Rory McIlroy just one off the lead as he bids to end Major drought at US Open

The world number three birdied two of his first three holes at the Los Angeles Country Club and bounced back from bogeys at the fourth and 13th with a birdie at the 14th in fiery afternoon conditions.

“Yeah, I feel pretty good,” McIlroy said. “The golf course definitely got a little bit trickier today than the first couple of days. Felt like I played really smart, solid golf. Hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens. Sort of felt somewhat stress free out there, if you can ever call golf at a US Open stress free. “Overall, yeah, pretty pleased with how today went, and feel like I’m in a good spot heading into tomorrow.”

Asked if his experience winning Majors could prove crucial, he said: “I don’t know. It’s been such a long time since I’ve done it. I’m going out there to try to execute a game plan, and I feel like over the last three days I’ve executed that game plan really, really well, and I just need to do that for one more day.”

The Holywood star did not have his A game on a sun-kissed day in Beverly Hills but he plotted his way around clinically with his three-putt bogey from 80 feet at the 13th, his only major error.

Fowler looked set to lead by a shot from Clark but he three-putted from 26 feet on the 18th, lipping out from two feet in the gathering gloom to card a level par 70 and fall into a tie for the lead with Clark (69) on 10-under par.

Clark denied McIlroy a place in the final pairing when he followed a bogey at the 17th with a spectacular birdie at the 18th where he hit the pin from 170 yards and brushed in a six footer for birdie.

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler is lurking in fourth place on seven-under, four shots off the pace, after a spectacular finish to his round.

The American holed out from 196 yards for an eagle two at the 17th before rolling in a 22 footer for a closing birdie and a two-under 68.

Harris English is fifth on six-under, five off the pace, after a 71 with Dustin Johnson (71) and Xander Schauffele (73() tied for sixth.

Pádraig Harrington shot the joint second best round of the day, a three-under 67, to share 15th on one-under with Shane Lowry a shot further back on level par after a 68.