Despite struggles, Scottie Scheffler keeping his cool heading into Round 4 of the U.S. Open at Oakmont

Keith Barnes / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Scottie Scheffler has had the 54-hole lead three times at major tournaments and won them all.

Not this week. Like so many in the field, he has been hit-and-miss on the deep-cut rough and treacherous greens that make Oakmont the behemoth that consistently lives up to its grisly reputation.

But if he is to win his first U.S. Open and fourth major of his career in come-from-behind fashion, he’s going to need a little help. He currently sits eight shots behind leader Sam Burns.

“I'm not necessarily going to be rooting against anybody, but do I hope they go out and shoot 5-under on the back nine?” Sheffler said. “I wouldn't mind even, you know.”

Sheffler finished off an even-par round of 70 on Saturday with a birdie on No. 17 and a par on the 18th hole with the leaders still on the course. When it was all said and done, the 2025 PGA Championship winner and No. 1 golfer in the world was tied with a gaggle of nine players for 11th at 4-over through 54 holes.

Now, with a hill to climb, Scheffler has to hit the reset button.

“It's just one of those deals where I put myself in this position. It's not the position I want to be in, but I've done a good job of hanging in there and staying in the tournament,” Scheffler said. “I'm going to go out on the range and see if I can hit a few good shots, get some good feels for tomorrow's round and then go hit a couple putts, get some recovery and then get out of here.”

True to his word, Scheffler was at the driving range almost immediately after he left the interview area, irons out and hitting placement shots as he, like almost everyone else, continued to try to get a feel for the ever-changing course.

With the rain that had saturated the area over the previous 24 hours and even made a brief midafternoon appearance after abating late in the morning, the course has played differently almost hour to hour.

Making those kinds of adjustments on the fly is a challenge, but that’s why the U.S. Open, especially when it is held at Oakmont, is one of the hardest golf tournaments to win.

Even so, Scheffler had his moments.

Despite opening with a bogey on the first hole, he came back with birdies at the 348-yard par-4 No. 2 and the 210-yard par-3 No. 6 that briefly had him at 3-over for the tournament.

But bogeys at both No. 8 — which was only playing at 253 yards on Saturday instead of 298 — and at the 478-yard par-4 No. 9 had him at 1-over for the day, leaving him scrambling to get back to even par on his round.

It's not like he doesn’t have the ability to make a run, either.

At the 2020 Northern Trust at the TPC in Boston, Scheffler carded a 59, one of only four this decade.

Of course, that wasn’t on the final day of the U.S. Open at Oakmont. Without help he’ll need to better the iconic 63 Johnny Miller shot on Father’s Day to win the 1973 U.S. Open at Oakmont.

Even if a comeback isn’t in the cards, he’s not unhappy with his showing.

“I've had a pretty good stretch the last month, and I felt well-rested coming into this week,” Scheffler said.

“Golf is a funny game, and for me to be sitting where I am this week, not having really my best stuff, I think, is pretty good.”