PITTSBURGH — Somewhere around 4 o’clock Saturday, as the final groups teed off during the third round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, we officially reached peak Pittsburgh. Congratulations.

On the walkway between the ninth and 10th fairways, I heard someone scream for Bob Nutting to sell the Pirates. Meanwhile, we had two distinctly different weather patterns on either side of the Pennsylvania Turnpike — rainy and gruesome here, sunny and fine there. It’s probably good the USGA doesn’t permit anyone to leave collapsible chairs to save spots.

The weird clash in weather was also a microcosm of the fantastic golf tournament we’ve witnessed thus far: established names and major winners further down the leaderboard, relatively fresh faces and potential breakthrough stories closer to the top.

Sam Burns, J.J. Spaun and Viktor Hovland — the only three players under par after two rounds — jostled for position at the top, while Adam Scott and Carlos Ortiz made their presence known. At the end, Burns led the field at 4-under, followed by Spaun and Scott a stroke behind.

It’s a welcome and appropriate amount of newness considering Oakmont has already been home to seven first-time major winners.

“It would be incredible,” Burns said. “As a kid growing up, you dream about winning major championships. That’s why we practice so hard and work so hard. All these guys in this field would agree that, to have the opportunity to win majors, is special. I’m definitely really excited for tomorrow.”

Before we get there, though, let’s talk about little more about numbers. Of the last 55 U.S. Opens, 51 have been won by someone who was in the top five entering the final round. Within the current top-five, just one (Scott, 2013 Masters) has won a major.

Whether it’s a first-time winner, a 44-year-old in Scott who has nearly twice as many consecutive starts in majors (96) as anyone else or a hard charge from someone further down the leaderboard, it seems like we’re set up extremely well for Sunday.

“It’s fun,” Spaun said. “This is the first time for me being in contention for a major. It’s kind of everything that you prepare for and how to have the opportunity to have.”

If I had to pick any of the known commodities to make a push Sunday, it would be a fairly obvious one in Scottie Scheffler, who refuses to go away. (Unlike Rory McIlroy, I actually want the likable Scheffler to stick around.)

Scheffler had a busy round, with four birdies mixed with the same number of bogeys, but he hasn’t played his best yet … and he’s still the best player in the world.

“Am I in the position I had hoped to be after three days? Obviously not,” Scheffler said. “But for the way I've swung it and played the last few days, I feel like I could be a lot worse.

“I’ve done a good job of battling, but hopefully [Sunday] will be a little bit more free than a battle.”

As much as we’ve talked about some of the past major winners such as Bryson DeChambeau, McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Jon Rahm or Shane Lowry, they either missed the cut or haven’t seriously threatened the aforementioned group.

I’m good with it.

Sure, it would’ve been a lot of fun to see DeChambeau defend his title and become the first back-to-back U.S. Open winner since Brooks Koepka in 2017-18. But DeChambeau was a DiSaster, missing the cut at 10-over.

Lowry was seven strokes worse, while McIlroy openly talked about wanting to finish as quickly as possible on Sunday and go home, a sentiment that certainly wasn’t echoed by Spaun, Burns, Scott or anyone else atop the leaderboard.

Spaun established pole position with a 66 on Thursday, then Burns went a stroke lower on Friday. They’ve both putted extremely well. Burns has been a birdie machine, leading the field with 11 through two days and adding three more Saturday.

It could be time for Burns, who considers Scheffler one of his best friends. If Scheffler isn’t going to win, it might as well be his frequent roommate on the road.

Burns was also the perfect example of this up-is-down tournament. On Friday, when the course was its toughest, Burns did the bulk of his scoring. As it softened some during Saturday’s scattered rain showers, he shifted into cruise control, posting 10 pars, a birdie and a bogey in his first 12 holes.

That included a humorous shot from the fairway on No. 4 — while Burns was technically playing the third hole. His run of pars continued until the par-3 13th, when Burns hit his tee shot to 7 feet, then tapped in for an easy birdie. He’s one of only two players who has yet to three-putt.

Nobody all day birdied No. 1, except for Spaun, who hit a beautiful fade that went from 178 yards to just 15 feet, 7 inches before he easily finished.

It was entertaining, much like what these guys have been able to deliver for three days on this course, the only thing missing being the name recognition or major trophies on their mantle.

Who cares?

The talk of Oakmont as a golf course has been phenomenal. But I’m also a sucker for a great story, especially when it comes to players who’ve been grinding and could really use a win like this to propel their careers.

It’s perfect Pittsburgh, isn’t it? Especially if you view this through the lens of rebound possibilities.

Take Hovland, for example. He won the FedEx Cup in 2023 and was seemingly on his way to bigger and better things. But swing tinkering got the best of him. It’s been a long road back to this point, and it was a bumpy road in Saturday’s third round.

On his first hole, Hovland sliced his driver into the woods. Hovland hit his second shot from a muddy path, and it needed a fortuitous bounce off a tree to get the ball back in reasonable range. On the uphill ninth, Hovland drilled his approach off the flagstick and made birdie, then dropped an 18-footer for birdie on No. 10.

“We all like to win,” Hovland said. “That’s why we practice so hard. There’s also like a deep passion in me that I want to hit the shots. I want to stand up on the tee and hit the shots that I’m envisioning. When the ball’s not doing that, it bothers me. I’m well aware that I have a chance tomorrow. Anything can happen.”

Yet Scott might be the best story of all, because of his perseverance.

Showing zero signs of his age, Scott had just one bogey in his round and posted three birdies, including on 13 and 14. One Scott gem came on the second of those holes, when he back-spun an approach shot for an easy tap-in.

On the 17th, Scott cooly drained a 17-footer for birdie. The Australian’s last drive of the day sizzled 187 mph and traveled 331 yards, setting up a par.

“If I were to come away with it [Sunday], it would be a hell of a round of golf and an exclamation point on my career,” Scott said.

One fitting for this location, too. Where the weather is unpredictable, people are mad about the Pirates and pretty much anything can happen.

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