The Australian rolled back the years at Oakmont to put himself in contention to win a second major, 12 years after donning the green jacket at the Masters.
He fired a three-under-par 67 to climb up to three under, one shot behind leader Sam Burns going into Sunday’s final round.
It has been a long time since the 44-year-old has been fighting for a major at this late stage of the tournament, but says the hard work is paying off.
“It would be super fulfilling. Everyone out here has got their journey,” he said.
“Putting ourselves in these positions doesn’t just happen by fluke. It’s not easy to do it.
“I really haven’t been in this kind of position for five or six years, or feeling like I’m that player.
“But that’s what I’m always working towards. It’s not that easy to figure it all out.
“But if I were to come away with it tomorrow, it would be a hell of a round of golf and an exclamation point on my career.
“I’m playing good, so there’s no reason not to. I’m playing from the fairway a lot.
“I’ve played fairly conservative, and I haven’t really been forcing the issue much. Could be a different story tomorrow.
“A lot can happen in 18 holes out here. But I like what I’ve done so far.”
