Tiger has to tough it out

Tiger Woods remains firmly on course to take another step towards golf’s first-ever Grand Slam of all four majors in one year.

But that simple fact does not tell anything like the full story of an electrifying third round at the United States Open at Bethpage Black on New York’s Long Island.

Nick Faldo ignited it with a 66 - the lowest round of the week and of his entire US Open career.

Phil Mickelson caught the mood, charging from 10 behind Woods after six holes to only two back 11 holes later.

And then, while the world No 2 finished with a bogey that might yet cost him dear, Sergio Garcia took the chance to set up his first-ever major championship head-to-head with Woods by climbing back into second place.

But Woods woke up just in time to re-establish a commanding lead, two birdies in the last four holes lifting him four clear of Garcia on the five-under-par mark of 205.

‘‘I worked my butt off,’’ said Woods. ‘‘I didn’t play great, but I hung in there and that’s what you have to do. This is the United States Open, a major championship.

‘‘They moved a couple of tees forward and with the course softer after all the rain the guys were able to shoot lower.

‘‘I’ve never played before a more vocal crowd for all 18 holes. It’s going to be tough for Sergio and me tomorrow - we’re going to have to be focused and take care of business.’’

Garcia returned a 67 despite some barracking - an expected response to comments he made after his third round about the weather, about the fans and about Woods getting preferential treatment from officials.

‘‘I could handle it,’’ said Garcia of the noise. ‘‘Everything was OK and I’m really glad to be playing with Tiger.

‘‘I can’t wait to get started and see if I play as well as I did today. If I do I give myself a chance. We will see what happens.’’

The Spaniard’s comments centred over the decision to continue play on Friday when many parts of Bethpage Black were becoming flooded.

He said he thought things would have been called off if Woods was out on the course at the time,

but it smacked of sour grapes and a little immaturity, following as it did a round of 74 that left him seven adrift.

His words had not escaped the attention of the fans right from the start. One shouted out: ‘‘Stop whining and play some golf’’, another asked him ‘‘How’s the weather?’’

They were also happy to draw attention to his habit of endlessly re-gripping the club before he hits.

‘‘Hit it,’’ yelled one and from the other side of the fairway came: ‘‘While we’re young!’’

The 22-year-old Spaniard, second to Woods at the 1999 US PGA, will be fired up for the final round and his latest attempt to win his first major - one that would make him the first European since Tony Jacklin in 1970 to take the US Open.

But with Woods’ record of never having thrown away a last-day lead in major championship golf it is a brave man who bets against him doing it from four ahead.

Mickelson and Jeff Maggert, first man not to have a bogey on his card all week, share third place on level par.

Then come Australian Robert Allenby, Billy Mayfair and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, whose 73 had to disappoint him after moving into second place on day two.

Faldo is one further back, not quite far enough to write off a possibility of a seventh major for the 44-year-old.

But he was simply delighted to produce what he described as his best round since the closing 67 in the 1996 Masters which brought him from six behind Greg Norman to a five-shot win.