Rory McIlroy bullish about US Open chances as late bogeys leave him three behind Bryson DeChambeau

Rory McIlroy bogeyed two of his last four holes but insists his US Open dream is still alive as he goes into the final round three shots behind a swashbuckling Bryson DeChambeau at Pinehurst No 2.

Fan favourite DeChambeau produced a stunning performance at the sun-scorched North Carolina venue, surging four clear before following a potentially gut-wrenching double-bogey six at the 16th with a birdie two at the 17th.

The LIV Golf star then parred the last to card a three-under 67 and lead by three from final round playing partner Matthieu Pavon, McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay on seven-under.

It was a disappointing finish for McIlroy, who bogeyed the 15th and 17th to card a 69.

But he remains optimistic about his chances of ending his 10-year major drought.

“Yeah, just a really difficult US. Open Saturday,” McIlroy said. “I think everything we expected it to be.

“The course is getting crispy. Some of the pin positions are pretty tricky. Felt like a lot of them were cut on little crowns. “There was a lot of uphill putts but then after the hole it went downhill, so pretty tricky to get the pace right. It caught me out a couple of times.

“I love the test that Pinehurst is presenting, and you've got to focus and concentrate on every single shot out there. It's what a U.S. Open should be like. It's obviously great to be in the mix.”

As he watched DeChambeau tackle the last two holes following his double at the 16th, he added: “No matter what happens, I feel like two shots, three shots, four shots, I've got a great chance going into tomorrow.”

He’ll play in the penultimate group with his Ryder Cup rival Cantlay, who shot 70 to join him on four-under.

“It would have been nice to hole that putt at the last and get to five-under and break out of that logjam at four,” he said. “Pros and cons. Pros and cons to being in the last group, and maybe playing one group ahead mightn't necessarily be a bad thing.

“I'm pretty much in the same position that I was last year going into the final day at LACC. So familiar position, been here many times before, and hopefully tomorrow I produce the golf that's needed to go one better.”

McIlroy has finished ninth, eighth, seventh, fifth, and second in his last five US Open starts and believes his patient attitude to the game’s toughest major is paying off.

"I think I'm embracing the questions that the golf course asks of you,” he said of Pinehurst.

'I think there's holes where you have to be aggressive. There's holes where you have to be conservative. There's hole locations that you can take on and hit wedges close to. There's hole locations you've got to stay away from.

"It tests your chipping. It tests your putting. It obviously tests your mental fortitude more than any other golf tournament.

"As I said at the start of the week, it's a style of golf that I've started to try and embrace over these last few years, and it's the reason that my performances at the U.S. Open have been much improved over the last half a decade."

Even though DeChambeau opened the door when he made a double-bogey six at the dangerous, 528-yard 16th, he showed why he won the 2020 US Open and was a factor in last month’s PGA Championship, where Xander Schauffele only pipped him by a shot.

The Mad Scientist’s double bogey was a late reprieve for the field and for McIlroy, who made birdie at the ninth to turn for home just two shots behind Pavon on four-under, then followed par saves at the 11th and 13th with birdies the 12th and 14th to close within one of a charging DeChambeau on six-under.

The Holywood star quickly went backwards coming down the stretch as bunkered tee shots led to costly bogey fours at the 15th and 17th.

“If you told me I’d shoot 69 on the first day, I would have taken it, but to be at three-under after 14, I would be disappointed with one-under at the end, and that’s what happened,” McIlroy said.

“I had a couple of loose swings with irons on the two par-threes on the back nine and that cost me a couple of shots.

"But overall, you know, it's a really good day really encouraged with my play and how I handled myself out there.”

While DeChambeau threw him a lifeline as his pitch to the 16th rolled back to him and he failed to get up and down, making a double bogey six, he birdied the 17th with a brave approach to 12 feet, then found the 18th green from the left scrub and two-putted for par.

It was a thrilling afternoon’s golf at Pinehurst, which took its share of victims but also rewarded stellar play.

Shane Lowry was thrilled with a level par 70 that left him tied 32nd on five-over with debutant Tom McKibbin 42nd on six-over after he played his back nine in two-under and posted a brilliant 71.

US Open day three – round details

McIlroy had to make a good eight-footer for par at the first after watching a wedge run off the right side of the green.

But after a steady par at the second, he drove hit a beautifully judged long bunker shot to 18 inches at the driveable third — shortened by 66 yards yesterday — to get to four-under.

He misread his slick 12-footer for birdie at the par-five fifth and was three shots behind overnight leader Ludvig Aberg after he registered his first three-putt of the week at the par-three sixth, running his 30-footer ten feet past.

But while he missed again from a similar distance for birdie at the eighth, he made an eight-footer at the short ninth for a two to turn for home just two shots off the lead on four-under.

The Holywood star failed tot birdie the par-five 10th but headed for the 11th just a shot off the lead after bogeys by Pavon and Aberg left Tony Finau and DeChambeau tied at the top with the Frenchman on five-under.

A great up and down at the 11th, where he spun his approach off the green from the left scrub, helped McIlroy maintain his momentum.

As DeChambeau birdied the 10th to lead on six-under as McIlroy kept pace, converting a 10-footer for birdie at the 12th after firing a brilliant 180-yard approach from the sandy scrub.

DeChambeau applied more pressure when he birdied the 11th to move to seven under but McIlroy remained in the hunt, saving par at the 13th where Finau Finau racked up a triple bogey seven en route to a 72 that left him on one-under alongside Tyrrell Hatton.

As Finau faded, McIlroy made a move, firing a 113-yard wedge to a foot at the 14th to notch his third birdie in six holes and close to within a shot of the lead.

But while he’d hand two shots back, sandwiching a great par save at the 16th between those bogeys at the 15th and 17th, Pinehurst did him a favour.

Aberg suffered like Finau at the 13th, racking up a triple bogey seven en route to a 73 that left him tied for fifth with Hideki Matsuyama (70) on two-under.

McIlroy made par at the 16th, rolling a 10-footer after finding greenside sand with his 200-yard approach.

But as DeChambeau curled in a nine-footer at the 14th to get to eight-under, McIlroy couldn’t save par at the 180-yard 17th, where he again bunkered his tee shot and never threatened the hole from 15 feet, falling four behind the leader.

He needed a birdie at the last to overtake Pavon, who shot 69 to set the target at five-under, to clinch a place alongside DeChambeau in the final group.

But he badly over-read his slick 27-footer.

Get ahead of the day with the morning headlines at 7.30am and Fionnán Sheahan's exclusive take on the day's news every afternoon, with our free daily newsletter.