Dustin Johnson birdied the last two holes to seize a three-shot lead at the US Open golf championship as a resurgent Tiger Woods positioned himself to strike today. Johnson, winner of the last two editions of the US PGA Tour's National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach, showed his prowess on a course toughened up to US Open standards with a five-under 66 for a six-under total of 207. He was three shots in front of overnight leader Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, who wrestled Johnson for the lead all day but bogeyed two of the last three holes in an even-par 71 for 210.
Both had Woods looming large behind them. The 14-time major champion nabbed three of his eight birdies in the last three holes en route to a 66 that made made him one of just three players under par heading into the final round on one-under 212. Woods made good on his assertion that his seven-shot second-round deficit would still allow him to strike on the weekend. Woods made five birdies with no bogeys on the back nine and gave himself a chance at eagle at 18 as he moved to one-under par 212 for the tournament.
"It was nice to actually put it together on the back nine and put myself right back in the championship," Woods said. "And everyone was just so excited and fired up that it was just a great atmosphere to play in front of." The 14-time major champion, whose season has been disrupted by scandal and injury, strode the fairways with his old swagger as the birdies piled up on the back nine. "All the US Opens - all the ones that I've won, you have to have a nice stretch of nine holes, and that's what I did today," said Woods, whose three US Open titles include a record 15-stroke victory here at Pebble Beach in 2000.
He rolled in a curling birdie putt at the par-three 17th - the hardest hole on the course through the first two rounds - and lifted his right arm as the gallery roared. "Today I hit shots the way I know I can hit shots," Woods said. "The putt on 17 was a joke. I'm just trying to get it close and walk out of there. And it happened to go in." At the par-five 18th he cut his second shot around a tree, peering ahead after the shot to see if his plan panned out. When he saw it had, he pumped his fist and headed toward the green with a grin.
It was quite a turnaround from the early going, when Woods birdied two of his first three holes. "I just felt good that I turned it around," said Woods, who gave a glimpse of things to come with three straight birdies from the fourth. Woods had been so far off the halfway lead that he was off the course long before Johnson and McDowell's duel ended. McDowell built quickly on his two-shot overnight lead with birdies at the first two holes.
But Johnson, one of four tied for second coming in, kept pace with an eagle at the par-four fourth. Birdies at six and seven saw Johnson briefly move atop the leaderboard at five-under. But McDowell, who had dropped to four-under with a bogey at the third, was back on top through nine - where he birdied and Johnson bogeyed. They swapped and shared the lead on the back nine, Johnson seizing a two-shot lead when he birdied 17th as McDowell bogeyed.
France's Gregory Havret fired a two-under 69 to join South African Ernie Els on even-par 213. Els, one of four players tied for second on one-under when the day began, posted a one-over 72. Phil Mickelson, who seized a share of second with a sparkling 66 on Friday, battled to a two-over 73 for 214. It was two strokes back to Japan's Ryo Ishikawa (75), Germany's Alex Cejka (74) and South African Tim Clark (72).
*AFP
