Live Commentary: US Open: Third round - as it happened

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US Open: Third round - as it happened
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Billy Horschel and Phil Mickelson were tied for the lead on one-under-par after two rounds at the US Open, although 30 players were lingering five shots off the pace on the tough course, which demanded both accuracy off the tee and a hot putter.

After an enthralling third round, Mickelson hit a bogey on the 18th to lead the US Open by one point as they head into the final round.

Find out how all the action unfolded below.

1.24amThanks for joining us at Sports Mole. Join us tomorrow for the final round of the 113th US Open.
1.22amLEADERBOARD: (-1) Mickelson; EVEN Mahan, Stricker, Schwartzel; (+1) Donald, Horschel, Rose; (+2) Day; (+3) Fowler; (+4) M. Kim; (+5) Poulter, Stenson, Colsaerts, Senden, Fernandez-Castano; (+6) Lawrie, Westwood, Hoffman, Lingmerth, Els, Casey, Van Pelt; (+7) Loar, Watson; (+8) Dufner, Kelly, McIlroy, Madsen, Goggin, Snedeker; (+9) Huh, Pan, Kuchar, Parry, Harrington, Bettencourt, Woods, Donaldson; (+10) Matsuyama, Langley, Scott, Hearn, Kim; (+11) Ogilvy, Simpson, Coetzee, Siem, Knox, Pettersson, Choi, Garcia; (+12) Teater, N. Thompson, Chappell; (+13) Stallings, Alker, D. Johnson, Weir, Laird; (+14) Herman, Presnell, Weibring; (+15) Kaymer, Howell; (+16) Peterson, Phelan, Weaver; (+17) Hedblom; (+20) Stanley, Khan, Stefani; (+21) Sutherland; (+22) Karlsson
1.10amPHIL MICKELSON (-1) LEADS THE US OPEN BY ONE SHOT HEADING INTO THE FINAL ROUND
1.09amBOGEY, BOGEY! Mickelson (-1) and Donald (E) both move back a shot with bogeys at the 18th.
1.07amHorschel (+1) knocks his birdie putt a couple of inches from the cup and he'll tap that in for a two-over round of 72.
1.06amMickelson (-2) from the rough, bumps it onto the green but like Donald there's work to do.
1.05amDonald (-1) has a horror lie in the rough at 18, spurts it into some more rough. His second chip isn't good enough and he has a beast of a putt.
1.02amIan Poulter (+5) finished double-bogey-par-bogey to post a three-over 73 for his third round. An unfortunate end to a solid round. Click here to read more about it, as well as Justin Rose and Steve Stricker's respective rounds of 71 and 70.
12.59amMickelson's approach to the 18th green looks good, it pitches on target but runs into the rough. Donald, 245 yards, takes a two iron but hates it. Rightly so, it lands in thick rough. Horschel, last to go, hits a four iron that just clings onto the back of the green.
12.57amJust the final group left now.
12.56amSAVE! Clutch putting from Stricker (E), who keeps himself even par with a brilliant putt on the final hole.
12.55amBOGEY! Rose (+1) is now over par despite a decent effort to save a four at the 18th.
12.54amBOGEY! John Senden (+5) posts 74 for his third round, dropping him to five-over for the championship.
12.54amNicolas Colsaerts (+5) finished with a triple bogey at the 18th to finish with a four-over 74. He's not quite out of it, but that hasn't helped at all.
12.52amRose (E) with his third from the rough into the 18th, can't finish it on the green, that looks costly. Stricker (E) with a long birdie putt, that's not very good and it's a tricky one for par.
12.50amNo sign of Donald getting tight after loosing a shot at the 17th there. He's played very well today, carding three birdies and two bogeys. Another birdie at the last would be great.
12.48amMickelson is in the fairway with his drive at the 18th. Horschel (+1) is also on target. Donald, last to go, gives himself a shot into the green. Three good tee shots.
12.45amNEW LEADER! Mickelson (-2) gets to two-under-par as Donald (-1) drops a shot. Lefty has found his way to the top of the leaderboard heading onto the par-four 18th.
12.42pmBOGEY! Charl Schwartzel (E) finishes with back-to-back bogeys to drop to level par.
12.37amDonald (-2) will have to call on his short-game skills once again after landing his tee shot at the 17th in the bunker. Can he get up and down again?
12.36amWHAT A SHOT! Mickelson (-1) hits a beautiful shot onto the green at the par-three 17th.
12.35amBOGEY! Rose (E) drops back to level par, but Stricker (E) makes his three on the 17th and go to the final hole, a 525-yard par-four.
12.32amThe Belgian can't get hold of his third shot and chops it into the rough, this is becoming expensive.
12.31amColsaerts (+2) in all sorts of trouble at the 18th, has to nudge it out from the trees and into the rough. He'll give away some shots.
12.28amStricker (E) with a long birdie putt at the 17th, leaves it short but that should be par. Donald (-2) lags a birdie putt from distance inches to the cup at 16 and taps in for four.
12.25amRose (-1) with a three iron into the par-three 17th, it pitches on the green but runs into the rough. Mickelson (-1) finds the green at 16.
12.22amTiger Woods (+9), playing alongside Rory McIlroy (+8), posted a six-over 76 for his third round.
12.17amBOGEY! Mahan (-1) taps in for bogey at the 17th, leaving Luke Donald (-2) in the lead on his own.
12.16amBOGEY! Schwartzel (-1) gives a shot away at the par-three 17th, leaving his birdie putt to the left. He taps in for four.
12.15amMickelson (-1) on the tee at the par-four 15th, he hits the fairway. Donald (-2) finishes nicely on the short grass as well.
12.13amBOGEY! Mahan (-1) with a long par putt at 17, it's well judged coming up the slope and feeding down, but that'll be a dropped shot.
12.12amHorschel (+1) saves par at the 15th.
12.11amDonald (-2) pulls his putt at 14 wide, leaving him with a missable one for par. He rolls in to stay in a tie with Schwartzel, who could drop a shot at the 17th.
12.10amSchwartzel (-2) with his second from the bunker at the par-three 17th, he lands it five feet out.
12.08amColsaerts (+2) gives himself a chance at the par-three 17th.
12.07pmIN THE LEAD: Schwartzel, Donald and Mahan at two-under-par.
12.05amDonald (-2) finds the green at 14, as does Mickelson (-1).
12.05amDOUBLE BOGEY! Poulter (+3) once again drops to three-over with a six at the par-four 15th. That brings an end to his six-hole streak of pars.
12.03amRory McIlroy (+8) posts a five-over 75 for his third round, leaving him eight-over for the championship. That's a bit of a disaster for the Northern Irishman.
12.02amBIRDIE! And we have a three-way tie for the lead as Mahan (-2) joins Schwartzel and Donald with a birdie at the 15th. He played that hole beautifully.
12.01amSchwartzel (-2) has a difficult putt to take the lead, but once again shows good touch on the green to leave himself a tiddler for par.
11.59pmNicolas Colsaerts is two-over par approaching the par-four 15th.
11.57pmMahan (-1) hits a superb shot into the 15th pin for a chance to tie the lead.
11.56pmLEADERBOARD (-2) Schwartzel, Donald; (-1) Rose, Mickelson, Mahan; EVEN Stricker, Horschel; (+1) Senden; (+2) Colsaerts, Day; (+3) Fowler, Kim, Poulter; (+4) Fernandez-Castano; (+5) Stenson
11.54pmHorschel (E) for par at the 14th, it looks like a nervy one but no problem as he drops it. Donald (-2) stays tied for the lead with a four. Mickelson (-1) taps in for par.
11.50pmSO CLOSE! Mickelson hits a 64-degree wedge from off the green into the 14th pin... and hits it. It looked like dropping but he'll have three feet for his par.
11.47pmDonald (-2) gets a lucky break at the 14th, hitting an up slope which cannons his ball across the green and towards the cup.
11.44pmStory of McIlroy's round today. His wonderful two iron isn't rewarded with a birdie putt and he stays at eight-over-par.
11.43pmRickie Fowler (+3) is bang in contention thanks to a three-under 67, which puts him three-over for the championship. Brilliant play today. He went bogey free through 12 holes, but made up for his dropped shot at five with a birdie at seven.
11.41pmDOUBLE BOGEY! Poulter (+3) has missed opportunities to pick up a few shots and he's penalised for not taking advantage with a double at the 15th. He's played quite well today and that's unfortunate. He's now one'over for his third round.
11.39pmSchwartzel (-2) finds the green-side trap at the 15th.
11.38pmDonald (-2), last to go at 14, just creeps into the first cut.
11.38pmMickelson (-1) sends his tee shot down the 14th fairway. Lovely.
11.37pmHorschel (E) at the 14th tee, looking every bit the Michael Phelps doppelganger, has shot back-to-back birdies to get back level. He loses the ball way to the right and that's trouble.
11.34pmA rare highlight for McIlroy (+8) on this third round, as he hits a two iron dead on at the 16th. His round promised much when he birdied the first, but seven bogeys have dropped him well out of contention now.
11.31pmDonald (-2) misses his putt at the 13th and stays at two-under. Schwartzel (-2) tidies up for par at the 14th. Both are tied for the lead.
11.25pmDonald (-2) takes a sand wedge and that's a goof result. Another birdie putt coming up.
11.24pmMickelson (-1) stands on the 13th tee, chooses to hit the gap wedge. It pitches at the back of the green and he'll have a tough putt for birdie.
11.23pmStricker (E) is safely in for par at 13.
11.22pmBIRDIE! Rose (-1) gets to one-under with a good putt at the par-three 13th.
11.19pmA birdie putt for Donald (-2), but it finishes on the edge of the hole. Unlucky. He stays tied with Schwartzel. He's giving himself chance, though.
11.18pmThe best round of the day is now Schwartzel's mantle. He's three-under for his third round, two-under for the championship.
11.17pmLoar (+6) has played 12 through 16 in five-over-par, dropping him down the leaderboard. He's now two-over for the day.
11.16pmPoulter (+1) with a long birdie putt at the 14th, finishes it a couple of yards from the hole.
11.15pmRose (E) finishes nicely on the 13th green after hitting the left edge.
11.14pmStricker (+1) hits the green at the par-three 13th.
11.13pmDonald (-2), Mickelson (-1) and Horschel (+1) all on the fairway at the 12th. Mickelson goes first, hits the back of the green. Horchel takes a wedge, it's on the green but not looking promising. Donald, 134 yards from the pin, hits a delightful wedge to set up a chance. Brilliant shot.
11.11pmBIRDIE! Mahan (-1) taps in for his birdie at 13.
11.09pmSchwartzel (-2) saves par at the 13th.
11.08pmMickelson (-1), even for his third round, hits the fairway at the 12th with a three wood.
11.05pmBIRDIE! Some joy for Horschel (+1) at the 11th, as he records his first birdie of the day to get one of the three shots back that he's dropped today.
11.03pmJason Day (+2) posts a two-under-par 68 for his third round. Brilliant effort from the Aussie. He's well in with a shout tomorrow.
11.02pmDonald (-2) stays tied for the lead with a great up and down at the 11th.
11.02pmMahan (E) goes close with his tee shot at the par-three 13th, finishes a foot from the cup with a beautiful sand wedge. That should get him under par.
11.01pmMickelson (-1) putting downhill for birdie, sends it on its way and that's back-to-back birdies to get back under-par, one shot off the lead. Great stroke.
11pmDonald (-1) from a cavernous bunker at the 10th, it tracks past the hole and he'll have that for a par.
10.59pmBIRDIE! A bonus for Mahan (E) at 12 as he holes for a long birdie and gets to level par.
10.57pmMickelson (+1) hits his approach to the 11th, it looks all over the pin but finishes at the back of the green. Still a chance to get to even.
10.56pmStricker (+1) and Rose (E) have both just missed birdie opportunities on the 11th green.
10.52pmTIED FOR THE LEAD! Donald (-2) joins Schwartzel at the top once again with a birdie at the 10th.
10.51pmMahan (+1) with his second from the rough at the par-four 12th. It's deep in there and he has an awkward stance, but he gets it on the back of the green. Well done.
10.50pmPoulter (+1) with a sand wedge into the green at the par-three 13th and his aim is deadly, setting up another chance to get level.
10.49pmBIRDIE! Amateur Michael Kim (E) gets to level par with a birdie at 15th. He's going great guns, picking up four shots over the last six holes. That leaves him just two off the lead.
10.47pmBIRDIE! Stenson (+1) strings together three birdies to get to one-over-par.
10.47pmBIRDIE! Mickelson (E) gets back to level par with his first birdie of the third round at the 10th.
10.46pmPoulter (+1) leaves his birdie putt below the hole at 12. That'll be a tap in for par, but a missed opportunity.
10.44pmBIRDIE! We haven't heard much of Colsaerts of late, but he's just drained a monster putt to get to one-over. He instilled some consistency back into his game with four straight pars before that. Still right in there, the Belgian.
10.40pmPoulter (+1) hits his approach to the 11th green to a makeable distance. That'll get him back level if he holes it.
10.36pmLEADERBOARD: (-2) Schwartzel; (-1) Donald; EVEN Rose; (+1) Poulter, Mahan, Senden, Horschel, Mickelson, Kim; (+2) Colsaerts, Loar, Stricker, Day; (+3) Hoffman, Stenson; (+4) Ogilvy, Els, Fernandez-Castano,; (+5) Harrington, Knox, Casey, Goggin, Fowler, Van Pelt; (+6) Woods, Madsen, Lingmerth; (+7) Huh, Watson, Bettencourt, McIlroy
10.30pmMickelson (+1) leaves his birdie putt shy of the hole and taps in for par.
10.29pmDonald (-1) sees a birdie putt drift just past the hole at the ninth.
10.25pmOUTRIGHT LEADER! Schwartzel (-2) is weighing up a putt at the 10th which will see him take the outright lead if it drops. It's there and he cards a birdie-three.
10.24pmBIRDIE! Mahan (+1) drains a putt at the 10th to get himself to one-over-par. He's even for the day.
10.23pmEls (+4) saves par at the 13th.
10.22pmNice pitch into 10th pin from Schwartzel (-1). Loar (+2) hits a nice shot onto the 14th green, but that was his fifth and he's staring down the barrel of a double bogey.
10.20pmDOUBLE BOGEY! Stricker (+2) drags his putt wide and he drops two shots at the ninth.
10.18pmJason Day (+2) is two-under-par though 14 holes of his third round.
10.17pmShawn Stefani (+20) posted a 15-over 85 for his third round. He is propping up the field in 73rd place.
10.15pmStricker (E) played from the drop zone at nine and has work to do to save bogey.
10.15pmTIED FOR THE LEAD! Donald (-1) birdies the eighth to join Charl Schwartzel at the top of the leaderboard.
10.14pmMickelson (+1) can't capitalise on a nice wedge into the eighth green. McIlroy (+6) nearly pops his third shot in from the rough.
10.13pmBIRDIE! Michael Kim (+1) taps in for birdie at the 17th. That's brilliant from the amateur, how can he finish though?
10.12pmIt looks like Stricker (E) has found the drink with his approach to the par-three ninth. It at least leaves him with a difficult up and down.
10.11pmMcIlroy (+6) goes over the green and into some nasty rough at the 11th.
10.07pmBOGEY! Apologies, Senden (E) missed the putt on eight for par. He taps in for a five which drops him out of the lead.
10.06pmWHAT A SHOT! Michael Kim (+2), currently the leading amateur, hits a lovely approach into the par-three 17th. That really is a beauty and he can get to one-over.
10.05pmPoulter (+1) with his second shot at the par-four 10th, lands it above the pin but it gets better thanks to some bite. That's a makeable one to get back to level par.
10.04pmSenden (-1) looking at birdie on the eighth green, it's a right-to-left breaker from distance and it just curls before the cup.
10.02pmMickelson (+1) taps in for par at the seventh. McIlroy (+6) also goes in for a four at the par-four 10th. Disappointing round so far from the Northern Irishman's perspective.
10.01pmDonald (E) with a long birdie putt to tie the lead. If it drops, it's a bonus. It doesn't, but the strike was true and there's nothing left for par.
9.57pmMcIlroy (+6) has a chance at birdie for 10, but it looks like a misread as the ball breaks to the right and takes it off the path to the hole.
9.56pmSAVE! Poulter (+2) stays two-over with a nervy five-footer on the ninth green.
9.55pmSchwartzel (-1) takes a six iron into the par-three ninth and finds the green. It flirted with the bunker, but just crept on the putting surface.
9.54pmDonald (E) from the fairway, he tries to cut one into the pin but leaves it to the left, but he's still on the green.
9.52pmMickelson (+1) with his second shot from the rough at the par-four seventh, chops it onto the back right of the green.
9.51pmTIED FOR THE LEAD! Once again we're all square at the top with Senden (-1) rolling in at the seventh hole.
9.50pmBOGEY! Loar (+2) bogeys the 12th and drops back to two-over-par.
9.47pmNEW LEADER! A birdie-three at the ninth has Charl Schwartzel (-1) in the lead on his own. It's all change at the top as the 2011 Masters champion takes up the running. He is the only man under par for the championship now.
9.45pmBOGEY! Donald (E) drops out of the lead with a bogey at the sixth.
9.44pmStricker (E) is also eyeing birdie at seven.
9.43pmSenden (E) is on the green in two at the par-four seventh.
9.42pmShawn Stefani (+19) has seen his five-hole stretch of pars come to an end with bogey at the 16th. He is 13-over for the day. Kyle Stanley (+16) is 11-over for his third round, while Robert Karlsson (+16) is 10-over.
9.39pmBIRDIE! Poulter (+1), one of the best putters on tour, produces a bit of magic on the eighth green to get to one-under-par. He heads to the par-three ninth next.
9.37pmDonald is in a bit of trouble on the par-four sixth. His third shot will be from the rough. Horschel (+1) lands his approach on the green but the putt is a horrible one.
9.35pmBOGEY! Senden (E) sees his putt hit the edge of the hole and come out. That's a bogey that drops him out of the lead, leaving Donald (-1) in front on his own.
9.32pmWHAT A SHOT! Stricker (E) comes within inches of holing his third shot from the rough at the par-four sixth. He should save par there, but it was almost an unlikely birdie.
9.30pmEdward Loar (+1) still has the best numbers so far today as he approaches the 11th three-under-par for the day.
9.28pmA nice looking putt by McIlroy (+5) but it just misses. Donald (-1) saves his par.
9.26pmBOGEY, BOGEY! Mickelson and Horschel both drop to one-over with dropped shots at the fifth.
9.26pmRose (E) playing out of the bunker at the par-four sixth, he finds the fairway and will have a shot into the green to get close for par.
9.25pmMcIlroy (+5) has another chance for birdie at the eighth. Poulter (+2) leaves his birdie putt at the seventh short, while Mickelson pushes his par putt at the fifth wide, leaving him a tricky one just to save bogey.
9.24pmDonald (-1) with a putt for the outright lead, its a right-to-left swinger and he doesn't allow enough break. He stays on one-under.
9.22pmWoods (+5) lands his second shot at the par-four eighth on the green.
9.18pmIN THE LEAD: Senden, Donald (-1).
9.17pmDonald (-1) finds the green at the par-four fifth with his second shot. Mickelson (E) finishes well shot of the putting surface.
9.14pmBIRDIE! McIlroy (+5) gets his round moving back in the right direction with a birdie.
9.12pmBOGEY! Rose (E) gives a shot back to drop out of the lead.
9.08pmLEADERBOARD: (-1) Rose, Senden, Donald; EVEN Schwartzel, Stricker, Mickelson, Horschel; (+1) Loar, Colsaerts; (+2) Mahan; (+3) Harrington, Poulter; (+4) Hoffman, Day, Kim, Fernandez-Castano, Goggin; (+5) Pan, Knox, Ogilvy, Van Pelt, Els, Kelly, Woods, Stenson; (+6) Lingmerth, Casey, Lawrie, Huh, Madsen, McIlroy
9.03pmHowever, Mickelson (E) cannot make it four at the top and has to settle for par at the fourth.
9.02pmBIRDIE, BIRDIE! Rose and Donald rattle putts in to make it a three-way tie at the top!
9pmShawn Stefani (+18) is dead last in 73rd, but he's strung together four pars from 11 to 14. The damage has already been done.
8.57pmMickelson (E) finds the green at the fourth as he looks to get back into a share of the led with John Senden on one-under.
8.56pmBOGEY! Woods (+5) bogeys the sixth and he too is now six shots off the pace.
8.56pmDonald (E) takes his third shot into the par-five fourth from the fairway, the pin is at the back left of the green. He lands it pin-high on the right to leave himself at least a chance of birdie.
8.54pmBIRDIE! Rose (-1) ties the lead with Senden on one-under-par with a super putt at the second. It was a tester but he held his nerve, watching it disappear after a late break.
8.52pmBOGEY! McIlroy (+5) is dropping out of contention fast. Another dropped shot at the fifth means he is not six shots off the lead. Maybe I was too quick in trying to rationalise his chipper demeanor.
8.50pmWoods (+4) hits his second shot into the sixth just shy of the green. Rose (E) finds himself in the green-side rough at the fourth and leaves himself with a tough putt.
8.47pmBIRDIE! Colsaerts (+2) birdies the par-five fourth. So that's double, eagle, bogey, birdie. A par at the fifth will complete the set.
8.46pmEdward Loar (+1) is currently three-under-par for his third round. He followed up an eagle at the second with birdie at the fifth to leave him one-over-par for the championship. He's playing with Padraig Harrington today.
8.45pmRickie Fowler (+4) is still bogey free through nine holes.
8.44pmBIRDIE! Schwartzel (E) gets back to level par with a birdie at the fourth.
8.43pmBOGEY, BOGEY! Mickelson (E) can't save par at the par-three third after finishing short of the green with his tee shot. Horschel (E) also gives a shot away, leaving John Senden out in front on his lonesome.
8.39pmPoulter (+3) with his second shot at the par-four fifth, he lands it on the left side of the green and it feeds across, leaving him a long one to get back to two-over-par.
8.37pmHorschel (-1) cards a three at the par-three third hole.
8.36pmBOGEY! Woods (+4) slides his par putt at the fifth wide and drops to four-over par.
8.35pmIncidentally, no Englishman has won the Us Open since Tony Jacklin's triumph at Hazeltine in 1970.
8.34pmDonald (E) from the rough at the par-three third, feathers his second shot to within a foot or so of the cup. that should be another par for the Englishman.
8.32pmSenden (-1) hits a marvellous tee shot into the third green, but can't capitalise. Rose (E) mops up for his third consecutive par.
8.31pmBOGEY! Colsaerts (+2) continues his patchy start by dropping a shot at the third hole. With a double, and eagle and now a bogey, he's yet to birdie or save par in his opening three holes.
8.28pmDonald (E) misses the green, like so many have already today, at the par-three third. He'll be looking to get up and down for par there. Mickelson (-1) also comes up short, but Horschel (-1) goes long into the back bunker. The third hasn't been friendly to a few so far today.
8.26pmWoods (+3) comes up short with his second shot into the par-four fifth hole.
8.25pmBIRDIE! John Senden (-1) ties the lead at one-under with his second straight birdie at the par-five second. What a start.
8.20pmSAVE! Horschel (-1) sinks an important putt at the par-five second after getting into trouble trying to find the green in two.
8.18pmMickelson (-1) misses a chance to get to two-under and taps in for par, Woods (+3) locates the fairway at the fifth.
8.16pmHorschel (-1) will take his third shot at the par-five second from the deep rough beside the green and puts it in the bunker. That's the first green that he's missed in 19 attempts and he's got a job on the get up and down for par.
8.11pmDonald (E) laid up for a shot into the green at the second, he lands it on the green. Mickelson (-1) from the rough, he's done brilliantly to finish it pin-high and putting for birdie.
8.10pmMISS! Oof, McIlroy (+4) can't make his ball disappear for birdie at the fourth and stays four-over. He seems to be playing better today, though. It's strange, because he hasn't looked himself for some time now. There's a spring in his step today, despite the numbers not really reflecting that.
8.08pmStricker (E) with a putt to tie the lead, nice weight but wide of the cup. Woods (+3) leaves his long putt for birdie at the fourth short. Rose (E) taps in for par at the second.
8.05pmBOGEY! He escaped with par at the second, but at the third Poulter (+3) has not been so fortunate and he slips one further back.
8.03pmMcIlroy (+4) sets up a brilliant chance for birdie at the fourth. That'll be great if he can hole that having bogeyed the last two holes.
8.02pmWoods (+3) with his second from the rough into the par-five fourth, lands it on the green but it's a long one for birdie.
8.01pmPoulter (+2) salvaged par after an errant tee shot at the second, meaning he stays at two-over.
7.58pmEAGLE! Colsaerts (+1) rubs out his double at the first with an eagle at the par-five second. One extreme to the other...
7.54pmHorschel (-1) hit 18 out of 18 greens yesterday, the first time that has been done since Johnny Miller in 1973. He hits the green at the first, but leaves his birdie putt just shy of the cup.
7.52pmDonald (E) stays level par after seeing his birdie putt at the first slide just past the hole.
7.52pmWoods (+3), fresh off dropping a shot at the third hole, finds the rough with his tee shot at the par-five fourth. He'll be looking to bounce back with a birdie. McIlroy (+4) also dropped a shot.
7.51pmMickelson (-1) putting for birdie and the outright lead on the first green, it breaks from right to left. Tracking... but just drifts wide.
7.49pmShawn Stefani (+16) has gone out in 48, carding six bogeys, a double and a triple in his first nine holes. A par at the eighth is his only point of solace.
7.47pmBIRDIE! John Senden (E) gets himself within one shot of the lead with a three at the par-four first. Great start for the Aussie.
7.44pmRose (E) makes his par on the first green.
7.43pmDonald (E), Mickelson (-1) and Horschel (-1) all find the short grass at the first. All the players are underway on their third go round now.
7.40pmBIRDIE! Jason Day (+3) opened with three-straight pars but now moves to three-under with a birdie at the par-five fourth.
7.38pmDOUBLE BOGEY! Ugh, that's not a pretty start from Colsaerts (+3), who drops four shots off the pace with a nasty double at the first hole.
7.37pmRickie Fowler (+4) started on the 11th today and is yet to drop a shot. Birdies at 13 and 15 have him at four-over as he approaches a stretch of the course where he could pick up a few shots.
7.35pmPoulter (+2) has gone into McIlroy territory with his tee shot at the second and it looks like he'll be three off the tee there as well.
7.34pmBOGEY! McIlroy (+3) drops back to three-over, but will be happy to see just the one shot go at the par-five second after going out of bounds with his tee shot. Woods (+2) makes par to stay at two-over.
7.30pmGoggin (+2) has opened with par at the first. He's playing alongside Poulter and Stenson today. The Swede is at at three-over after posting a bogey-five.
7.28pmJustin Rose (E), Steve Stricker (E) and John Senden (+1) are on the first tee waiting to get their third rounds underway.
7.26pmPoulter (+2) stays at two-over with par at the first.
7.25pmWoods finds the front of the green at the second but he will have wanted to be closer than that. McIlroy chips from the rough and he's putting for a bogey-six.
7.24pmBOGEY! Watson (+7) drops a shot at the 15th.
7.20pmWoods lays up at the par-five second, giving himself a shot into the green to set up a birdie. McIlroy sends his fourth shot into the rough at the back of the putting surface. He'll do well to escape with bogey from there.
7.16pmPoulter (+2) from the fairway at the par-four first, lands his second shot on the green but will have a lot of work to do.
7.14pmMcIlroy squeezes his tee shot well wide at the second and, in fact, that looks out of bounds. His second attempt lands on the fairway, but he's three off the tee, not good. Woods finds the rough with his. Fernandez-Castano is also in the thick stuff.
7.12pmHarrington (+3) came up short of the 13th green but his chip on is decent and leaves him with a good chances of escaping with par.
7.11pmBIRDIE, BIRDIE! Great start from McIlroy (+2), who sinks his putt on the first green to get to two-over-par. Fernandez-Castano can't follow him in. Woods (+2), however, has a big break from left to right and it tracks all the way into the hole. The world's top two players are off to a flyer!
7.09pmBIRDIE! Rickie Fowler (+4) making a big move as well today, he's just birdied the 15th to get to four-over.
7.06pmEAGLE! Edward Loar (+2) shoots an eagle-three at the par-five second hole to move him onto two-over-par. That's a big move on such a tight leaderboard.
7.05pmWoods attacks the pin at the first and it's a pretty good result. McIlroy and Fernandez-Castano are already on for a chance at birdie.
7.03pmI beg your pardon, it seems that was actually a 10 for Garcia at the fifth, meaning that he is actually 14-over-par.
7.01pmWHAT A MESS! Sergio Garcia (+14) signs for a nine (yes, nine!) at the par-four fifth, meaning that he drops from eight-over to 13-over in the blink of an eye.
6.59pmFernandez-Castano (+3) will hit the first tee shot in the group with McIlroy (+3) and Woods (+3). It's good and so is the Northern Irishman's. Last, but not least, is the 14-time Major champion and he makes it a trio of balls in the fairway.
6.55pmBIRDIE! Not a bad starts from Harrington (+3), who birdies the second with a long putt after missing his chance at the first. That puts him among the group of players on three-over-par.
6.47pmBOGEY! Dufner (+8) makes it three shots gone in four holes with a six at the par-five fourth.
6.46pmLawrie (+6) with his approach to the 14th, it's a pearler. That leaves him with an excellent chance to string together birdies and get to five-over-par.
6.43pmBOGEY! Garcia (+8) lets a shot go at the par-four 14th.
6.40pmHarrington (+4) with a chance to get the three-over at the first, but he sends his putt wide of the mark. Chance gone.
6.33pmBIRDIE, BIRDIE! Lawrie (+6) watches his putt circle the perimeter of the hole before eventually disappearing for a two at the 13th. Westwood (+6) also taps to get to six-over-par.
6.29pmBrilliant approach by Westwood (+7) into the par-three 13th gives him a chance at birdie having saved par on his first two holes.
6.28pmBOGEY, BOGEY! Jason Dufner (+7) bogeys the third now, as does Shawn Stefani (+8). That's a terrible start from both Americans.
6.26pmLawrie (+7) and Westwood (+7) both make par at the 12th.
6.25pmBIRDIE! Fowler (+5) gets to five-over by holding his nerve over a five-footer at the par-three 13th.
6.23pmWestwood (+7) with another chip at the par-four 12th, and it's a good one. He should tidy up for a four there.
6.19pmSergio Garcia (+7) with his approach to the short par-three 13th hole and he lands it safely on. Sensible approach from the Spaniard.
6.16pmBIRDIE! Adam Scott (+6) gets us up and running with the first birdie of the day at the 11th. A good score and he could be in the mix. Remember, he's the only man who can complete a Grand Slam, a feat only achieved once previously by Bobby Jones in 1930.
6.12pmBOGEY! KJ Choi (+7) lets one slip at the par-three third. Still no birdies as yet.
6.10pmBOGEYS! Jamie Donaldson (+7) started with par at the 11th but shoots a bogey-five at the 12th. Jason Dufner (+6) gives a shot away at the first hole. Shawn Stefani (+7) has let two go on the first two, while Robert Karlsson (+7) has bogeyed the 11th.
6.02pmWestwood (+7) looks like starting with par at the par-four 11th. He found trouble with his tee shot and could only find the rough at the back of the green with his approach. A nice chip out has left him with a short one for his four.
5.54pmJustin Rose: "I came up here Tuesday and fell in love with the golf course. US Open is a tough, tough tournament. You have to be more patient, more resilient than any other tournament. I've just been trying to take out double [bogey]."
5.40pmThe first two groups have hit their tee shots at the first and 11th tees.
5.30pmLuke Donald: "It's where you want to be in the weekend, playing in the last group. I love playing with Phil, watching him and Bones react. I've never played with Billy but I know him pretty well."
5.24pmPhil Mickelson is still chasing his first US Open title. He won the Masters in 2004 and then the PGA Championship the next year. Two more Masters titles came in 2006 and 2010, but five times (1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009) he has finished second in this particular Major.
5.17pmKJ Choi (+6) and Shawn Stefani (+5) will kick the third round off on the first tee at 5.28pm, with Jamie Donaldson (+6), Webb Simpson (+6) and Hideki Matsuyama (+6) going simultaneously at the 11th.
5.03pmSergio Garcia (+6), Rickie Fowler (+6) and Robert Karlsson (+6) are in a group teeing off at the 11th at 5.39pm. Lee Westwood (+7) and Paul Lawrie (+7) are in the group behind them at 5.50pm and then go the last two Masters champions Adam Scott (+7) and Bubba Watson (+7) at 6.01pm.
4.56pmHenrik Stenson made a big move to two-under with a 68, while Justin Rose, David Hearn, Hunter Mahan and Steve Stricker all went one-under. I think an even-par 70 could be a really good score today though.
4.54pmJoint-leader Billy Horschel shot the best round yesterday by hitting every green in regulation, finishing with a three-under 67. That's the sort of consistency that will win any tournament, but can he keep it up over the next two rounds?
4.49pmBefore them, also on the first: Woods (+2), McIlroy (+2) and Fernandez-Castano (+2) at 6.56pm. Stenson (+2), Poulter (+2) and Goggin (+2) at 7.07pm. Mahan (+1), Schwartzel (+1) and Colsaerts (+1) at 7.18pm. Stricker (E), Rose (E) and Senden (+1) at 7.29pm.
4.46pmIn order to properly catch up, two tees and groups of three will be in play again today, which means that the final group consists of Horschel (-1), Mickelson (-1) and Donald (E) and they will be going off the first at around 7.40pm (UK time).
4.44pmLEADERBOARD: (-1) Horschel, Mickelson; EVEN Donald, Stricker, Rose; (+1) Senden, Colsaerts, Schwartzel, Mahan; (+2) Goggin, Poulter, Stensen; (+3) McIlroy, Woods, Fernandez-Castano, Els, Bettencourt, Kelly, Kim; (+4) Ogilvy, Van Pelt, Loar, Knox, Harrington, Day, Coetzee, Siem, Hoffman, Huh, Pan; (+5) Langley, Stanley, Casey, Dufner, Lingmerth, Stefani; (+6) Choi, Donaldson, Simpson, Matsuyama, Garcia, Fowler, Karlsson; (+7) Lawrie, Westwood, Pettersson, Scott, Kim, Watson, Kuchar, Parry, Laird, Stallings, Hearn, Sutherland; (+8) Howell, Hedblom, Kaymer, Weaver, Chappell, Teater, Alker, Presnell, Madsen, Herman, D. Johnson, Snedeker, Peterson, Khan, Weir, N. Thompson, Phelan, Weibring
4.42pmIan Poulter (+2) bogeyed the 16th and the 18th when finishing this morning, leaving him on two-over-par heading into today's round. He's still well in contention.
4.38pmIrish amateur Kevin Phelan (+8) shot seven-over-par for his second round but has sneaked inside the cut thanks to his opening round of 71. He's competing for the amateur title along with Michael Weaver (+8), Cheng Tsung Pan (+4) and Michael Kim (+3).
4.36pmBranden Grace (+13) is another who will miss the weekend despite being level par after his opening trip around Merion. The highlight of an ugly 83 - which included four bogeys and four doubles - was a birdie at 17.
4.34pmTim Clark (+9) shot 70 for his first round, ending three shots off the lead. But a disastrous 79 for his second round has seen him not only drop out of contention, but miss the cut entirely.
4.32pmThose who missed the cut, which was made at eight-under-par, include Matteo Manassero (+9), Fredrik Jacobson (+9), Tim Clark (+9), Peter Hanson (+9), Stewart Cink (+10), Nick Watney (+11), Bill Haas (+11), Zach Johnson (+11), Francesco Molinari (+12), Keegan Bradley (+12), Graeme McDowell (+13), Branden Grace (+13), Angel Cabrera (+15), Darren Clarke (+16), Jim Furyk (+16), Jose Maria Olazabal (+16) and Thorbjorn Olesen (+18).
4.31pmThe second round got finished this morning, so firstly let me update you on who did and did not make the cut.
4.30pmWelcome back to Sports Mole for live coverage of the third round of the US Open at Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania.
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