Rory McIlroy will start the final round of the 2022 US Open three shots behind joint-leaders Will Zalatoris and Matthew Fitzpatrick after an incredible Saturday at the Country Club in Brookline.
Zalatoris and Fitzpatrick, both chasing not only their first major win but also their first PGA Tour successes, were two of only a handful of golfers to make progress on moving day as the course really caused trouble, the pair finishing on four-under-par.
McIlroy experienced that trouble more than most as he verged on capitulation at times, but a series of stunning par saves on the back nine – and a memorable third shot on 18 – ensures that he's very much in the mix. His rollercoaster 73 left him on one-under-par overall.
Also in with a chance is Waterford’s Seamus Power who produced a brilliant level-par 70 to sit on one-over par, just five strokes back.
Overnight leader Collin Morikawa, who started the day on five-under along with Joel Dahmen, had a day to forget as a disastrous 77 saw him drop to two-over. Dahmen also had his issues but is still involved on one-under.
A shot to remember for @McIlroyRory at the last. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/u82vTt0cOK
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 18, 2022
Former world number one Jon Rahm led on five-under heading down the 18th, but a bunker shot caught the lip and rolled back into the sand, eventually leading to a double bogey.
The current world number one Scottie Scheffler briefly led as another chip-in eagle from the fairway pushed him to six-under at the eighth, but he would struggle from there on in before ending on two-under.
It was Zalatoris who posted an early clubhouse lead of four-under after another brilliant major display.
Zalatoris has yet to win on the PGA Tour but has recorded five top-10 finishes in his last six completed majors, including a play-off defeat in last month's US PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
And the 25-year-old proved once again his game is ideally suited to the sport's biggest events with a superb 67, featuring four birdies and a solitary bogey, to set the target.
"After the US PGA that was a bitter pill to swallow, but I feel good about my game," Zalatoris said.
"Tomorrow is going to be no simple test, you look at the major champions on the leaderboard and this course is a beast. The job is not even close to being done."
Fitzpatrick joined Zalatoris in the clubhouse lead thanks to a third round of 68, the 27-year-old taking the outright lead after birdies on the 14th, 15th and 17th before dropping a shot on the last.
McIlroy is three behind but, in truth, he could have been much further back on a day when he recorded just one bogey.
The undoubted highlight though was his recovery shot at 18 after his drive had travelled miles left. A hooked iron approach opened up a birdie chance and even though he didn't take it, that second shot was the sort of effort that he would be hoping kickstarts a super Sunday.
"I think to finish under par for the tournament still was a really good result, that tournament could have got away from me today," McIlroy said afterwards.
For Power, an eagle at the par-five eighth moved him under par for a stage and although he dropped two shots coming in, he was happy with his progress.
"That got me going on the right path heading into the back nine," Power said. "I need more of the same on Sunday and hopefully I can finish a little stronger.
"I am going to have to play a little bit better and hopefully if a couple of putts drop you never know."
