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Third Round of the U.S. Open Becomes Battle for Par Third Round of the U.S. Open Becomes Battle for Par
(35 minutes later)
After a week of weather woes and doubts about the course’s worthiness, the United States Open at Merion Golf Club on Saturday looked a lot like any other Open: a bunched-up leader board full of players struggling to keep par in their sights.After a week of weather woes and doubts about the course’s worthiness, the United States Open at Merion Golf Club on Saturday looked a lot like any other Open: a bunched-up leader board full of players struggling to keep par in their sights.
The third-round contenders quickly began contesting what looked like a pack race of tortoises. The moves were small and slow — largely because the pace of play, already slow, became glacial — and reaching under par felt like nirvana. Through 10 holes, Charl Schwartzel had shuffled to the lead at two under. Luke Donald pulled alongside with a birdie on No. 10. The third-round contenders quickly began contesting what looked like a pack race of tortoises. The moves were small and slow — largely because the pace of play, already slow, became glacial — and reaching under par felt like nirvana. Through 15 holes, Charl Schwartzel had shuffled to the lead at two under and was saving pars left and right. Luke Donald pulled alongside with a birdie on No. 10 and stuck there for a bit.
Phil Mickelson was finally riling up the crowd with two straight birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 to pull himself back to one under. He had started the day as one of only two players under par after two rounds but two early bogeys had dropped him back. He was playing against type and going the conservative route to most holes, but could not get any putts to drop until after he made the turn.Phil Mickelson was finally riling up the crowd with two straight birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 to pull himself back to one under. He had started the day as one of only two players under par after two rounds but two early bogeys had dropped him back. He was playing against type and going the conservative route to most holes, but could not get any putts to drop until after he made the turn.
The back nine was starting to yield some birdies. Hunter Mahan put together three — on Nos. 10, 12 and 13 — to join Mickelson a shade under par. A stroke behind them was Justin Rose, who nearly snagged an eagle on the par-4 No. 10, but a birdie was enough to get him to even par. The back nine was starting to yield some birdies. Hunter Mahan put together three — on Nos. 10, 12 and 13 — to join Mickelson a shade under par. Justin Rose, who nearly snagged an eagle on the par-4 No. 10, used a birdie on that hole and another on No. 13 to make it a threesome at one under.
A pack at one over included Michael Kim, the 19-year-old amateur who plays for the University of California. He was surging with four birdies on the back nine, but a bogey on No. 16 stopped his momentum. A pack at even par had, at one point, included Michael Kim, the 19-year-old amateur who plays for the University of California. He was surging with four birdies on the back nine, but a bogey on No. 16 turned him the other way. A double bogey on No. 17 and a bogey on the final hole pushed him back to four over.
Despite doubts that Merion was no longer long enough or tough enough to provide the prototypical (read: punishing) Open test, the going has been anything but easy. The waves of rain that inundated the course all week did not succeed in turning the greens into spongy welcome mats, as some feared, but they did add a layer of squishiness to the rough, only deepening its ball-swallowing potential.Despite doubts that Merion was no longer long enough or tough enough to provide the prototypical (read: punishing) Open test, the going has been anything but easy. The waves of rain that inundated the course all week did not succeed in turning the greens into spongy welcome mats, as some feared, but they did add a layer of squishiness to the rough, only deepening its ball-swallowing potential.
The early holes did yield a few birdies. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, playing together for a third straight day after they each finished the second round at three over par, both walked off No. 1 with birdies. Both quickly found trouble on subsequent holes. McIlroy drove into trouble and took bogeys on both Nos. 2 and 3, and Woods joined him with a bogey on No. 3 and his backward spiral had begun. Woods carded five bogeys and sat at seven over through 15. The early holes did yield a few birdies. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, playing together for a third straight day after they each finished the second round at three over par, both walked off No. 1 with birdies. Both quickly found trouble on subsequent holes. McIlroy drove into trouble and took bogeys on both Nos. 2 and 3, and Woods joined him with a bogey on No. 3 and his backward spiral had begun. Woods carded six bogeys — including a short par putt that rimmed out on No. 16 — and sat at eight over through 17 holes.
Charley Hoffman, who finished his second round in disastrous fashion with a triple bogey on the par-4 No. 10, managed two birdies in his first four holes to push himself to two over. The second one came on the par-5 No. 4, when he played his third shot out of a water hazard by taking off his shoes, rolling up his pants and chipping in his fourth shot from off the green for the birdie. Edward Loar used an eagle on the par-5 second to reach two over as well. He then added a birdie on No. 5 to get to one over. Charley Hoffman, who finished his second round in disastrous fashion with a triple bogey on the par-4 No. 10, managed two birdies in his first four holes to push himself to two over. The second one came on the par-5 No. 4, when he played his third shot out of a water hazard by taking off his shoes, rolling up his pants and chipping in his fourth shot from off the green for the birdie.He finished up at six over.
Nicolas Colsaerts had an adventurous start to his round, going from a double bogey on No. 1 to an eagle on No. 2 to a bogey on No. 3. He settled in at two over.Nicolas Colsaerts had an adventurous start to his round, going from a double bogey on No. 1 to an eagle on No. 2 to a bogey on No. 3. He settled in at two over.
Saturday’s king of calamity was Sergio Garcia, who barely made the cut and played several holes worth of golf on No. 15. He hit three balls out of bounds and walked off with a 10. That sent him skyrocketing to 14 over par.Saturday’s king of calamity was Sergio Garcia, who barely made the cut and played several holes worth of golf on No. 15. He hit three balls out of bounds and walked off with a 10. That sent him skyrocketing to 14 over par.
While Woods grabs his share of attention in his effort to break his major tournament drought, Mickelson is also trying to break a drought. He has never won the United States Open despite five second-place finishes, most recently in 2009. The tournament does not naturally suit his high-risk, high-reward game because Open courses rarely reward risk.While Woods grabs his share of attention in his effort to break his major tournament drought, Mickelson is also trying to break a drought. He has never won the United States Open despite five second-place finishes, most recently in 2009. The tournament does not naturally suit his high-risk, high-reward game because Open courses rarely reward risk.
And Merion has followed that trend nicely despite all the hand-wringing.And Merion has followed that trend nicely despite all the hand-wringing.