Rory McIlroy can chase Bryson DeChambeau down and win the U.S. Open, but how?

Rory McIlroy shot a 1-under 69 on Saturday to move three strokes behind leader Bryson DeChambeau after 54 holes and head into the final round at 4-under.

Despite the odds being stacked against him, McIlroy is confident he can get the job done and claim his first major championship since 2014. So what will McIlroy need to win the 124th U.S. Open?

First, he’ll need help from DeChambeau, who can win the tournament if he can shoot 69 or lower. The former SMU Mustang has three straight rounds in the 60s, so another under-par score is not impossible, but rather likely.

Still, DeChambeau missed left off the tee and has taken some aggressive lines, most of which have paid off so far, but one bad bounce here or another unlucky bounce there could lead to a double bogey and put McIlroy and Co. back in the fight.

Still, what can McIlroy control?

First, he’ll have to be patient: If he goes flag-hunting on this course, Pinehurst No. 2 will fight back and make it hard for him, and trying to take an aggressive line for a birdie can quickly lead to a bogey or worse, especially with some scary pins lurking in the corners of those “turtleback” greens.

That being said, the 3rd and 5th holes have some early birdie chances, I think he should play those holes at least 1 under, and by the time he gets to the 6th tee he should be -5 overall.

Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

He also needs to take advantage of the par-5 10th hole. Earlier this week, I wrote that par-5 scoring is essential for McIlroy, and that he’s struggled with it this season. But to put pressure on DeChambeau, he needs to birdie both par-5 holes on Sunday. Last year at Los Angeles Country Club, he didn’t take advantage of the par-5 holes, and he even bogeyed the 14th hole, which was a big reason he lost by one stroke. If you recall, Wyndham Clark birdied that par-5 hole thanks to a great 3-wood on the green. That was the difference between winning and losing.

Holes where McIlroy will have to work things out will also include the shortened par-4 13th. That hole will be just 325 yards on Sunday, so McIlroy will have to swing his driver and get it onto the green. The pin is down the middle, but a big slope in front of it will cause the shot to bounce forward. This false forward starts just a few feet in front of the cup, making pitching and chipping shots extremely accurate. McIlroy has a knack for getting close to the pin, as he did on the 13th on Saturday, and he’ll have to do it again on Sunday.

Finally, McIlroy has to make the putts. He’s currently 45th in strokes gained putting while playing beautifully from tee to green. If he can gain strokes with the putter on Sunday and hole some long-distance bombs, he’ll have a great chance.

But it all depends on DeChambeau — if he shoots 72 and McIlroy shoots 68, that’s it. But Bryson is a key piece of this puzzle, because if he loses, the championship is gone.

Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.