PINEHURST, N.C. – Somewhere around the time the leaders rounded the turn at Pinehurst No. 2 on Saturday night, the temperature began to drop. Oh, it was still warm enough to smoke brisket, but it was a nice change from the melting temperatures earlier in the day.
There isn’t much geography in Matthieu Pavon’s native France that resembles the tall pines and rough sand and wire grass of Pinehurst, but that didn’t seem to matter as Pavon found a new gear on the front nine.
Pavon came from two strokes back to overtake leader Ludvig Åberg overnight, part of a chaotic wrestling match that saw five players – including Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau and Rory McIlroy – within a stroke or so for most of the round. spent two of the lead.
DeChambeau was the undeniable fan favorite, pushing the North Carolina gallery forward with every move. Finau looked at ease in the big moment, piling up birdies and, more impressively, saving pars as Pinehurst’s slick greens wrecked his game. McIlroy remained steady – an unusual trait for him in the majors – and stayed within striking distance of the lead.
Most players fought their way through miserable rounds earlier in the day. Scottie Scheffler, for example, left him at +6 for the tournament after his +1 round. The lone survivor: Collin Morikawa, who started the day at +4 and finished tied, good enough to keep him in the ballpark of the top 10.
That’s the big test that Pinehurst presented on Saturday. No. 2 again played with an average of three strokes over par and gave the USGA exactly what it was always looking for: a fair, but brutal challenge. Only eight players are under par after 54 holes… and the leader is DeChambeau with three.
The Mad Scientist becoming the most popular player on the court was pure entertainment. In the space of 60 minutes…
…hit a second six-iron shot from 257 yards into a 610-yard par 5. (He would make a birdie.)
…called his “physio guy” because of the apparent tension in his hips. Here’s what that looked like:
… birdied the 11th with an emphatic fist pump to take a two-shot lead.
…and apologized to the fans who urged him to try to drive around the green at the age of 13. “Don’t hate me,” he said as he grabbed and stroked. “I’m sorry.” (He would also birdie that hole.)
While virtually every LIV player has become persona non grata since moving to the rival tour, DeChambeau has managed to increase his Q score. He signs autographs in the middle of his round, has millions of views on YouTube and still hits bombs.
He finished sixth at the Masters, was second at the PGA and will be in the final group on Sunday.
Åberg, playing in his first US Open, remained steady until a triple on 13. He is at -2, level with regular Hideki Matsuyama. Finau carded a double there. He’s at -1. And after taking the lead with three birdies and no bogeys on his front nine, Pavon posted a pair of bogeys against zero birdies on the back. He’s at -4, along with McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay, who salvaged an even-par round on a day that probably should have been much worse.
No one could match DeChambeau’s attack, even with his double bogey on 16. He would follow that up with a birdie 2 on 17.
A par on 18 gave DeChambeau a 3-under 67, a 54-hole lead, and perhaps the best shot he’s had at a major since winning the tournament in 2020.
