The US Open 2009 - Round Three
Day Three at Bethpage Black For the Second Golf Major of the Year
Jun 21, 2009
Most of the players started their Round Three yesterday completing four or five holes before play was stopped as the rain returned to Bethpage Black golf course rendering the greens far too wet for play to continue. The question today is whether the three leaders, Ricky Barnes, Lucas Glover and Mike Weir can maintain their advantage over the rest of the field.
Tiger Woods at The US Open
Tiger Woods is a long way back and he is missing putts and it seems unlikely he will be a threat. Lee Westwood has started his final round well and is -2 after four holes and -4 for the championship. There are no signs of any nerves from Barnes and Glover in the final group and Barnes holes a curvy twenty foot putt for eagle on the fourth to increase his breathing space.
Glover drops four shots in three holes between six and eight and Barnes goes to six ahead as the leaders approach the turn. Hunter Mahan is -3 for his round and the only player from the pack heading north. Ross Fisher and Graeme McDowell are both playing solid and maintaining their positions in the pack. The first sign of trouble for Barnes comes at the seventh which he bogeys to go back to -10. He the drops two more shots at ten and twelve to give some hope to the rest of the field.
Lee Westwood was looking to be a real threat but has dropped six shots in eleven holes between five and fifteen and finishing at +2, it seems his challenge has come to an end. The feeling before the start of Round three was could Barnes and Glover could stay at the top. They have found it easier than Mike Weir who slips from -7 to -3 after ten holes.
Phil Mickelson Threatens at The US Open
Phil Mickelson is threatening at The US Open despite a mixed round as his last six holes yield four birdies including a final forty foot putt at the eighteenth and he ends at -2 and could be in with a real chance. The noise of the crowd celebrating Mickelson’s success will reverberate around the course and may affect the confidence of the leaders in the run in.
Ross Fisher has played really well and finally holes a putt for birdie at eighteen to get to -3. Retief Goosen with two 68’s in Round’s two and three has climbed onto the first page of the leader board. David Duval has a mixed round and fights back well to -3 and will go out in the penultimate group in Round four of The US Open. It has been a low key Round three, waiting for the stumble from the leaders that has not come. It may have been more likely to come if some of the big names had attacked from the pack.
Will Ricky Barnes Nerve Hold
Ricky Barnes rolls in a putt on the 17th for birdie to get back to -9. He drops a shot, missing a relatively easy putt on eighteen, but both him and Glover get round in 70 to maintain their pre-round position. Barnes, at -8, is five shots ahead of Ross Fisher and David Duval in joint third. Will Ricky Barnes nerve hold out for a second onslaught from the pack. Mickelson is six off the lead, Goosen seven and Woods nine.
See also:
The US Open 2009 - Round Three
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