Phil Mickelson, bidding for his third straight major title, fired a one-under 69 on Saturday to seize a share of the third-round US Open lead along with England’s Kenneth Ferrie.
It’s not exactly the Mickelson-Tiger Woods duel scripted for Sunday.
The 27-year-old Ferrie, a two-time winner on the European tour, is playing in his first US Open and just his fourth major championship.
But he kept his head on a brutally difficult Winged Foot West course — where Woods failed to make the cut — emerging with a one-over 71 to join Mickelson on two-over 212.
The last time the US Open produced an over-par 54-hole lead was in 1974, a tournament immortalised as the ”Massacre at Winged Foot”.
The 7 264-yard, par-70 Winged Foot West course hasn’t produced a massacre so far this year, but it has produced a chillingly stern test of golf.
Mickelson’s was one of only two sub-par rounds on Saturday.
Starting four shots off the lead, he had three bogeys and two birdies on his outward run, and added two birdies coming home.
”The only place I’d rather be is leading by a few shots,” Mickelson said. ”But I fought hard on the back nine to give myself a chance.
”The front nine I didn’t drive it well,” he added. ”I hit two good tee shots at four and six and made two birdies. The back nine it kind of came together.”
That could be bad news for the rest of the field, although Mickelson said that given the rigours of the course, any number of players on the crowded leaderboard could walk away with the trophy.
”There’s a lot of guys that are right there within three, four, five shots,” he said. ”Man, if they shoot something under par, that’s going to be a tough score to beat.”
Ferrie’s outward run included an eagle at the par-five fifth that moved him to one-under — tied at that point with overnight leader Steve Stricker.
A bogey at the ninth put him even for the tournament, and he also dropped a shot at 13 to come to 18 at one-over with a one-shot lead.
He fell into a tie with Mickelson with a three-putt bogey after an approach that left him in a poor position about 30 feet from the pin.
The second putt, he said, ”kind of bounced and bobbled away. It was a sad way to end the round.”
Even so, Ferrie gave himself the opportunity to become the first European since Tony Jacklin in 1970 to win the US Open. However, the last player to win the US Open on his first appearance was Francis Ouimet in 1913.
”It’s something I haven’t done before, contend in a major,” he said. ”It’s going to be an experience — hopefully a good one.”
Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy had sole possession of third place after a 72 for 213. It was two shots back to a group of four players sharing fourth place on five-over 215. They included Stricker, who whose six-over 76 included a double-bogey at the 458-yard par-four 14th.
Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie, who started the day one shot behind Stricker, also finished on 215, with his greatest troubles coming right at the start.
Montgomery was five-over through his first four holes after three bogeys and a double-bogey at the 216-yard par-three third.
England’s Ian Poulter and Fiji’s Vijay Singh both shot 70 for 215.
After three birdies and three bogeys, Singh parred the final five holes to solidify his position.
Poulter was heading for an even better finish before a double-bogey at the last.
”I hit the shot I wanted to hit on 18, it was a yard short,” he said. ”I hit a good golf shot, and that’s what I have to take into tomorrow.”
They were followed by 2003 US Open champion Jim Furyk (74), former Masters champion Mike Weir of Canada and Ireland’s Padriag Harrington.
Both Weir and Harrington also fell afoul of the 18th.
Weir’s double-bogey there derailed a potential sub-par round, and he finished with a one-over 71. Harrington took a triple-bogey seven to complete a 74.
Five more players shared 11th place on 217.
They included Sweden’s Peter Hedblom, whose 71 included a hole-in-one at the third.
England’s Luke Donald, followed up a superb second-round 69 with an even-par 70 for 217. Also at seven-over were South African Trevor Immelman, Bart Bryant and Arron Oberholser.
Japan’s Ryuji Imada, whose 69 was Saturday’s other sub-par round, led a group on 218, jumping from a tie for 53rd to a tie for 16th with his early morning effort. – AFP
