US Open 2024: final round – live | US Open

It’s an odd dynamic for the world’s best golfers playing out the final round down among the stragglers. Perform poorly in tennis and you’re going home. In golf, the frustration of not being at your best is dragged out. You’re playing on the weekend and yet know in your heart of hearts that you have absolutely no chance of winning, the thing you came here to do. Scottie Scheffler and five-time major winner Brooks Koepka are suffering this feeling right now. Perhaps it explains why they seem to be rather going through the motions, both +1 after 13 holes today and sharing 39th place a whopping 14 shots off the lead.

In the battle for top amateur, Neal Shipley has edged in front of playing partner Luke Clanton. Both started at +4 and Shipley, who traded an opening birdie with a dropped shot at 2, has remained there after five holes. Clanton is now one back after a bogey at 4.

Where’s that low round today? No-one is better than 2-under for the card. Tommy Fleetwood once closed with a stunning 7-under 63 in a US Open won with 1-over (Shinnecock 2018) so maybe the runner-up from six years ago is the one who can go low. He’s made a good start in that respect having reached the turn in 2-under 33 after red numbers at 5 and 9. That’s taken the Englishman, who is still searching for a first major win, to tied 20th overall on +3. He’s been joined there by 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry, who is -2 for the day after 8.

A couple of early birdies for Russell Henley (2nd) and Davis Thompson (1st) have taken the American duo to +1 for the tournament. That’s currently tied 12th, eight behind DeChambeau, so both are on track for a decent share of this daft amount of wonga.

Nicolai Hojgaard was the only Dane to make the cut and he may be a tad frustrated to be missing Denmark’s Euro 2024 opener against Slovenia. I expect the Manchester United fan will be following the live Guardian blog on his phone, snatching crafty glances on each tee box and perhaps fist-pumping after Christian Eriksen’s first-half opener. While it remains 1-0 to Denmark, his own score isn’t bringing the same joy. The Ryder Cup star is +3 for the day after 10 and +8 overall, putting him in tied 50th. Nicolai was runner-up to Matthieu Pavon in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in California. earlier this year.

Thanks Matt. As I write this, Justin Lower has just completed a solid round of 70. A player I’d like to see Bruce Forsyth say ‘hiya’ to.

Time for me to hand you back to Dave. As I do so, TV shows Patrick Cantlay making his way to the range. He’s playing with Rory McIlroy today. It’s a delicious sub-plot for the final round after their experiences at the Ryder Cup and reputed frosty relationship.

A pub quiz question for you. Which player in the field links the US Open and the European Championship? This one is a bit tentative but it’s Matthieu Pavon. Currently tied 2nd on the leaderboard, his father Michel played football for Toulouse and Bordeaux.

Do you believe in the Theory of Golfing Progression? Rory McIlroy’s recent US Open record reads: 9th in 2019, 8th in 2020, 7th in 2021, 5th in 2022 and 2nd last year. He’s only got one way to go, right?!? (Or does defeat via a play-off count as another agonising step towards the inevitable?)

Four players are 2-under out on the course. It’s the best score out there at the moment. One of them is Ireland’s Shane Lowry and it gets him upto T20. If he stays in the top 20 it will be his fifth in the last seven majors and nice preparation for the Open at Royal Troon next month.

What do you suppose the contenders will be thinking about during the final round? 2005 US Open champion Michael Campbell once asked me if I could guess what he was thinking of when he went head-to-head with Tiger Woods down the back nine that Sunday. It turns out he would prepare for each tournament with mini targets like hitting 80% of greens in regulation. He’d also think of a reward and on the plane to the States that June he decided his prize for a top 10 would be a second-hand Porsche. He even wrote 997 (the model he desired) on his ball. On Friday evening he upgraded to a new one and on Saturday to a better model. And down the stretch? “I wasn’t visualising lifting the trophy or beating Tiger, I was visualising my new car – the brake calipers, the wheel arches, the exhaust!” His delight in this tale was terrific and he added that the mayor of Brighton, where he lived at the time, gave him the keys to the city which, coincidentally, granted him free parking.

The 2014 US Open champion at Pinehurst, Germany’s Martin Kaymer, has completed his tournament. Talking to TV afterwards about the pressure the leaders will experience later on today he said: “The intensity is different to normal PGA Tour events. It’s very, very difficult. It’s about not making big mistakes. And the pin position on 18 – there will not be many birdies there. ” Kaymer played with Sepp Straka who actually did make birdie at 18 (via a 30-foot putt admittedly). Not a 2, alas (see 17:12).

Min Woo Lee left the first tee 30 minutes ago and he’s opened with two pars. The Aussie started the final round in a share of 25th and it’s familiar territory for him. Should he remain in the top 30 by the end of play it will be the eighth he has recorded in the 11 majors since the start of 2022. He was tied fifth in this championship 12 months ago in LA which remains his best finish.

Frenchman Matthieu Pavon contending this evening reminds me of this lovely little video made during the final round of the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach. It follows Jeff Lucquin (who denied Rory McIlroy a first professional win at Crans in 2008) as he watches his friend Gregory Havret play with Tiger Woods and very nearly tie the winner Graeme McDowell. It’s not in English and has no subtitles but it is friendship not French you need to understand to appreciate these few minutes of pure charm. The contrast between Lucquin and Havret is just wonderful. The former chews his fist, adopts the foetal position, is often on the verge of tears and, at one stage, repeats the word “Allez” in a desperate mantra. Meanwhile Havret strolls around as if he’s off to buy a couple of croissants from his favourite boulangerie.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xdrgo9

Disappointment for Austria’s Sepp Straka and Italy’s Francesco Molinari. Of a kind. Both were chasing the completion of an odd set of numbers today. They both made holes-in-one at the 9th before the cut and also have a 3, a 4, a 5, a 6 and a 7 on their cards for the week. A 2 today and they’d have been entitled to shout: “House!” Molinari couldn’t manage it and Straka needs to hole his second at 18 to tickle no-one’s fancy but my own.

Thank you Dave and good afternoon everyone. Dave has just mentioned some of the big numbers that US Open 54-hole leaders have carded in recent times and Bryson DeChambeau, although he won the 2020 championship, has gone sub-74 just twice in seven US Open Sundays. A little bit of hope for the chasers maybe.

Righty, I’m going to have a break for an hour and use a double TV system to watch the golf and catch some Slovenia v Denmark too. Check our live blog on that one here! In the meantime, I’ll hand you over to Matt Cooper.

A few more stats to try and frame DeChambeau’s position and chances of victory. It’s far from a given that he wins his second US Open later this evening.

By the way, Shane Lowry (Oakmont 2016), Dustin Johnson (Pebble Beach 2010) and Retief Goosen (here at Pinehurst in 2005) were the three who blew those leads. Lowry shot a 76, DJ an 82 and Goosen an 81. Blimey! Those are some collapses! Goosen was a double US Open champion at the time as well!

Perhaps a 65 is optimistic as no-one on the course is better than -2 for the day. A couple of rounds in the 60s have been recorded: a 2-under 68 by SH Kim and a 1-under 69 from 2022 US Open champ Matt Fitzpatrick. Sweden’s Tim Widing (tied 20th), Matt Kuchar (tied 40th) are 2-under for their rounds through 5 and 10 holes respectively.

No change of gear from Scottie Scheffler today. Five pars and a bogey in his first six holes so far. Wayne Riley, who admits he had a picture of Seve Ballesteros on his wall growing up, reckons there’s a 5-under 65 to be had today although qualifies his prediction by adding that it’s more likey to come from the morning starters. A 65 from those lurking six or more back such as Tyrrell Hatton (-1), Tony Finau (-1), Collin Morikawa (Ev) or Tim Kim (Ev) would be interesting if DeChambeau has a wobble.

Is our leader Bryson DeChambeau any good with a lead? Here’s the tale of the tape which shows he’s converted three times on the five occasions when he’s had a piece of the lead. Interesting to note that Cantlay’s name pops up a couple of times.

• 2018 Memorial (outright lead), won in a playoff over Kyle Stanley and Ben An

• 2018 Northern Trust (outright lead), won by 4

• 2018 Shriners Hospitals for Children (tied for lead), won by 1 over Patrick Cantlay

• 2019 3M Open (tied for lead), finished T-2, 1 shot behind Matthew Wolf

• 2021 BMW Championship (tied for lead), lost in a playoff to Patrick Cantlay

It Ain’t Half Hot (hitting 90 degrees and more) at Pinehurst again today which seems a good time to mention the player with the best name in the field this week: Gunnar Broin. I’d like to think he plays piano and is constantly barked at by a demonic Welsh coach. The 22-year-old has made his mark this week as one of three amateurs to make the cut. Gunnar Broin, currently +16, won’t be winning that accolade; instead, the B… O… B.O.Y.S. boys to entertain you are fellow Americans Neal Shipley and Luke Clanton at +4. Intriguingly, they’re paired together, heading out at 12.04 local (17.04 UK).

Here goes the defending champion, Wyndham Clark, at 1. Prior to that stunning victory at Los Angeles Country Club 12 months ago, his record in the majors showed MC-75-MC-MC-76-MC. Since the win: 33-MC-MC. He’s currently tied 33rd here. All very strange given that he’s world No 4 and has an excellent record in big events this season with second places at The Players Championship and Arnold Palmer invitational along with a victory at Pebble Beach. Perhaps a good round today and he can at least tick off another top 20 in a major.

Sporstpeople who have turned their reputations around. You’d have McEnroe in there, a brat who became a loveable rogue with a twinkle in his eye. Beckham as well. Once public enemy No 1 for getting sent off in the 1998 World Cup for flicking a leg but a media darling for over 20 years now. Now we must add Bryson DeChambeau. Previously dismissed as stroppy, entitled and lacking self-awareness, we’re now lapping him up. This clip would have induced eye-rolls not so long back. Instead it seems fun, quirky and engaging.

Some wholesome content. “Daddy might make the top 50 if he pulls his finger out. Is Daddy clever?” Yep, it’s not been Jordan Spieth’s week either, as highlighted just now by a lip out at 5 which leaves him at +9 (tied 52nd).

Another entry for the ‘not your week Scottie’ collection. Scheffler’s 15-foot par putt at 2 is tracking into the centre of the hole but decides ‘nah’ and breaks right across the front of it. A bogey. That’s +7. Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, is going nicely today. He’s -2 for the day after 14 but it’s all rather academic following a 79 yesterday after he’d only just made the cut on the number. Fitzpatrick is +12 and tied 64th.

What can help us decide who wins this thing later today? Gut instinct? An omen? Cold hard facts. Let’s focus on the last of those and note that each of the last four US Open champions ranked among the top 5 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee for the week. In other words, driving it well is key in this event. How do the four leaders measure up in that department so far?

SG: Off The Tee
DeChambeau – 2nd
Pavon – 20th
McIlroy – 1st
Cantlay – 36th

A tick in the box for DeChambeau and McIlroy but that’s a negative for Cantlay’s chances.

Martin Kaymer, the runaway winner here in 2014, had made a bright start today with birdies at 1 and 5 flashing away among the string of pars. But he’s given both shots back in one go via a double-bogey 5 at the par-3 9th. The German is +10 and in a tie for 57th. Korea’s Seonghyeon (SH) Kim has the best round going so far; he’s -3 after 13 holes. All very welcome after after yesterday’s 83.

It’s a while yet before we see what Bryson, Rory, Patrick and Matthieu throw at us. So what about the early play so far at Pinehurst? Scottie Scheffler was the red-hot favourite coming into this week but he only just made the cut on the number (+5). A 1-over 71 in round three confirmed he’d be among the also-rans this week so can he at least go out on a high today? He’s playing the first alongside young Irishman Tom McKibbin and has a 25-footer for birdie after finding the green. As it stands, world No 1 Scheffler is +6, 13 off DeChambeau’s lead and in a tie for 43rd. His birdie putt looks in but somehow finishes behind the back of the hole. Very much a sums up his week moment.

Preamble