Rory McIlroy walks off the ninth green during Saturday’s third round. Credit: golffile.ieMother Nature appears to be the only thing that can stop Rory McIlroy’s march to victory in the 111th US Open today.

Thunderstorms are forecast for Indiana and Kentuck in mid-afternoon and while they could lose force and even miss Congressional Country Club altogether, there is a chance they could force play to be suspended in the final round.

A bunker mentality could prove crucial for Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry at Congressional.

Congressional’s traps appear to have been filled with extra sand to make them a scarier hazard than ever. And that could give the Irish pair an edge of the field in what could become a survival test over the next four days.

McDowell said: “Bunker play this week is huge. I spent a lot of time in the bunkers yesterday and they going to play a huge part. Balls are flying in and they’re plugging every time. It’s very severe.

Padraig Harrington returns next week to the US Open course that almost destroyed his career.

The Dubliner made his debut in an American major at Congressional Country Club in 1997 and discovered that he just couldn’t handle the deep rough or play the high-ball game required to become a major player.

He suffered sunstroke trying to work out the course in practice, shot rounds of 75 and 77 to miss the cut and decided he had to make radical changes to his game if he was ever to win an American major.

The result was a move to Scottish swing guru Bob Torrance that’s seen him win three majors so far - including the 2008 US PGA.

Now he’s ready to show that his recent fall to 51st in the world is nothing but a blip when he returns to the course than changed him forever.

Reflecting on that life-changing week 14 years ago, Harrington said: “I just failed miserably. I felt my game was totally inadequate to compete in that style of golf course.