Setting the Table

Fifty-four holes down, 18 remain to determine the 2025 U.S. Open champion. With one round left to play at Oakmont Country Club, Sam Burns leads J.J. Spaun and Adam Scott by one stroke.

Burns backed up a phenomenal Friday round with another solid performance in the third round, carding a 1-under 69. He struggled off the tee on Saturday, hitting just seven out of 14 fairways despite soft conditions, forcing him to pitch out of fairway bunkers on four holes. He lost 2.6 strokes off the tee on Saturday, ranking second-to-last in the field. However, it was Burns’ recovery game that saved his round, as he led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach to keep his round on the rails. His performance off the tee will be a huge factor to track in Sunday’s round, as a few misfires could make or break his championship.

Joining Burns in the final group, 44-year-old Adam Scott is one round away from adding to his legacy with a second major win in his 97th major championship appearance. After Friday’s round, the Australian acknowledged that “another major more would really go a long way in fulfilling my own self, when it's all said and done.” He also noted that the biggest events in golf are almost entirely his sole focus at this stage of his career: “This is all I’m really playing for are these big events.” Sunday is an enormous opportunity for Scott, who has tasted both triumph and heartbreak in the biggest tournaments in golf.

One facet of Scott’s game that will provide an advantage in Sunday’s round: speed. He’s been training hard to add speed, and the work has paid off. On Sunday, he touched a 187-mph ball speed on the 18th hole, which is nearly as fast as it gets in professional golf. The added speed is a remarkable development for a player of Scott’s age.

With four golfers within four shots of Burns’ lead, a lot can happen in the final round at a rain-softened Oakmont Country Club.

This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

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