Bryson DeChambeau’s innovative methods to getting the most out of his golf game are well documented but he revealed why he soak his balls in salt water on Saturday.

The big-hitting American holds the lead going into the final round of the US Open at Pinehurst.

DeChambeau delivered power, birdies and endless entertainment on Saturday with a three-under 67 that saw him build a three-shot lead as he moved closer to another major title.

But after his fine round, DeChambeau was asked specifically why he soaks his golf balls in salt after it was mentioned during TV coverage earlier in the day.

Always willing to explain his scientific methods, DeChambeau thanked the reporter for his ‘salty balls question’ before revealing the reason.

Bryson DeChambeau has revealed why he soak his golf balls in salt water before teeing off

He continued: ‘Yeah, I put my golf balls in Epsom salt.

‘I’m lucky enough that Connor, my manager, does that now. I don’t have to do it. But essentially we float golf balls in a solution to make sure that the golf ball is not out of balance.

‘There was a big thing back in the day where golf balls are out of balance, and it’s just because of the manufacturing process. There’s always going to be an error, especially when it’s a sphere and there’s dimples on the edges. You can’t perfectly get it in the center.

‘So what I’m doing is finding pretty much the out-of-balanceness of it, how much out of balance it is. Heavy slide floats to the bottom, and then we mark the top with a dot to make sure it’s always rolling over itself.

‘It kind of acts like mud. If there’s too much weight on one side, you can put it 90 degrees to where the mud is on the right-hand side or the mud is on the left-hand side. I’m using mud as a reference for the weight over there. It’ll fly differently and fly inconsistently.

‘For most golf balls that we get, it’s not really that big of a deal. I just try to be as precise as possible, and it’s one more step that I do to make sure my golf ball flies as straight as it possibly can fly because I’m not that great at hitting it that straight.’

The big-hitting American has proven to be one of the most innovative golfers in the game

DeChambeau is three clear of a group including Rory McIlroy going into the US Open final day

It’s clearly working because DeChambeau brushed off hip issues to move three shots clear at the top of the leaderboard on Saturday, setting up a potential mouth-watering showdown with world number three Rory McIlroy.

On another steamy afternoon at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, DeChambeau recovered from an early bogey and troublesome hip that required treatment mid-round to return a three-under 67 to lead Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, Patrick Cantlay and McIlroy by three.

Sitting a further two back and five off the pace are Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and young Swede Ludvig Aberg, who had held a one shot lead after the second round.

‘Trying to stay in the moment, obviously hip wasn’t feeling great but luckily I’ve got a good team and we’re going to go figure that out after,’ said DeChambeau.

‘I just got two hips that are not fantastic just because of the speed training I do that’s the consequences of it but I’ll be ready tomorrow.

‘I’ve had it for a long time now. It’s just something that popped up.’

McIlroy, bidding to end a decade-long major drought, may be one of golf’s most popular figures but the big-hitting DeChambeau has evolved into one of the most entertaining and has enjoyed the backing of huge crowds at Pinehurst.

There will also be some golf politics and bragging rights at stake on Sunday with 2020 US Open winner DeChambeau now playing on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour and McIlroy, long one of the most vocal critics of the renegade circuit.