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Tommy Fleetwood has admitted that winning the US Open would ‘change his life’ as he enters the final round just one shot back from American Brian Harman.
The 26-year-old looked set to record his second bogey-free round of the week – almost unheard of at the US Open – on Saturday until an unfortunate dropped shot at the last meant he fell one back of the lead.
Nevertheless, it was one of only three bogeys the Englishman has had through 54 holes and, in continuing to try and not put pressure on himself, he is just going to see how the final round unfolds in a situation that is entirely new to him.
“This is my first time in contention in a major, so whatever happens I’ll be doing my best and seeing how well I can finish,” he said. “That’s all you can do. But it will be a pleasure to go out on a Sunday trying to win a major.
“It would change my life, I know that. I’ve pictured winning the US Open a lot of times before. Doing it all night is not going to help and not make any difference. It’s just concentrate on each day as it comes.”
Conditions for the final round are expected to be the windiest they have been all week and leader Harman, who posted a five-under-par 67 on Saturday, believes he is well-equipped to deal with the increased wind.
“I’ve got a good plan for this course,” he said. “I’ve played it in a couple of different wind conditions. I have no idea what tomorrow is going to be like but I’m confident that I am prepared for whatever happens, whether something bad happens or something good happens. I’ll just rely on that confidence.”
Along with Justin Thomas, who posted a record-breaking nine-under-par 63 in the third round, Brooks Koepka is also sitting on 11-under-par with Fleetwood and he reckons he can take full advantage of the scoreable back nine.
“I think that back nine you can really shoot a low one,” he said. “Today with the tee being up on, I think it was, par-5 14th, we were able to hit it over that bunker, which is key on that hole. We didn’t hit it down the slope.
“The back nine really suits my eye, I don’t know why. I think there’s a lot of tee shots that are left-to-right. And that might be why, I just hit it hard down the left-hand side and let it come back. I love this golf course.”
Rickie Fowler is a shot further back on ten-under-par, Players champion Si Woo Kim is on nine-under-par, while Patrick Reed, Russell Henley and Charley Hoffman are on eight-under-par. All of the top 16 have never won a major championship.
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