Above the U.S. Open rankings, four golfers are at great risk

Oakmont, Pennsylvania – Whenever the U.S. Open returns to Oakmont Country Club, there are two numbers for detailed discussion. Here, the club’s culture revolves around a course that loves to surpass difficulties and grazing impossible, winning scores and number of players in par are touted like badges of honor.

In 2016, 10 entered the last round under par; only four showed a sports red number. In 2007, only two players completed any round under par, which happened in the first round. By the end, 5 times allowed Ángel Cabrera to improve the trophy.

At any given moment, Oakmont can knock back the golfer left and right in a way that makes the split challenge. However, on Saturday, with the sunset glowing, it seems like the four players did. Suitable, they are four adventures into the depths of Oakmont and appear under par.

“If I said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times, but this golf course is hard,” Sam Burns said. “It takes a lot of patience.”

Maybe it wasn’t the golf fan or TV executive who was on the public rankings in the United States that dreamed about a week ago. After all, the winners of the past six Grand Slams are currently the top 10 champions in the world. But four players – Burns, Adam Scott, JJ Spaun and Viktor Hovland – will enter the rankings Sunday, the final round of the game, which makes its eclectic convincing.

burn. The 28-year-old has been a professional since 2017. He won five PGA Tour titles, but never heard of a professional in 19 attempts. His best result was the top ten back-door back-door at the U.S. Open in Pinehurst last year.

Two things about Burns seem to be that he is a great putter and is close friends with Scottie Scheffler. Forgot the main title race: He never put himself in a position where most casual golf fans can even think of him. However, Burns found something this week.

Yes, Burns’ putting was amazing. He tied for the fewest putts per round, and he made 12 birdies this week. But no one hit his iron and wedge better than him – he led by stroke: close. Now, to say the least, he is on the verge of a feat.

“It would be incredible,” Burns said. “I think, as a kid, you dreamed of winning big titles, which is why we worked so hard and hard.”

Like Burns’ victory, the guy who played with him might be more shocked by the golf system. Spaun is a professional. At the age of 34, he had only one PGA Tour title, which happened three years ago at the Valero Open, Texas. Earlier this year, he tried to kick Rory McIlroy with Rory McIlroy in the Players Championship. Spaun appeared to wither under pressure when McIlroy won his second victory at TPC Sawgrass in Monday’s three-hole playoffs.

Maybe some people expect this will be the last one we’ll see Spaun on the big stage. But the Los Angeles native didn’t stop playing the best golf ball of his life, now hitting three shots after three rounds of Oakmont, only behind Burns. This year, only five players are better than him on the tour. He scored well this week (he was No. 21 on the court), but it was his putt that caught fire and scored nearly three on the court.

“I didn’t put too much pressure on me [on myself],” Spaun said. Later, he added: “This is the best of my career. ”

Unlike Spaun or Burns, this isn’t the best Hovland has played in his career. Not even closed.

Two years ago, Hovland made the top 20 in each major’s top 20, including the T-2 at the PGA Championship. That same year, he won the BMW championship in 61 games on Sunday. Then, in 2024, he missed four layoffs, changed coaches twice, and began opening up to the media about his never-ending pursuit of a perfect swing. Hovland shot 70 on Saturday, leaving him three shots behind by one and Burns. On paper, he is the best player of the four. In fact, the former American amateur champion smelled his first major more than a few times, which made his approach a part of the madness.

“I’m very happy with the way I fight,” Hofland said. “It’s a bit of a pain for my driver. It doesn’t seem to be able to figure it out. It’s like a lingering question this year, so it makes me angry.”

Sometimes it seems like Hofland is more frustrated with the swing of the ball than his score. Just like his brain does not think in scores or statistics, but psychological pictures and feelings.

“Of course, we all want to win, which is why we practice so hard,” Hofland said. “But I want to play my passion. It’s like I want to stand on a tee and play the shots I envisioned. It bothers me when the ball doesn’t do that.