Scott on for drought-breaking major win after lighting up US Open

Adam Scott is just a shot off the lead and will play in the last group in the final round of the US Open on Monday morning (AEST).

Scott shot the equal low round of the day, a 3-under 67 move into a tie for second, one shot behind Sam Burns. Scott is the third player to ever card three straight rounds of 70 or better in a US Open at Oakmont.

Scott made bogey on the par-4 first, but was flawless from then-on. He got the bogey back at the fourth, before riding a par train through the turn all the way to the 12th.

He made stunning back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14 –the latter of which gave him a share of the lead – before one more on the 17th.

Adam Scott is a shot off the lead at the US Open, and will play the final round in the last group.

Long-time leader JJ Spaun made bogey at the 18th to drop back into a tie for second with Scott, which elevated the Aussie into the final group.

Scott said he's been playing conservatively around an Oakmont course that has chewed up many of his rivals.

"I'm playing from the fairway a lot – I've played fairly conservative and I haven't really been forcing the issue much," Scott said after the round.

"Could be a different story tomorrow. A lot can happen in 18 holes out here, but I like what I've done so far."

Rain on Saturday morning local time softened the course and forced players to make an adjustment. Scott said he continued to play safe.

"Obviously it was softer, and controlling spin to some pins was very difficult, but I just tried not to force anything. I played safe shots and accepted I wasn't going to finish next to the hole when it wasn't dialed in.

"On 18 I had not a really good number and I had to throw it out to the right – I had a terrible shot, but I hit it out to the right just not to miss it left, and I think I've managed it well."

Behind him, fellow Aussie Marc Leishman – who played his way into the field through qualifying – also shot up the leaderboard in the third round with a 2-under 68 to be eight shots off the lead in an 11-way tie for 11th place at 4-over.

Marc Leishman shot up the leaderboard on Saturday local time.

The 41-year-old made five birdies over his first 12 holes. Coming of his first LIV win at Doral in April, Leishman said he's "playing some of the best golf of my career".

"The schedule sort of lends itself to be able to work on your game between tournaments, and I was really able to prepare for this tournament," he said.

This is Leishman's first major since the 2022 British Open. He is already exempt for this year's British based on a third-place finish at the Australian Open in December.

Jason Day is a shot further back at 5-over, and Cam Davis is at 19-over. They're the only two Aussies remaining in the field, after Cameron Smith and Min Woo Lee missed the cut.

Adam Scott during the third round.

Davis signed for a 12-over 82 in the third round to be last of the players remaining in the field. The uneven number of players who made the cut means he will play with a non-competitive marker and be first cab off the rank in the final round.

Should Scott claim a second major, it will break the record for longest drought between first and second major victories. It's been more than 12 years since his famous win at the 2013 Masters.

"It would be super fulfilling," Scott said.

2025 US Open leaderboard, Australian scores

"Everyone out here has got their journey. Putting ourselves in these positions doesn't just happen by fluke. It's not easy to do it.

"I really haven't been in this kind of position for five or six years, or feeling like I'm that player. But that's what I'm always working towards. It's not that easy to figure it all out.

"If I were to come away with it tomorrow, it would be a hell of a round of golf and an exclamation point on my career."

Scott will tee off at 4.15am Monday (AEST).