A Wild Goosen Chase Instead of Tiger Hunt

You wanted an open U.S. Open?

Well, this one is barn-door open.

Imagine a world in which Tiger Woods became a tax accountant and did not hog headlines and haul off with every trophy; a world in which a half-dozen or so players scrapped four times a year with a legitimate shot at winning each of golf’s major championships.

This is the week.

Woods shot a respectable one-under 69 on Saturday at Southern Hills in the 101st U.S. Open, yet he was not within two area codes of the lead story.

Woods made up no ground, remains nine shots back of the leaders and tied for 23rd.

Into the void, with this opportunity so rare, stepped Stewart Cink and Retief Goosen, who share the 54-hole lead at five-under 205.

That’s right, Cink and Goosen.

Cink is famous for being David Duval’s teammate at Georgia Tech and Goosen, from South Africa, is best known for having survived a lightning strike.

The question today for Goosen, who shot one-under 69 Saturday: Can lightning strike twice?

Lurking one shot back at four-under 206 is a threesome of Mark Brooks, Sergio Garcia and Rocco Mediate.

Phil Mickelson is two shots behind after shooting two-under 68, and Paul Azinger and Duval are within range at even-par 210.

Only six players enter today’s final round under par, a testament to a grounds crew that has squeezed the life out of the course.

Cink recovered from a bogey-double bogey start to finish with three-under 67. Goosen has been at least a co-leader after each round.

Let’s face it: Golf is easier when Woods isn’t on the leaderboard.

A major hasn’t been this up for grabs, it seems, since Tiger left Stanford.

“It’s almost like he’s got that karma on his side,” Cink said. “I’ve seen players that make mistakes when Tiger is near the lead. I can’t say if that’s because of some mental activity that’s going on or if it’s just coincidental.”

Mickelson and Duval, two golf superstars who have benefited least from Woods’ domination, will have to blame someone else if they don’t win this tournament.

Both players desperately seek their first major title, and this is the high ground where it can be taken.

Mickelson did the better job of stepping up, his two-under 68 putting him in prime position.

You think Phil wants it?

He has finished second three times on tour this year and third four times.

He’s getting the reputation of not being a deal closer.

“I haven’t been as tough on Sundays and as greedy on Sundays to win the title,” Mickelson said. “But there’s only one U.S. Open and tomorrow I won’t take it for granted.”

It was a typical Mickelson round--all over the lot.

He turned an eight-foot eagle opportunity on No. 13 into a three-putt par--a make would have tied him for the lead at five under.

He then birdied No. 14, made bogey at No. 15, made birdie at No. 17 before whacking his second shot at 18 into the rough and leaving with a bogey.

Duval didn’t make the most of his day.

The tightly wound player started the day at one under and finished even after shooting one-over 71.

Meanwhile, way back on the Tiger beat, Woods sits four-over 214.

His chances of winning his fifth consecutive major title are just about zilch.

Are they not?

“I guess everybody at four over’s got a shot,” Mickelson said after hearing Woods’ score.

Reality says not even Woods passes 22 players.

Woods thinks he has played himself into “anything can happen” range.

“Well, yeah, anybody that’s within 10 shots of the lead can still win the tournament,” Woods said.

Tiger knows his history. Paul Lawrie rallied from 10 shots back on the final day to win the 1999 British Open.

Then again, Lawrie needed some historic help from the French folder, Jean Van de Velde, who is not in this year’s U.S. Open field.

The U.S. Open come-from-behind benchmark was established by Arnold Palmer, who rallied from seven shots down to win at Cherry Hills in 1960.

“I’m not that far behind,” Woods insisted. “In a U.S. Open that’s not really as much as you might think. If I was playing in the Bob Hope, eight back, you’re not looking too good.”

It was an excruciating day for Woods, desperate to make up ground after rounds of 74-71. The 74 was Woods’ highest round since he shot 75 in the opening round of the 2000 Masters.

Saturday, Woods flirted with a round in the low 60s, but ended up staging an ugly off-Broadway version of bye-bye birdie.

He lipped a birdie putt on No. 3, rolled a 20-foot birdie chance just left on the cup on No. 4.

A birdie putt on the par-three sixth trickled wide right. Same story on the par-five 13th (wide right) and the par-four 16th (wide right).

“It could have been a really good one,” Woods said of his round. “I hit a lot of good putts that grazed the edge. I think it could have been four or five shots lower. But that’s the way it goes.”

Woods would like to air-strafe the No. 9 hole, a 374-yard par four he has played three over for three rounds.

Woods’ play this week only underscores what an unfathomable run he has been on.

He had won the last four majors with a cumulative score of 65-under par.

Fact is, winning is not as easy as Woods has made it look and defending the U.S. Open title has been next to impossible--only Ben Hogan and Curtis Strange have done it since 1950.

Since 1991, no champion has finished higher than 40th in defense. Three winners missed the cut the following year.

“I play for wins,” Woods said. “And, unfortunately, you don’t win that many times in our sport. Your winning percentage is very low. When you do win, it does feel pretty good.”

This week, for a change, someone else is going to know the feeling.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

THE LEADERS

Retief Goosen: 66-70-69--205 -5

Stewart Cink: 69-69-67--205 -5

Rocco Mediate: 71-68-67--206 -4

Mark Brooks: 72-64-70--206 -4

Sergio Garcia: 70-68-68--206 -4

Phil Mickelson: 70-69-68--207 -3

David Duval: 70-69--71--210 E

Paul Azinger: 74-67-69--210 E

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Complete Scores: D12

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ALSO

Those Are the Rules: Unusual two-stroke penalty means that Lee Janzen misses the cut by one stroke. D12

Leaders’ Scorecards: D12

Tee Times: D12

TV: Ch. 4, 10:30 a.m.