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The U.S. Open, renowned for its challenging nature, is entering its final round at Los Angeles Country Club. While the course has been somewhat forgiving compared to past venues, the championship round has the potential to become grueling, especially with a tie at the top of the leaderboard to start the final round.
Rickie Fowler, who shot an even-par 70 in the third round, finished the day tied with Wyndham Clark at 10 under for the week. Both players hold a one-stroke advantage over Rory McIlroy.
The golf world is anticipating the crowning of its third major tournament champion of 2023, as Jon Rahm, the winner of the Masters Tournament, and Brooks Koepka, the winner of the P.G.A. Championship, are far behind on the leaderboard.
Why It Matters: Someone will etch their name in sports history by the end of the day.
Among the players in the top five, only McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler have previously won major championships.
McIlroy’s last major victory came in 2014, and a win on Sunday would secure his fifth major title. Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked player, won the Masters in 2022; he made a significant jump on the Los Angeles leaderboard with an eagle from 196 yards on No. 17. He finished Saturday at seven under, trailing the leaders by three strokes.
Fowler, on the other hand, is a highly popular player who has been close to winning majors but has fallen short. He set an Open record by shooting a 62 in the company of Xander Schauffele on Thursday. Fowler impressed spectators on Saturday with a 69-foot birdie putt on the 13th hole but disappointed later by missing a par putt of less than five feet on No. 18.
Clark is competing in his third U.S. Open, and this is the first time he has made the cut. His previous best performance in a major tournament was a tie for 75th at the 2021 P.G.A. Championship.
Harris English, who trails Fowler and Clark by four strokes, came close to victory in the 2021 U.S. Open, finishing in third place.
Background: The U.S. Open takes place amidst golf’s tumultuous period.
With major tournaments offering substantial prizes and being crucial for establishing greatness in the sport, players typically focus solely on golf. However, this has been challenging at this year’s Open due to the announcement of a partnership between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, which supports the LIV Golf circuit. The potential deal has raised uncertainty about the future of golf.
Players have been contemplating the future of the sport publicly and privately over the past few weeks.
Interestingly, both the PGA Tour and LIV have each claimed one major victory this season, with Rahm representing the tour and Koepka being a headliner for LIV.
What’s Next: 18 holes for everyone — and possibly the first playoff in over a decade.
NBC will provide coverage of the final round, starting at 1 p.m. Eastern time. The tournament being held on the West Coast means the time of the final decision will extend into the evening for much of the United States, with a champion expected to be determined around 10 p.m. Eastern time.
However, if there is a tie at the top after 72 holes, all bets are off.
The Open has not seen a playoff since 2008 when Tiger Woods emerged victorious at Torrey Pines. The format has since changed, and in the event of a tie, there will be a two-hole aggregate playoff on the first and 18th holes. If the leaders are still tied after those two holes, a sudden-death format will be implemented. The aim is to crown a champion on Sunday evening, avoiding a Monday finish as has occurred in previous Opens.
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