it goes.
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Wyndham Clarkâs lead is now four. Sam Stevens doesnât find the dancefloor at the par-three 11th, and pays the price. Heâs -2.
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Itâs all about clinging on, though. And Scottie Scheffler, having just carded three birdies in a row, hands one of the shots back, dunking his tee shot at the par-three 17th into a bunker at the front, and failing to get up and down. Back to -1. And then on 10, Wyndham Clark uses the big bank he faces on 10 to take the sting out of his wedge and bump his ball up to four feet. Thatâs pretty much as close as anyone has got from down there. In goes the putt, and itâs another illustration of how Clark is currently dominating this tournament. Heâs simply scrambling better than everyone else, again and again.
-6: Clark (10)
-3: Stevens (10)
-1: Scheffler (17), Kim (11)
E: Grillo (F), Theegala (13), Burns (13), Morikawa (11), Schauffele (10), Fitzpatrick (10)
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âThatâs hot!â Wyndham Clark becomes the latest of very many players to send his wedge into 10 up and over the back of the green. Heâs scrambled so well, so often this week â especially yesterday and in the last hour or so â that youâd not be surprised if he gets out of Dodge unscathed here as well. But thereâs heat now in more ways than one, and the leader is only halfway through the third round. Wait until this time tomorrow!
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Xander Schauffele sends his second at 10 into a bunker front right. His splash out looks well-judged ⊠but itâs a smidgen too firm, and rolls slowly, dramatically past the flag and down the bank at the back. He canât get up and down from there, and thatâs a painful double bogey, despite not doing too much wrong. Thatâs the US Open for you. Bogey for his playing partner Sam Stevens, and theyâre level par and -3 respectively.
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Scottie Schefflerâs eagle putt looks bang straight. But his effort shaves the right-hand side of the cup. Just (!) a birdie. But thatâs three in a row, and it represents his best sequence in any of his 31 career rounds at the US Open so far. Heâs -2. Meanwhile back on 9, Wyndham Clark thrashes his second onto the front of the green, and though he leaves his first long putt six feet short, makes no mistake with the second. A wonderful par save, but one met with a couple of audible groans from the gallery, who you can be sure are four-square behind Scottie and his career-slam quest. Tough crowd, but thatâs showbiz.
-6: Clark (9)
-4: Stevens (9)
-2: Scheffler (16), Kim (10), Schauffele (9)
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Scottie Scheffler meanwhile is on an absolute heater. From the centre of the par-five 15th, he creams a fairway wood towards the green. It only just gets over the bunker guarding front left, but the distance has been judged to perfection, and it lands on the front-left corner of the green before breaking right, the camber gathering his ball, sent from 272 yards, to 13 feet. Huge eagle chance coming up, and if this goes in, the celebrations will reverberate all around Long Island!
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Updated at 00.04 CEST
Rory McIlroy has bogeyed three of his previous five holes. Now, from the bottom of a steep slope at the back of 15, he chunks a chip which barely makes the top of the hill, and rolls back down to the fringe. He putts up to kick-in distance, but thatâs now four dropped shots in six, and his slumped shoulders suggest a man who knows the jig is up this week. In each of his three rounds, heâs got himself into a good position only to strangely hit a wall and start shipping shots. Itâs not US Open winning behaviour. Heâs +2.
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Wyndham Clark compounds his mistake on 8 by sending a hot chip out of the bunker, past the flag, and down the slope on the other side of the green. He does exceptionally well to nearly hole a long putt from the fringe, but thatâs a shot gone from the centre of the fairway, wedge in hand, 110 yards out. All of a sudden, Scottie Scheffler is just five shots off the lead ⊠and with Clark finding thick rough down the right of 9 with his drive, there is movement aplenty on this titular day.
-6: Clark (8)
-4: Stevens (9)
-2: Schauffele (9)
-1: Scheffler (15), Kim (8), Burns (10)
E: Grillo (F), Theegala (11), Morikawa (9)
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Xander Schauffeleâs second into 8 takes a hot bounce through the green and nestles in thick oomska at the back. Heâs forced to whip a lob wedge high into the air, and does very well to land it six feet from the pin. Then he rolls in the par saver. Heâs -2. That could be big.
So could the birdie Scottie Scheffler makes at 15 that moves him to -1 with a birdie chance at 16 coming up: a 15-foot birdie putt absolutely rammed into the cup! Heâs -1.
So could the mistake Rory McIlroy makes on 14, racing a three-foot par putt four feet past. He makes the one coming back, but thatâs a bogey and heâs +1.
So could the wedge Wyndham Clark carves into a greenside bunker from 110 yards on 8! Itâs all happening, and there, in short order, are four reminders that the picture at the US Open can change at the drop of a hat. Moving Day, ladies and gentlemen!
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Updated at 23.36 CEST
Wyndham Clark pulls his tee shot at the par-three 7th down the big bank to the left of the green. But he chips up to four feet, and teases in the missable right-to-left turner. Thatâs his second big up and down in as many holes, and heâs clinging on to his three-shot lead with great determination. The sort of behaviour that wins US Opens. Heâs already got one, to be fair.
-7: Clark (7)
-4: Stevens (8)
-2: Burns (9), Schauffele (7)
-1: Kim (8)
E: Scheffler (14), McIlroy (13), Theegala (9), Thomas (9), Morikawa (8), M Fitzpatrick (7)
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Updated at 23.28 CEST
Tommy Fleetwood sends his tee shot into deep fescue down the right of 18. He thinks his ball is plugged, but he doesnât get the ruling, and heâs forced to take his medicine, hacking out. Always out of position, he ends the day with a bogey, and signs for a level-par 70. Heâs +1 overall, and isnât out of this by any means. Not yet, with the leader still 12 holes from home.
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Scottie Scheffler might have just kick-started his campaign! He bumps a chip up from the bottom of a swale at 14. He lands his ball on the flat ridge at the top, rolling it out, straight into the cup. The crowd roar and so does he, pumping his fist a couple of times, showing some rare emotion. The career slam not a pipe dream yet! Heâs level par again.
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Rory McIlroy drives the short par-four 13th green ⊠but the ball breaks off to the left and into a bunker. He splashes out to ten feet, but his birdie effort always looks like missing to the left ⊠until, that is, it suddenly turns right and stops one dimpleâs width away from dropping. McIlroy drops to his haunches in irritation. He remains at level par.
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âSo many rocks, dude.â Xander Schauffele drawls in irritation as his splash out of sand on 6 takes a screeching right-hand turn upon landing. His subsequent putt from 15 feet bobbles erratically, too, and the two-time major winner might want a word or two with the greenkeeper later. Heâs -2, and after a shaky first hour or so, this third round is trundling along most acceptably for the leader Wyndham Clark.
-7: Clark (5)
-4: Stevens (6)
-2: Burns (8), Schauffele (6)
-1: Kim (7)
E: Grillo (F), Fleetwood (17), McIlroy (12), Woodland (10), Cowan -a- (9), Theegala (9), Thomas (8), Morikawa (7), M Fitzpatrick (5)
+1: A Fitzpatrick (14), Scheffler (13), Mitchell (11), Hisatsune (10)
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