OAKMONT, Pa. -- Shane Lowry leads the U.S. Open as of Saturday night. The Irishman hasn't cleaned up his third round as darkness pushed the completion of the round into Sunday morning, but he sits at 5 under with four holes left to play in Round 3. Lowry is two up on Andrew Landry and three on Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson.

Lowry, who is ranked No. 41 in the world, has one WGC win to his name and two top 10s at majors (including one at Chambers Bay in last year's U.S. Open). He's not a no-name like Landry, but this is still uncharted territory even though he's not playing like it.

"I've never been [in this position] before, so it's obviously new," said Lowry on Saturday. "Literally just came off the golf course. We all know that this course can jump up and bite you in a split second. So yeah, I'm two ahead with 22 holes left. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

"These are the best golfers in the world behind me, Dustin and Jason. Sergio played lovely today. Like I said, I have to go out and do what I've been doing all week. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. This is exactly where you want to be. I might as well enjoy it while I'm here."

Lowry has hit 91 percent of fairways and 71 percent of greens so far in a third round in which he's 3 under. This is the Dustin Johnson formula from the first two rounds, and it's working for Lowry. So if he hangs on Sunday, don't call it a shocker. But if he doesn't, I have eight players who can catch him and hoist the U.S. Open trophy on Sunday evening.

Let's rank those eight in order most likely to chase him down.

1. Dustin Johnson (-2, T3): While a lot of players are lamenting coming out and having to play 25 holes on a long Sunday, this might be the best thing to happen to Johnson. He's at his greatest when he doesn't have to do press conferences or sleep on leads. Just let that talent flow. We always though the was going to back into his first major by shooting 64 early on a Sunday. Maybe he's going to get a break by having to play more than 18 holes. Jason Day confirmed this theory on Saturday evening.

"I don't think it matters in times like this when it's just mentally and physically grueling," said Day of weather his major championship experience (i.e. having won one) will help. The talent will take over ... or so the theory goes.

Johnson only hit 6-of-13 greens in regulation through his first 13 holes in Round 3 after hitting 31 of 36 in Rounds 1 and 2. His putting was not great but that hasn't been the story this week. It's been how good he's been off the tee and with his irons. If he can get some semblance of that back on Sunday, I still think he wins.

2. Sergio Garcia (-2, T3): The Spaniard was fist-pumping short par putts halfway through his third round. I'm not sure if that's a great sign or an awful one, but man, Sunday is going to be a delight, isn't it? "No, there are no monkeys," Garcia said when asked if he felt the need to get the monkey off his back. "That's nonsense. At the end of the day, the only thing I can do is give myself chances. Play well. And if it happens, it happens." Oh boy.

3. Lee Westwood (-2, T3): Westwood was all over the place on Saturday. He had three birdies, an eagle and four bogeys through 15 holes but will likely hold the clubhouse lead briefly on Sunday morning. He hasn't hit many greens (below the field average), which is a concern because his short game hasn't historically screamed, "I'll figure out how to close major championships!" Still, he doesn't exactly have world beaters ahead of him.

4. Branden Grace (-1, 6th): Johnson is the one whose demons we talk about most, but Grace has a few lingering there after dumping one on the train track next to the Puget Sound last year at Chambers Bay on the 70th hole. His 66 on Saturday was tied for the best of the completed third rounds (with Jason Day), but we might have an issue here, guys!

I'm kidding, of course (sort of). That train is way, way out of play at Oakmont. There is no way Grace would ever hit it on that track. Grace is quickly becoming a big game hunter, and I could see him dropping a 69 or 70 for a playoff or win on Sunday. He has the added advantage of not having to wake up early and finish his third round. He's one of only a handful of guys on the front page of the leaderboard who can say that.

5. Jason Day (+1, T8): It's going to be so difficult for Day to back up his 66 on Saturday with 67 or 68 on Sunday, which is likely what it will take to win, but if there's anyone who can go lights out on the weekend on this leaderboard, it's him. He has the added bonus of being one of just two golfers (Zach Johnson is the other) in the current top 11 who know what hoisting a major trophy feels like.

6. Bryson DeChambeau (+1, T8): This is more of a feel play than anything. The artist made seven (!) birdies in the third round on Saturday and has just seven players in front of him (potentially fewer after Sunday morning). Bryson takes Oakmont? It could happen.

7. Zach Johnson (+1, T8): Why do I have him behind DeChambeau? I have no real great reason other than it's difficult for me to see him joining Jack Nicklaus and Sam Snead as the only golfers to win tournaments at St. Andrews, Augusta and Oakmont.

8. Andrew Landry (-3, 2nd): The Cinderella kid does not care about your length, Dustin. He doesn't care about your No. 1 ranking, Jason. He doesn't care about your science, Bryson. All he cares about is hitting fairways and greens, which he's done with supreme precision all week. Still, he's ranked No. 624 in the world and has never finished better than T41 at a PGA Tour event. Is he really going to win the dang Open?

"I feel like I played good golf on hard golf courses where par is a good score," said Landry. "That's just kind of my game. It's always been my game. It's kind of like Q school. It's the same thing with Q school. It's such a hard, long six rounds of golf. You just have to stay really patient and try not to make a lot of mistakes."

Q School and the U.S. Open. Yeah, pretty much the same.

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Shane Lowry leads the United States Open. USATSI