This year’s U.S. Open has had it all, from Scottie Scheffler losing his cool to the shocking early exit of Bryson DeChambeau. As the tournament moved into Round 3, the surprises kept coming. Sam Burns, a name few expected at the top, is leading the field. Just behind him is Adam Scott, playing with intensity and hunger as he chases his first major win in 12 years. With everything on the line, the final-round pairings and tee times are set, and they could flip the leaderboard and decide who lifts the trophy at Oakmont.

Tee times and pairings for the final round of the US Open

Ben Griffin and Scottie Scheffler, the two rivals in their ongoing battle, have been chasing each other across the leaderboard. On Friday, it looked like Griffin had the upper hand, and he climbed to T2 while Scheffler found himself way down at T23. But Round 3 flipped the script.

Scheffler teed off earlier at 1:02 PM, trying to claw his way back, while Griffin waited for his 3:13 PM start, already in a strong position. By the time both had finished their rounds, they had landed side by side at T11. The gap had vanished, and the chase to the title was on. Now, heading into the final round, the stage is perfectly set.

Griffin tees off at 12:31 PM. Just 2 groups after, Scheffler follows at 1:04 PM. Now, for Rory McIlroy, as disappointing as it is, he could hold only a T49 position after the third round, with six bogeys pulling him down the leaderboard. His redemption will start at 9:36 AM. What about other players, though? When are they teeing off?

But there’s one defeat that stands out as the most painful, more than any other player.

Phil Mickelson lost his last chance at the career grand slam

Phil Mickelson said it himself, “There’s a high likelihood that it will be, but I haven’t really thought about it too much,” when asked if this would be his last U.S. Open, and honestly, it showed. He missed the cut by a single stroke, ending what might’ve been his final shot at completing the career grand slam. Since joining LIV Golf in 2022, he hasn’t won a single tournament, and even though he had a solid outing recently in LIV Golf Virginia, where he finished tied for 10th and looked sharp with the putter, it wasn’t enough to keep the dream alive.

The guy who once made history by winning the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island as the oldest major winner ever just didn’t have that magic this time.

To make it even tougher, Phil’s future in LIV is also up in the air. He’s been real about it, saying, “If I’m not an asset, if I’m holding it back, then it’s time for me to move on,” and that hits hard because it sounds like a goodbye not just to Oakmont or the majors but maybe to pro golf entirely. Let’s see what the future holds for the legendary lefty.

The current leaderboard of the US Open is packed with surprises, with Sam Burns, J.J. Spaun, and Adam Scott leading the way, and these are the three names no one really saw coming. Right behind them is Scottie Scheffler, who’s slowly climbed back after a rough start, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that Scheffler knows how to deliver on Sundays, so the big question now is, can Scottie make it happen this year?