FARMINGDALE, N.Y. - The U.S. Open trophy was on display Monday morning. It remained anyone’s guess who would hoist it at day’s end.
The leaders were going the wrong way. So was nearly everyone else. (Click here for live leaderboard or here to watch live)
On Championship Monday, this marathon U.S. Open is far from over.
Lucas Glover held a one-shot lead through nine holes over a fast-fading Ricky Barnes at Bethpage Black. Glover dropped three shots to that point in his final round and was 4 under, one ahead of Barnes, who made four bogeys to continue his freefall that started Sunday afternoon.
Barnes — who led the championship by six shots at one point on Sunday — made four straight bogeys on the front side and spent more time in knee-high grass than on fairways.
Ross Fisher and Hunter Mahan, who lost the 2002 U.S. Amateur championship to Barnes, were at 2 under on the back nine. Phil Mickelson, through 11 holes, and Mike Weir were 1 under.
Mickelson got to 1 under by making birdie at the par-4 ninth, while Tiger Woods was even through 16.
Birdies were rare. Wind was everywhere. And mudballs — players’ biggest fear this rainy week — were increasingly common.
David Duval was in the middle of the fairway on the par-4 7th. His second shot turned dead left, sailing 40 yards past the gallery line and nestling behind a tree — adding to a frustrating day for the former world’s No. 1, who started tied for third place and then made triple-bogey at the par-3 third hole.
It was the harbinger of what lurked at Bethpage on Monday. Everyone was dropping shots.
Barnes threatened to make it a runaway on Sunday, getting to 11 under at one point. But he made bogey on six of the final 13 holes he completed before darkness suspended play, and didn’t really stem that trend Monday.
Mickelson, determined to bring a fairy-tale finish to a U.S. Open career filled with disappointment, made seven birdies in his third-round 69 that left him six shots behind. He has been the runner-up four times in the U.S. Open — three times in New York — and is desperate to bring a silver trophy of cheer home to his wife Amy, who is battling breast cancer and begins treatment July 1.
“I’m one good round away,” Mickelson said.
He wasn’t getting it Monday, though. Nor was Woods: The world’s No. 1 made a putt in the dark for birdie at the 7th hole just as play was stopped Sunday night.
Woods needed a perfect storm Monday, the combination of him making a bunch of birdies and the leaders making a bunch of mistakes. He only got one half of that equation.
“You have to play a great round of golf and get some help,” Woods said. “Obviously, it’s not totally in my control. Only thing I can control is whether I can play a good one or not.”
It was an unlikely duo in the final group. Forget leading: Barnes has only been within 10 shots of the lead after the third round of a PGA Tour event three times before in his career, and Glover has exactly one win on tour.
“I’ll take a lead in 54 holes after any event, let alone the U.S. Open,” Barnes said.
Glover proudly pointed out after 54 holes that he and Barnes were “playing better than everybody right now,” but was also quick to add that with the caliber of players lurking, someone was going to close the gap.
“There’s too many great players and the golf course is too good,” Glover said. “You know somebody is going to make a run.”
