 | US OPEN R3 LEADERBOARD US unless stated
-3 Retief Goosen (SA)
Level Jason Gore, Olin Browne
+1 Michael Campbell (NZ), Mark Hensby (Aus)
+2 David Toms
+3 Peter Hedblom (Swe), Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood (Eng), KJ Choi (Kor)
+4 Peter Jacobsen, Arron Oberholser, Steve Allan (Aus), Vijay Singh (Fij) |
Defending champion Retief Goosen leads the 105th US Open by three shots going into the final day at Pinehurst. The South African fired a one-under 69 to reach three under on a day when the slick greens made scoring tough.
Unsung Americans Olin Browne (72) and Jason Gore (72) ended on level par with Kiwi Michael Campbell (71) and Mark Hensby (72) one over.
Tiger Woods carded a 72 for three over, with Phil Mickelson (72) eight over and Ernie Els (72) nine over.
Fiji's Vijay Singh failed to make a birdie in his round of 74, leaving him seven shots behind.
World number five Goosen, bidding to become the first player since Curtis Strange in 1989 to win back-to-back US Opens, shared the overnight lead with Gore and Browne at two under.
And as his less illustrious colleagues dropped back early on, the 36-year-old maintained his serene march towards a third title, going two clear by the 11th before he was briefly derailed by a double bogey on 13.
Gore, ranked 818th in the world and not even a member of the US Tour, inherited the lead at one under but made his own double at 14 as Goosen fired two straight birdies to surge clear before chipping in at the last.
|  I don't know why I am suddenly doing well in this particular event |
"You're going to quickly make bogey, double bogey on this course," said Goosen.
"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."
Goosen, who missed the cut at Pinehurst in 1999 after a second round 82, added: "I don't know why I am suddenly doing well in this particular event.
"It's all about saving pars and making the right putts. It's a grind and it's just who makes the least mistakes.
"I'm fairly comfortable and confident giving myself a chance out there to win it."
Browne, 300th in the world, fell away before finishing strongly with two birdies in his last four holes.
Former USPGA champion David Toms took 70 for two over, while Sweden's Peter Hedblom, who qualified via an eagle, birdie, birdie, birdie finish at Walton Heath, added a 70 to his second-round 66 to stay three over.
Hedblom was in a group with England's Lee Westwood (73) and Korea's KJ Choi (74).
Nine-time major winner Woods dropped shots at the first and third and had to wait until the 11th for his first birdie.
 Tiger is six shots adrift |
He handed the shot back at the 12th before parring his way in, and will have to come from behind for the first time in a major if he is to win at Pinehurst.
"It's a grind out there," said Woods. "You have to hit quality shots. I hit the ball really well and had only two good looks at birdies."
American veteran Peter Jacobsen fired a hole-in-one at the 175-yard ninth hole en route to a 69 - only the second player behind Goosen to break par - and four over.
The 51-year-old former Ryder Cup player, who earned a spot in the field with victory in last year's US Seniors Open, would be the oldest winner of a major.
"As it left the club it was right on line," said Jacobsen, who featured in the film "Tin Cup" with Kevin Costner.
"At first I thought it might have hit the flag and gone over, but the fans then raised their arms like 'touchdown'.
"If I said I thought I could win coming in here I'd be lying, but I thought I could make the cut."
MMIX
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