Harrington chips into contention as McDowell battles with Furyk
Six shots off the pace starting the day, Dubliner Harrington looked out of the running when he failed to get up and down for pars at the second and sixth after finding rough off the tee.
The three-time major winner’s putter had been ice cold for two of his first three rounds, but it finally hotted up around the turn at the storied San Francisco Club, founded by Irish and Italian immigrants.
After getting up and down for a three from just short of the driveable seventh, he drained a 25-footer at the par-three eighth, his longest putt of the week, to get back to five over.
When he birdied the ninth to lie just four over par, he was tied for eighth and just five shots behind Furyk, who parred his first four holes to lead by a stroke from McDowell, who three-putted from just off the fringe at the par-three third to slip back to even par.
Harrington said at halfway that his goal was to get through the first 63 holes with his options intact. As he took on the back nine, he had a chance to set a formidable 72 holes target, with the leaders struggling to hold on.
Right on cue, the world No 94 chipped in from rough left of the par-three 13th for a two, roaring “you little beauty” to get back to three over and leave himself in position to set a formidable target for the leaders.
While McDowell bogeyed the fifth to drop to one over, Furyk sank a six footer for his par-four despite going over the green into a tough lie to lead by two from the Portrush man and two-time champion Ernie Els, who birdied the seventh to get back to one over par.
McDowell then dropped another shot at the sixth to slip back to two over par, leaving Furyk two clear of Webb Simpson, John Peterson and Ernie Els, with Harrington a shot further back.
England’s Lee Westwood lost a ball up a tree at the fifth and double bogeyed to fall back to four over.
But McDowell knew that he had enough holes in hand to steady the ship and having won the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach, he was chasing his second title safe in the knowledge that he had the talent to challenge for future majors.
As Tiger Woods’ title hopes sank in the first six holes with four bogeys and a double, McDowell knew before the start that he had the game to contend for future majors. The key was shaking off Saturday nerves and a mortal fear of failure to card a two under par 68 and join Furyk in a share of the 54 holes lead.
“I remember two years ago at Pebble, Saturday being a really difficult day for me, mentally and emotionally,” McDowell said of his third round. “I spent a little time with my caddie and my team just kind of talking about what we were trying to achieve today and got my head screwed back on again and realised today was trying to position for tomorrow. And really trying to go out and execute my game plan.”
The winning or losing of last night’s US Open will not change McDowell’s perception of himself as a player who can get the job done despite the odds, and McIlroy’s recent brush with golfing humanity will stand to him.
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