US Open Golf 2012 – If Tiger Woods is to win his 15th major championship today, it will take an effort unlike Saturday’s third round play at the U.S. Open. And because of his spotty play, he will have to do something he hasn’t done in the previous 14 — come from behind.
Woods had his worst round as a 36-hole leader in a major, shooting a 5-over-par 75 on Saturday at The Olympic Club, leaving him five strokes behind leaders Graeme McDowell and Jim Furyk going into today’s final round.
Ranked No. 4 in the world, Woods dropped from a share of the lead to start the day into a tie for 14th.
Despite the seemingly tamer conditions, Woods shot his worst score of the week. After managing his game beautifully during the first two rounds, Woods struggled Saturday, making three bogeys among the first six holes and managing just one birdie.
“I’m just going to have to shoot a good round (today), post a number and see what happens,” Woods said. “There’s a bunch of guys with a chance, but it all depends on what they do with the golf course.”
Woods began the day tied with Furyk and David Toms (third-round 76) at 1 under, but he quickly gave away that stroke with a bogey at the first hole when he missed the fairway and couldn’t reach the green with his second shot. He also bogeyed Nos. 3 and 6, playing the vaunted six-hole opening stretch in 3 over. He had played those holes in even par during the first two rounds.
Woods’ only birdie didn’t come until the ninth hole. He failed to birdie the par-5 17th and then hit a poor chip shot on the par-4 18th, leading to a bogey
McDowell, who shot a 68 to finish at 1-under 209, won the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and would give Northern Ireland three consecutive victories in the championship. His countryman, Rory McIlroy, won the title last year.
Furyk shot an even-par 70 and also is striving for his second U.S. Open title. He won the tournament in 2003.
