Matt Fitzpatrick in final group for second major in succession as US Open set for thrilling finish

A month ago, Zalatoris and Fitzpatrick were involved in a dramatic battle for the PGA Championship when the former went on to lose a play-off, and now the two best PGA Tour maidens in the sport will tee off in the final group.

Zalatoris carded a best-of-the-day 67 to once again earn himself a shot at a major championship, having twice finished runner-up already, while Fitzpatrick birdied holes 14, 15 and 17 before a bogey at the final hole denied him the outright lead.

“After the US PGA that was a bitter pill to swallow, but I feel good about my game,” Zalatoris said.

“Tomorrow is going to be no simple test, you look at the major champions on the leaderboard and this course is a beast. The job is not even close to being done.”

The duo finished on four-under, one ahead of defending champion Jon Rahm who had taken the lead himself with three birdies late in the day, before clumsily running up a double-bogey at the 18th after needing two to escape a fairway bunker.

At three-under, Rahm is just ahead of a group featuring world number one Scottie Scheffler, local favourite Keegan Bradley, and Canada's Adam Hadwin, with Rory McIlroy scrambling his way to the clubhouse to post one-under and remain within three.

Scheffler had seemed set to take control of the championship when pitching in for eagle at the eighth hole to reach six-under, but five dropped shots in the space of four holes from the 11th brought him back into the pack before a birdie at the 17th was followed by an important par save at the last.

Bradley meanwhile hailed one of the best days of his life at the course where he attended the Ryder Cup as a child back in 1999, his second successive round of 69 enough to keep alive hopes of a dream win in his home state.

At the top though are three members of the world's top 20, two of them unquestionably the best players yet to win on the PGA Tour and the other seeking to do as Brooks Koepka did and win this title in successive years.

Rahm though will have to repeat his victory at Torrey Pines and come from behind, that expensive six at the last denying him what would've been a first taste of a final group on Sunday at a major championship.

For both Fitzpatrick and Zalatoris, the position is a familiar one. Both will hope that something unfamiliar awaits come the end of the tournament.