SECOND-RANKED Rory McIlroy found more misery at rain-soaked Oakmont in Saturday’s third round of the US Open, as Americans Sam Burns and J.J. Spaun shared the lead on three-under par as they made the turn in the final group.
An inch of rain drenched Oakmont overnight with more on Saturday, leaving the course receptive for 67 players making the cut on seven-over 147.
Big names still struggled while others made charges.
McIlroy made bogeys on three of his last five holes to fire a four-over par 74 and stand on 10-over, 13 strokes adrift.
“I was hoping to play better, but I didn’t,” McIlroy said, calling his tournament “pretty average” so far.
“The name of the game this week is staying patient, and try to do a good job of it out there,” McIlroy said. “But it’s one of those golf courses that you can lose patience on pretty quickly.”
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McIlroy, who completed a career Grand Slam by winning the Masters for his fifth major title, missed a seven-foot putt to bogey the third hole and took a penalty drop, leading to a bogey at nine.
He dropped his approach inside four feet to set up a birdie at the 10th but found a greenside bunker at 11 and made bogey then lipped out from inside four feet to bogey 14 and missed the green at the par-three 16th on the way to bogey.
McIlroy found a greenside bunker off the 17th tee but blasted out inches from the hole and tapped in for birdie, only to find the right rough off the 18th tee on the way to bogey.
Asked what he looked for on Sunday, McIlroy said, “Hopefully a round in under four and a half hours and get out of here.”
Burns began the round with the lead on three under, with Spaun one adrift at punishing Oakmont.
They spent the first five holes fighting for the lead, then each parred the four straight.
Spaun opened with a birdie putt from just outside 15 feet to match Burns for the lead, then Burns made bogey at the second after his tee shot found a right-side bunker.
Spaun found the left rough with his first two shots at the third on the way to a bogey that left them tied at two-under, only to reclaim the lead on the par-five fourth with a birdie putt from just inside five feet.
Burns reclaimed a share of the lead when he landed his approach inside three feet and tapped in for birdie to leave them level on three-under.
Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz shared third on one-under and was working on a bogey-free round after birdies at the par-five fourth and par-three sixth from just inside eight and six feet respectively.
He then birdied the par-five 12th, dropping his third shot inches from the hole, and par-four 14th, sinking a putt from just inside six feet.
With him was Norway’s Viktor Hovland, who made bogeys on two of the first three holes but birdied the ninth and 10th.
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McIlroy finds more misery as Burns and Spaun share US Open lead
Updated at 23.02
SECOND-RANKED Rory McIlroy found more misery at rain-soaked Oakmont in Saturday’s third round of the US Open, as Americans Sam Burns and J.J. Spaun shared the lead on three-under par as they made the turn in the final group.
An inch of rain drenched Oakmont overnight with more on Saturday, leaving the course receptive for 67 players making the cut on seven-over 147.
Big names still struggled while others made charges.
McIlroy made bogeys on three of his last five holes to fire a four-over par 74 and stand on 10-over, 13 strokes adrift.
“I was hoping to play better, but I didn’t,” McIlroy said, calling his tournament “pretty average” so far.
“The name of the game this week is staying patient, and try to do a good job of it out there,” McIlroy said. “But it’s one of those golf courses that you can lose patience on pretty quickly.”
McIlroy, who completed a career Grand Slam by winning the Masters for his fifth major title, missed a seven-foot putt to bogey the third hole and took a penalty drop, leading to a bogey at nine.
He dropped his approach inside four feet to set up a birdie at the 10th but found a greenside bunker at 11 and made bogey then lipped out from inside four feet to bogey 14 and missed the green at the par-three 16th on the way to bogey.
McIlroy found a greenside bunker off the 17th tee but blasted out inches from the hole and tapped in for birdie, only to find the right rough off the 18th tee on the way to bogey.
Asked what he looked for on Sunday, McIlroy said, “Hopefully a round in under four and a half hours and get out of here.”
Burns began the round with the lead on three under, with Spaun one adrift at punishing Oakmont.
They spent the first five holes fighting for the lead, then each parred the four straight.
Spaun opened with a birdie putt from just outside 15 feet to match Burns for the lead, then Burns made bogey at the second after his tee shot found a right-side bunker.
Spaun found the left rough with his first two shots at the third on the way to a bogey that left them tied at two-under, only to reclaim the lead on the par-five fourth with a birdie putt from just inside five feet.
Burns reclaimed a share of the lead when he landed his approach inside three feet and tapped in for birdie to leave them level on three-under.
Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz shared third on one-under and was working on a bogey-free round after birdies at the par-five fourth and par-three sixth from just inside eight and six feet respectively.
He then birdied the par-five 12th, dropping his third shot inches from the hole, and par-four 14th, sinking a putt from just inside six feet.
With him was Norway’s Viktor Hovland, who made bogeys on two of the first three holes but birdied the ninth and 10th.
Australian Adam Scott was fifth on level par.
– © AFP 2025
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Golf Mixed Fortunes Rory McIlroy Sam Burns US Open Viktor Hovland