The Latest: Finally, 'Game On,' as leader Lowry tees off

The Latest: Finally, 'Game On,' as leader Lowry tees off

Published Jun. 19, 2016 4:41 p.m. ET

OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) The latest from the U.S. Open golf championship (all times local):

3:30 p.m.

Leader Shane Lowry went off in the final group with Andrew Landry, a U.S. Open rookie ranked No. 624 in the world. Both were in pursuit of a first major.

Lowry is 7 under, with a 4-shot lead over Landry and Dustin Johnson. Another shot back were Scott Piercy and Lee Westwood.

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2:55 p.m.

Brooks Koepka shot a sizzling 32 on his opening nine at Oakmont, then holed out with a wedge for eagle from the fairway at No. 10 - the most spectacular shot in an 8-under tear spanning eight holes. The move sent him to even-par, but still seven strokes behind leader Shane Lowry.

Jordan Spieth, meanwhile, appears headed in the other direction as he needs four putts to get off the sixth green with a triple-bogey 6. The defending champion is 4 over for the day and 8 over for the tournament.

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2 p.m.

The top 10 players are exempt into the U.S. Open next year at Erin Hills. That would be a big deal to Andrew Landry if he doesn't produce the dream finish at Oakmont. Landry had to make it through two stages of qualifying just to get into his first major.

Even better for Landry if he doesn't win? The top four players get into the Masters.

But all he cares about is winning, and the 28-year-old Texan has looked remarkably unflappable in every circumstance at Oakmont.

His father left him a message that said, ''I have all the faith in the world you can do this. You're just as good as the rest of those guys.''

He has been so far.

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1:30 p.m.

Of the 14 players who have at least made the turn in the final round, no one is under par.

The greens at Oakmont were rolled twice and are running at 14.8 on the Stimpmeter. The entertainment is likely to come early in the round on the second hole, where the tees have been moved up so that a drive will reach the green. That doesn't mean it will stay there.

Jason Kokrak, one of the longest hitters in golf, hit a drive that bounced onto the green to about 10 feet below the hole, and then it rolled back some 30 yards into the fairway. He chipped the next one up to about the same range, and that rolled back. So his third time hitting the green, it actually stayed on the green. He made a bogey.

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8:25 a.m.

The world's 624th ranked golfer is in the final group for the final round of the U.S. Open.

Andrew Landry drilled a 45-foot birdie putt on the 18th green early Sunday morning to finish off an even-par 70 that left the Texan 3 under for the tournament and four shots behind leader Shane Lowry.

The 28-year-old Landry, a PGA Tour rookie, put up a 4-under 66 to take the first-round lead and has hung in there at daunting Oakmont. He drove the green at the par-4 17th and two-putted for birdie. His 45-footer on 18 took a right turn at the last second before diving into the hole as the grandstand roared.

Landry made his way into the tournament as a qualifier and had made just 5 of 11 cuts coming in.

Dustin Johnson is also four shots behind Lowry after shooting a 1-over 71. Johnson has 11 Top 10s in majors but is still searching for his first victory. Johnson was in the final group at Chambers Bay last year, three-putting the final hole to give the tournament to Jordan Spieth.

Lee Westwood, who has nine top 3 finishes in majors but no wins, is five back as is Daniel Summerhays. Branden Grace is at 1-under with Sergio Garcia and Scott Piercy at even par.

After three days of chaos thanks to rain that wiped out play on Thursday, the final round will start on schedule later Sunday.

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8:10 a.m.

Shane Lowry is pulling away at the U.S. Open.

The 29-year-old Irishman made a pair of birdies early Sunday morning to polish off a round of 5-under 65 at Oakmont to move him within 18 holes of his first major title. Lowry is a 7 under through three rounds at Oakmont, four shots clear of Dustin Johnson and five up on Lee Westwood, Daniel Summerhays and Andrew Landry.

Lowry was up by three when play resumed Sunday morning and wasted little time adding to his advantage. He holed an 11-foot putt for birdie on the par-4 15th and drained a 7-footer for birdie on the par-4 17th. A 10-foot par putt on the 18th helped him tie Summerhays and Louis Oosthuizen for the low round of the tournament.

Lowry will be in the last group during the final round of a major for the first time on Sunday afternoon. The leaders are expected to tee off at 3:30 p.m.

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