Adam Scott can cement his legacy as an icon of Australian golf and take a place among the game’s greats after playing his way into the final group for championship Sunday at the US Open.

Heavy rain that forced a late suspension of Round 2 made Oakmont Country Club somewhat more agreeable in Round 3, Scott shaking off “old-man-par golf” to match the low round of the day and trail 54-hole leader Sam Burns (69) by just one.

Scott’s 3-under 67 and a late bogey by American JJ Spaun (69) gives the 44-year-old Australian the opportunity to stare down Burns in the final group (4:15am AEST) and seek to add to his 2013 Masters triumph.

No other player inside the top 10 – or within seven shots of the lead – has a resume boasting a major title and Scott can significantly add to his if he joins a jaw-dropping list of US Open winners at Oakmont.

With a win, Scott would:

• Become just the 20th player in major championship history to win both the Masters and US Open;

• Become just the fourth Australian male player with multiple major championships (Peter Thomson, Greg Norman, David Graham);

• Join David Graham (1979 US Open, 1981 US PGA) as the only Australian male players with multiple major wins in the US;

• Create history with the longest gap between a first and second major win (12 years);

• Join Jack Nicklaus (1962), Angel Cabrera (2007) and Dustin Johnson (2016) as the only players with a US Open win at Oakmont and a Masters victory.

In shooting 67 on Saturday, Scott joined Curtis Strange (1994) and Shane Lowry (2016) as the only players to post 70 or better in each of the first three rounds of a US Open at Oakmont, doing so with a mix of thunderous drives and impeccable bunker play.

As needed to succeed in a US Open, Scott saved pars with exceptional bunker shots at six, eight and 15 and then converted a bunker shot to 14 feet into a birdie at the par-4 17th to join the leaders at 3-under.

Burns would also birdie 17 to reclaim the outright lead but will share the main stage with Scott in what shapes as a Sunday to remember.

“It would be super fulfilling,” Scott said when asked to ponder the possibility of a US Open victory.

“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. But 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.”

A par putt from 16 feet came up three feet short after Scott just missed the green left with his approach at the par-4 first but he would get back to level par soon after with birdie at the 600-yard par-5 fourth.

Scott hit his second shot from 280 yards just inside 60 feet from the hole, putting down to four feet on his way to his first birdie of the day.

He missed a birdie chance from five feet at seven when his ball nibbled at the right edge of the hole and then two-putted from 50 feet to make pars at both nine and 10.

Another birdie opportunity from 10 feet slipped by at 11 before vintage Adam Scott emerged with iron shots to five feet at the par-3 13th and tap-in range at the par-4 14th, almost spinning his wedge from 97 yards back into the hole for eagle.

A birdie try from 22 feet at the par-3 16th died on the right side of the hole but his birdie on 17 and two-putt par from 53 feet on 18 secured Sunday’s final tee time.

Playing in his first major championship since 2022, Victorian Marc Leishman also has a late start (3:20am AEST) after posting 2-under 68 in Round 3.

A holed bunker shot for birdie at the par-3 eighth was the centrepiece of a round that was 4-under through 13 holes only to have Oakmont hit back with three straight bogeys from the 14th hole.

Like Scott, Leishman got up-and-down for birdie from the bunker right of the 17th green and is relishing the chance to showcase his game on the biggest stage.

“There’s nothing bad about contending in a major,” said Leishman, who needed 38 holes at Final Qualifying to book a spot in the field this week.

“It has been a while, but I’ve been playing some really good golf.

“Just happy to make the most of qualifying. Sometimes you can get in and you think it’s a done deal and away you go.

“Really wanted to make the most of getting in and doing that hard work, so hopefully a good round tomorrow will do that.

“Hopefully I can get off to a start like I did today and give (the leaders) something to look at.”

A near ace at the par-3 eighth was the high point of Jason Day’s round of 2-over 72, the 2015 US PGA champion to start the final round in a tie for 21st.

Final round coverage of the US Open is 1am-9am AEST on Monday morning on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo Sports.

Round 3 Australasian scores T2 Adam Scott 70-70-67—207 T11 Marc Leishman 71-75-68—214 T21 Jason Day 76-67-72—215 T39 Ryan Fox (NZ) 72-73-73—218 67 Cam Davis 74-73-82—229 MC Cameron Smith 75-73—148 MC Min Woo Lee 77-72—149

Round 4 tee times AEST 9:52pm Cam Davis 12:20am Ryan Fox (NZ) 1:58am Jason Day 3:20am Marc Leishman 4:15am Adam Scott