54-hole leader Brian Harman will begin the most important 18 holes of his life at 21:54 (SA time) with record-holder Justin Thomas on Sunday, writes WADE PRETORIUS.
WATCH: The best of round three’s action
Harman replicated his opening 67 on Saturday as he displayed the kind of fearless golf that takes a relative unknown from rank outsider to Major winner.
No left-hander has won the US Open, which may have fans and viewers leaning towards one of the three players at -11 pipping him. The trio includes Justin Thomas, who will play in the final group after Tommy Fleetwood closed with a bogey to drop to -11. At one point, Fleetwood had a makeable putt to move to -13 and two clear, but he failed to take his chance and will play with American Brooks Koepka on Sunday in the penultimate pairing.
WATCH: Thomas’ 63 makes US Open history
Rickie Fowler’s day was getting away from him, before a trio of successive birdies saw him stay within two of the lead. He is alone in fifth place and will play with South Korean Si Woo Kim in the third to last group. The Players winner shot 68 on Saturday, but it could’ve been a lot better had he had full control of his putter on Saturday.
Louis Oosthuizen is the last South African off at 20:26 with American Trey Mullinax.
He tweeted: ‘Happy with today apart from the finish. I’ll be six or more back, but will try to get a fast start and see what happens,’ after his round, and it turned out to be two more than six back after finishing double and then a par, despite being greenside for two on the final hole.
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Brandon Stone will have the opportunity to pick a former winner’s mind when he tees off at 17:52 with Martin Kaymer, while Ernie Els is now in a battle to avoid finishing last of those who made the cut after his 79 on Saturday, which included a horror triple bogey, most avoidable too, on the 17th hole.
Selected final round tee times:
16:02 – Tyler Light and Ernie Els
17:30 – Adam Hadwin and Thomas Aiken
17:52 – Martin Kaymer and Brandon Stone
18:47 – Branden Grace and Matt Kuchar
20:26 – Trey Mullinax and Louis Oosthuizen
21:21 – Russell Henley and Patrick Reed
21:32 – Si Woo Kim and Rickie Fowler
21:43 – Tommy Fleetwood and Brooks Koepka
21:54 – Justin Thomas and Brian Harman
Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images
