Sam Burns will leave Oakmont on Saturday the same way he arrived on the property - holding a one-shot lead on the field at the U.S. Open.
A brilliant up-and-down for birdie on No. 17 and a clutch two-putt par on the 18th green saw Burns rise one shot above J.J. Spaun and Adam Scott with one round left in the season's third major.
Viktor Hovland is the only other player under par for the championship, sitting three back at 1-under after an even-par 70. Carlos Ortiz rounds out the top five at even - a significant number considering the past 26 U.S. Open champions have entered the final round within four shots of the lead.
| Place | Player | Round 3 score | Total to par |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Burns | 69 | -4 |
| T-2 | J.J. Spaun | 69 | -3 |
| T-2 | Adam Scott | 67 | -3 |
| 4 | Viktor Hovland | 70 | -1 |
| 5 | Carlos Ortiz | 67 | Even |
| T-6 | Tyrrell Hatton | 68 | +1 |
| T-6 | Thriston Lawrence | 70 | +1 |
| 8 | Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen | 69 | +2 |
| T-9 | Robert MacIntyre | 69 | +3 |
| T-9 | Cameron Young | 69 | +3 |
Burns posted an under-par score despite a shaky performance off the tee around the challenging layout. He ranked second last in the field in that area of the game but led the way in approach and was fourth in strokes gained: around the green.
While there's obvious pressure for a man sleeping on a narrow lead looking to close his first career major, Burns seems to be embracing that challenge heading to Sunday.
"I think, as a kid growing up, you dream about winning major championships, and that's why we practice so hard and work so hard," Burns said afterward, according to ASAP Sports. "All these guys in this field, I think, would agree that to have the opportunity to win a major is special. I'm definitely really excited for tomorrow."
Scott, 44, is the only major champion on the first page of the leaderboard thanks to a sizzling 3-under 67. A win 12 years after Scott claimed the 2013 Masters would represent the longest period between first and second major titles in men's golf history, according to Justin Ray of the Twenty First Group.
"It would be super fulfilling," Scott said, per ASAP Sports. "Everyone out here has got their journey, you know. Putting ourselves in these positions doesn't just happen by fluke. It's not easy to do it. I really haven't been in this kind of position for five or six years, or feeling like I'm that player. But that's what I'm always working towards. It's not that easy to figure it all out."
Spaun held the co-lead heading to the 18th but made bogey from the greenside bunker to fall back into a tie for second and out of the final group for Sunday.
Hovland also bogeyed the final hole after finding a bunker, with an errant tee shot forcing him to pitch out back into the fairway. However, he'll have the attention of the trio ahead of him thanks to his impressive resume over the past couple of seasons.
