This is Lowry’s 14th major, with a couple of ties for ninth (including last year’s U.S. Open) as his best finishes.
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Landry, the 624th-ranked player in the world playing his first major, is at 3 under.
Even better for Landry if he doesn’t win?
But all he cares about is winning, and the 28-year-old Texan has looked remarkably unflappable in every circumstance at Oakmont.
“This is right where you want to be”, Lowry said. At the end of the day you just have to try and concentrate on the shot in front of you, and that’s all you can do’.
He has been so far.
Dustin Johnson (2 under through 13 holes) – Johnson again lapped the field tee-to-green Saturday but failed to make an impact with his putter. That doesn’t mean it will stay there.
Daniel Summerhays was the biggest mover of the morning, following a birdie at 14 with an eagle-two at the 17th to join Westwood five strokes back. That sent McIlroy back to the range, to figure out his issues. The third round is expected to be finished by 9 a.m., giving the maintenance crew some time to prepare the course before the final round begins at 11 a.m.
He made four birdies, an eagle and two bogeys.
Johnson now has had at least a share of the lead six times in the last five majors dating to the U.S. Open past year at Chambers Bay.
Lowry is five under par but still has four holes to play on Sunday before starting his final round at Oakmont.
A one-time PGA Tour victor, Lowry added: “It’s cool”.
Shane Lowry of Ireland had to assess himself a one-shot penalty on the 16th green when his ball moved, but he gathered himself to make an 8-foot bogey putt that allowed him to keep his wits, and he played bogey-free from there for a 70. His fellow group member Andrew Landry, a qualifier playing in his first-ever major tournament, has held steady at par through the third round.
Dustin Johnson finished his third round at 1-over 71 and is tied for second place at 3-under for the tournament. He was at even-par 210, along with Scott Piercy, who also had a 72.
After three days of chaos thanks to rain that wiped out play on Thursday, the final round will start on schedule later Sunday.
He had hoped to get to par by today and didn’t quite get there, but at 1-over overall, six strokes behind current leader Shane Lowry going into today, he came close.
It won’t be Johnson in the final pairing with Lowry when the last round gets underway Sunday afternoon.
Lowry was up by three when play resumed Sunday morning and wasted little time adding to his advantage.
After saving par from the fairway bunker on 18 and then nearly holing his chip on No. 1, Spieth had sand wedge in his hands on No. 2 and skulled it over the green.
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The world number 41 – coincidentally the same ranking a s Angel Cabrera when the Argentinian won at Oakmont in 2007 – was in danger of dropping a shot on the 18th when he left a long birdie attempt 10 feet short, but calmly holed for par before punching the air in delight.
