US Open 2025: Sam Burns leads Adam Scott, JJ Spaun with Viktor Hovland and Tyrell Hatton in major mix at Oakmont

Adam Scott rolled again the years to maneuver inside a shot of Sam Burns heading into the ultimate spherical of the US Open, as Ryder Cup stars Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton remained in main rivalry.

Scott carded three birdies in a five-hole stretch on his again 9 to put up a three-under 67 at Oakmont Nation Membership, matching the bottom spherical of the day and bolstering his hopes of a primary main title in 12 years.

The previous world No 1 heads into the ultimate day on three beneath and in tied-second with JJ Spaun, as Burns retained his in a single day one-shot benefit after mixing three birdies with two bogeys in a third-round 69.

Viktor Hovland is three strokes behind Burns and certainly one of 4 gamers nonetheless under-par for the event heading into the ultimate day, with Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz in fifth on degree par after matching Scott’s 67 and Hatton inside 4 of the lead after a second-round 68.

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre is in a share of ninth at three over and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler is eight strokes again as he chases a second successive main, whereas Masters champion Rory McIlroy tumbled additional down the leaderboard to 10 over after a four-over 74.

How Burns stayed forward at Oakmont

Spaun rolled in a 15-foot birdie on the first and moved forward when Burns’ wayward tee shot on the subsequent led to a bogey, solely to lose his outright benefit with a dropped shot on the third.

Burns did not make the most of the par-five fourth, the place Spaun transformed from 5 toes to reclaim his benefit, however made a kick-in birdie after an excellent strategy into the fifth to affix his enjoying associate on three beneath.

Final week’s RBC Canadian Open runner-up scrambled a par on the seventh after struggling to get out of a fairway bunker to remain degree with Spaun, with nothing separating the pair as they continued to change pars across the flip.

Neither participant took benefit of the par-five twelfth, the place Burns acquired up and down from the golf green to salvage a par, earlier than he edged again forward with an eight-foot birdie on the par-three subsequent.

Burns holed from seven toes to avoid wasting par on the subsequent and produced a shocking up and down from a greenside bunker to match Spaun’s par on the 14th, solely to overlook from six toes and bogey the par-three sixteenth.

Scott – enjoying within the group forward – had began the day three behind and misplaced additional floor with an opening-hole bogey, solely to quickly make it a three-way tie, following back-to-back birdies from the thirteenth by holing from 15 toes so as to add one other on the seventeenth.

Spaun ended a run of pars with a 12-foot birdie on the identical gap, the place Burns chipped to tap-in vary to additionally get to 4 beneath, however misplaced his share of the lead when he did not stand up and down from the sand to avoid wasting par on the final.

Burns’ two-putt par was sufficient to safe the primary 54-hole lead of his main profession and arrange a final-round pairing with Scott, who additionally closed with a par, whereas Hovland stayed inside three of the lead regardless of cancelling out a penultimate-hole birdie with a dropped shot on the final.

Scheffler fails to shut as McIlroy falls additional behind

Scheffler maintained he was nonetheless in rivalry after Friday’s second spherical however heads into the ultimate day outdoors of the top-10 after a level-par 70, the place he noticed three birdies cancelled out by three bogeys as he did not make floor on the leaders.

“It should be actually robust for me to catch them,” Scheffler stated. “Do I really feel like I am out of the event? No. Do I want I performed just a little bit higher at the moment? Yeah, in fact. It isn’t the place I need to be in, however I’ve performed an excellent job of hanging in there and staying within the event.”

5-time main champion Brooks Koepka is an additional stroke again and Jon Rahm sits on seven over alongside Xander Schauffele, who carded a one-over 71 enjoying alongside McIlroy.

The Masters champion scrambled two birdies within the last 4 holes throughout Friday’s second spherical simply to make the minimize however drifted additional out of rivalry throughout day three, the place he carded two birdies and 6 bogeys in one other irritating show.

Requested what his expectations had been for Sunday’s last spherical, he stated: “Hopefully a spherical in beneath 4 and a half hours and get out of right here.

“I really really feel like I’ve performed OK this week. It is a golf course the place the tiniest errors get penalised so much and that is form of the way it’s felt this week.”

Who will win the US Open? Watch the ultimate spherical reside on Sunday from 4pm on Sky Sports activities Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream no contract on NOW.