Sam Burns fired a one-under-par 69 to grab a one-stroke lead over fellow American J.J. Spaun and Australian Adam Scott after Saturday’s third spherical of the US Open.

HT Image

Burns, whose most up-to-date win got here on the 2023 WGC Match Play, stood on four-under 206 after 54 holes whereas Spaun, whose solely PGA Tour win got here on the 2022 Texas Open, shot 69 with a bogey at 18 to share second on 207.

Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, birdied three of the final six holes to fireplace a 67 and attain 207, two strokes forward of Norway’s Viktor Hovland in fourth.

The 4 will play within the final two pairings as soon as once more on Sunday in a tension-packed closing spherical for the $4.3 million prime prize.

Last-group taking part in companions Burns and Spaun traded the lead all day, a wild early change ending when Burns made a tap-in birdie on the fifth to match Spaun at three-under.

Burns sank a seven-foot birdie putt on the par-three thirteenth to grab the solo lead at four-under however fell again with a bogey at 16.

Both birdied the seventeenth, Burns touchdown his strategy inches from the opening and Spaun sinking a putt from simply inside 14 ft.

At 18, each went into the fitting tough however Burns reached the inexperienced whereas Spaun discovered a bunker. Spaun blasted out and two-putted for bogey whereas Burns sank a four-foot par putt to seize the solo lead.

Scott, 44, will be the second-oldest US Open winner after American Hale Irwin, who was 45 when he received in 1990.

Scott landed his tee shot inside 5 ft on the par-three thirteenth and dropped his strategy inches from the opening at 14 to arrange birdies, then escaped a bunker at 17 and sank a 14-foot birdie putt.

Hovland blasted out of a bunker to arrange a tap-in bogey at 17, however made bogey from a bunker at 18.

Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz fired a 67 to face fifth on degree par 210, a stumble on the final gap dooming a bogey-free bid.

Ortiz, a LIV Golf participant who received an Asian Tour occasion in Macau in March, made the lower for under the third time in 10 main begins and has by no means completed a significant within the prime 50.

“It would be great. Winning any kind of tournament is awesome,” Ortiz stated of capturing the title. “I’m just going to do my best and hopefully that’s enough. If not, that’s all I had.”

England’s Tyrrell Hatton, one other LIV participant, birdied three of the primary 4 holes on the again 9 and shot 68 to face on 211, sharing sixth with South African Thriston Lawrence.

Big names struggled with world quantity two Rory McIlroy making bogeys on three of his final 5 holes to fireplace a 74 and stand on 220.

“I was hoping to play better, but I didn’t,” McIlroy stated, calling his match “pretty average” to this point.

“The name of the game this week is staying patient,” McIlroy stated. “But it’s one of those golf courses that you can lose patience on pretty quickly.”

Northern Ireland’s McIlroy, who accomplished a profession Grand Slam by successful the Masters for his fifth main title, had bogeys on the third and ninth holes, adopted a birdie at 10 with bogeys at 11, 14 and 16 and closed birdie-bogey.

Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, in search of back-to-back main titles after taking final month’s PGA Championship, fired a 70 with 4 birdies and 4 bogeys, sinking a five-foot birdie putt at 17 to face on 214 after 54 holes.

“I had a hard time getting momentum,” Scheffler stated. “I made a few silly mistakes, a couple three-putts, which is just a killer.”

Two-time main winner Jon Rahm of Spain made a double bogey at 15 and located a bunker on his option to a bogey at 18 to fireplace a 73 and stand on 217.

Third-ranked American Xander Schauffele, the reigning British Open champion, shot 71 to face on 217.

js/rcw

This article was generated from an automatic information company feed with out modifications to textual content.