Tyrrell Hatton still has a chance to win the US Open on Sunday evening as he’s only five shots off the lead.
Hatton struggled to a three-over-par 73 on Thursday, but he responded with an even-par 70 on Friday and two-under 68 on Saturday.
The Englishman is now up to joint-sixth (alongside Thriston Lawrence) and can put pressure on the leaders with some early birdies in the US Open final round.
Hatton explained in his post-round interview on Saturday whether he feels more confident knowing that Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are not in contention.
Tyrrell Hatton shares how confident he feels before US Open final round
Hatton has never won a major championship, but he does have some significant victories on his resume.
The Englishman’s wins include the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour, as well as the BMW PGA Championship and Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on the DP World Tour.
He’s more accomplished than the top two in the US Open standings (Sam Burns and J.J. Spaun), and that could give him confidence heading into the final round.
Hatton was asked whether he feels better knowing that he does not have to beat a top player like McIlroy or Scheffler on Sunday.
“No, I don’t think it makes a difference whether you’ve… yeah, I’m sure if you’ve won majors in the past, you know that you can get over the line in a major, but still, at the end of the day, it’s another golf tournament, and for the most part, you’re playing against a lot of the guys week in, week out, and certainly…
“Yeah, on your day, you have to trust that you can compete and beat anyone and have that self-belief, which I think everyone in the field this week will have. Yeah, you just go out there and try your best and see where you end up.”
Tyrrell Hatton says whether Oakmont played easier in US Open third round
The average score was lower on day three at the US Open, and it probably had a lot to do with the rain on Friday evening.
Softer greens make it easier for the world’s best players to target flags because they know the ball will stop.
“Yeah, I mean, probably the hard thing was trying to judge the spin with wedges,” Hatton said on whether Oakmont was easier on Saturday.
“Yeah, there’s no doubt that you could be a little bit more aggressive. I think if it hadn’t rained last night and it had been beautiful sunshine all day, I’m sure the course would have played very differently.
“I guess we used the rain to our advantage, and I think we’re all quite happy that we managed to get through today with no delays, given how bad the forecast looked.
“That’s great for the tournament. Hopefully, the rain stays away [on Sunday] and we can get it done. I’m sure it’ll be an exciting finish.”
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