A stunning third-round comeback by defending champion Retief Goosen on Saturday left the South African poised to lift his third US Open championship.
Goosen shot a one-under 69, one of only two sub-par rounds on the day, to go into Sunday’s final round with a three-shot lead over unknown Jason Gore and US PGA Tour journeyman Olin Browne.
Four shots back are New Zealand’s Michael Campbell and Australian Mark Hensby.
A further shot back are Americans David Toms and Tiger Woods, England’s Lee Westwood, South Korea’s K.J. Choi and Sweden’s Peter Hedblom.
The 36-year-old Goosen, who began the day sharing the lead with Americans Gore and Browne, looked to be letting it all slip away when he went bogey, double bogey on the long march home.
It took him back to level par and out of the lead.
But in true championship style, he hit back with back-to-back birdies to return to two-under par.
Then a dramatic birdie putt from off the 18th green took him to three-under and a vital cushion on a brutal course where birdies are hard to come by.
”You’re going to quickly make bogey, double bogey on this course. You’ve just got to accept it. I just tell myself it was one bad shot and it cost you. I was sort of more determined after that to have a better finish,” explained Goosen.
”It’s nice having the lead going into the last round. It’s going to be a hard day out there. I’m fairly comfortable and confident giving myself a chance out there tomorrow to win it,” he added.
Goosen has led or co-led after the third round in his two previous US Open victories and few will bet against him taking his third US Open title in five years.
One player betting against him is Woods.
The world number one insists his chances of adding the US Open to his April success at Augusta are still alive.
”I’m one good round away from this championship,” Woods said. ”Anybody who is 5-, 6-, 7-over par and you shoot a quality round, it could happen.
”It’s getting pretty unbelievable out there. The greens are getting quick and dry. You’ve got to lag the putts or you will putt them off the greens. You can’t take a run at any putts. Pins are even tougher tomorrow.
”You’re looking at even par could win the championship. If you can somehow post even par, you’re looking pretty good.”
But if Woods is to pull off an amazing comeback, he had better improve his putting.
Woods, who headed the greens in regulation stats with 89 percent, had 36 putts in his third round, the highest number in a single round he has ever had since he turned professional.
Westwood, hoping to be the first European to win the US Open in 35 years, reefused to conceed defeat.
”I know I am quite capable of shooting 68 or 67. Who knows, 1-over, even par may have a really good chance, in fact will have a really good chance,” said the Englishman.
It was an equally gutsy performance from Gore, who plies his trade on the Nationwide Tour.
The 31-year-old Californian is unable to make a living from the PGA Tour but he refused to wilt when he was put under the spotlight here to finish level par for the championship and within reach of Goosen.
”We’re all freaking out and excited. You just have to keep it in perspective,” said Gore.
”I feel like I should belong and I haven’t proved it yet with my golf but deep down inside I think everybody out here feels like they belong. That’s the number one thing you’ve got to keep believing,” he added.
Browne gave an equally impressive performance as he too refused to go away.
The much-heralded playing duo of Vijay Singh and Sergo Garcia failed to keep it together on Pinehurst No. 2, the Spaniard finishing the day five-over for the championship and eight shots back – a near impossible mountain to climb on this course.
Singh is seven back and needing a total collapse by Goosen to have any chance.
Veteran Peter Jacobsen, only playing here because of his victory in the US Senior Open, scored a hole-in-one when his ball took once bounce on the green of the 175-yard ninth and dropped in the hole.
It allowed to finish the round in red figures. – Sapa-AFP