Rory McIlroy faced an uphill battle to remain in contention for the 122nd US Open as breezy conditions played havoc in the third round at Brookline.
McIlroy began the day just a shot off the lead shared by Collin Morikawa and Joel Dahmen, but covered his opening seven holes in three over par to slip five behind world number one Scottie Scheffler.
Seeking his fifth major title and a first since 2014, McIlroy got away with a pulled drive on the first, only to drop shots on the second, third and sixth after failing to get up and down from off the green.
Scheffler had made the ideal start with a birdie on the first, holing from 20 feet after a superb approach from a fairway bunker.
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