Simon Lewis, Bethpage
YOU had to feel more than a little nervous for Ricky Barnes as he went to bed last night.
After all, as he downed the last drop of his hot chocolate somewhere in New York and contemplated the 16.5 remaining holes of the most important round of his life, he is certain to have done so in the context of the previous day's work.
Sure, Barnes, a 28-year-old Californian, had ended the day as he started it, at the top of the leaderboard but between the bookends there was an awful lot of reading material to keep you awake into the wee small hours.
Such as having led a US Open by six shots after 45 holes, going into double digits under par for only the fifth time in the tournament's history.
Like bogeying the last hole of his third round with a two-putt from five feet to go in just one shot ahead of Lucas Glover.
And then returning to the first tee to start his final round and spraying his ball into the rough for what would lead to a bogey and the loss of his outright US Open lead to Glover.
Walking away from the second hole as the hooter sounded to call play for the day might have seen like merciful release in the circumstances yet it gave Barnes all last night to ponder his next shot, from thick rough, his ball deep in the mire after another nervy tee shot.
Best that Ricky didn't have a look at the leaderboard either as he tossed and turned wrestlessly through the dark hours.
Because if he did take a metaphorical look over his shoulder, he will have seen Messrs Mickleson and Woods coming into sight in the rear-view mirror.
Mickelson will be grinning from ear to ear, five shots adrift with 16 holes to play, plenty of time to get things mopped up so he can take wife Amy and kids on a pre-booked tropical holiday tonight ahead of her beginning treatment for breast cancer.
And two more shots in arrears, there is Woods, the defending champion, the world number one, the man who can get the ball in the hole on will power alone. Yes, Ricky, Tiger is looming and while you paced your bedroom floor, he was sleeping like a baby following a birdie on his last hole of the day.
It's still wide open. Simple as that, and even the boy wonder Rory McIlroy still thinks he has a chance from two over par.
“If I go out tomorrow morning and if I can get four birdies on the last eight holes, post two under par, you never know,” the 20-year-old Irishman said with all the optimism and confidence that wins you majors.
So wake up and smell the coffee Ricky. The cavalry is coming over the hill.
