T1. T. Woods: -1 (36 holes):
T1. J. Furyk: -1 (36)
T1. D. Toms: -1 (36)
4. M. Thompson: Even (37)
T5. G. McDowell (NIR): +1 (37)
T5. N. Colsaerts (BEL): +1 (37)
T5. J. Peterson: +1 (36)
More comments below as events warrant.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
U.S. Open: Day 3
All over the East Coast, the Middle-Aged men of America are settling down for an evening of Golf With Tiger. Mr. Woods just teed off on the first hole. Here is what the leaderboard looked like at 3 P.M. PDT:
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Olympic is kind of a goofy course. The first six holes are incredibly difficult. The next 10 holes are reasonably difficult. The last two holes are pretty easy. So basically, you want to survive the first six holes, then make up ground the rest of the way.
ReplyDeleteTiger and Jim Furyk, playing together in the last group, are both in trouble on the first hole. Tiger hit a bad drive and was forced to lay up on this long par 4. Furyk's second shot missed the green and bounded down a hill.
Toms bogeyed the first hole, so he's fallen back to even par for the tournament.
ReplyDeleteFuryk cannot get up and down on the first hole, and he takes a bogey to fall back to even.
ReplyDeleteTiger bogeys the 247-yd part 3 third hole. He's now two over for the day and one over for the tournament.
ReplyDeleteFuryk rams in a four-footer for par on the third hole and now holds the undisputed lead at Even par.
ReplyDeleteFuryk's drive on the 423-yd par 4 fourth hole goes off into the rough.
ReplyDeleteTiger's drive goes straight down the middle of the fairway.
By the way, Number3Son was right about the Yankees. The Yanks beat Natstown 7-2 last night, and beat them today 5-3 in 14 innings.
ReplyDeleteFuryk hits a great approach shot out of the rough, and he and Tiger will both be putting for birdie on 4.
ReplyDeleteTiger and Furyk both safely lag their birdie putts close to the hole, and they are both happy to walk away with pars.
ReplyDeleteToms bogeys the fifth hole to fall back to 2 over par.
ReplyDeleteThe leaderboard at 4 PM PDT:
ReplyDelete1. J. Furyk: Even (40 holes)
T2. F. Jacobson (SWE): +1 (45)
T2. G. McDowell (NIR): +1 (41)
T2. N. Colsaerts (BEL): +1 (41)
T2. T. Woods: +1 (40)
The Euros are starting to roll now. Jacobson, McDowell, and Colsaerts are all playing very well, while Tiger and Furyk have both missed the fifth green, and will have to get up and down for par.
ReplyDeleteColsaerts pars the sixth for his sixth par in a row. He's safely through the roughest part of the course, and now he should be in good shape.
ReplyDeleteMcDowell also played the first six holes in even par, while Jacobson is 2 under through 9. That's why they're moving up the board.
ReplyDeleteOn the 268-yd 7th, a short par 4 designed to attract risky shots, McDowell booms a drive that bounds through the green and settles in the back rough.
ReplyDeleteColsaerts lays up, which draws groans from the huge gallery.
Furyk cannot get up and down from the rough next to the fifth green, and he takes a birdie to fall back to 1 over par.
ReplyDeleteWoods hit a great shot from the bunker, and makes a nervy three-footer to save par.
We now have a five-way tie for the lead: Furyk, Woods, McDowell, Colsaerts, and Jacobson.
After laying up on 7, Colsaerts hits a very mediocre pitch shot, and leaves himself about 30 feet away from the hole.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, in the College World Series, Arkansas leads Kent State 5-1 through 7.
ReplyDeleteFuryk makes par on 6, so he plays the testing first six holes in two over par. He's one over for the tournament and still tied for first.
ReplyDeleteBut Tiger takes another bogey. He's three over for the day, two over for the tournament, and one shot behind Furyk, McDowell, and Colsaerts, who are tied for first. Jacobson has also fallen out of the lead and is tied with Tiger at 2 over.
Furyk's drive on the short par-4 7th lands in a greenside bunker. He hits a nice shot and will have a decent birdie putt.
ReplyDeleteTiger also drives into a greenside bunker, but he does not have a good shot. His sand blast goes well past the hole, and he will have a long putt for birdie.
Colsaerts and McDowell each par the 8th hole, for their eighth pars of the day. They remain tied for the lead with Furyk.
ReplyDeleteTiger's birdie putt on 7 comes up short, and he taps in for a par to remain at 2 over par.
ReplyDeleteFuryk rolls in his birdie putt! He move to even par for the tournament, and now he has the lead by himself.
Meanwhile, Mr. Beau Hossler, the 17-year-old amateur, has made it through the first 10 holes. He is still going quite well -- he's three over for the tournament, only three shots off the lead.
ReplyDeleteMcDowell's string of pars could be at risk. His drive on the par-4 ninth has soared off into the woods bordering the fairway.
ReplyDeleteColsaerts whacks his drive on 9 off into the rough on the left side of the fairway.
Meanwhile, Jacobson makes a great bunker shot to save par on the 13th and remain at 2 over.
I should point out that Webb Simpson and Kevin Chappell have each shot 68 today, and they are sitting in the clubhouse with scores of 3 over par. They should be in good shape by the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteArkansas wraps up an easy 8-1 win over Kent State. The Razorbacks will await the winner of the evening game between South Carolina and Florida.
ReplyDeleteFuryk comes to the 188-yd 8th hole, and puts his tee shot safely on the green.
ReplyDeleteWoods makes the enormous crowd sitting on the slopes around 8 wait for awhile with his warm-up swings, and then hits a six-iron that rolls about 20 feet past the cup.
Up on 9, McDowell's ball has to go between two big trees just to get onto the fairway. His shot goes all the way through the fairway and lands in the rough around the 10th tee.
ReplyDeleteColsaerts's shot from the rough lands on the fringe of the 9th green, so he should be able to save par.
But now another European has entered the mix. Lee Westwood holes a long birdie putt on 18 to post the low round of the day -- a 67. He is now only 2 over par for the tournament -- tied with Tiger Woods and only two shots behind Jim Furyk.
ReplyDeleteTiger's putt on 8 was more like 30-40 feet than 20 feet. He gives it a nice run, but it never breaks and slides just past the hole.
ReplyDeleteFuryk's birdie putt is never quite on line, but it leaves him a near tap-in for par, which is what you want at the National Open.
ReplyDeleteTiger, who continues to struggle with little putts, misses the three-footer he left himself with his birdie attempt. He takes his fourth bogey in 8 holes. He's now three over for the tournament, three shots off the lead. Traditionally, the third round was Tiger's best round in majors, but he has been terrible so far today.
ReplyDeleteColsaerts saves his par for 9 -- he's out in 34, with 9 pars in a row.
ReplyDeleteMcDowell cannot get up and down from the rough, and he takes his first bogey of the day to fall back to two over par. He's out in 35, one over for the day.
Furyk's drive on nine bounces out of the fairway into the left rough.
ReplyDeleteTiger whacks a driver, but it soars far off into the rough. He's going to be out of contention pretty soon at this rate.
Lee Westwood, who will probably be in the lead at the end of the day, is sitting with Bob Costas watching everyone else's struggles. He looks quite pleased with himself, as well he should.
ReplyDeleteLeaderboard at 5 PM PDT:
ReplyDelete1. J. Furyk: Even (44 holes)
2. N. Colsaerts (BEL): +1 (45)
T3. L. Westwood (ENG): +2 (54)
T3. F. Jacobson (SWE): +2 (50)
T3. G. McDowell (NIR): +2 (45)
T3. T. Woods: +2 (44)
Tiger hits a tremendous pitch from the rough on nine and leaves himself with a decent birdie chance.
ReplyDeleteMcDowell hits a spectacular approach to 10 and should have an easy birdie.
On 10, Colsaerts makes his 10th straight par to remain 1 over, one shot off the lead.
ReplyDeleteThe 5 PM leaderboard was not correct; Tiger was at 3 over after 8 holes, not 2 over. But Tiger rolls in his birdie putt on 9, so now he is 2 over again. He goes out in 37, three over par.
ReplyDeleteFuryk knocks in a par to remain at even for the tournament. He plays the front nine in 35, one over par.
McDowell makes his birdie on 10, and he's back to one over for the tournament -- tied with Colsaerts and only one shot behind Furyk.
ReplyDeleteReferring to Colsaerts, the commentators on NBC point out that no one from Continental Europe has ever won the U.S. Open.
ReplyDeleteJohnny Miller tells us that Tiger has been crushing his drives on the par-4 10th, and Tiger promptly steps up and crushes a perfect drive right down the fairway.
ReplyDeleteFuryk's drive on 10 bounces through the fairway and goes just into the left rough. But he has a nice lie.
ReplyDeleteTo recap: Furyk leads at even par. Colsaerts and McDowell are tied at one over. Woods, Westwood, and Jacobson are tied at two over. Mr. Beau Hossler is only one over for the day and four over for the tournament.
ReplyDeleteFuryk's shot to the 10th green puts him safely in the middle of the putting surface.
ReplyDeleteNow Tiger is only 118 yards away, so he will really want to get this one clse. But he's off by about a club length, and comes up well short of Furyk's effort. He'll be at least 40 feet away for birdie.
McDowell misses a short birdie putt on 11 and remains at 1 over.
ReplyDeleteJason Dufner, who's just been hanging around, birdies the 13th hole to move to 2 over.
And Mr. Beau Hossler holes a long birdie putt on 14! He's now three over for the tournament.
Colsaerts's streak of pars is over. He makes a birdie on the 10th hole to move into a tie for the lead with Furyk.
ReplyDeleteAnd now Ernie Els, of all people, CHIPS IN FOR AN EAGLE on 17. Now he's two over par, tied with Woods, Westwood, Jacobson, and Dufner.
Good night, what a tournament.
Furyk pars 10 to remain in a tie with Colsaerts at even par.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't said anything about Els because he started with a 75. But he shot 69 yesterday and is two under so far today. Tomorrow he will be teeing off with the leaders.
ReplyDeleteTiger makes his par putt on 10 to stay at 2 over. This his drive on the par-4 11th goes off into the rough.
ReplyDeleteFuryk hits a perfect drive right down the middle on 11.
To recap: Furyk and Colsaerts are tied at even. McDowell is at one over. And Woods, Westwood, Els, Dufner, and Jacobson are tied at two over.
ReplyDeleteOn 15, Mr. Hossler had a great chance at birdie that would have moved him to two over, but he just misses.
ReplyDeleteOn 14, Dufner makes bogey to fall back to three over.
ReplyDeleteOn 11, Tiger is in the rough, 127 yards from the hole. He waits to make sure no one is about to tee off. Then he lofts a pitch shot that comes up just short of the green. For some reason, his approach shots keep coming up short.
ReplyDeleteFuryk hits a nice approach to the 11th green, and he'll have a decent chance for birdie.
ReplyDeleteColsaerts pars the 12th to remain at even par.
ReplyDeleteTiger pars the 11th to remain at plus two.
Els was this close to birdieing the 18th hole. But he settles with a par. He shoots 68 for the day, and is two over for the tournament.
ReplyDeleteBut then Furyk rolls in his birdie putt on 11 to retake the outright lead at one under par. He's one shot ahead of Colsaerts and two shots ahead of McDowell.
ReplyDeleteFrom the left rough on 12, Tiger is 196 yards from the green. He whacks a wonderful shot that lands short of the green and bounces nicely on.
ReplyDeleteBut McDowell rolls in a birdie on 13. He and Colsaerts are now both at even par, only one shot behind Furyk.
And now Furyk is in trouble. From the middle of the 12th fairway, his approach shot sails off into a greenside bunker. He will have to get up and down to retain the outright lead.
ReplyDeleteJacobson birdies the 17th and now he's only one over par. The only folks left at two over now are Woods, Westwood, and Els.
ReplyDeleteSee what a funky course this is? The first six holes are absurdly difficult, but then the course just gets easier and easier.
ReplyDeleteJohn Peterson, a 23-year-old who went to LSU, was one over after two rounds but played the first 12 holes today in four over. With his tournament chances seemingly over, he came to the par-3 13th, and MADE A HOLE IN ONE. He moves back to three over for the tournament.
ReplyDeleteFuryk makes a great up and down to save par on 12 and remain at 1 under par, a stroke ahead of Colsaerts and McDowell.
ReplyDeleteTiger pars 12 to remain 2 over, three shots off the lead.
ReplyDeleteNow Furyk and Woods are at the par-3 13th. Furyk has the honors, and his shot rolls nicely down the green, leaving him with a decent chance for birdie.
ReplyDeleteTiger has an 8-iron. His shot looks to be right online, but once again he has misjudged the distance and he lands at the front of the green.
Jacobson hits a great approach to the 18th hole, and he has an excellent chance to make another birdie that would get him to even par.
ReplyDeleteNow your commentator is taking a break to enjoy some Vanilla Fudge Twirl ice cream.
ReplyDeleteYeah!
DeleteI got to have cake at my great niece's ninth birthday party Saturday. It was excellent.
Leaderboard at 6 PM PDT:
ReplyDelete1. J. Furyk: -1 (49 holes)
T2. G. McDowell (NIR): Even (50)
T2. N. Colsaerts (BEL): Even (50)
4. F. Jacobson (SWE): +1 (54)
T5. L. Westwood (ENG): +2 (54)
T5. E. Els (RSA): +2 (54)
T5. T. Woods: +2 (49)
OK, back from ice cream.
ReplyDeleteJacobson missed his birdie putt on 18, and had to settle for par. He shoots a very nice 68.
Colsaerts made his first bogey of the day on the 107-yard 15th hole. He falls back to one over par, in a tie for third with Jacobson.
Furyk's approach shot on 14 has gone off into a bunker, and he will have to get up and down to save par.
Furyk does save par on 14, and he retains his lead at one under par. Woods also pars 14 to remain two over par.
ReplyDeleteMr. Beau Hossler receives a stupendous cheer as he comes up the 18th fairway. He gives his birdie putt a nice run, but it slides past. He cards a 70 for the day, and he is three over par for the tournament -- only four shots off the lead. The crowd goes wild.
ReplyDeleteNow Furyk and Woods are playing the 15th, a very odd 107-yard par 3 with the hole right at the front of the green.
ReplyDeleteFuryk makes a nice pitch, and he'll have a 15-foot birdie putt.
Tiger, who has been coming up short all day, now goes too far, and lands in the middle of the green, with very little chance for birdie. He cannot get his approach shots close to the pin today.
Meanwhile, McDowell and Colsaerts are playing the longest hole in U.S. Open history. The 16th hole is a 670(!)-yard par 5 -- the first par five the golfers have seen all day.
ReplyDeleteMcDowell is safely on after three very long shots.
Tiger's long birdie putt on 15 is just slightly offline, and he makes another par to stay at two over.
ReplyDeleteOn 16, Colsaerts misses the green with his third shot. He's in a greenside bunker.
Now Furyk for a birdie to take a two shot lead. He spends a lot of time over this very important putt. Finally, he rolls it -- but he misread it, and the ball slides by on the left. He taps in to remain at 1 under par.
ReplyDeleteTo recap:
ReplyDeleteFuryk is one under.
McDowell is even.
Colsaerts and Jacobson are one over.
Woods, Westwood, and Els are two over.
Dufner misses a birdie putt on 18. He finishes with a 70 for the day, and he's part of the log-jam at three over par.
ReplyDeleteOn the massive par-5 16, Furyk's drive goes off into the rough.
ReplyDeleteTiger waits a long time over his tee shot, and then hits a bad drive, off into the trees.
Colsaerts cannot get up and down from the bunker on 16, and he falls back to two over.
ReplyDeleteMcDowell makes par, and heads to the last two holes -- both of which are birdie opportunities -- at even par for the tournament.
On 16, Tiger catches a break -- he has a pathway through the trees. He whams a line drive back into the fairway.
ReplyDeleteFuryk's drive on 16 is buried in the rough. He has to hack out, and he will have a very long third shot to the green.
ReplyDeleteFuryk cannot reach the green on 16. He is in another greenside bunker, and he will have to get up and down once more.
ReplyDeleteTiger was 246 yards from the 16th green after his second shot. He gives it a good whack, but he also ends up in a greenside bunker.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, McDowell and Colsaerts are very slowly working their way down the par-5 17th. After three shots, neither of them is likely to make bogey or birdie.
ReplyDeleteFuryk's bunker shot on 16 leaves him with a 15-footer for par.
ReplyDeleteTiger tries to hole his bunker shot -- and almost does -- but the ball runs well past, and he will probably make another bogey.
McDowell pars 17 to remain at even par.
ReplyDeleteColsaerts rolls his birdie putt well past, but makes a nice putt to save his par. He stays at 2 over.
Tiger is no longer two over. He hasn't made a long putt all day, and he doesn't make this one either.
Furyk also misses his par putt, and he falls back into a tie with McDowell at even par.
Update:
ReplyDeleteT1. Furyk and McDowell are tied at even par.
3. Jacobson is one over.
T4. Westwood, Els, and Colsaerts are two over.
T7. Woods and six others (including Mr. Beau Hossler) are three over.
Blake Adams, who has been drifting around just out of sight of the leaders all day, birdies the 18th hole to finish with a 70. He is now part of the group at two over.
ReplyDeleteColsaerts hits his approach shot on 18 to the middle of the green.
ReplyDeleteThe 18th hole is a 344-yard par 4, where your approach shot comes out of a valley to a green that sits on top of a very dramatic hill. McDowell plays it perfectly, flying his shot to within about five feet of the hole. If he makes that he will have the outright lead.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Tiger is standing in the fairway of the 522-yard par 5 17th, desperately needing a birdie. But he puts his shot into a bunker, and he will have another struggle to save par. He will be glad when this round is over.
ReplyDeleteMcDowell, looking very much like the next U.S. Open champion, calmly knocks in his birdie putt on 18. He finishes with what appeared to be a very easy 68, two under for the day. He is now one under for the tournament, and he has the lead to himself.
ReplyDeleteFuryk, trying to match McDowell with a birdie on 17, runs his second shot to the back of the green. He will need to get down in two to regain the lead.
Coelsaerts pars 18 to finish with a 71 for the day. He is two over for the tournament, three shots off the lead.
ReplyDeleteTiger blasts out with his third shot on 17, and he reaches the edge of the green. He will likely make another par -- but he really needed a birdie.
ReplyDeleteFuryk has a 71-foot putt for eagle on 17. He gets it tantalizingly close, but it rolls about nine feet past. He'll have that for birdie.
ReplyDeleteDavid Toms finishes with a 76. He's five over for the tournament, and he will not be your U.S. Open champion.
ReplyDeleteTiger misses his birdie putt, and takes par on the easiest hole on the course. He's still three over, four shots off the lead.
ReplyDeleteNow Furyk lines up his birdie chance, seeking to tie McDowell. It looks more like 15 feet now that I see it again -- that was not a great effort from the back of the green. But he strokes it right into the hole! He is now tied with McDowell at 1 under.
Furyk's drive on 18 goes right down the middle.
ReplyDeleteTiger's drive on 18 also goes down the middle. For the most part, his driving has been pretty good. But he has not hit a good approach shot or made a long putt all day.
Tiger's approach shot to 18 lands in the rough right next to the green. His approach shots have been dreadful today.
ReplyDeleteFuryk's approach lands safely in the middle of the green, but he has very little chance for birdie.
So the 2003 National Open winner (Furyk) and the 2010 National Open winner (McDowell) will battle for the title tomorrow, with a whole host of folks behind them.
ReplyDeleteSomething goes horribly wrong with Tiger's chip shot. He agonized over it for a long time, making me think he had a bad lie, and then he just simply duffs it, just barely getting the ball onto the green. He will finish with another bogey -- his sixth of the day.
ReplyDeleteFuryk settles for par. He goes out in 35, comes home in 35, and finishes with an even-par round of 70. He is one under par for the tournament, tied for the lead with McDowell.
ReplyDeleteTiger, as expected, takes another bogey. He goes out in 37, comes home in 38, and finishes with a five-over par round of 75. He is four over par for the tournament, five shots off the lead, and mired in a tie for 14th place. His bid for the U.S. Open is probably over.
This was great to come back and read today--thanks for posting it. I ended up listening to most of this round on ESPN Radio while driving back from Jasper, Ind., to Madisonville. We came straight down U.S. 231, crossed the new bridge east of Owensboro, then tooled around Owensboro for a while before going south on U.S. 431 through Utica, Livia and to Livermore, and then sort of following noses back through Rumsey and Sacramento. It was a beautiful route.
ReplyDeleteBut, man, was it disappointing to listen to Tiger's round fall apart. I did get to watch the last couple of holes on TV, and that, of course, was none too fun either. And then there was that weird scene as Tiger stomped alone off the 18th green. I flipped by the Golf Channel late to see pictures of Woods on a dim putting green with some coach. That's a bad Saturday of golf right there.
But I am happy for Jim Furyk of West Chester, Penn., and Graeme McDowell of Portrush, Northern Ireland, and I think this afternoon's finale will be a lot of fun.