Rickie Fowler in motion.| Photo Credit: AP

Rickie Fowler wasn’t about to dwell on one gap on the finish of the third spherical of the U.S. Open.

He’s extra inclined to consider the subsequent 18 as he pursues his first main championship.

“Through three rounds we’re in the spot that we want to be in, and (Sunday) is when the tournament starts,” Fowler stated.

Fowler put collectively a gentle stretch earlier than a three-putt bogey on the final gap on Saturday, dropping him right into a tie with Wyndham Clark going into the ultimate spherical.

Both golfers are at 10-under 200, one stroke forward of Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland.

Fowler shot even-par 70, however Clark’s 69 allowed him to drag even after a protracted stretch atop the leaderboard at Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course.

Fowler shrugged off the final-hole drama.

“Just a bummer. It would be nice for that one to go in,” he stated. “Really doesn’t matter, having the lead, being one back, two back. You’re going to have to play good golf (in the final round).”

McIlroy used a 69 to go to 9 underneath.

“It’s nice to be in the hunt,” McIlroy stated.

After some late twists and turns, a two-shot swing on the final gap modified the complexion heading into the ultimate day.

Fowler ought to have a good suggestion of how tough will probably be to safe his first main championship after going by means of Saturday’s challenges.

“After going through the last few years, I’m not scared to fail,” he stated. “I’ve dealt with that. We’re just going to go have fun, continue to try to execute, leave it all out there, see where we stand on 18.”

Clark will play within the last pairing within the final spherical of a serious for the primary time. Like Fowler, Clark is a former Oklahoma State golfer.

“It’s a U.S. Open and I wanted to be in that final group,” Clark stated.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (68) is in vary in fourth place at 7 underneath. His consolation stage is perhaps rising.

“I felt like (this) was one of those days I played significantly better,” Scheffler stated.

Clark was within the lead by a shot when making the flip at 2-under for the spherical, however then he encountered a troubling stretch.

On No. 10, Fowler saved par from the excessive greenside tough. On the identical gap, Clark’s bid to go up by two strokes failed when his birdie try skimmed the cup. There was a tie for first place after Clark’s bogey on the subsequent gap.

On No. 12, Clark didn’t get out of the greenside tough with a chip that popped up and went a couple of foot, in order that price him a share of the highest spot.

“I felt like I handled all of it really well,” Clark stated. “I had two back-to-back bogeys which were unfortunate but followed it up with birdie, and then birdieing at the end I felt like I handled all the adversity, and I feel like my best round is still out there.”

Fowler was at 11 underneath following a 69-foot birdie putt on No. 13.

After a bogey on No. 17 induced Clark to slide two pictures again, maybe his finest shot of the spherical was the strategy on No. 18. He transformed the birdie putt. Fowler was overzealous on his first putt on the outlet, costing him the lead when he was off the mark on the second putt.

McIlroy likes his place, significantly after dodging missteps within the third spherical.

“It was pretty good,” he stated. “I felt like I played good, smart golf. I think I played the backside really, really solidly.”

Scheffler ended the spherical with an eagle and a birdie. His second shot from 196 yards out on the par-4 seventeenth gap rolled in.

“Could not see the ball go in, but there was a nice crowd there on the grandstand behind the green,” Scheffler stated. “I saw where it landed and I thought it would funnel out on to the green and I’d have a look for birdie, and then you could see everybody as the noise started to kind of rise.”

Harris English was tied with Scheffler earlier than hassle close to the 18th inexperienced within the thick tough. He notched bogey, so his 71 was his worst spherical of the week by 4 pictures.

Dustin Johnson (71) and Xander Schauffele (73) are tied for sixth at 5 underneath.

South Korean Tom Kim’s 66 was the very best rating of the day, placing him at 3 underneath and tied for ninth place.