McIlroy and Scheffler threatened Clark and Fowler at the US Open with Rahm at a distance

The third round of the US Open allowed Wyndham Clark to chase down Rickie Fowler for first place. Although, above all, it led to two of the big names in the tournament such as Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler to fully fight for victory with one day left. It doesn’t look like the Spaniards will be going into that match, having had a tough week that hasn’t allowed them to play their best game.

So, with no final lap on Sunday, Clark and Fowler share the lead at a -10 that they need to try to keep from falling in the final round. They are closely watched by Rory McIlroy (-9 in search of his second US Open and his fifth ‘major’) and Scottie Scheffler (-7 in his bid to improve on his second place last year). Harris English with -6 and Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele, both with -5, also want to have a say on the final day.

In it, however, the Spanish would start far ahead. Jon Rahm and Sergio García share the thirty-eighth spot at +2 after failing to advance on Saturday. For his part, David Puig was fifty-ninth with a +7 after experiencing his most complicated lap of the week in the third round.

None of the contenders for the title reached the table in the third round, leaving maximum parity for the final day. Wyndham Clark cut his deficit to Rickie Fowler after winning by an impact on the par 70 course. Four birdies and three bogeys added polish to his card.

His great start, with two birdies on holes 1 and 3, came to an end after an uncomfortable day for him in the long game, where he could not find a good position on the green. So, with no obvious birdie options, Clark paid for it on holes 11 (par three, in the bunker) and 12 (par four, bad approach) with two bogeys that forced him to start over. Two birdies and a bogey in the final part of his lap allowed him to hook into first place.

He shared it with a Fowler who, after flying on the first day, was again down-to-earth on this third, although making good use of the profits made in the previous days. The American matched par for the course with three birdies and three bogeys, never finding a regularity in his game. After winning a tee shot, Fowler went wide on the par-four 2nd and made another poor start on the par-four 5th to add two bogeys to his card. He neutralized for a long time, with two good putts on the par three 7th and on the par 4 13th, this one from the edge of the green, but a final bogey on the 18th prevented him from finishing the day. under par.

This caused the classification to have several title contenders in front of it. Rory McIlroy will start the final day third, one stroke off the lead. His overall -9 came after a -1 on day three, where he carded three birdies and two bogeys. Launching with two birdies in the first three holes, the Northern Irishman saw his meteoric start cut short at the par three 4th hole, where he went left of the green on the tee and where he fell on the approach. .

From then on, without good birdie options, McIlroy limited the damage. At least a ‘tri-kick’ on the par four of the 13th where he paid for his poor position on the green. He made quick changes, but Rory couldn’t hold the lead in the final holes and he’ll start on Sunday.

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Just behind him came more favorites. Scottie Scheffler remains consistent in the match and will be one of the most dangerous men this Sunday. With a 68, he won two more shots on the field in a very uneven third round, but finished with an eagle, four birdies, three bogeys. A meteoric finish, after a bogey on the 16th hole brought him to par on the course for the day, put him well into the fight for the title. In it, Scheffler hit from the fairway on the par four at 17 for eagle and to crown the tournament hit later with another birdie at 18.

Dustin Johnson (three birdies and four bogeys) and Xander Schauffele (three birdies and six bogeys) were out of contention in the third round and will start five shots off the lead, sixth at -5, at the end of the tournament. As for other notables, Bryson DeChambeau is ninth at -3, Viktor Hovland and Hideki Matsuyama are twelfth at -2, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Collin Morikawa are fifteenth at -1 and Brooks Koepka is twentieth with field par.

Jon Rahm and Sergio García aren’t going away

The Spaniards who survived the tournament did not enter the fight for the front positions. Jon Rahm and Sergio García will start the final day tied for thirty-eighth position with +2, five strokes out of the top10. David Puig is fifty-ninth with +7.