Will Rory McIlroy finish his nine-year main wait? Can Rickie Fowler or Wyndham Clark declare a maiden win? Could Scottie Scheffler snatch victory? Watch the ultimate spherical reside on Sunday from 5.30pm on Sky Sports Golf
Last Updated: 18/06/23 5:12am
Highlights of the third spherical of the US Open from Los Angeles Country Club, Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark lead Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.
Highlights of the third spherical of the US Open from Los Angeles Country Club, Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark lead Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.
Wyndham Clark and Rickie Fowler maintain a share of the lead heading into the ultimate day at the US Open, with Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler main the chasing pack. We look at a few of the doable storylines to follow heading into what could possibly be a historic Sunday in Los Angeles…
Can record-breaker Fowler make his main breakthrough?
Nearly 4 and a half years on from the latest of Fowler’s 5 PGA Tour titles, the 34-year-old holds the primary 54-hole co-lead of his main profession as he searches for a maiden main victory.
Despite main the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club, Rickie Fowler claims that he is by no means felt more snug at a golf match and insists he is not afraid to lose after struggling for kind in recent times.
Fowler sank to a career-low 185th on this planet rankings final September, however a resurgence in kind – fuelled by a return to former coach Butch Harmon – noticed him come into this week’s main off the again of 10 high 20 finishes in his final 12 begins.
He made historical past by changing into the primary participant to ever card a 62 spherical in a US Open and break more information with an eventful second-round 68 on Friday, which contained simply 4 pars, with Fowler set for the outright lead once more on day three till a late blunder in his third spherical.
Rickie Fowler three putted the ultimate inexperienced of spherical three to present a shot again to the sphere at the 2023 US Open in Los Angeles.
Fowler surprisingly three-putted from 40 ft for a closing bogey that misplaced his outright lead and ensured he would exit with Clark within the last group once more on Sunday, though he has proven sufficient promise in his sport over the primary three days to counsel that this could possibly be the week the place he returns to the winner’s circle.
Will McIlroy discover elusive main?
McIlroy and near-misses in majors have change into an everyday theme over the previous 9 years, though the world No 3 now has his certainly one of his greatest alternatives but to finish that drought at the US Open.
Rory McIlroy says his nonetheless as decided as ever to finish his nine-year wait for an additional main, as he goals to make a transfer up the leaderboard on day three.
The Northern Irishman has posted 18 top-10s in majors with out successful since his 2014 PGA Championship success, whereas the three males instantly behind him on that record – Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth – have registered ten main titles between them throughout the identical interval.
An opening-round 65 left him three strokes behind file breakers Fowler and Xander Schauffele, who equalled the bottom rounds in males’s main historical past and posted an all-time US Open greatest with matching 62s, whereas a powerful end to the second spherical moved McIlroy nearer to the lead.
Rory McIlroy opened his third spherical of the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club with an unbelievable 388 yard drive on the primary gap.
McIlroy stayed affected person as he combined three birdies with two bogeys in a one-under 69, lifting him to 9 beneath and leaving him only one off the tempo going into the ultimate day. Is this the week that McIlroy lastly claims that elusive fifth main?
Can Scheffler proceed dominant stretch?
Scheffler got here into the occasion because the pre-tournament favorite and bolstered his hopes of securing a second main title with a exceptional end to his third spherical.
Scottie Scheffler can prolong his benefit at the highest of the world rankings with victory this week
The former Masters champion has completed no worse than twelfth in each PGA Tour begin in 2023, securing two victories alongside the best way, with the world No 1 persevering with that exceptional consistency to transfer into main rivalry as soon as once more.
Scheffler would have held the outright benefit if his placing inconsistencies had not continued this week, though the flat stick wasn’t required with an outrageous 196-yard eagle at the par-four seventeenth.
Scottie Scheffler holed out for eagle on the seventeenth gap at Los Angeles Country Club to put himself in rivalry for the US Open getting in to the ultimate spherical.
The six-time PGA Tour winner then drained a 22-foot birdie on his last gap, doubling the entire size of putts holed throughout the day, to signal for a two-under 68. If there’s any signal of placing progress on the ultimate day, then it might little shock to see a Scheffler victory.
Will Clark trigger main upset?
Wyndham Clark might haven’t any expertise in contending at the business-end of a significant leaderboard, however the 29-year-old has but to falter and may effectively change into golf’s newest first-time main champion.
Wyndham Clark spoke concerning the significance of his late mom’s recommendation on his profession and how he is utilizing it to encourage him as he challenges for the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club.
Clark is getting into unchartered territory on Sunday, having completed no larger than seventy fifth in his earlier six main appearances, though has loved a fast rise on this planet rankings in current months after having fun with his greatest season to-date on the PGA Tour.
The American claimed a long-awaited PGA Tour breakthrough at the Wells Fargo Championship final month, certainly one of 4 top-10s in 2023, with Clark bringing his new-found confidence into this week’s occasion.
Wyndham Clark dropped a shot and fell one behind chief Rickie Fowler after he failed to advance the ball out of some greenside tough on the twelfth gap in the course of the third spherical of the US Open and Los Angeles Country Club.
Clark moved forward with two birdies in his first three holes of his third spherical and responded to back-to-back bogeys at the eleventh by selecting up a shot at the thirteenth, with the world No 32 additionally undoing a penultimate-hole blemish by ending with a birdie.
It would have been straightforward for Clark to slip away on ‘shifting day’, however the quick end ensures he can be again within the last group on Sunday and meet Fowler once more. Expect one other tight tussle.
Who will win the 123rd US Open? Watch the ultimate spherical reside on Sunday from 5.30pm on Sky Sports Golf and 9pm on Sky Sports Main Event.
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