US Open set for wild finish at chilly Brookline

BROOKLINE, Mass. : The stage is set for a wild U.S. Open finish with Jon Rahm's bid for a repeat title one of many riveting storylines going into the final round on Sunday where unseasonably cold and windy conditions are in store.

Rahm, who is one shot back of co-leaders Matt Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris, is scheduled to set off in the penultimate pairing alongside New England native Keegan Bradley at 2:34 p.m. ET (1834 GMT) at The Country Club outside Boston.

Masters champion and world number one Scottie Scheffler is part of a group sitting two shots back of the leaders while pre-tournament favourite and word number three Rory McIlroy is among a pack a further shot adrift.

Spanish world number two Rahm, who capped his third round with a double-bogey after his first shot from a fairway bunker hit the lip and rolled back toward him, is looking to become the eighth player to successfully defend a U.S. Open title.

Englishman Fitzpatrick, 27, will try to once again taste success on the same Brookline venue that launched his career having won the U.S. Amateur at The Country Club in 2013.

If Fitzpatrick can pull off the victory he would join golfing great Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win a U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur at the same venue and he feels his prior experience on the layout gives him an advantage.

"I certainly think it gives me an edge over the others, yeah. I genuinely do believe that," Fitzpatrick said after the third round. "It's a real, obviously, positive moment in my career. It kind of kickstarted me."

Zalatoris, the PGA Tour's reigning rookie of the year, has knocked on the door at majors before and will try to finally bust through after finishing runner-up at the 2021 Masters and last month's PGA Championship