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• U.S. Open: Agony for McIlroy as DeChambeau triumphs by one shot

  Bryson DeChambeau triumphed at the U.S. Open for the second time after Rory McIlroy fluffed his lines on Sunday.

  With the pressure on in the final stages of the fourth round at Pinehurst, McIlroy's major hoodoo continued as he bogeyed three of the final four holes.

  It meant overnight leader DeChambeau had the chance to put in for par on the 18th and snatch victory by a single point.

  McIlroy's last miss, on the 18th, came after he had seen DeChambeau skew a tee shot into the rough, with the Northern Irishman then planting an excellent chip within a couple of feet of the hole.

  But the ball rolled agonisingly around the lip as McIlroy dropped another shot, finishing on five under for the tournament.

  DeChambeau did not offer McIlroy another chance, drilling a shot out of a bunker and onto the green before sinking a four-foot put to spark huge celebrations in the crowd.

  It condemned McIlroy to arguably the most painful defeat of his career, as a fifth major title continues to allude him.

  The 35-year-old, who was held off by a single point by Wyndham Clark at last year's U.S. Open, had played brilliantly through the round, and four birdies between the ninth and 13th holes had him on course to win his first major since he triumphed at The Open in 2014.

  DeChambeau, on the other hand, could not get going on the back nine, exchanging a pair of birdies with two bogeys, but he steadied himself on the 17th with an excellent drive.

  The nerves got to the American, who was the only player to shoot below par in each of the first three rounds, on the 18th, with an awful drive into the rough, yet he regained his composure and, after seeing McIlroy's error, ensured there was to be no more mistakes.

  Tony Finau and Patrick Cantlay finished T3 on four under, with Matthieu Pavon rounding out the top five.

• Leader DeChambeau aiming for 'something special' in final round of US Open

  Bryson DeChambeau is targeting "something special" on the final day of action at the US Open after building a three-shot lead by the end of round three at Pinehurst.

  DeChambeau, who won his first and so far only major championship at the 2020 US Open, stands at seven under after overcoming a slow start to his third round.

  He struggled with a hip issue in the early stages but managed three birdies in a five-hole stretch, and six overall throughout the round, to pull clear of a chasing pack that includes Matthieu Pavon, Patrick Cantlay and Rory McIlroy.

  DeChambeau would have held an even greater advantage if not for a double-bogey at the 16th, the ball rolling back to his feet at one stage as he saw his advantage halved from four shots to two.

  However, an immediate birdie on the par-three next ensured he finished three clear of his rivals, and he is relying on the home crowd to help him over the line on Sunday.

  "I gave it everything I had out there today," DeChambeau told Sky Sports. "The crowd's support has been fantastic. It's amazing. 

  "I can't thank them enough and I'll continue to feed off of them. Tomorrow it's about fairways and greens and let's see if I can give them something special."

  A one-under 69 ensured McIlroy crept up on Cantlay, who had been a joint-leader after round one, while Pavon matched the Northern Irishman to leave all three players at four under.  

  McIlroy ended the third round of the 2023 US Open – staged at Los Angeles Country Club – one shot back of Rickie Fowler and eventual champion Wyndham Clark.

  While Fowler drifted, both McIlroy and Clark shot par on the final round as the latter claimed the title, leaving McIlroy determined to go one better this time around. 

  "I'm pretty much in the same position that I was last year going into the final day at LACC," McIlroy said. 

  "It's a familiar position, I've been here many times before, and hopefully I produce the golf that's needed to go one better."

• US Open: Scheffler rues 'frustrating day' as Morikawa makes surge on moving day at Pinehurst

  Scottie Scheffler was left to rue "another frustrating day" at the US Open on Saturday, when Collin Morikawa found form on moving day at Pinehurst.

  World number one Scheffler struggled once again in North Carolina, carding a one-over 71 to drop down to six-over par after the third day.

  The two-time Masters champion has now shot four consecutive rounds over par for the first time in his professional career and catching the likes of Matthieu Pavon, Bryson Dechambeau and Tony Finau appears unlikely.

  "Another frustrating day," Scheffler said on Sky Sports after his putter went cold once more. "Today was a day where I thought I played a lot better than my score.

  "I'm having a lot of trouble reading these greens. I had a lot of putts today where I felt like I hit it really good. I looked up and they were not going the way I thought they were going to go."

  Morikawa, in stark contrast, went on a hot streak with his putter and finished with a four-under 66 to move back to level par, sneaking within touching distance of the top 10.

  The two-time major champion still has serious ground to make up to catch the leading trio on Sunday, with Ludvig Aberg, Patrick Cantlay, Corey Conners and Tyrrell Hatton all chasing at the top as well.

  "If I play the way I did today, who knows what could happen," Morikawa said. "This course is only going to get tougher. 

  "I know it's not going to be easy. Today was not easy by any means. I just put it in the right spot, kept the ball in front of me, really just played very simple golf."

  Rory McIlroy remains in with the contending pack, aiming to end a 10-year wait for major success, but may be concerned if countryman Shane Lowry's words are anything to go by.

  Lowry stayed on five-over for the tournament after battling through "torture" from the Pinehurst No.2 course, offering a warning to all competing this weekend.

  "It's torture out there, honestly it's absolute mental torture," Lowry said. "That's the best level par I've ever shot in my life.

  "Every single shot you have, even when you hit a good shot the putts you have, it's brutally difficult. It's not much crack out there, to be honest.

  "The wind's in a different direction so some of the par fours are really long. You really just have to manage your way well around there and I did a great job today."