Stewart Still in Fashion at the Open

Payne Stewart doesn’t know if he is going to hang on and win the U.S. Open today. He doesn’t know how nervous he is going to be and he doesn’t know if a four-shot lead can stand up at the Olympic Club under pressure so suffocating and hot it could melt the titanium right off your club head and turn it into a pile of goo.

What Stewart does know is the clothes he’s going to wear. You know, first things first.

So on the occasion of what could be his second U.S. Open championship, Stewart has chosen a long-sleeved blue tartan shirt, navy blue knickers, white socks, white shoes and a blue cap.

Is this guy dressed for success or what?

Maybe, but after three rounds at Olympic, it’s clear that Stewart feels the place is tailored for him. His third-round 70 Saturday increased his lead from one shot to four and left him the only player in the field with a 54-hole total under par.

Tom Lehman, the perennial U.S. Open challenger, and Bob Tway, who said Stewart shouldn’t feel too comfortable, are the closest to Stewart at one-over 211. Next are Nick Price and Lee Janzen, who haven’t gone away yet and are five shots back at 212. The only others within six shots of Stewart are Steve Stricker and Jeff Maggert, tied for sixth at 213.

At this point, they’re all chasing Stewart, whose distinctive plus-fours have made nearly as big a statement as his golf game for three rounds in some of the most difficult conditions the U.S. Open has conjured up in a while. Stewart’s rounds of 66-71-70 for three-under 207 are downright remarkable, mostly because he’s been just about the only player who hasn’t felt like plowing Olympic under and turning it into a vineyard or something.

It’s just a very difficult place to play golf. Any guesses why?

“These fairways look like they’re an inch wide,” Lehman said.

This is not very comforting. The rough is bad enough, but Saturday’s sun and the wind dried out the fairways and that meant golf balls rolled off them so fast they must have been allergic to mown grass. Only three players in the field of 60 shot rounds in the 60s--Lehman and Jim Furyk with 68 and Stricker with 69.

Compared to this place, Alcatraz was a health spa.

“This course doesn’t turn men into boys, it turns men into children,” Chris Perry said.

Somehow, Stewart has persevered, even prospered. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t let Olympic know he’s scared of it. He eagled the first hole after his five-iron second shot stopped 18 feet from the hole and he sank the putt.

It’s a good start, Stewart agreed.

“It’s wonderful,” he said.

He dropped a shot at No. 3 when he bunkered a six-iron and didn’t birdie another hole after he rolled in a two-foot putt at No. 8, but none of that mattered because most everyone else was in full-scale retreat.

Stewart’s closest pursuers after 36 holes had their problems--Maggert shot a 75 and Tway a 73. That left the door open for Lehman to get closer, which he did, basically because that’s what he always does at the Open.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Lehman begins the fourth round in the final group. The other three years, he was leading, but finished third, tied for second and third again. As for retribution, Lehman isn’t interested, really.

“I don’t think the Open owes me anything,” he said. “I think I owe myself one.”

Stewart already has a U.S. Open trophy, the one he won in 1991 at Hazeltine, where he either led or was tied for the lead after every round. Stewart, who has led all three rounds this time, could be the first wire-to-wire winner since Tony Jacklin in 1970.

For that reason and because funny things keep happening at the Open, Janzen said every player in the field would sleep better Saturday night than Stewart.

Judging from Stewart’s post-round remarks, he didn’t exactly sound on edge. He grinned at Bee Stewart, his mother, as she listened from her chair in the front row.

“How does Lee know how I’m gonna’ sleep?” Stewart said. “As long as my mother doesn’t snore, I’ll be all right.”

Stewart was asked what advice a player chasing him should follow.

“You want me to tell them what to think?”

Yeah, let them figure it out for themselves. Stewart already has done his mental homework on what he’s going to do for himself and the plan is pretty simple: Don’t get psyched out and just keep on doing what he has been doing.

“I’ve got to go out and take care of Payne Stewart. I can’t worry about Tom Lehman. Since we can’t play defense in this game, I’ve got to worry about Payne Stewart.”

We’ll see if Payne Stewart follows Payne Stewart’s advice.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

U.S. OPEN

At Olympic Club Lake Course, San Francisco

Par 70, 54-Hole Scores

THE LEADERS

Payne Stewart: 66-71-70--207 -3

Tom Lehman: 68-75-68--211 +1

Bob Tway: 68-70-73--211 +1

Nick Price: 73-68-71--212 +2

Lee Janzen: 73-66-73--212 +2

Steve Stricker: 73-71-69--213 +3

Jeff Maggert: 69-69-75--213 +3

*

* RANDY HARVEY: C7