Daily Wrap-up: Round 3, U.S. Open

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Rory McIlroy is ahead by eight strokes heading into the final round of the U.S. Open.

BETHESDA, Md. -- Rory McIlroy looked every bit like a U.S. Open champion, even on a course that didn't play like a U.S. Open.

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Day makes a move
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As flawless as he's been, not even the toughest test in golf would have been a match for him.

In the face of record scoring at Congressional, McIlroy stretched his lead for the third straight day with a 3-under 68 to set the 54-hole record at the U.S. Open and build an eight-shot lead going into the final round.

This time, history is on his side.

No one has ever blown more than a five-shot lead at the U.S. Open. No has ever lost any major when leading by more than six shots going into the final round. And over three days that produced a mind-boggling score of 14-under 199, no one looks close to the 22-year-old from Northern Ireland.

"You run out of superlatives to describe what he's doing this week," defending champion Graeme McDowell said.

For those curious whether he would crumble, as McIlroy did in the final round at the Masters when he lost a four-stroke lead and shot 80, he answered with a combination of smart play early and aggressive shots when he found his rhythm.

His only bogey came from a shot that was about 5 feet too long and tumbled into a back bunker on the par-3 10th. On the next hole, facing one of the most daunting shots on the course from deep rough, he hit a shot that covered the flag and settled 18 feet away. McIlroy pumped his fist when he made the birdie putt. It was a knockout punch to everyone else.

When he walked off the 18th green with a par, he was eight shots clear of Y.E. Yang and one round away from his first major.

"I wanted to catch up a little bit," Yang said. "But at the same time, the player with the better shot, with the better putt, with the better composure is leading right now. So I have no regrets. Right now, the better player is leading.

"I think it's actually a race for second place right now."

His performance has been so inspiring that comparisons to Tiger Woods' record-setting romp at Pebble Beach in 2000 gave way to questions whether McIlroy ultimately would be the one to challenge Jack Nicklaus and his 18 majors.

"What is he, 22 years old? If you are going to talk about someone challenging Jack's record, there's your man," fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington said. "Winning majors at 22 with his talent, he would have 20 more years ... where he could be competitive. It would give him a great chance."

McIlroy, perhaps still wary of what happened at Augusta, is not ready to celebrate.

"Paddy, Paddy, Paddy," he said quietly as he shook his head and smiled. "I'm still looking for my first one. I've put myself in a great position to do that tomorrow, and then we'll see what happens from there. It's nice to have all these complimentary things said about you, but until you actually do these things, they don't mean anything."

With more rain overnight and cloud cover through the third round, scores resembled a regular PGA TOUR event instead of a major championship designed to be the toughest exam golf has to offer.

There were 26 rounds under par, the most ever for the third round of a U.S. Open.

Lee Westwood and Jason Day provided the early challenge -- if it could even be called that -- with rounds of 65. Webb Simpson, who narrowly made the cut, was among the first out and shot 66.

"It's not a true U.S. Open test out there, to be honest," McDowell said. "There were some tough pins out there, no doubt. I'd like to see it tougher than it was. That's the weather -- you can't control that. Take nothing away from him. Rory is doing a phenomenal job out there."

Woods was the only player under par when he built his 10-shot lead at Pebble Beach. There were 20 players under par through three rounds at Congressional. But soft conditions tend to make it easier on everyone, and McIlroy has been the best all week in any condition.

About the only drama Saturday, even after McIlroy reached 14-under par, was whether he also would break Woods' record 10-shot lead through 54 holes at a U.S. Open. McIlroy had a nine-shot lead, but failed to birdie the par-5 16th and Yang added two late birdies.

Yang wound up with 70 and will be in the last group with McIlroy again. Westwood, Day and Robert Garrigus (68) were at 5-under 208.

"It definitely wasn't as easy as it was the first couple of days," McIlroy said. "I knew that I was going to feel a little bit of pressure and a little bit of nerves, and it took me a few holes to get into the round."

If there was a turning point, it might have come on the third hole.

McIlroy pushed his tee shot into the rough, and a tree blocked a clear shot at the green. Studying his options with caddie J.P. Fitzgerald, McIlroy pointed to a gap, then backed off and reached for a wedge to pitch back into the fairway. His third shot stopped 3 feet from the cup for a par, and he was on his way.

"That gave me a little bit of momentum," McIlroy said. "I sort of found my rhythm quite quickly after that."

Day played the opening three rounds with McIlroy at the Masters, and knew what he was capable of doing. The Australian still gave it his best shot, shooting a 32 on the tougher back nine, finishing with a rare birdie on the 18th.

All that, and he was still nine shots behind.

"The way he's playing out there, it's almost Tigeresque," Day said. "It's unbelievable how good he's playing. Obviously, to have the lead that he has in the U.S. Open is pretty ridiculous, and at such a young age. The next generation is starting to kick up now, and he's the guy that's leading it."

Westwood, considered the best player without a major, wasn't ready to concede even as McIlroy was passing his first big test.

"He had a big lead in a major and didn't deal with it before," Westwood said. "There's pressure on him with regards to that. So we'll see. All I can do is control my game and try and shoot as low a score as possible for me."

Congressional CC

EASIEST HOLE TOUGHEST HOLE The par-5 6th hole was the easiest through three rounds with a scoring average of 4.792. EAGLES: 3 BIRDIES: 127 PARS: 208 BOGEYS: 41 OTHER: 5 The par-4 11th hole was the toughest through three rounds with a scoring average of 4.435. EAGLES: 0 BIRDIES: 21 PARS: 207 BOGEYS: 127 OTHERS: 29

About the leader

• The largest 54-hole leads in U.S. Open history are: 10 - Tiger Woods (205), Pebble Beach (Calif.) G.L., 2000; 8 - Rory McIlroy (199), Congressional CC, 2011; 7 - James Barnes (217), Columbia C.C., 1921; 6 - Fred Herd (244), Myopia Hunt Club, 1898, 6 - Willie Anderson (225), Baltusrol G.C. 1903, 6 - John Goodman (211), North Shore G.C., 1933 • The largest final-round comeback at the U.S. Open is seven strokes by Arnold Palmer in 1960. • McIlroy is the first player in U.S. Open history to get to double-digits under-par in the first two rounds and the first player to get to 14-under at a U.S. Open. • McIlroy's 199 tops Jim Furyk's 200 in 2003 for low first 54 hole score at the U.S. Open. • McIlroy has held at least a share of the lead in six of his last seven rounds in majors. • This is McIlroy's second career third-round lead on TOUR. His other third-round lead came earlier this year at the Masters. • If McIlroy goes onto victory he would be one of nine players 22-years-old and under with multiple wins with at least one of the wins being a major. The others are Tiger Woods, Gene Sarazen, Young Tom Morris, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Creavy, Johnny McDermott, Seve Ballesteros and Jerry Pate. • The last time the U.S. Open saw back-to-back winners from Great Britain was in 1924 (Cyril Walker, England) and 1925 (William Mcfarlane, Scotland). Last year, Graeme McDowell was the first player from Northern Ireland to win the U.S. Open. • The last time the U.S. Open was won by the same country (outside of the U.S.) in back-to-back years was in 1920 (Edward Ray, England) and 1921 (James Barnes, England). Tiger Woods (2008) and Lucus Glover (2009) were the last back-to-back winners from the U.S. • Woods in 2002 is the last wire-to-wire winner (no ties) at the U.S. Open. Rocco Mediate at the 2010 Frys.com Open is the last wire-to-wire winner on TOUR. • The U.S. Open has seen six wire-to-wire winners: Tiger Woods (2000, 20002), Tony Jacklin (1970), Ben Hogan (1953), James Barnes (1921) and Walter Hagen (1914). • McIlroy has shot par-or-better in 10 of his last 11 rounds in a major. • If McIlroy wins he will be the ninth winner in his 20s on TOUR this season, compared to 10 (12 total wins) winners in their 30s. • The largest final round come-from-behind victory in TOUR history is 10 strokes by Paul Lawrie at the 1999 British Open. • The largest final round come-from-behind win on TOUR this season was done by Brandt Snedeker when he was six strokes behind Luke Donald at the RBC Heritage.