McIlroy looking to do the double at Torrey Pines

Rory McIlroy is hoping to be celebrating Father's Day the same way he celebrated Mother's Day in the United States - with a victory.

The Northern Irishman won the Wells Fargo Championship on the US PGA Tour on May 9 and is now looking for a parenting double after putting himself right in contention on day three of the 2021 U.S. Open Championship.

McIlroy carded a 67 to get to three under as he looks for a second U.S. Open and fifth Major Championship which would be his first since 2014.

A winner of three Race to Dubai titles, the 32-year-old is a man for the big occasion and he was delighted to be in with a chance of victory at Torrey Pines Golf Course.

"Mother's Day was pretty good to us a few weeks ago, so hopefully we can have the same result on Father's Day," he said.

"I'm trying to think of the last time where I really felt like I had a chance. Carnoustie in 18 felt like I maybe had half a chance, going into the final day at Pebble in 2019. But apart from that, there's been some good finishes but never felt like I was in the thick of things.

"I'm just excited for the opportunity to have a chance and be in one of the final groups."

A booming drive left McIlroy with just a flick into the second but that was his only birdie of the front nine before a brilliant run from the tenth.

He put his approach to five feet on the tenth, pitched in on the 12th and then two putted the par five next after hitting the pin with his second for another birdie.

 He did well to drop a single shot on the 15th after sending his tee shot a long way left and taking a drop, but recovered with a two putt gain on the par five last.

"It's definitely the best that I've played this week," he added. "I felt like I played well on Thursday and 70 felt like the worst I could have shot. 

"A little scrappy yesterday but then today I hit a lot of fairways starting out, hit a lot of greens, gave myself a lot of birdie chances. Didn't actually make that many but I just stayed really patient knowing that if you're not making bogeys out there, you're not losing ground.

"I stayed patient, was rewarded with a little bit of a fortunate birdie on 10 and then a really fortunate birdie on 12 with a chip-in.

"I just played a really solid round of golf. There was really one loose shot out there, which was the drive on 15, but apart from that, it's one of the best rounds of golf I've played in a while."