US Open live: leaderboard, scores and analysis from round 4

Times

8 hours ago

That's better from McIlroy, who plays a couple of beautiful approaches into the par-three 13th and par-four 14th to get to three under for the day and seven over for the tournament. There are birdies to be had out there, which will encourage the chasing pack behind Burns. Among them now is Thomas Detry and Jason Day after their early birdies. Scottie Scheffler tees off in less than ten minutes.
Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.
These are the previous five occasions at the US Open in which a player has held a one-shot lead through 54 holes and their eventual finishing position:1999 Payne Stewart (won)2008 Tiger Woods (won in playoff)2009 Ricky Barnes (T-2)2013 Phil Mickelson (T-2)2017 Brian Harman (T-2)
A birdie at the 11th follows consecutive bogeys for McIlroy, whose frustration is plain to see. On Friday, he smashed a tee marker with a wood on the 17th hole having earlier tossed another club in frustration. He boils over again in this final round, but this time with arguably the smoothest club throw ever at a major championship…
Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.
Shots are difficult to pick up and even easier to lose at Oakmont but Ryan Fox's start to his final round should encourage players further back in that Burns's lead on four under is not unassailable. A successful 11ft putt at the 7th gives the New Zealander his third birdie of the day and he is now into a tie for 21st. Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele have also made decent starts, giving an indication that these could be favourable scoring conditions.
Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.
The statistics of the four players under par so far in this tournament make for fascinating reading as each one is excelling in different fields. Sam Burns, the leader, has been the second best in the field with his approach play and around the greens, but ranks 53rd out of 66 off the tee. Adam Scott has meanwhile been the best player off the tee but has struggled around the greens. JJ Spaun has been the best putter in the field, while Viktor Hovland's approach play has been the best — although he has been poor off the tee and putting.
Rick Broadbent, Oakmont
Golf, and golfers, do not help themselves sometimes. Tron Carter, of No Laying Up podcast, was the first to report that Wyndham Clark, the 2023 US Open champion, had trashed his locker after missing the cut here. A photo is now doing the rounds on social media. The Times has sought confirmation from his management, while the USGA refused to confirm or deny the report.
If he is guilty then why keep it in-house? Alas, this has always been golf's way. Last month Clark broke his driver as he flung it into advertising hoardings at the US PGA. He issued a fulsome apology after that one. 'My actions were uncalled for and completely inappropriate, making it clear that I have things I need to work on.
'I hold myself to a high standard, trying to always play for something bigger than myself, and yesterday I fell short of those standards. For that I am truly sorry. I promise to improve the way I handle my frustrations on the course going forward, and hope you all can forgive me in due time.'
McIlroy said yesterday that he wanted his final round to be done 'in under 4½ hours' so he could 'get out of here' but he is stringing some of his best golf of the week together. He holes a 21ft putt for birdie at the par-four 7th then almost makes a 54ft putt at the 301-yard par-three 8th. He is yet to make a bogey and is now eight over for the tournament. Fox is also off to a flyer and birdies at the 2nd and 4th have got him to six over.
Rick Broadbent, Oakmont
So here we go. Fair to say it had been a slow-burner at Oakmont, but today could be a cracker. Adam Scott is there to prove there is life after 40. Justin Rose was a shot away at the Masters but could Scott, pushing 45, get over the line? Three rounds at par or better — nobody else has managed that — and the lack of a star name in front of him will make many think he can, but plenty have a chance here. In the past 20 years the winner has always been within four of the lead going into Sunday.
Tyrrell Hatton is just beyond that but his approach play was stellar on Saturday, and Bob MacIntyre can make a lot birdies and will be relishing the chance of chasing. You can easily make a double bogey here and scores can go south very quickly, but overcast and softer conditions should provide opportunities for the adventurous. Buckle up.
How hard is Oakmont playing so far? Well, of the 26 players already out on the course, only two of them — McIlroy and Ryan Fox, who won the Canadian Open last week — are under par. McIlroy has had three good looks for birdie at the 3rd, 4th and 5th after that strong start but putts from between eight and 28ft have stayed high. He remains at nine over. Spain's Jon Rahm has meanwhile just started his final round by finding the right side of the 1st fairway.
Sitting just three shots off the lead is Viktor Hovland, who — like Burns and Spaun — is also bidding to win his first major. The Norwegian reached a career-high third in 2022, won the FedEx Cup in 2023, but gave an honest assessment of his frailties in March after a run of four missed cuts in five tournaments. 'It sucks — I just don't have control over what I'm doing,' he said.
Two days late, Hovland had his hands on the trophy at the Valspar Championship. 'Stupid, stupid game,' he wrote on social media afterwards and he has now posted rounds of 71, 68 and 70 this week. Statistically, he has been the best player from tee to green at Oakmont, his wedge play is remarkably improved after extensive work with chipping guru Joe Mayo, and he could become the man to beat if his putter gets hot today.
Rick Broadbent, Oakmont
McIlroy may have become a puzzling enigma since completing the career grand slam at Augusta in April, but a bevy of less-fancied players are relishing the prospect of contending for a major on one of the world's toughest courses.
Sam Burns reached 54 holes at four under par, a shot clear of an age-defying Adam Scott and JJ Spaun. 'I'm pretty happy to be one behind and not sleeping on the lead,' Scott said after a superb round of 67. 'This would be huge for me.'
Rolling in the putts and rolling back the years, the popular Aussie has the chance to become the second-oldest US Open champion at 44 and set a record for the longest gap between majors; his first came at Augusta in 2013. Viktor Hovland dropped a shot on the last but played some lustrous irons and is only three off the lead. They are the only men under par.
• Rick Broadbent: Sam Burns and Adam Scott lead charge as Rory McIlroy heads for exit
So how do we think Oakmont is going to play today? Well, there are only four players in the entire field under par — Burns, Scott, Spaun and Hovland — and a number of players including McIlroy have lost their temper as they grapple with the brutal conditions.
Through three rounds, Oakmont's lightning greens have produced nearly twice as many three putts (462) as Augusta did for the entire 2025 Masters (238). To make matters even more challenging today, the tee box at the par-three 8th sets the hole at its full 301 yards. There is every possibility that the winning score will be over par later today.
After slumping to ten over par following three frustrating days, Rory McIlroy could no longer let his golf do the talking yesterday. So having refused to speak to the media after six consecutive rounds at the majors, he said that he had not really cared if he had made the cut or not. His amended ambition for Sunday? 'A round in under 4½ hours and get out of here.'
McIlroy is clearly struggling for motivation after his Masters victory in April but has made an early birdie at the 2nd at the start of his final round.
Good afternoon, golf fans, and what a day this promises to be. There is no major quite like the US Open when it comes to punishing, gruelling golf and, even against that benchmark, the course at Oakmont can be particularly vindictive.
Sam Burns comes into the day on four under and with a one-shot lead over Adam Scott and JJ Spaun, while Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton are also in the chasing pack. On a course where shots are so tough to gain and even easier to lose, that could change very quickly.
Stay with us for updates and Rick Broadbent's expert analysis from Oakmont.