US Open success beckons five-time runner-up Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson of the United States walks up the 18th hole during Round Three of the 113th U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club on June 15, 2013 in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. (Getty Images)

Phil Mickelson has been chasing this dream all his professional life. ‘Lefty’ has clutched at his collection of five silver medals, swallowing his pride at not being able to take the final step.

The man from San Diego has a one stroke lead over Hunter Mahan, Charl Schwartzel and Steve Stricker. They are the only men at even or better at the 113^th US Open at this demanding East Course of the Merion Golf Club in Philadelphia. With the course rebutting every advance with a punishing slap, Mickelson is the only suitor remaining at under par.

At the start on Saturday, there were as many as 30 players separated by just five strokes. When time was called at the end of the third round there were just 10 of them left in the reckoning within five strokes of each other. At 46, Stricker could become the oldest US Open champion if he can keep the course and his own age at bay on Sunday.

The American had a 70 on Saturday to stay even for the week alongside Mahan and South African Schwartzel, both scoring 69 in the third round. Schwartzel was in line for a 67, but surrendered bogeys at 17 and 18 to end the day one stroke behind Mickelson. Mahan also made four birdies on the back nine, but he too gave away strokes on the final two holes to take a 69.

The high point for Mickelson came at the 254 yard par-3 17^th hole. Mickelson struck a four iron, almost to perfection, landing on the green, just enough to catch the slope and roll to within 15 feet of the pin. “It was one of the best shots I’ve ever hit,” said Mickelson, who went on to birdie the hole and take the lead at 2 under.

Meanwhile, Luke Donald, who till then was the outright leader seemed on course to the best round of the day. But then he found a left side bunker on the 17^th with his 2-iron to surrender a shot. It got worse on the 18^th, when the same club landed him in the thick rough to the right leading to a double bogey. Mickelson also lost a stroke on the 18^th but his one under 209 is the marker to beat going into Sunday.

The low round of the day belonged to Jason Day, who made a two under 68 to make some amends for the 74 in the second round. Day made five birdies, but his success was tempered by back-to-back bogeys at 5 and 6 and another at the 18^th hole.

The cut was set at 8 over, leaving 73 of the 156 starters contesting for the coveted title on Sunday. Dressed in crispy white tee, Tiger Woods was in business right away. The American laid up just short of the pin before reading the break to perfection to birdie the par-4 first hole. But the 14-time major champion hasn’t ever won a tournament when he over par after 36 holes. Was Merion about to change that for the man from Florida?

Tiger Woods of the United States reacts on the 18th green during Round Three of the 113th U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club on June 15, 2013 in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. (Getty Images)

Change it did, but it was for the worse, as the short game tormented the tiring genius, who hasn’t won a major since the 2008 US Open. Woods, who normally mounted his challenge on Saturday before pouncing on Sunday, was a picture of misery at the Merion Golf Club. He made seven bogies, even missing a couple of par putts from inside three feet.

Woods eventually settled for a disappointing 76 that left him ten strokes off the pace. “I didn’t make anything today,” admitted Woods. “I just couldn’t get a feel for them, some putts were slow, some were fast and I had a tough time getting my speed right.”

Just as his playing partner Tiger, Rory McIlroy opened with a birdie but then fell apart in a heap. Rory made bogeys on the four of the next five holes to sink his hopes in the Merion rough. The Irishman had a tame 75 to slip 9 strokes back of the leader.

“If you’re not on your game a hundred percent, you get on the wrong side of the greens and it’s just frightening because I didn’t feel like I played too badly,” said McIlroy who made only 8 birdies but suffered 16 bogeys this week. “I missed a few shots here and there, and I was trying on every shot out there and I was trying to get myself back into it, but it’s tough.”

He is only 20, but Korean-born American amateur Michael Kim from the University of California, is mixing it up with the big men around him to douse himself in an experience of historic proportions. When Kim birdied the 15^th hole, he was tapping on the heels of the leader and it seemed possible that he might emulate Jim Simons.

In the 1971 edition of the US Open, also at the Merion Club, Simons lead the board going into Sunday. It was a hundred years ago that Francis Ouimet recorded the first of seven instances when an amateur won the US Open. Bobby Jones did it an incredible four times, but no amateur has won it since 1933, when Johnny Goodman did so in Illinois.

As Kim looked up at the scorecard, the weight of history started to sink in and the young man wilted under the burden. A sequence of bogey, double and bogey followed to leave the top collegiate golfer lamenting his nerves for slipping five strokes off the pace.

“Nerves got the best of me (through) the last few holes,” confessed Kim, “I kind of went through that what if situation in my head. What if I won or what if I did this. I tried to snap back out of it, but I hit an awful tee shot on the next hole.”

Sunday is father’s day and Mickelson’s birthday and the five-time runner-up will have an opportunity to finally win his first US Open title. “It’s got the makings to be something special,” Mickelson said. “But I still have to go out and perform, and play some of my best golf.”

“It’s a hard challenge, but it’s a lot of fun,” Mickelson added. “Every shot requires such great focus because a penalty can bite you quickly. I can’t wait to get back and playing. I feel good ball-striking, I feel good on the greens. I think it’s going to take an under-par round tomorrow.”

You cannot argue with his experience, but history isn’t in Mickelson’s favour. In each of the four earlier editions of the Open at Merion the 54-hole leader failed to make it stick. Expect a cracking finale, which in all likelihood might only get decided at the difficult 17^th and 18^th holes.

Select Scores:

-1: Mickelson (US) Level: Mahan (US), Schwartzel (SA), Stricker (US)+1: Rose (Eng), Donald (Eng), Horschel (US)+2: Day (Aus)