If Payne Stewart needs any help chasing away overconfidence while carrying a four-stroke lead into the final round of the U.S. Open, he should consider this:
The three other times the Open was played at The Olympic Club, the third-round leaders were Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson - three men with a combined 24 major professional championships.Stewart should also consider this: All three finished second and none ever won another major title.
"It's not over by any means," Stewart said after shooting a solid 70 on Saturday to finish 54 holes at 3-under-par 207, four strokes better than Tom Lehman and Bob Tway. "If I should step on it a little bit I can let a lot of people back in the golf tournament."
But Stewart, who won the 1991 U.S. Open in a playoff with Scott Simpson after leading following every round and the 1989 PGA Championship, certainly has the pedigree to hold on.
"I've been here before," Stewart said. "I've done this. You've been a champion. There's no reason why you can't be a champion again."
Stewart played safely when he needed to and scrambled when he had to. He was the only player under par after three rounds on the firm, fast and frightening Lake Course.
Lehman, who pushed into contention with a 68 - tying Jim Furyk for the best round of the day - will play in the final group on Sunday for the fourth consecutive year at the U.S. Open, hoping this time he can get the job done after finishing third, second and third.
"I don't think it owes me one," Lehman said. "I think I owe myself one, though."
Nick Price and Lee Janzen were five strokes back going into Sunday at 212 while Steve Stricker, who gained ground with a 69, was at 213 along with Jeff Maggert.
On Saturday at The Olympic Club, Stewart and Lehman both displayed their major championship mettle while nearly everyone else in contention was pulling back with the relentlessness of the tide rushing out.
Janzen had a chance to be a lot closer to Stewart but made a double bogey on No. 17 for the second consecutive day as he shot a 73.
Stewart started his round with a 25-foot eagle putt and had a short birdie on No. 8 that balanced a bogey on the third hole and another bogey when he missed a 7-foot par putt on No. 9.
But four times - on Nos. 4, 5, 6 and 14 - he made a good two-putt from more than 30 feet while negotiating the Lake Course's steep sloping greens.
And he showed soft hands around the greens with consecutive good chips on Nos. 12 and 13 to save par and another one on the 17th hole to escape a bogey.
Lehman walked away from a roller-coaster round once again with a chance to win. He opened the round with three consecutive birdies, followed that with three consecutive bogeys then played two under the rest of the way, finishing with a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole.
Matt Kuchar, the 19-year-old amateur, hung tough for quite a while but slipped from the scene with four consecutive bogeys beginning at No. 14. He finished with a 76 to be at 215.
Tiger Woods shot a 71 and was at 7-over par 217. Casey Martin had a 74 and was at 219, while Masters champion Mark O'Meara shot a 78 and was at 224.
Defending champion Ernie Els shot a 75 and was at 220.
Because of fairways as narrow as a hotel hallway, rough so deep that players are happy merely to advance the ball and a lot of dogleg holes where position is more important than distance, the driver was virtually useless here.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Open leaderboard
Payne Stewart 66-71-70-207
Tom Lehman 68-75-68-211
Bob Tway 68-70-73-211
Nick Price 73-68-71-212
Lee Janzen 73-66-73-212
Steve Stricker 73-71-69-213
Jeff Maggert 69-69-75-213
Stewart Cink 73-68-73-214
Mark Carnevale 67-73-74-214
Jim Furyk 74-73-68-215
Lee Porter 72-67-76-215
a-Matt Kuchar 70-69-76-215