AROUND THE GREENS
Can anyone repeat Johnny Miller’s round?
At the conclusion of his round Saturday, Australian Stuart Appleby, five shots behind leader Aaron Baddeley, said: “I’m going to have to have a Paul Casey sort of round” to win the Open. No offense to Casey’s second-round, 4-under-par 66, the best of just six rounds to beat par in the tournament, but Appleby is probably setting his sights too low. Chances are Englishman Ian Poulter had it right when he declared that in order to win, “I will have to shoot a Johnny Miller.”
That would be the 63 the current NBC analyst fired here in the 1973 Open, a final round some consider the finest played in a major championship. It might take something along those lines to beat Tiger Woods, even though he is in second place. Woods, by the way, played the best U.S. Open ever, according to Miller.
“The best performance in history was Tiger Woods at Pebble Beach (in the 2000 Open),” Miller said last week. “No doubt, the greatest performance ever in an Open.”
EYE ON…
Continental contender
What’s up: Also in a tie for third after a 2-over 72.
Bottom line: Casey has perhaps been the best player in the field during the past two days. Another contender without a major title, his big experience has been in the Ryder Cup, in which he was a powerhouse for Europe last fall. There are many who feel Casey is the player most likely to break the Continent’s eight- year drought in major- championship events. That might well turn out to be the case today.
Birdie binge fueling Furyk
What’s up: Birdied his final two holes Saturday to finish at 6-over-par 216, four shots behind leader Aaron Baddeley.
Bottom line: The 2003 U.S. Open champ, Furyk only recently fell from his perch as the world’s second-ranked player behind Tiger Woods, but his drought in golf’s biggest events has lasted much longer. Everyone says the Pennsylvania native is one of the toughest players on the tour. He could prove it today with a spectacular comeback.
Ames to please as new face
What’s up: In a tie for third place after shooting a third-round 73.
Bottom line: Although he’s yet to win a major championship, Ames may have what it takes to win. A year ago, he outclassed a stellar field to win The Players. Perhaps more importantly, with his cheeky, irreverent attitude, he’s one of the few players who’s not likely to get caught up in all the pressure that accompanies the final round of the U.S. Open
YOU CAN DO THIS
Browne, Kim caught doing 80
Play 18 holes without making a birdie? Sure, we’ve all been there – and so was Olin Browne on Saturday. The veteran shot a third-round 80 at the U.S. Open to fall from a tie for 19th to a tie for 50th. Make two birdies and still end up with 80? That was Anthony Kim’s day. The likely PGA Tour rookie of the year, right, is in a tie for 57th following his not-so-hot afternoon. Kim and Browne had the highest scores of the day.
YOU CAN’T DO THIS
Money on the greens
On treacherous undulating greens that can turn even the simplest-looking 3-footer into a roller-
coaster adventure, U.S. Open third-round leader Aaron Baddeley has putted just 85 times in 54 holes. The Australian is the only player among the 63 who made the cut without at least one round with 30 putts.
AT OAKMONT COUNTRY CLUB
Oakmont, Pa.
Purse: TBA ($6.8 million in 2006)
Yardage: 7,230; Par: 70 – 210
THIRD ROUND
Aaron Baddeley 72-70-70-212
Tiger Woods 71-74-69-214
Paul Casey 77-66-72-215
Stephen Ames 73-69-73-215
Justin Rose 71-71-73-215
Bubba Watson 70-71-74-215
Steve Stricker 75-73-68-216
Jim Furyk 71-75-70-216
Angel Cabrera 69-71-76-216
Stuart Appleby 74-72-71-217
David Toms 72-72-73-217
Niclas Fasth 71-71-75-217
Vijay Singh 71-77-70-218
Jeff Brehaut 73-75-70-218
Jerry Kelly 74-71-73-218
Scott Verplank 73-71-74-218
Tim Clark 72-76-71-219
Michael Putnam 73-74-72-219
Hunter Mahan 73-74-72-219
Mike Weir 74-72-73-219
Lee Janzen 73-73-73-219
Nick Dougherty 68-77-74-219
Carl Pettersson 72-72-75-219
Tom Pernice Jr. 72-72-75-219
Graeme McDowell 73-72-75-220
Nick O’Hern 76-74-71-221
Ian Poulter 72-77-72-221
Charl Schwartzel 75-73-73-221
Brandt Snedeker 71-73-77-221
Chris Dimarco 76-73-73-222
Ken Duke 74-75-73-222
Harrison Frazar 74-74-74-222
D.J. Brigman 74-74-74-222
Chad Campbell 73-72-77-222
Jeev Milkha Singh 75-75-73-223
John Rollins 75-74-74-223
Ernie Els 73-76-74-223
Fred Funk 71-78-74-223
Peter Hanson 71-74-78-223
Mathew Goggin 77-73-74-224
J.J. Henry 71-78-75-224
Pablo Martin 71-76-77-224
Boo Weekley 72-75-77-224
Geoff Ogilvy 71-75-78-224
Michael Campbell 73-77-75-225
Camilo Villegas 73-77-75-225
George McNeill 72-76-77-225
Shingo Katayama 72-74-79-225
Jason Dufner 71-75-79-225
Zach Johnson 76-74-76-226
Dean Wilson 76-74-76-226
Charles Howell III 76-73-77-226
Jose Maria Olazabal 70-78-78-226
Ben Curtis 71-77-78-226
Lee Westwood 72-75-79-226
Olin Browne 71-75-80-226
Bob Estes 75-75-77-227
Marcus Fraser 72-78-77-227
Kenneth Ferrie 74-76-77-227
Anthony Kim 74-73-80-227
Rory Sabbatini 73-77-78-228
Anders Hansen 71-79-79-229
Kevin Sutherland 74-76-79-229
