The leading figures in the controversial partnership between Saudi Arabia and the PGA Tour have been summoned to attend a United States Senate hearing next month.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman have been asked to appear at a Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations meeting on July 11 to examine the Tour’s shock unification with LIV Golf.

The PGA Tour announced a fortnight ago it was creating a new commercial entity with the DP World Tour and PIF, a move it said would “unify golf” and which brought an end to a legal dispute between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

The surprise merger has attracted criticism, with the Senate announcing it would open an investigation, which has been followed by this announcement of the hearing.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, who chairs the committee, said in a statement posted on his Twitter account: “Our goal is to uncover the facts about what went into the PGA Tour’s deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund and what the Saudi takeover means for the future of this cherished American institution and our national interest.

“Americans deserve to know what the structure and governance of this new entity will be. Major actors in the deal are best positioned to provide this information and they owe Congress – and the American people – answers in a public setting.”

Senator Richard Johnson, who also sits on the committee, added: “Fans, the players, and concerned citizens have many questions about the planned agreement between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

“I look forward to hearing testimony from the individuals who are in the best positions to provide insight to the public regarding the current state of professional golf.

“I hope that this hearing and any other role that Congress plays in this matter will be constructive.”

Pablo Larrazabal insisted the Ryder Cup was not the cause of his current lack of sleep, but was relishing the pressure of playing alongside Europe captain Luke Donald in Munich.

Two wins in the space of three events have lifted Larrazabal to 10th in the European points list, with 10 events remaining in qualifying for this year’s contest in Rome.

And with six wild cards at his disposal, Donald has taken the opportunity to partner Larrazabal and Germany’s Marcel Siem in the first two rounds of the BMW International, an event Larrazabal has won twice before.

“I go week by week,” Larrazabal said after making the long journey from Los Angeles – where he missed the cut in the US Open – to Munich.

“I’m not looking forward to anything, I’m looking forward to the work I’m doing today to prepare for the tournament.

“I know what I’ve done in the last five weeks. I know, for example, Luke Donald is having an eye on me. I know he is going to choose to play with me but I’ve had that pressure all my career.

“I like the pressure, I adjust to the pressure and whatever way it goes, it will go. Ryder Cup doesn’t take a minute of my sleep, probably jet-lag does at the moment.

“It’s in my mind because you guys (the media) remind me every now and then. But the Ryder Cup is a result of the work you do day after day.

“If I was nervous in Korea and Holland the last few holes, I cannot imagine how much pressure I would have in a Ryder Cup, but the Ryder Cup is at the end of September and we are in June. So many things can happen in three months.

“I checked off all my dreams and Ryder Cup has never been my dream because I saw it very far away. I saw all my idols playing Ryder Cup, but I’m not an idol of myself.

“If it happens, it happens, but if not I will pulling for Team Europe anyway. I’m a Ryder Cup fan, it’s one of the tournaments that I watch from the first tee shot to the last.

“I watch all the Ryder Cups on TV, the one in Valderrama I watched on site when I was 14 years old.”

Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick currently occupy five of the automatic qualifying places, with Germany’s Yannik Paul the surprise name rounding out the top six.

Paul’s place is under threat from the likes of Victor Perez, Adrian Meronk, Adrian Otaegui, Jorge Campillo and Larrazabal, all of whom would be making their debuts in the biennial contest.

“I think from the side of trying to fulfil the team and fill those last few spots, we’re looking for some rookies who are really keen to be a part of it,” Donald said.

“There have been some great stories and great victories from those guys too, so I’m really happy with where we are.

“I said from the beginning that I’m looking to see the excitement and commitment from these guys to be a part of that. I’m very excited with how it’s going, how these guys are playing over here on the DP World Tour.”

Jordan Spieth won his second consecutive major with victory in the 115th US Open at Chambers Bay, on this day in 2015.

The American world number two carded a closing 69 to finish five under par, one shot ahead of Louis Oosthuizen and Dustin Johnson, with the latter having three-putted from 12 feet when faced with an eagle putt to win on the final hole.

Spieth became just the sixth man after Craig Wood, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to win the Masters and US Open in the same year, as well as the first player since Gene Sarazen in 1922 to win multiple majors aged 21 or younger.

After three-putting the opening hole, Spieth recovered with birdies at the eighth and 12th and, with Johnson losing a two-shot lead with three bogeys in four holes from the 10th, shared the lead with playing partner Branden Grace.

That all changed on the 16th, where Grace drove out of bounds to card a double bogey and Spieth holed from 25 feet for birdie – only for Spieth to double bogey the 17th after compounding a wild tee shot by three putting from 40 feet.

Oosthuizen had set the clubhouse target on four under after a remarkable six birdies in the last seven holes for a record-equalling back nine of 29, before Johnson then made birdie on the 17th to tie the lead.

After two brilliant shots onto the 18th green, Spieth two-putted for birdie to finish five under and Johnson initially responded superbly with an even better approach to 12 feet, but saw his eagle attempt drift four feet past and miss the return to force a play-off.

Spieth went on to finish second at the 2015 US PGA Championship in August, and has since secured a third major title at the 2017 Open.

Eight-time major winner Tom Watson says the PGA Tour’s new partnership with Saudi Arabia appears to indicate “a more desperate financial situation than has been previously revealed by the Tour”.

Watson has written an open letter to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan about the “unanswered questions” he and many other professional players have regarding the shock announcement on June 6 concerning the creation of a new commercial entity designed to “unify golf”.

The announcement brought an end to litigation between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, a series backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) which will now provide the financial backing for the new commercial entity.

Prior to the announcement, Monahan had been an outspoken critic of LIV Golf and Saudi Arabia, and Watson wrote: “The reversal (in position) does appear to indicate a more desperate financial situation than has been previously revealed by the Tour.

“While last week I learned the significant news that litigation around the Tour/LIV conflict would be terminated with prejudice, that only solves one significant financial problem.

“It is important to understand how all of this has impacted the Tour’s Reserve Fund and the Tour’s overall financial solvency. Have funds been depleted to the point where the Tour needs an unprecedented capital injection to remain solvent now or for the future?

“My overarching questions remain. Is the PIF the only viable rescue from the Tour’s financial problems? Was/is there a plan B? And again, what exactly is the exchange? We need clarity and deserve full disclosure as to the financial health of the PGA Tour and the details of this proposed partnership.”

The United States Senate has opened an investigation into the proposed partnership, while the Wall Street Journal reported last week that a PGA Tour official informed employees that the US Justice Department also plans to review the agreement for antitrust concerns.

The PGA Tour said last week when the Wall Street Journal report was published: “We are confident that once all stakeholders learn more about how the PGA Tour will lead this new venture, they will understand how it benefits our players, fans, and sport while protecting the American institution of golf.”

The PGA Tour insists the partnership is not a merger, and that the PIF will not own the PGA Tour.

The PA news agency understands the PGA Tour felt the choice it faced was between a lengthy litigation which would drain resources, divert attention and diminish its product and a path forward that reunifies professional golf and fuels investment into the sport.

Rory McIlroy had to settle for a runner-up finish at the US Open as his long wait for a fifth major title continued.

McIlroy finished one stroke behind first-time major winner Wyndham Clark at Los Angeles Country Club, meaning he has still not lifted one of golf’s four biggest prizes since his success at the US PGA Championship in 2014.

Here, the PA news agency looks at McIlroy’s long wait and the near misses among the way.

McIlroy said after Sunday’s heartbreaking finish that an eventual fifth major would be worth “100 Sundays like this” and he is now a third of the way there, with 33 appearances at majors since his last win.

He has 19 top-10 and 10 top-five finishes in that time, with his recent form in particular indicating an overdue success is on the way.

McIlroy has finished in the top 10 in six of the seven major tournaments this season and last and 11 of the last 17, with Sunday marking his second runner-up finish in that time.

The other came at last year’s Masters, albeit three strokes behind winner Scottie Scheffler, and was followed by eighth and fifth at the US PGA Championship and US Open respectively and third place at the Open Championship – two shots behind champion Cameron Smith.

After missing the cut at Augusta in April he was back to form with a tie for seventh at the US PGA before pushing Clark all the way.

There have been 24 different major winners since McIlroy’s last success, with Brooks Koepka headlining that list with five wins.

Koepka won the US Open in 2017 and 2018 and the US PGA in 2018, 2019 and this year.

Jordan Spieth has won three majors in that time – the Masters and US Open in 2015 and the Open two years later – while Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and Jon Rahm have two apiece.

Clark is the 18th different player to win a single major in that stretch, including six European Ryder Cup team-mates of McIlroy in Danny Willett, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Francesco Molinari, Shane Lowry and Matt Fitzpatrick.

Americans Zach Johnson, Jimmy Walker, Patrick Reed, Tiger Woods, Gary Woodland, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Scheffler have won one each, along with Australians Jason Day and Smith and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama.

A handful of players have won majors after a longer wait that McIlroy’s current drought, though if he is to win again while avoiding the top 10 of that list it will have to be at next month’s Open.

Julius Boros won his two US Open titles in 1952 and 1963, 11 years and nine days apart, with Hale Irwin going a day over 11 years between his 1979 and 1990 wins.

Ben Crenshaw won the Masters in 1984 and 1995, coming in just six days shy of the 11-year mark, while Henry Cotton won the Open in 1937 and 1948.

Tiger Woods’ memorable victory at the 2019 Masters came almost 11 years on from his 2008 US Open win, with Lee Trevino and Ernie Els also cracking the 10-year barrier.

John Henry Taylor and Bob Martin waited just over nine years between major wins, with Willie Park Sr just three days shy of that mark at the 1875 Open.

No other player has exceeded McIlroy’s current wait and there is a further note of caution as only Boros and Taylor of that top 10 went on to add further major titles, and then only one more apiece – Boros at the 1968 US PGA and Taylor the 1913 Open.

Andrew 'Beef' Johnston believes an Indian Premier League-style draft would make the LIV Tour more exciting and appealing following its merger with the PGA Tour.

In a contentious move earlier in June, the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Tour were merged, with all three now backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Johnston now wants to see improvements made to the sport, and one suggestion he has would be the introduction of a draft system for the LIV Teams.

Speaking to Stats Perform on behalf of the Beef's Golf Club podcast, Johnston pointed to the success that the IPL cricket competition has enjoyed using a similar formula.

"I'd like to see a kind of IPL draft. They have the franchises and then they do the draft, don't they? So, I'd love to see that," he said.

"Golf going into almost that kind of situation where the PGA and DP [Tours] play up until the end of July, and there's a big draft for the LIV [competitions].

"So, no one knows what team they're going to be on. You're going to have captains for that team, but no one really knows who they're going to be playing for and then go into a big team shoot-out for a few months, and I think that'd be a really good way to work it.

"I don't think it happens but in my perfect world, I'd love to see that happen."

LIV Golf caused much controversy after its emergence in 2022, with plenty of big names heading over to the rival tour.

"It'd be interesting if there's another one that comes up in a year's time - you never know, you can never say never, look what's happened," said Johnston when asked if the merger would prevent any other rival tours from emerging.

"You've seen it with cricket with the IPL and now there's loads of T20 leagues knocking around all over the world. So, you can never say never.

"Hopefully, now these three can settle down and build something good. And as a player, I want to be able to step off on that first tee knowing that if I play well, you can have a lot of crazy opportunities.

"If you do so, I don't think it's bad for the players. I think it's good for golf, that we're out of this crazy standoff.

"The standoff was not healthy for golf. So, we can move on."

Johnston added that some players may struggle to trust the tours after the move.

He said: "I think a lot of players are going to struggle with trust. And I think the whole thing that's quite interesting is generally the PGA Tour and DP Tour are built on the fact that the players own that, so we have control.

"Now, literally, we have zero control. And you've seen that the players don't have an actual say in it, not even Rory [McIlroy] or Tiger [Woods].

"You look at the football players who play for [PIF-backed] Newcastle [United], we're in the same situation now. So, I think the players should be freed up of any questions. We're supposed to have a say, and we don't."

Search for 'Beef's Golf Club' to hear Beef's full podcast.
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Newly-crowned US Open champion Wyndham Clark believes he deserves his place among the game’s elite after claiming his maiden major title in impressive fashion.

Despite winning his first PGA Tour title six weeks ago, Clark was an 120/1 outsider at Los Angeles Country Club, having made just two cuts in six previous majors with a best finish of 75th in the 2021 US PGA.

Yet it was the 29-year-old American who held his nerve in a tense final round to finish top of the leaderboard on 10 under par, with major champions Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith filling the minor places.

Clark’s victory will take him from 32nd to a career-high 13th in the world rankings and also up to second in the qualifying race for the US Ryder Cup team.

“I feel like I belong on this stage and even two, three years ago when people didn’t know who I was, I felt like I could still play and compete against the best players in the world,” Clark said.

“I feel like I’ve shown that this year. I’ve come up close (to winning) and obviously everyone sees the person that hoists the trophy, but I’ve been trending in the right direction for a long time now.

“I’ve made a lot of cuts. I’ve had a handful of top 10s and top 20s and I feel like I’ve been on a great trajectory to get to this place.

“Obviously it’s gone faster than I thought as far as just starting to do some stuff mentally that I’ve never done before, but I feel like I’m one of the best players in the world.

“Obviously this just shows what I believe can happen.

“But at the same time I’m a pretty humble, calm guy and I don’t try to get too high or too low on things. I’m obviously going to celebrate this, but I like to compete.

“I’m so competitive. I want to beat everybody but also be friends with everybody. So I try to have a good mix of that.”

Clark’s victory came on Father’s Day but it was no surprise that his thoughts immediately turned to his late mother Lise, who was a huge influence on his career before her death from breast cancer in 2013.

Lise’s death hit Clark hard and he seriously considered quitting the sport as he battled bouts of depression and frustration throughout his college career and early years in the professional ranks.

“I didn’t show any emotion off the course, but when I was on the golf course, I couldn’t have been angrier,” Clark recalled.

“I was breaking clubs when I didn’t even hit that bad of a shot. I was walking off golf courses. When I transferred from Oklahoma State to Oregon was another low point and I think that was a lot of carryover from my mom passing.

“So when I went to Oregon and Casey Martin then took over as my head coach, he instilled that I was one of the best players in the world and he goes, ‘you’re good enough to play on this stage but also in college and win’.

“Then I had my best year ever. I got out here (on Tour) pretty quick, but even those first few years, I felt like I under-performed.

“I’ve had many times where I’ve gone home and was yelling in my car and punching things and just so mad that I’m like, ‘Why can’t I do what my peers are doing that I know I can play with and against and beat?’

“I’ve probably had three to four really defining moments in my career since college, but I’m really glad that I stuck it through.

“Being here now, I just feel so blessed. It’s honestly surreal to look back and think about the journey the last seven to 10 years.”

Rory McIlroy insisted he would endure the pain of another 100 near-misses as long as he finally ends his major championship drought.

McIlroy held a share of the lead when he two-putted the par-five opening hole of Sunday’s final round of the 123rd US Open, but that would prove his only birdie of a disappointing closing 70.

Wyndham Clark’s own 70 was enough to give the 29-year-old American his first major title at Los Angeles Country Club, while McIlroy has now recorded 19 top-10 finishes since winning his fourth in the 2014 US PGA.

Asked if it was exhausting to keep being asked about another missed opportunity, McIlroy said: “It is, but at the same time when I do finally win this next major it’s going to be really, really sweet.

“I would go through 100 Sundays like this to get my hands on another major championship.”

McIlroy conceded his underwhelming final round had echoes of last year’s Open Championship, when he held a share of the lead, carded two birdies in a closing 70 and was overhauled by Cameron Smith’s brilliant 64.

“The last real two chances I’ve had at majors I feel like have been pretty similar performances, like St Andrews last year and then here,” the world number three added.

“Not doing a lot wrong, but I didn’t make a birdie since the first hole today. Overall when you’re in contention going into the final round of a US Open, I played the way I wanted to play.

“There was just a couple of shots, two or three shots over the course of the round that I’d like to have back.”

The first of those was a missed birdie putt from four feet on the eighth, which played the easiest hole in the final round, and the second his approach to the par-five 14th which plugged in the face of a greenside bunker.

McIlroy did get relief for an embedded ball, but failed to get up and down to save par and Clark’s birdie on the same hole moments later gave him what ultimately proved a vital three-shot lead.

“As I was walking up to it (on 14), it felt like it was a perfect full sand wedge. Hit it hard, get some spin on it,” McIlroy explained.

“Then while we were getting prepared for the shot, the wind started to freshen a little bit. Full sand wedge wasn’t getting there, so I said to Harry (Diamond, his caddie), three-quarter gap wedge would be perfect.

“I feel like I didn’t time the shot perfectly. I hit it when the wind was at its strongest and the ball just got hit a lot by the wind, and obviously it came up short.

“If I had it back, I think I had the right club and the right shot. I might have just had to wait an extra 15 or 20 seconds to let that little gust settle.”

McIlroy’s next chance to end his drought will come at next month’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, where he lifted the Claret Jug in 2014.

Asked when the countdown to the Open would begin, McIlroy joked: “Three minutes ago, I guess. I’ll play Travelers next week, I’ll play the Scottish Open, but I’m focused on making sure that I’m ready to go for Liverpool.”

American Wyndham Clark won the 123rd US Open on Father’s Day, but his thoughts immediately turned to his late mother at Los Angeles Country Club.

Lise Clark introduced her son to the game of golf and was a massive influence on his career before her death from breast cancer in 2013.

Making just his seventh major start, Clark carded a closing round of 70 to finish 10 under par and a shot ahead of four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, with world number one Scottie Scheffler two strokes further back.

“I just feel like my mom was watching over me today,” an emotional Clark said at the presentation ceremony. “She can’t be here… miss you mom.

“She was so positive and such a motivator in what she did. She’d be crying tears of joy (now). She called me ‘winner’ when I was little.

“When she was sick and I was in college, she told me, ‘Hey, play big’. Play for something bigger than yourself. You have a platform to either witness or help or be a role model for so many people.

“I know she’d be proud of me. I feel like I have worked so hard and dreamed about this moment for long. So many times I’ve visualised being here in front of you guys winning this championship.”

McIlroy was left to rue making just a solitary birdie on the opening hole as his wait for a fifth major title and first since 2014 goes on.

“The golf course was playing really tricky and obviously the scores in the final few groups reflected that,” said McIlroy, who matched Clark’s closing 70.

“There was a couple of things that I probably would have done differently, but all in all, I played a solid round of golf.

“That one wedge shot on 14 (which plugged in the face of a bunker), missed birdie putt on eight – really apart from that, I did everything else the way I wanted to.

“It’s fine, fine margins at this level and at this tournament especially, but I fought to the very end. I obviously never give up.

“And I’m getting closer. The more I keep putting myself in these positions, sooner or later it’s going to happen for me. Just got to regroup and get focused for the Open at Hoylake in a few weeks’ time.”

American Wyndham Clark held his nerve to win his first major championship in the 123rd US Open as Rory McIlroy once again missed out on a fifth title.

Clark, a 120/1 outsider at the start of the week, carded a closing 70 at Los Angeles Country Club to finish 10 under par, a shot ahead of McIlroy.

McIlroy’s only birdie of his own 70 came on the opening hole and his sole bogey on the 14th helped give Clark the breathing space he needed to complete a hard-fought but deserved victory.

The world number 32 only won his first PGA Tour title last month and had missed the cut in his previous two US Opens, while his best finish in any major was a tie for 75th in the 2021 US PGA.

In contrast, McIlroy has now recorded 19 top-10 finishes since winning the last of his four majors in the 2014 US PGA – a month after claiming the Open at Royal Liverpool, footage of which had influenced his somewhat conservative approach this week.

Starting the final round a shot off the lead, McIlroy made the ideal start with a two-putt birdie on the first and Clark did likewise, only for the American to three-putt the second.

Clark hit a superb approach to the par-three fourth and converted the birdie putt from five feet, before picking up another shot on the short sixth.

McIlroy missed from four feet for birdie on the par-five eighth, seemingly opening the door for Clark to extend his lead in the group behind.

But Clark found a bad lie in the tall rough with his approach and needed two attempts to escape before getting up and down from the back of the green to drop just one shot.

Another shot looked likely to go when Clark missed the ninth green and was faced with an awkward shot from the bank of a bunker, but he cleverly played beyond the flag and utilised the contours of the green to draw the ball back to seven feet and save par.

A flop shot Phil Mickelson would have been proud of ensured Clark also saved par on the 11th and he increased his lead when McIlroy’s run of 12 pars ended with a bogey on the 14th.

McIlroy was perhaps fortunate to get a free drop when his approach became embedded in the face of a greenside bunker, but he was unable to get up and down for par.

Clark then struck a brilliant approach on to the green from 282 yards and two-putted for birdie from 20 feet to extend his lead to three.

That cushion was short-lived as Clark bogeyed the par-three 15th and then found sand off the tee on the next as McIlroy crucially holed from seven feet for par up ahead.

With no chance of reaching the green, Clark laid up into the fairway before hitting a superb third to seven feet, only to miss the par putt.

But with McIlroy unable to find a birdie to increase the pressure, Clark bravely parred the last two holes to seal the win.

World number one Scottie Scheffler finished two shots behind McIlroy in third, with Open champion Cameron Smith fourth and Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler and Min Woo Lee sharing fifth.

Fleetwood had earlier come agonisingly close to making major championship history after carding a stunning closing 63, the Ryder Cup star missing from five feet for birdie on the 18th.

That would have seen Fleetwood shoot the first 62 in the final round of a major, the record having been set by Branden Grace in the third round of the 2017 Open and equalled by Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele on Thursday.

It is the second time Fleetwood has carded a 63 in the final round of the US Open – he also missed a short putt for a 62 at Shinnecock Hills in 2018 and finished a shot behind Brooks Koepka.

“Missed a six-footer on the first (for birdie), missed a five-footer on the last, and then everything in between was really, really good,” Fleetwood said with a smile when asked to sum up his round.

“I just need to be higher up the leaderboard coming into Sunday and then have another day like today.”

Asked about being the only player to shoot two closing 63s in the US Open, Fleetwood added: “It’s a nice little piece of history, of course, it is.

“And you can be disappointed with what I didn’t get out of today, but I think having something like that and shooting multiple 63s in a major, anything you can put in the memory bank and know your game can stand up on a major golf course and shoot low scores is really nice to have.”

Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald hit out at the USGA after amateur Gordon Sargent saw a putt at the US Open amazingly bounce out of the hole.

Sargent’s par attempt from two feet on the 18th hole in Sunday’s final round was struck perfectly into the centre of the cup, but leapt back out on to the green.

The 20-year-old was still guaranteed to finish as the leading amateur following a 69 which left him four over par, but Donald was not impressed with the tournament organisers.

“This is unacceptable! Does the @USGA go fix this mid round? This should never happen,” Donald wrote on Twitter.

The USGA said the bizarre situation had been caused by the hole being damaged by a player or caddie in the previous group of Ryan Gerard and Mackenzie Hughes.

“A member of the group ahead inadvertently adjusted the hole liner when removing the flagstick,” the USGA said. “Unfortunately, we were not informed of any damage. It has since been adjusted back into place.”

Tommy Fleetwood came agonisingly close to making major championship history as the battle for the 123rd US Open looked set to be an unusually low-scoring affair.

Fleetwood began the final round 12 shots off the lead, but carded a stunning closing 63 at Los Angeles Country Club to surge through the field.

And it could have been even better for the Ryder Cup star as he missed from five feet for birdie on the 18th.

That would have seen Fleetwood shoot the first 62 in the final round of a major, the record having been set by Branden Grace in the third round of the 2017 Open and equalled by Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele on Thursday.

Fleetwood birdied the second, holed from six feet for eagle after driving the green on the short par-four sixth and birdied the eighth and ninth to reach the turn in 30.

The back nine has played far tougher than the front all week, but Fleetwood hit a brilliant tee shot on the 295-yard 11th to set up another birdie and then holed from 20 feet for eagle on the 14th.

A bogey on the 16th looked to have ended his chances of a 62 until he hit a superb approach to the last, only for the birdie chance to go begging.

It is the second time Fleetwood has carded a 63 in the final round of the US Open – he also missed a short putt for a 62 at Shinnecock Hills in 2018 and finished a shot behind Brooks Koepka.

Hollywood loves a sequel and golf is no different, with Los Angeles Country Club already slated to host the US Open again in 2039.

However, the odds might be against the North Course becoming part of a long-running franchise considering the reviews of the course have not exactly been of the five-star variety.

“I just think the golf course is interesting, to be polite,” was the best review defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick could come up with.

“There’s just too many holes for me where you’ve got blind tee shots and then you’ve got fairways that don’t hold the ball. There’s too much slope.

“I think the greens certainly play better when they’re firmer. They’re rolling really, really well. Some of the tee shots are just a little bit unfair. You hit a good tee shot and end up in the rough by a foot and then you’re hacking it out.

“Meanwhile someone has hit it miles offline the other way and they’ve got a shot. Yeah, not my cup of tea.”

Two-time champion and US PGA winner Brooks Koepka pinpointed some of the problem areas in an interview with GolfWeek.

“On eight, you can hit it where it barely lands on the left side and still miss the fairway right,” he said. “And everybody hits it to the same spot on three. Like why don’t we just play it from the wedge area? It makes no sense.”

The sloping fairway on the 10th caused a similar issue and even players who said they like the course, including world number one Scottie Scheffler, had some issues with the set-up.

“It can be frustrating at times with how firm the greens are and how much softer the fairways are,” Scheffler said.

“On seven yesterday (Friday) it’s just frustrating that my ball lands just short of the green yesterday and barely gets onto the green.

“Max’s (Homa) ball lands a foot on to the green and goes over the green. The only guy who actually got a look for birdie was Collin (Morikawa) and he yelled ‘fore’ because he thought he was going to hit the volunteer in the left rough.”

The layout and topography of the course has also been criticised for contributing to a lack of atmosphere, with the USGA limiting the daily attendance to 22,000, with around 9,000 tickets on general sale.

Grandstand seating around the 18th green is also severely restricted for various reasons, with the first hole running parallel, the ninth green and 10th tee being in close proximity and, perhaps most importantly, no enthusiasm from members to erect a grandstand directly in front of their clubhouse.

Tournament organisers told Golf Digest they are considering allowing spectators to walk down the 18th fairway behind the final group on Sunday, as long as there is no prospect of a play-off.

Of course, whoever lifts the trophy on Sunday evening will probably not care about any issues with the course, with joint leaders Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark seeking a first major title and Rory McIlroy his fifth after a wait of 3,234 days.

The last 24 US Open winners – and 48 of the last 49 – were within four shots of the lead entering the final round, meaning Scheffler and Harris English also come into the equation.

With popcorn in hand it will make for fascinating viewing.

Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark will take a share of the lead into the final round of the 123rd US Open, with Rory McIlroy just a shot behind at Los Angeles Country Club.

Chasing his first major title, halfway leader Fowler looked set to maintain his overnight advantage until three-putting the 18th, the resulting level-par 70 leaving him on 10 under par.

Playing partner Clark hitting a stunning approach to the last to set up a closing birdie and complete a hard-fought 69, with McIlroy also recording a 69 as he bids to claim a fifth major and first since the 2014 US PGA.

World number one Scottie Scheffler finished eagle, birdie to card a second consecutive 68 and lie three shots off the lead.

McIlroy held a share of the lead after two-putting the first for a birdie and then holing from 12 feet for another on the third, but that proved to be the longest putt the world number three holed all day.

“I feel pretty good,” McIlroy said. “The golf course definitely got a little trickier than the first couple of days.

“I felt like I played smart solid golf. It felt somewhat stress-free, if you can ever call golf at a US Open stress-free, but overall pretty pleased with how today went. I feel like I’m in a good spot going into tomorrow.”

Quote of the day

Defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick was one of a number of players to note the subdued atmosphere.

Shot of the day

Minutes after Rickie Fowler holed from 70 feet for birdie on the 13th, Scheffler outdid him with a stunning eagle from 196 yards on the 17th.

Round of the day

Tom Kim began the day 11 shots off the lead but ended it in the top 10 thanks to a 66 which included a record-equalling front nine of 29.

Statistic of the day

Bad news for anyone hoping to stage a final-round charge from more than four shots off the lead.

Easiest hole

The par-five eighth hole played to an average of 4.450, with three players making an eagle and 33 making birdie. There were just three bogeys.

Hardest hole

The fifth hole proved the hardest with just one player making a birdie and three making double bogeys, leading to a scoring average of 4.510.

Weather forecast

A cloudy start will give way to afternoon sun and highs in the mid 70s, with wind gusting up to 18mph in late afternoon.

Key tee times (all BST)

2157 Ryutaro Nagano, Xander Schauffele
2208 Dustin Johnson, Harris English
2219 Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy
2230 Rickie Fowler, Wyndham Clark

Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark will take a share of the lead into the final round of the 123rd US Open, with Rory McIlroy just a shot behind at Los Angeles Country Club.

Chasing his first major title, halfway leader Fowler looked set to maintain his overnight advantage until three-putting the 18th, the resulting level-par 70 leaving him on 10 under par.

Playing partner Clark hitting a stunning approach to the last to set up a closing birdie and complete a hard-fought 69, with McIlroy also recording a 69 as he bids to claim a fifth major and first since the 2014 US PGA.

World number one Scottie Scheffler finished eagle, birdie to card a second consecutive 68 and lie three shots off the lead.

McIlroy held a share of the lead after two-putting the first for a birdie and then holing from 12 feet for another on the third, but that proved to be the longest putt the world number three holed all day.

“I feel pretty good,” McIlroy said. “The golf course definitely got a little trickier than the first couple of days.

“I felt like I played smart solid golf. It felt somewhat stress-free, if you can ever call golf at a US Open stress-free, but overall pretty pleased with how today went. I feel like I’m in a good spot going into tomorrow.”

Asked about using his experience of previous major wins on Sunday, McIlroy added: “It’s been such a long time since I’ve done it and I’m going out there to try to execute a game plan.

“I feel like the last three days I’ve done that really well. Just need to do that for one more day.”

An otherwise dull day had finally been enlivened by Fowler holing from 70 feet for an unlikely birdie on the 13th, followed minutes later by Scheffler holing out from 196 yards for an eagle on the 17th.

Scheffler also birdied the last to move ominously into contention for a second major title, the former Masters champion continuing the form which has seen him win twice and finish no worse than 11th all season.

The only player since the rankings began in 1986 to win the US Open while world number one is Tiger Woods, who achieved the feat three times.

Scheffler, who has struggled with his putting recently, also birdied the 18th to complete a second consecutive 68 and close to within four of Fowler’s lead.

“I was standing on the 17th tee, having just made another bogey to be seven shots back, and just thinking I could steal a shot coming in,” Scheffler said.

“I hit a good drive, then the shot goes in and I birdie 18 and all of a sudden I’m only four back. It’s a huge momentum boost.

“We could not see the ball go in (on 17), but there was a nice crowd there on the grandstand behind the green.

“I saw where it landed and I thought it would funnel out on to the green and I’d have a look for birdie and then you could see everybody as the noise started to kind of rise, then they erupted, which is always nice when you’re standing back there in the fairway.”