The football may be over for another day but if you thought it was time to go to bed, I’ve got news for you — this Sunday night of sport is just getting started.

It wouldn’t be a US Open leaderboard without an Irish name loitering near the top and tonight is no exception. Portrush’s Graeme McDowell, who is seeking to regain the title he won in 2010, shares the overnight lead as we head into day four of the 2012 US Open at the Olympic Club, San Francisco.

Jim Furyk is alongside him on one-under par with a host of golf’s top names clustered behind — not least Lee Westwood and Tiger Woods. It’s all set up to be an absolute cracker.

It’s going to be a long, late night but I’m here until the bitter end and I hope you’ll join me, at least for a little while.

When I say it’s going to be a late one, I really mean it. The eight-hour time difference between Ireland and San Francisco means that most of the main contenders are still out on the practice ground finalising their preparations. The leaders, McDowell and Furyk, won’t tee off for over another hour at 23:10 Irish time. Expect a finish some time around 3am, provided we don’t need a playoff.

Tiger Woods, who is currently five shots back on +4, has just teed off in his final round by sending his opening shot a yard wide of the fairway and into the first cut of rough.

Tiger was in excellent form on Thursday and Friday with a 69 and a 70 but slipped back into the chasing pack yesterday. With the course deliberately set up to prevent high scoring, is he too far behind?

Here’s how the leaderboard looks as we get down to the business end of proceedings:

• -1: Jim Furyk, Graeme McDowell
• +1: Fredrik Jacobson
• +2: Nicolas Colsaerts, Ernie Els, Lee Westwood, Blake Adams

Colsaerts will be first out of that group at 22:40 alongside Webb Simpson (+3).

Tiger watch: If Tiger’s going to make a charge this evening, he’s going to do it the hard way. He leaves himself with a 20-footer to save par on the first but can’t get it closer than a foot or two. He opens his round with a bogey five as does his playing partner, Casey Wittenberg.

Tiger’s ropey start continues — he’s found the greenside bunker with his approach to the second.

For those of you not watching on TV, one thing to be aware of is the weather in San Francisco this afternoon. If I was to choose one word, it would be “foggy”. I’m not sure my caffeine supplies will stretch to accommodate any fog-related delays…

Declaration of interest: I backed Matt Kuchar at 28/1 on Thursday morning so if he wins, don’t expect me into work tomorrow.

It’s not looking likely though. Kuch and playing partner Martin Kaymer have just teed off with a pair of bogey fives on the opening hole.

By the looks of the early scores, it’s going to be an evening of damage limitation for everybody out there. Anybody care to guess at what the winning score will be?

That’s a bogey-bogey start for Tiger and it’s going to be a long way back from here. He gets his bunker shot to about seven or eight feet but pulls the putt just to the right of the cup. Woods +6 (2)

On Sky Sports, Butch Harmon points out that these cups aren’t too forgiving when it comes to putts sneaking in the side door — it’s straight down the middle or nothing.

HERE’S BEAU: One of the success stories of this year’s US Open, 17-year-old amateur Beau Hossler, has just teed off on the first alongside Jason Dufner.

I think it’s just hit me that I will never be a professional golfer. If this liveblog takes a turn for the worse, I apologise.

Oh Tiger, Tiger, Tiger — what in the name of what are you doing to yourself? Trying to pitch on to the par-three third, Woods sends his second shot way long and onto the fringe at the back of the green before chipping back and then taking two putts. So now that’s bogey-bogey-double bogey for the great one and I think it’s fair to say that his race is run. Woods +8 (3)

For those of you keeping an eye on Padraig Harrington for patriotic reasons or place money, the Dubliner has dropped a shot on the second and is now in a tie for 23rd. Harrington +6 (2)

This in from Paul Smith in the comments section below:

Colesarts and Jacobson have been great and the young amateur playing like he has been playing the game for 40 years, he is the calmest 17 year old I have ever seen

GO BEAU! The youngster is off the back of the first green but shows no nerves as he whips out the putter and sticks it right down the gullet of the cup. What a wonderful stroke and if he plays like that all day, he’ll be in the mix come closing time.

Jason Dufner has two putts for par which gets him off to a solid start. Four is an excellent score on this opening hole today. Hossler, Dufner +3 (1)

As we get closer to G-Mac’s tee time at 23:10, I have a confession to make — the last time I was stuck on the stroke-by-stroke coverage of the final day of a major was last year’s Masters. I’ve never forgiven myself for what happened to Rory that evening so I’m hoping that it was nothing to do with me. Let’s be honest, staying up until 4am isn’t going to be half as much fun if G-Mac pulls a Tiger and is four-over through three holes.

Speaking of Woods, he’s missed a birdie chance at four. Justin Rose has a good up-and-down on five but it’s only enough for a bogey and he drops back. Woods +8 (4), Rose +6 (5)

Beau Hossler dumped his approach to the second into the bunker at the front of the green but he plays an absolute peach from the sand to leave himself with a five-foot save… which he nails. Par-par start and Beau’s flying start continues. I’m liking this kid’s moxy.

Dufner has what looks like an easier putt to save his own par but it pulls left. Hossler +3, Dufner +4 (2)

Good evening Michael Thompson! While everybody else is dropping shots to beat the band, he’s birdied five and seven now to move to three-over. Thompson +3 (7)

Lee Westwood — 0 for 56 in major championships — stands on the first tee box. “LEEEEEEEEEEEEE” doesn’t quite have the same ring as “LUUUUUUUKE” or “KUUUUUUUCH” but the crowd give it their best shot anyway. He gets his round underway by finding the rough off to the left of the fairway. Playing partner Freddy Jacobson stripes it straight down the middle.

That is our penultimate group. Next up: G-Mac and Jim Furyk.

That’s the first mistake of the afternoon for Beau Hossler. He ends up the bunker on the par-three third and can’t save par from there. Hossler, Dufner +4 (3)

Nicolas Colsaerts could’ve done without that. He bogeys the first but, then again, it’s not the worst score on a tough opener. Colsaerts +3 (1)

Team G-Mac, your time is now. 2003 US Open champ Jim Furyk gets us underway by drilling his drive into the rough on the left but McDowell makes no mistake and leathers his ball straight down the middle of the fairway. Pressure? Pressure’s for tyres.

Bogey for Westwood on the first but Jacobson sneaks in his par putt to stay two off the lead. Jacobson +1, Westwood +3 (1)

Big Ernie Els continues his solid start — that’s par-par for the South African now as he rolls in on the second green. Els +2 (2)

Back on one, Furyk’s approach from the rough has zipped off these super-fast greens and out the back. McDowell pitches up towards the front but by the time the ball has stopped, it’s a yard or two off the back. Definitely possible to get it up and down from there.

From Adrian Quinn:

Come on GMac. Win it for all us Irish in San Fran. The whole town is rooting for ya.

What a shot from Lee Westwood. His approach to the second is an absolute corker and pitches up to leave him with a good birdie putt and a chance to pull back that shot dropped at the first.

PAR FOR G-MAC: McDowell goes with the putter from the back of the green and it’s a good shot but rolls on about a foot further than he would’ve liked. The putt back isn’t a gimme but he strikes it firmly to open with a par.

Furyk gets up and down from his position out back and that’s an excellent save on a rather wayward opening hole. McDowell, Furyk -1 (1)

Lee Westwood’s not letting this one go without a fight. After that brilliant approach to the second green, he slides in his birdie putt from about eight feet. Freddie Jacobson misses his for par and that’s a two-shot swing between the pair. They’re tied for third now, three shots off the lead on two-over. Westwood, Jacobson +2 (2)

The pin position on two is a nasty one, tucked all the way up in the right which leaves little margin for error, but McDowell attacks with a nine-iron and gets it spot on, leaving himself about 10 foot from the hole.

Furyk takes a club more and pitches his eight-iron to the centre of the green but it catches the wrong slope and rolls away to the left. He’ll have two putts from about 50 feet to save his par and stay at -1.

As we wait for Graeme and Jimmy to make their way up to the second green, a quick check in with Tiger… and it’s not good. He’s now six-over through six holes, +10 overall. What a collapse. Woods +10 (6)

And as I type, Harrington pours one down the hill at eight for a birdie two. Attaboy, that’s back-to-back birds. Harrington +5 (8)

McDowell has a putt to take the outright lead on -2 but he doesn’t quite hit the putt and it fades at the last moment. Furyk makes his own save and we’re still neck and neck as we head to the par-three third. McDowell, Furyk -1 (2)

Els has a putt for a birdie to join Westwood and Jacobson three shots off the lead but it misses to the left.  Kevin Chappell misses his par putt at five and he slips back to four-over. Els +3 (4), Chappell +4 (5)

“If Graeme’s going to win this championship, he’s going to have to beat Jim Furyk because Furyk’s not beating himself,” Colin Montgomerie notes as Furyk rolls his birdie putt at the third to within a couple of feet.

McDowell is putting from the fringe and, uh oh, he’s gone about 12 foot past. That one absolutely flew by the hole and he’ll need a big putt to save par here.

Birdies for Michael Thompson at 11 and John Peterson at seven. They both move to +3, four shots off the lead. Peterson (7), Thompson (11) +3

OUTRIGHT LEADER: McDowell can’t save from there and so Jim Furyk takes the outright lead with a par. Furyk -1 (3), McDowell E (3)

Meanwhile, Padraig Harrington has just made it birdie-birdie-birdie to sneak up to within five shots of Furyk. Too little, too late? Harrington +4 (9)

After blinking first, McDowell finds the heart of the fourth green in two shots. The only problem is that the machine masquerading as Jim Furyk has given himself another excellent birdie chance from about eight feet. Does this guy ever make a mistake?

TREE ALERT: Not looking good for Lee Westwood. He’s found the Lee Janzen trees on the fifth hole — and when I say “found”, I mean his ball appears to be stuck up a tree. He waits the full five minutes to see if it will drop but unfortunately it doesn’t, so he’s heading back to the tee box to hit his third.

McDowell lags his birdie putt to within a couple of feet which gives Furyk a chance to open up a two-shot lead. His putt looks good but it slides left and we can all breathe again.

“Criminal miss from Furyk,” writes Neil Cullen. “He makes that, you hand him the trophy.” Furyk -1, McDowell E (4)

The rough here at the Olympic Club must be as unforgiving as they come — miss the fairway by a foot or two and you’re immediately in the ugly stuff. That observation comes to you, unfortunately, because that’s where McDowell’s good-looking tee shot has ended up on the fifth.

“How do ya get a golf ball stuck up a tree?” asks Darren Skelton. “Takes some doing.”

It does — but Westwood’s not the first to do it on the fifth and he won’t be the last. He’s done alright with the second ball though and “saved” a double-bogey six. Jacobson drops a shot as well and, just like that, John Senden is the last man left standing on +2. Jacobson +3, Westwood +4 (5)

For the first time tonight, I get the feeling we might be in a little bit of trouble. McDowell and Furyk both ping the ball around the fifth green until they have par putts along relatively similar lines. McDowell goes first and watches it just slip by to the right. That gives Furyk the line though and he makes no mistake. Because he’s a machine. A machine that now leads by two strokes. Furyk -1, McDowell +1 (5)

ERNIE THE EAGLE: Here comes the Big Easy! The South African drains an eagle putt on the short par-four seventh and BOOM, he’s up alongside G-Mac and just two shots off Furyk’s lead. He couldn’t, could he? Els +1 (7)

For all you Harrington lovers out there — who isn’t, let’s be fair — he’s followed his birdie-birdie-birdie stint with a par-par-par run. Lovely stuff and he’s still in a tie for ninth place, +4 through 12 holes.

I couldn’t agree more with this tweet. Tiresome, tiresome stuff.

On the sixth, McDowell’s second has found the greenside bunker while Furyk’s hits the green and rockets out to the fluff on the back. G-Mac gets his to a tricky eight feet but Furyk struggles to dig his out and it pitches up well short. Are we about to see the first waver of this machine?

HARRINGTON! My word, Padraig Harrington has just chipped in from about 35 yards off the 13th green for a birdie. A little bit of luck, sure, but all the great players get it from time to time. He’s hovering closer and closer to the leaders now at +3 with some birdie chances still to come. Harrington +3 (13)

FURYK CRACKS: But unfortunately so does McDowell. It’s bogeys for both and all that serves to do is bring a host of players a shot closer to the lead. Furyk still leads by two as they head to the short par-fourth seventh.

This is getting very interesting indeed. Here’s how the leaderboard looks:

• Evs: Furyk (6)
• +2: McDowell (6), Els (8), Simpson (8),  Peterson (11), Thompson (16)
• +3: Senden (8), Jacobson (7), Harrington (13)

Stunning second shot from McDowell at the seventh. His tee shot leaves him seemingly dead and buried in the rough but he pulls off a beautiful shot with the lob wedge to give himself every chance of making birdie. Furyk very nearly chips in from the bunker on other side of the green but it skids on by and he’ll have a very quick putt back.

GAH! That really would’ve kick-started G-Mac’s round but his birdie putt kisses the outer edge of the cup and trundles on by. It’s a game of inches alright. Furyk Evs, McDowell +2 (7)

Harrington makes par at 14 to stay at +3 with four holes to play. Els drops back to join him on +3 with a bogey.

Six irons for both Furyk and McDowell at the par-three eighth but the breaks just aren’t coming for the Portrush man. His ball sticks in the rough at the front of the green. Furyk is on.

HERE’S WEBB: Simpson rolls in a tidy birdie putt on 10 and he moves into second place outright on +1. Danger here, as George Hamilton would say.

DO YOU KNOW WHO HAS PLAYED A STUNNING ROUND? Twenty-seven-year-old Michael Thompson, who was runner-up when the US Amateur was played on this course in 2007. He’s dragged himself into contention on +2 and has a glorious chance to birdie 17 but pulls his putt badly. Can he birdie the last and post a clubhouse lead of +1, putting the pressure on our course leaders?

Back on the eighth, McDowell has a cracking up and down to save par and prevent any further slide. He’s not out of it yet but the putter hasn’t really been his friend yet today.

Just in case — like me — you were wondering where the hell Webb Simpson came from, he’s only taken five putts in the last five holes and four of those have been for birdie. He has a tricky par putt at 11… but he nails it, because he’s a boss. Simpson +1 (11)

It’s just not happening for G-Mac. He attacks the ninth but as soon as the ball leaves the face of the club, he’s roaring “Down! Down!” after it. The ball doesn’t listen — it can’t because it’s an inanimate object — and he’s left with an absolute stinker down the hill behind the green. Bleh.

CLUBHOUSE LEADER: Michael Thompson putts out for a 67 and he is your clubhouse leader on +2, two shots off the course lead which is still held by Jim Furyk.

DEJA VU: Remember John Peterson’s hole-in-one on 13 yesterday? Well, he very nearly did it again, this time on 15. The ball pitches right up at the cup but hops on by.

On 16, Harrington’s birdie putt doesn’t quite have the legs but he mops up for a par. Two holes to play, he needs a birdie to tie Michael Thompson on +2 in the clubhouse, two to take the outright lead himself.

Simpson and Peterson both have birdie putts. Both miss so they’ll stay on +1 and +2 respectively.

Maybe Harrington’s last chance for birdie as he hits his second into the par-five 17th… and he sticks it into the bunker.

It’s a pair of pars for Furyk and McDowell on 10 but hang on a second, over on 17, Padraig Harrington has just played a magnificent bunker shot from an awful, awful lie. It looked like he had blown his chance but he’ll have a birdie putt to move on to +2, two off Furyk.

On 13, Webb Simpson has a chance to tie Furyk on evens with a birdie putt but it stays right and wide.

Holy mother of moly, Padraig Harrington is actually doing this! He reads his birdie putt on 17 superbly and sets on its way to the bottom of the cup. He’s on +2, two shots off Furyk’s lead with 18 still to play. A birdie on 18 and he’ll take the outright lead in the clubhouse, sending Michael Thompson packing.

Harrington is straight down the middle of the fairway with his drive on 18 while over on 11, McDowell plays a peach of shot in. He could desperately do with a birdie now and if he gets it, who knows what might happen with seven holes still to play?

I think Butch Harmon has just described Padraig Harrington’s form as “golfing your ball”. I’m not sure what that means but if it’s a good thing, he’s just put the commentator’s curse on Paddy who has left his second shot plugged in the greenside bunker. No chance of par from there, the commentators say.

G-MAC’S BACK! McDowell makes that desperately needed birdie on 11. Give or take, that’s the first decent putt he’s had to today — and what a time to start.

McDowell’s birdie there was the first in our final group today. By comparison, Harrington has had five himself.

IT’S ALL OVER: For John Peterson anyway. He takes a double-bogey seven at the 16th and that’s curtains.

And it looks like it might be all over for Harrington as well. He manages to get his ball out of the bunker on 18 but the best he can do is leave it in the greenside rough over the far side of the green.

HARRINGTON IN WITH A 68, +3: That’s it for Padraig. To have any chance of winning, he knows that he needs to chip in from the rough — and he very nearly does but it stops a couple of feet short. He taps in for a two-under par 68 and finishes on three-over for the week. So near yet so far, but that’s another brilliant major performance by Paddy.

As the clock prepares to strike 2am, here’s your leaderboard:

• Evs: Furyk (11)
• +1: Simpson (14)
• +2: McDowell (11), Els (12), Thompson (67)
• +3: Toms (68), Harrington (68)

Webb Simpson is leaving a few shots out there. On 15, he has an putt that you’d back him to make all day but he pushes it left.

FURYK WITH A MONSTER SAVE! You wouldn’t believe the shot Jim Furyk has just pulled on 12 to save par. After pinging his ball around the hole, he sinks one all the way from the other side of the green. The only consolation for McDowell is that he will have a birdie putt along similar lines…

MAC-NIFICENT! Wow, Graeme’s followed Furyk right in with an absolute peach of a putt to keep the pressure on. That’s birdie-birdie for McDowell and he moves back to +1, just one behind his playing partner. What a magnificent finish we’ve got in store.

Just when things start to look a little bit brighter for McDowell, the putter deserts him again. He chips out of the greenside bunker to the back of the par-three 13th but he just doesn’t hit his putt and it stops short.

Furyk finds himself in a similar position… and with a similar outcome. His par putt rolls three feet by and he makes the clutch putt back for bogey.

Webb Simpson, how are your nerves?

Simpson did have a birdie putt for the outright lead on 16 there but he’s had to settle for par. His tee-to-green play has been nothing short of sensational today and with the par-five 17th still to play, who knows what’s about to happen?

On 17, Webb Simpson hits what might just be his best drive of the day. Watch out, lads.

Back with our final pairing on 14, McDowell has missed his eighth consecutive fairway. I think he’s in one of the bunkers dotted around the front of the green while Furyk’s nine-iron takes one hop on the apron and rolls a couple of yards on to the putting surface.

LOST IN THE LONG GRASS: McDowell’s second actually ended up in the long grass at the front of the green, rather than the bunker. He doesn’t quite keep the club face open enough as he tries to pop it out and it’s miles and miles away from the hole. Furyk paces his putt perfectly and looks certain to make par.

ANOTHER SHOT GONE: McDowell was always going to need two putts from that position and he takes them, bogeying the hole and dropping back to +3. Furyk saves par and he stays tied for the lead with Simpson. Furyk +1, McDowell +3 (14)

At the moment, there are only two groups left worth watching and over on 17, Webb Simpson’s second ends up in the bunker. If he’d hit the green there, he might well be in the driving seat to win this thing.

For those of you wondering about the fate of 17-year-old amateur Beau Hossler, he dropped three shots in his last three holes to finish the day with a six-over round of 76. He finishes on nine-over for the tournament, missing out on the low amateur prize by two shots to Jordan Speith.

SIMPSON MISSES his birdie putt on 17, while Furyk and McDowell both par 15. Looks like Furyk will have chances at the par five 16th and 17th to put this baby to bed. Furyk +1 (15), Simpson +1 (17), McDowell +3 (15)

FURYK IN THE TREES: After playing like a robot all day, Furyk completely loses the plot and wildly hooks his drive on 16 into the trees. He’s fortunate with the lie but he won’t be hitting this green in two, that’s for sure.

Webb Simpson is over in Padraig Harrington territory off the side of the 18th green. It looks like his ball is sitting up on an old sprinkler head but he’s not getting any relief. He needs an up-and-down here to get into the clubhouse on +1.

If he makes bogey and gets in on +2 alongside Michael Thompson, how sick will Padraig Harrington be? In his post-round interview, he said that he was confident he needed to get in on +1 to have any chance of even making a playoff and that’s why he went so aggressively at 18 — ultimately taking a bogey and dropping back to +3.

SIMPSON TAKES THE CLUBHOUSE LEAD, +1: Simpson’s chip into 18 is exactly what he needed, leaving a four-footer for par and the outright lead in the clubhouse… and he makes it. With Furyk in trouble on 16, could that be enough for the win? Or are we coming back tomorrow for an 18-hole playoff?

Furyk — who is coming dangerously close to being put on the clock for slow play by the officials — looks to have got a very lucky bounce at the top of the green but the ball spins back away off the front of the green. He’s there in four and a dropped shot looks inevitable here.

McDowell has a huge putt for birdie, but at this stage, it’s make-or-bust. He needs a birdie here and on the next to have any chance of catching Simpson… and he misses; didn’t quite swing back in from the right as expected.

Furyk makes his putt for a bogey six as does McDowell for his par five. It looks like the end of the road for G-Mac but it might just be the beginning for Webb Simpson.  The maths are simple: two holes to play; Furyk needs a birdie, G-Mac needs two. Otherwise, Webb is the winner.

Simpson +1 (68), Furyk +2 (16), McDowell +3 (16)

Popcorn asks:

Is it just me or is Furyk standing little too close for comfort everytime McDowell takes a putt ?

I hadn’t noticed.

Two very similar tee shots on 17 — both out in the first cut of rough on the right side of the fairway, about 220 yards from the pin. Furyk goes first and hits the bunker on the right of the green. Determined to avoid a similar outcome himself, McDowell goes left… and ends up in the bunker on the left of the green.

Somewhere in the scorer’s hut, Webb Simpson allows himself a wry smile.

FURYK MISSES his birdie putt. He’ll need a three on the last to force a playoff tomorrow. McDowell lining up a birdie putt he needs to keep his dream alive…

NAILS IT: McDowell sinks it as Furyk takes his par. Both players need birdies now on the last to force a playoff — otherwise everything’s coming up Simpson. Furyk +2, McDowell +2

My statistical brain went to bed a long time ago but Ger Dowd tweets to say that the winner of the US Open has never come from the final group when the tournament is hosted at the Olympic club. Trends like that are meant to be broken…

Again, our final pairing’s tee shots are almost identical — similar distances, both out hugging the right hand side of the fairway.

IS THAT IT FOR FURYK? He’s found the bunker on the left of the green where Harrington was and he’ll need to chip in from there, which looks to be a pretty impossible ask.

McDowell is in a much better position though. At least he has a putt for birdie and a place in a playoff but it’s a pretty lengthy one…

Furyk has to attack the pin — and does — but he only succeeds in shooting his ball over the green and into the bunker on the far side. Game over for him. Here’s G-Mac…

He’s missed it!

WEBB SIMPSON IS THE US OPEN CHAMPION 2012!

McDowell’s putt never troubles the hole and that’s it, Webb Simpson is your US Open champion for 2012. He wins by a shot from the Portrush man while Furyk putts out for a 74 which sees him finish in a tie for third on +3.

It’s only Simpson’s third PGA Tour win and — needless to say — his first major. What a moment for the 26-year-old from North Carolina. He started the day four shots off the lead but now, at 3.30am Irish time, he is the 112th US Open champion.

That’s it from me, thanks for keeping me company until the wee hours. We’ll be back bright and early in the morning for more reaction to Webb Simpson’s win, see you then.