PINEHURST, N.C. — The temperature began to drop Saturday evening as the lead pack made the turn at Pinehurst No. 2. It was still warm enough to smoke brisket, but it was a welcome change from the iron-melting temperatures earlier in the day.
After a full day of sweltering heat, the crowd got what they wanted and deserved late in the third round of the U.S. Open on Saturday. Golf’s new hero, Bryson DeChambeau, pumped his fist, pointed at the stands and tossed balls into the crowd Saturday afternoon, winning the love of the entire Pinehurst crowd. And he rode that love to a three-stroke lead over the field, finishing at -7.
“I can tell you I made a lot of great putts today,” DeChambeau said after the round. “I was happy with how I hit them for the most part. I need a little more work, but I felt pretty confident off the tee.”
Early in the round, it looked like the day was won by Mathieu Pabon. Pabon’s native France doesn’t have much terrain similar to Pinehurst’s tall pines and sand-and-wiregrass rough, but that didn’t seem to matter. Pabon found a new gear in the first nine holes, but struggled to hold on in the last nine.
“The course is really tough right now. It’s a tough course,” Pavon said. “Sometimes you feel like you’re on a little bit of a roll, your game is going well, but at some point you miss one green, you see a bogey and all of a sudden it starts to get tough mentally and game-wise and you still have to finish the round.”
Pavon fought his way back from two strokes behind to overtake Ludvig Oberg, who had led the day before. In this chaotic battle, five players, including DeChambeau, Finau and Rory McIlroy, spent most of the round within one or two strokes of the leader. But Pavon, McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay ended the day at -2, while Oberg and Hideki Matsuyama were at -2. Tony Finau and Thomas Detry, who were well ahead heading into Saturday, had their hopes dashed by disastrous holes and rounds.
“The challenge that Pinehurst presents is great, you have to be focused and concentrated on every shot,” McIlroy said. “That’s the way the U.S. Open should be, so it’s obviously great to be in contention for the championship.”
Most players had endured harrowing rounds earlier in the day, including Scottie Scheffler, who went 6-over after a 1-over round that led him to call U.S. Open golf a “miserable torture chamber.” The only survivor was Collin Morikawa, who started 4-over and finished at even par, good enough to stay in the top 10.
Pinehurst provided just that much of a test on Saturday. Played again at an average of three strokes over par, the second round provided exactly the fair but unforgiving challenge the USGA always looks for. After 54 holes, only eight players were under par… and DeChambeau was three strokes back in the lead.
The mad scientist turned most popular player on the course was pure entertainment. Over the course of 60 minutes, he…
… He hit his second shot with a 6-iron from 257 yards into the 610-yard par 5 (for birdie).
…My lower back was noticeably stiff, so I called in a physical therapist. Here’s what it looked like:
…With a powerful fist pump, he earned a birdie on the 11th hole to take a two-stroke lead.
…And then he apologized to fans urging him to go for the green on the 13th hole. “Don’t boo me,” he said, grabbing his iron. “I’m sorry.” (He also got a birdie on that hole.)
While most of LIV’s players have become persona non grata since moving to rival tours (see Phil Mickelson’s lonely stroll on Friday for an example), DeChambeau has managed to raise his Q score, he’s signed autographs mid-round, he’s racked up millions of views on YouTube and remains a big hit.
He finished sixth at the Masters and runner-up at the PGA Championship and will advance to the final group on Sunday.
Oberg, playing his U.S. Open debut, was steady until he hit a triple on the 13th hole. He was two under par, tied with Matsuyama, who is also steady. Finau also hit a triple on that hole. He was one under par. And Pavon, who had taken the lead with three birdies and no bogeys in the first nine holes, had two bogeys and no birdies in the last nine holes. He was four under par with McIlroy and Cantlay, and the day was supposed to be worse, but they both made it through the round at even par.
No one could match DeChambeau’s momentum, despite a double bogey on the 16th hole, and he followed that up with a birdie two on the 17th.
DeChambeau made par on the 18th and shot a 3-under 67 to take the 54-hole lead, his best U.S. Open finish since winning the tournament in 2020.
