Golf World - June 25, 2012

Woods (left) bogeyed the first and last holes of the day; Westwood celebrates a birdie to finish off his third round.

Timeline By Ryan Herrington

10: 15 a.m.

Television producer Mark Harrowell and USGA museum director Robert Williams have commandeered a small trailer near the practice green to conduct interviews with several veteran golf journalists for a four-part documentary about the history of the Open. It will air next spring prior to the 100th anniversary of Francis Ouimet’s landmark victory at The Country Club in 1913.

2: 52 p.m.

On ESPN Radio, analyst Curtis Strange says, “The greens here at Oakmont are getting very hard and fast.” The mix-up is a little understandable, some of the putting surfaces at Olympic Club’s Lake course are, to use a description later given by Jim Furyk, getting “glossy,” something the other U.S. Open site is always known for.

Westwood makes a long putt for birdie on the 18th to close out at 67. A share of the day’s low mark will move him from T- 29 to T- 4. It’s the sixth time since 2008 that Westwood has been within six strokes of the lead after the third round of a major.

11: 42 a.m.

Myles Mason stands in line at the American Express tent to pick up a earpiece that transmits an ESPN Radio feed that fans could listen to while walking the course. As he walks away, Mason sees that the booth also is offering 10-minute playing lessons. Turning to the next guy in line, he notes. “It’s going to take a lot longer than 10 minutes to fix my swing.”

3: 10 p.m.

Innocence sounds something like the voice of Peter Mackee. The 4-year-old is with his father, Lars, in the grandstand behind the second hole, watching Graeme McDowell finish up play. As the Ulsterman walks to the third tee, Peter breaks the silence with a tiny “Go G-Mac.” McDowell turns and gives the boy a thumbs-up.

5: 24 p.m.

In a tournament still looking for a defining shot, Ernie Els’ chip-in on the par- 5 17th for eagle might fit the bill. The 3 gets the two-time Open champion into a share of fourth place and secures him a lead role in Sunday’s final-round drama.

3: 18 p.m.

Tiger Woods’ play at the arduous par- 4 first hole is a harbinger of things to come. Paired with Furyk in the day’s last twosome, Woods hits a poor drive into the left rough, lays up on his second shot then wedges to 10 feet. But he misses the par putt. When Furyk also makes bogey, it’s the first time since early Thursday morning that no player is under par for the championship.

5: 47 p.m.

Call it an early Father’s Day present. John Peterson makes an ace on the 180-yard 13th hole with a 7-iron, exulting after the hole-in-one that puts him just two off the lead. En route to the green, Peterson is greeted by his dad, who comes inside the ropes to congratulate his son.

12: 57 p.m.

A trio of teenage girls wait near a crosswalk on the 16th hole and watch Texas sophomore-to-be Jordan Spieth pass by. Staring at him as he continues down the fairway, one of them turns to her friends and says, “I’ll pay you $20 if you ask him whether he has a girlfriend.”

1: 56 p.m.

Players will eventually acknowledge that today’s round will be the best of the four for scoring. Casey Wittenberg shows the afternoon groups that a low number is possible by posting a 67 in the sixth twosome off the first tee.

4: 25 p.m.

Among the large group walking inside the ropes following Furyk and Woods is Fred Couples. The 1992 Masters champ will walk the whole round watching the pairing (which includes Woods’ caddie, Joe LaCava, Couples’ longtime looper), but the 52-year-old has no regrets about not being in the field. “Too hard,” he says.

6: 10 p.m.

Brother and sister Russ and Trish Hinzy, spectators on the 14th hole, are going old school. The duo has a pair of cardboard periscopes bearing “The Open” insignias that they purchased for $5 in 1975 during the U.S. Open at Medinah CC. The viewing devices have now been to seven U. S. Opens: three at Olympic Club (1987, 1998, 2012), two at Medinah (1975 and 1990), and one each at Hazeltine National (1991) and Olympia Fields (2003).

2: 40 p.m.

All around Olympic Club fans have acknowledged Phil Mickelson’s 42nd birthday with impromptu renditions of “Happy Birthday.” Still, Lefty’s time in San Francisco hasn’t necessarily been much of a treat. With a third-round 71, Mickelson fails to post an even-par or better score in any of the first three rounds for the first time in a U. S. Open in which he has made the cut since the championship last came to the Bay Area in 1998.

4: 50 p.m.

One of those watching the final pairing around the seventh green is San Francisco mayor Ed Lee. An avid 16-handicap- per who plays at TPC Harding Park most weekends, Lee is happy to be at Olympic Club, where he hosts an annual fundraising event that benefits a local hospital.

6: 46 p.m.

Furyk’s perfect five-for-five mark in getting up and down from bunkers comes to an end when he bogeys the 16th hole after hitting his approach on the difficult par 5 into the sand. Still, by day’s end Furyk will be tied with McDowell at one-under 209 and be playing with him Sunday for the third time in four days.