U.S. Open 2015 leaderboard: Dustin Johnson makes the turn with the lead

The last time Dustin Johnson opened the final round of the U.S. Open with at least a share of the lead, he shot an 82. He’s fared much better this time around and holds the lead heading into the back nine. The 30-year-old shot a 33 on the front nine, moving him to 6-under for the championship and two strokes clear of the field.

The key for Johnson on Sunday hasn’t been racking up birdies, but instead avoiding trouble. He made 15 birdies during the first three rounds, but gave a number of shots back. That hasn’t been the case on Sunday with Johnson currently carding a clean round. He has two birdies on the day to stay in red numbers on the round. A few players have had success, but stringing birdies together is still a very difficult challenge. If Johnson avoids trouble coming in and takes advantage of his length on one or two holes, he could very likely be on the way to his first major championship.

Johnson has been especially sharp with his approach shots, hitting 8-of-9 greens in regulation on the front side. That included an absolutely perfect approach on No. 8 that led to his second birdie of the day.

Although Johnson leads, he hasn’t pulled away from the field. Jordan Spieth, Branden Grace, Jason Day and Adam Scott are all 2-under or better. Rory McIlroy made a run earlier and posted even par for the tournament. Scott is making a run of his own and is 5-under through 17. If he posts 2-under, he would put a little pressure on the final groups.

For now, however, it is Johnson’s tournament to lose. Here is a current look at the leaderboard. For a live leaderboard, head over to USOpen.com.