Shane Lowry is two shots clear of the field going into the scheduled final day of the US Open at Oakmont.
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Lowry took a four-shot lead over Andrew Landry and Dustin Johnson into the final round at Oakmont, armed with the knowledge that the late Payne Stewart was the last to enjoy such a lead and not secure victory.
Rahm, who twice won the Ben Hogan Award given to the top collegiate golfer while playing at Arizona State, will turn professional Monday.
Johnson saw a 20-footer on 16 brush the edge and stay out, as Westwood finished with a run of pars to set the initial clubhouse target at two-under par.
Among those joining McIlroy in making a premature exit from Oakmont were five-time major champion Phil Mickelson (147), world No. 5 Rickie Fowler (151) and 2013 U.S. Open champion Justin Rose (148).
In an interview afterwards, Furyk said that his one regret was not getting the ball onto the fairway at the 18th hole as he felt it could have made things interesting.
“It was mostly to help me keep my mind strong and hit it”, Rahm said of his outfit. “I can just get out there and play my game”.
He had made only one bogey in 36 holes until it began to get away from him – a double bogey on No. 3 when a chip came back to his feet, a bogey from the bunker on the par-3 sixth, a sloppy bogey on the tough 10th hole with a wedge that came up woefully short.
The Offaly native followed up opening rounds of 68 and 70 to pick up three more shots and move clear atop the leaderboard. Day had a 69-66 on Saturday in the second and third rounds and at one point got within four shots of the lead.
By the time the third round was halted due to darkness, Landry had won over his skeptics standing at 3-under through 13 holes.
Elsewhere, South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen “found something” in his swing out on the course before plundering five birdies on his back nine to better his first-round score by ten shots. So I don’t even know if that’s what we need tomorrow.
“I was ready to get out here and play some golf”, he said.
Johnson held a one-shot lead when the delayed second round was finally completed on Saturday afternoon and quickly doubled that with a birdie on the first, before his pulled tee shot on the second hit a male spectator on the head and bounced under a concession stand.
Asked if he believed he could add a major to the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational title he won previous year, Lowry told Sky Sports 4: “I feel like my game’s good enough and there’s no reason I can’t do that if I play well this afternoon”.
Bookies in Las Vegas give Day a fighting chance, offering 12-1 odds on him winning his first Open. Johnson shot 82 that day, the start of his heartache in the majors.
He was at 5-under par and had to return this morning to play the final four holes.
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When asked if he would change his approach given he has to make up nine strokes on Lowry, Spieth said he would not be making any drastic shifts. “We’ll see how those guys go in the morning and hopefully I’ll be there”.
