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| Date: Sunday September 20 |
| Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website from 18:00 BST. Live Commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra 20:00 |
| -5 M Wolff (United States); -3 B DeChambeau (United States); -one L Oosthuizen (SA); level H Matsuyama (Jpn), X Schauffele (United States); +1 R McIlroy (NI) |
| Others selected: +3 P Reed (United States); +4 J Thomas (United States); +5 P Casey (English), D Johnson (United States), L Westwood (English); +7 J Rahm (Spa); +8 M Wallace (English); +12 R MacIntyre (Sco); +13 S Lowry (Ire) |
Matthew Wolff takes a two-stroke lead in the final round at Winged Foot as he seeks to become the first rookie in 107 years to win the US Open.
The 21-year-old American had six birdies on a scintillating five-under-65 to improve to five-under overall in New York.
Bryson DeChambeau is three under par, with Louis Oosthuizen one under par.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is in contention at one over par after “a good round” of 68, one of seven players to shoot below par on Saturday.
The world number four, who finished a couple of hours before Wolff, said he felt he would have a shot on the final day if he could stay six from the lead.
“The key for me was to play the first five holes well. I saw that some of the guys at the beginning of those holes were playing really hard,” McIlroy said, after a round that featured three birdies and a bogey.
“I knew in the middle of the round you could make a couple of birdies and then you have to wait to get in.
“I executed the game plan very well, hitting a couple when I could. It was a very good round of golf.”
Wolff, playing in his second major after qualifying for this tournament by tying for fourth at last month’s US PGA Championship, made five birdies while playing the first nine holes on 30 shots.
The world number 36, who has a PGA Tour win, only hit two of the 14 fairways, but fought well and made only one bogey, after hitting the trees at 16 with one of many tee shots, but was he recovered to birdie at last.
“I was very lucky with my raw lies,” he said. “I continued my game. It was a routine, but hopefully I hit a few more streets on Sunday.
If Wolff completes victory on Sunday, it will be 107 years, to the day, since 20-year-old fan Francis Ouimet claimed the title on his first attempt after winning a US Open that had also been delayed from June to September.
This year it was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Back then, it was to allow six-time Open champion Harry Vardon and his British compatriot Ted Ray to play. Ouimet, who had a 10-year-old caddy, beat them both in an 18-hole playoff.
Wolff would also become the youngest player to win a major since Tiger Woods won the first of his 15 at the 1997 Masters.
His closest rival is DeChambeau, who looked set to post a third straight round in the 60s after birdies at 16 and 17, but bogey at 18 to give Wolff a two-shot lead at the top.
The world number nine, who is chasing his first major title, was pleased with his even-level round after starting the day with successive bogeys.
“Show perseverance and stamina,” said DeChambeau, adding that he was heading to the practice field to “fix a couple of things.”
“(Sunday) is another golf day. I have to see it like this.”
Reed crumbles after spreading lead
Only three players enter the final day below par, though Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and American Xander Schauffele briefly made charges on Saturday.
Matsuyama is trying to become his country’s first big winner and went up to low three only to bogey on 15th and then double bogey on 17th to stay level for the championship.
He will come out in the penultimate group on Sunday alongside South African Oosthuizen, who tied for second at this tournament in 2015.
The former Open champion is four off the pace to one under par after a 68 third round that included four birdies and two bogeys.
Schauffele, meanwhile, rolled for the eagle at ninth par five to go to two low before three bogeys after the corner, though he finished with a birdie to sit down as well.
The former Open Oosthuizen champion, runner-up in this tournament in 2015, is four off the pace to one-under after a 68 that included four birdies and two bogeys.
The leader of the night, Reed, started with a one-shot lead and extended that lead to three with a birdie in the second as his closest rivals faded away.
But Wolff’s electric start meant that when Reed came off the third green with a bogey, his lead had been wiped out.
Reed was one down for the day when he got around the corner, but soon fell with six dropped shots on six holes in the final nine, including a double bogey at 11 after spoiling a chip that couldn’t escape the rough.
The former Masters champion finished with two bogeys to sign for a seven-over-77 that leaves him three over par and eight shots out of the lead.
Conditions remained tough on the West Course at Winged Foot, where Geoff Ogilvy won five over par when the US Open was last held in 2006.
Paul Casey was one of seven to shoot below par, with a one under 69 that took him to five more, along with fellow Englishman Lee Westwood and world number one Dustin Johnson.
Casey fell to 11 over par after five bogeys in his first seven holes, but he birdied in the ninth and made five more in the last nine.
“In all honesty, I wanted to get in after the first five, six, seven holes. It was just ugly,” said the 43-year-old. “I was just trying not to shoot 80 after the first nine. Glad I finally got one from Winged Foot.
“You have your pound of meat every time you seem to play this golf course, so I feel like I got an ounce or two of my own meat back.”
