All eyes on DeChambeau, McIlroy heading into final round of the U.S. Open - ESPN

PINEHURST, N.C. — Rory McIlroy doesn't mind admitting it: If there's a leaderboard within his periphery out on the golf course, he's going to look at it.

So as he made his way through Pinehurst No. 2's back nine Saturday during the third round, he couldn't help but take a peek and imagine what was happening behind him. By the time McIlroy reached the 18th green, Bryson DeChambeau, who had started that day at 4 under, was suddenly 8 under.

McIlroy tried to focus. He stalked his long birdie putt that would likely put him in the final group with DeChambeau if it dropped, gave it his best roll and started walking after it. But unlike the putt he made Thursday for birdie on 18, this one missed.

As he walked into the scoring room and out toward the interview area, McIlroy still thought his deficit was 4 strokes. He stepped into a makeshift tent for a Sky Sports interview. By the time he had come out, he had seen what had happened: DeChambeau had double-bogeyed the 15th hole. The lead was now 2 strokes. It wasn't over just yet. After conducting his general news conference, he was informed by a media member:

«Bryson made birdie on 17.»

«He did?» McIlroy asked.

The lead was back up to 3.

The swings at Pinehurst No. 2 are a feature, not a bug.

If a normal PGA Tour course allows players to race toward birdies, while a place surrounded by thick rough and trees like Valhalla turns the best players in the world into one-dimensional machines, what Pinehurst No. 2 has done this week is force competitors to know when to slam the brakes.

«I think there's holes where you have to be aggressive. There's holes where you have to be conservative,» McIlroy said after his round of 69. «There's hole locations that you can take on and hit wedges