7 months ago
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Paolo UggettiJun 14, 2025, 11:35 PM ET
OAKMONT, Pa. -- Whenever the U.S. Open makes its mode backmost to Oakmont Country Club, determination are 2 numbers that are discussed astatine length. It's here, wherever the club's civilization is centered astir a people that likes to scope beyond the hard and graze the impossible, that the winning people and the fig of players nether par is touted similar a badge of honor.
In 2016, 10 entered the last circular nether par; lone 4 emerged sporting reddish numbers. In 2007, lone 2 players finished immoderate circular nether par, and that happened successful the archetypal round. By the end, 5-over allowed Ángel Cabrera to rise the trophy.
The mode that Oakmont tin repel golfers near and close astatine immoderate fixed infinitesimal makes separating a challenge. On Saturday, however, arsenic the mounting prima made the people glow, 4 players appeared to bash conscionable that. Fittingly, they were the 4 that had ventured into the depths of Oakmont's depths for 54 holes and emerged nether par.
"If I've said it once, I've said it a 100 times, but this play people is difficult," said Sam Burns, who holds the 54-hole pb astatine 4-under. "It takes a batch of patience."
Perhaps it is not the U.S. Open leaderboard play fans oregon TV executives would person dreamt up earlier the week. After all, the past six majors person featured winners who are presently wrong the apical 10 successful the satellite play rankings. But the 4 players -- Burns, Adam Scott, J.J. Spaun and Viktor Hovland -- who volition caput into Sunday atop the leaderboard marque for a last circular that sets up to beryllium compelling successful its eclecticism.
Take Burns. The 28-year-old has been a nonrecreational since 2017. He has 5 PGA Tour wins but has never, successful 19 tries, sniffed a major. His champion decorativeness was a backdoor apical 10 astatine the U.S. Open past twelvemonth astatine Pinehurst.
The 2 things astir look to cognize astir Burns is that he's a large putter and that he's adjacent friends with Scottie Scheffler. Forget large title contention: He's ne'er enactment himself successful a presumption wherever astir casual play fans could adjacent signifier an sentiment connected him. And yet, Burns has recovered thing this week.
Yes, Burns' putter has been predictably fantastic. He's tied for the fewest putts deed per circular and he's made a whopping 12 birdies this week. But nary 1 has deed his irons and wedges amended than him -- helium leads the tract successful strokes gained: approach. Now, he's connected the brink of a feat that would beryllium unexpected, to accidental the least.
"It would beryllium incredible," Burns said of winning a major. "I deliberation arsenic a kid increasing up, you imagination astir winning large championships, and that's wherefore we signifier truthful hard and enactment truthful hard."
As improbable arsenic a Burns' triumph would be, the feline who played alongside him Saturday whitethorn beryllium a bigger daze to the play system. Spaun is simply a vocation journeyman. At 34 years old, helium lone has a azygous PGA Tour win, and it happened 3 years agone astatine the Valero Texas Open. Earlier this year, helium tried going toe-to-toe with Rory McIlroy astatine the Players Championship. In a Monday three-hole playoff, Spaun appeared to wilt nether the unit arsenic McIlroy cruised to his 2nd triumph astatine TPC Sawgrass.
Maybe immoderate expected that would beryllium the past we would spot of Spaun connected a large stage. But the Los Angeles autochthonal hasn't stopped playing the champion play of his beingness and is present 3-under astatine Oakmont aft 3 rounds, conscionable 1 backmost of Burns. Only 5 players person been amended shot strikers this twelvemonth connected Tour than him. This week, his attack play has been bully (he ranks 21st successful the field), but it's his putter that has caught fire, gaining him astir 3 strokes connected the field.
"I'm not putting excessively overmuch unit [on myself]," Spaun said. Later, helium added: "This is the champion I've played successful my career, for sure."
Unlike Spaun oregon Burns, this is not the champion Hovland has played successful his career. Not adjacent close.
Two years ago, Hovland finished wrong the apical 20 astatine each major, including a T-2 astatine the PGA Championship. That aforesaid year, helium won the BMW Championship by shooting a people grounds 61 connected Sunday. Then, successful 2024, helium missed 4 cuts, changed coaches doubly and began opening up to the media astir his never-ending quest for the cleanable swing. Hovland changeable 70 connected Saturday, putting him astatine 1-under and conscionable 3 shots down Burns. On paper, helium is the champion subordinate of the four. In reality, the erstwhile U.S. Amateur victor who has smelled his archetypal large much than a fistful of times, has made madness portion of his method.
"Pretty pleased with however I battled retired there," Hovland said. "A small bitter astir my driver. Just can't look to fig it out. It's similar a lingering occupation each this year, truthful it's benignant of pissing maine off."
Sometimes, it seems similar Hovland is much upset astir a swing, a shot flight, than helium is simply a score. It's similar his encephalon doesn't deliberation successful scores oregon statistic but alternatively intelligence pictures and feelings.
"Sure, we would each similar to win, that's wherefore we signifier truthful hard," Hovland said. "But there's besides similar a heavy passionateness successful maine that I privation to deed the shots. Like I privation to basal up connected the tee and deed the shots that I'm envisioning. When the ball's not doing that, it bothers me.
"I'm good alert that I've got a accidental tomorrow, and if I sprout a debased circular of play time past thing tin happen. But there's a batch of bully players astir me. Adam Scott played a superb circular today, conscionable didn't truly miss a shot. That forces maine to play immoderate truly bully play tomorrow."
While Hovland, Spaun and Burns look to scope that vocation mountaintop of a large for the archetypal time, the different subordinate they'll person to outlast has played 96 of those majors consecutively.
Scott is the lone 1 adjacent the apical of this leaderboard who wouldn't make a bequest with a triumph Sunday but alternatively adhd to it. Twenty-two years ago, helium won his archetypal PGA Tour event. Twelve years ago, helium secured his lone major: a thrilling playoff triumph astatine Augusta National that gave him a coveted greenish overgarment and etched his sanction into the past books.
On Sunday, possibly much awesome past awaits: A triumph would marque Scott, 44, the lone subordinate to ever spell 12 years betwixt large victories and the 2nd oldest to triumph a U.S. Open.
After shooting a 2nd consecutive circular of adjacent par 70 Friday, a smiling Scott quipped that helium was playing "old-man par" retired there. Saturday demanded thing amended than that, and helium delivered, shooting a 3-under 67 that enactment him successful the last radical Sunday and displayed shades of his vintage shot striking.
"I'd beryllium beauteous arrogant of winning this happening connected the weekend. Right now, that's truly what I'm present to do," Scott said Friday. "I consciousness similar there's astir apt not been galore signs to anyone other but maine the past period oregon six weeks that my crippled is looking better. But I decidedly consciousness much assured than I person been this year."
Scott's even-keeled quality tin astir disguise his competitiveness, which is casual to hide astir successful portion due to the fact that helium hasn't contended astatine a large since 2019. He has lone 1 top-10 decorativeness successful the past six years, but to perceive him speech astir it, helium has ne'er stopped searching for that elusive 2nd large win.
"I truly haven't been successful this presumption for 5 oregon six years -- oregon feeling similar I'm that player," Scott said. "But that's what I'm ever moving towards. If I were to travel distant with it tomorrow, it would beryllium a hellhole of a circular of play and an exclamation constituent connected my résumé."
As Scott walked up Oakmont's 18th fairway Saturday, determination was a definite fervor with which the assemblage cheered him on. There's small uncertainty that helium volition beryllium the favourite among the galleries Sunday. Scott, arsenic always, appeared unfazed by it all. He went done a fewer media interviews and past exited the premises quietly.
Hovland, meanwhile, stayed. He beelined to the driving scope and was beating balls into the Pittsburgh nighttime with his driver, inactive searching for that plaything that was successful his brain. No 1 other joined him. Earlier, Spaun said helium would spell location and person dinner, possibly country work ordered by his wife, who is astatine the edifice with their 2 daughters.
It was different reminder however overmuch each 1 of these 4 players vying for a coveted U.S. Open differ. On Sunday, the conflict of attrition that is simply a U.S. Open astatine Oakmont mightiness contiguous different worthy competitor, but for present each eyes are connected the apical four. Come the last 18 holes, they volition each beryllium connected the aforesaid quest knowing good that nary substance what the winning people is oregon however galore players are nether par, lone 1 tin emerge.
