Bob MacIntyre ready to 'roll the dice' in bid to win US Open at Oakmont

After carding a third-round 69, the Oban man sits joint-ninth on three over, seven shots off the lead, held by Sam Burns, who has both J.J. Spaun and Adam Scott breathing down his neck.

It’s been a brilliant performance so far by MacIntyre, who is chasing his maiden major win at the venue where Edinburgh-born Tommy Armour triumphed in the same event in 1927.

Asked if he can win, MacIntyre replied: "One hundred per cent. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe that, it’s a simple answer, yes.

"I’m just delighted to be in it, going into tomorrow if I can shoot the number I know I can shoot then why can’t it be me?

"I have been playing really well this year, another round to go, I have put three solid rounds together so far.

"Tomorrow I have got to go out there, give it my best, don’t try and focus too much on trying to win, just go out there, hit the shots, then come 15, 16, see where we are sitting and decide whether to roll the dice or not.”

MacIntyre, who is making just his fourth appearance in the USGA event, mixed four birdies with three bogeys in his third-day effort on a course that was slightly more playable than the opening two days at the Pennsylvania venue due to it being softened a bit by rain.

"It was still difficult," MacIntyre added. "It is a little bit softer so when you’re on the fairway it gives you more of an opportunity, but I think the rough is even thicker with the water.

"I felt there was a low number with the way I was playing, I was playing beautifully out there.

"The key to this golf course is just be on the fairway. It is the priority and then you can go from there."

Burns, who lost to Ryan Fox in a play-off in last week’s RBC Canadian Open, carded a third-round 69 to be the man in pole position with 18 holes to go in the season’s penultimate major.

He’s one of only two players in the field - the other, ironically, is Fox - without a three-putt while his 1.66 putts per green tops the field.

In round three, he led the field in strokes gained-approach (plus-3.71), and he leads that same category over the three rounds (plus-2.7). On Saturday, he registered three birdies against two bogeys.

“Today I didn't drive the ball as well as I would have liked to,” said Burns, “But when I got out of position, I feel like I did a good job of getting myself back in the fairway, having a wedge or short iron in my hand and giving myself a chance for par.

“I was able to convert some of those and kind of kept the momentum going. That was kind of key to the round today.”

Viktor Hovland sits fourth on one under while, in addition to MacIntyre, Tyrrell Hatton and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen are also bidding to land a European title triumph on Sunday.