US Open 2012 Standings: Day 3 Highlights, Top Contenders and More
The 2012 U.S. Open soars into the weekend with a tightly packed leaderboard, and Saturday promises to separate the pretenders from the contenders.
It's moving day, and at the Open that typically means the golfers who best cling on to par will soar up the leaderboard as the rest of the field puts up big numbers.
UPDATE: Saturday, June 16 at 10:40 p.m. ET by Richard Langford
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Golf is just far too predictable to be entertaining. Take this third round for example. Who couldn't see Jim Furyk dominating Tiger Woods in the day's final pairing, or 17-year-old Beau Hossler beating Tiger by five strokes?
Maybe this sport isn't predictable at all, and it definitely isn't at the U.S. Open, where even par is an absolutely fantastic score. Well it is fantastic score to everyone not named Jim Furyk or Graeme McDowell, who share the lead at one-under.
The pair has a two shot cushion as Nicolas Colsaerts is alone in second at one-over. There are 13 players withing four shots of the lead heading into Sunday, and another four just one shot back of that group, and those aren't just any four players.
That group includes Woods, Martin Kaymer, Retief Goosen and Matt Kuchar. No one would be shocked if any one of those guys got hot enough tomorrow to contend for this win.
You can check out the full leaderboard here.
Final Third Round Leaderboard
| T1 | J. Furyk | -1 | |
| T1 | G. McDowell | -1 | |
| 3 | N. Colsaerts | +1 | |
| T4 | F. Jacobson | +2 | |
| T4 | B. Adams | +2 | |
| T4 | E. Els | +2 | |
| T4 | L. Westwood | +2 | |
| T8 | K. Chappell | +3 | |
| T8 | J. Dufner | +3 | |
| T8 | J. Senden | +3 | |
| T8 | B. Hossler | +3 | |
| T8 | W. Simpson | +3 | |
| T8 | J. Peterson | +3 |
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UPDATE: Saturday, June 16 at 9:28 p.m. ET by Richard Langford
Jim Furyk is clinging to his lead. The meticulous player is even on the day, and he is the only player under par for the tournament.
The leaders are just now heading to the final stretch of holes, and it is wildly clear that this tournament is going to be up for grabs on Sunday.
There are currently 12 players within four shots of the lead. That group is diverse enough to contain Tiger Woods and 17-year-old Beau Hossler.
It does not include John Peterson. He is at four-over, and that number would be worse were it not for this amazing hole-in-one:
You can check out the full leaderboard here.
UPDATE: Saturday, June 16 at 8:32 p.m. ET by Richard Langford
Jim Furyk has battled his way back is now right back where he begin the day at one-under. Furyk bogeyed three of the first five to fall to one-over, but has since holed two birdies and he has the lead to his lonesome through 11 holes.
Long hitting Nicolas Colsaerts and 2010 US Open champ Graeme McDowell are a shot behind.
Ernie Els and Lee Westwood are the clubhouse leaders. Westwood fired a 67 on Saturday, and Els shot a 68 that was highlighted by this eagle on No. 17.
Tiger Woods is hanging in there, but he continues to be just a hair off. He is having a hard time with his distance and the surprisingly slowing greens. He is at two-over through 12 holes.
Third Round Leaderboard
| 1 | J. Furyk | 12 | -1 | |
| T2 | N. Colsaerts | 13 | E | |
| T2 | G. McDowell | 13 | E | |
| 4 | F. Jacobson | 17 | +1 | |
| T5 | T. Woods | 12 | +2 | |
| T5 | E. Els | F | +2 | |
| T5 | L. Westwood | F | +2 | |
| T8 | K. Chappell | F | +3 | |
| T8 | J. Dufner | 15 | +3 | |
| T8 | J. Senden | F | ||
| T8 | B. Hossler | 15 | +3 | |
| T8 | W. Simpson | F | +3 | |
| T8 | J. Peterson | 16 | +3 |
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UPDATE: Saturday, June 16 at 7:37 p.m. ET by Richard Langford
Tiger Woods is slipping, and he is not alone. There is not a single player left under par on this challenging course.
Woods bogeyed three of the first six holes to fall to +2. He is not playing badly, but he is enough off on his short game that he has left some strokes out there.
His playing partner Jim Furyk bogeyed two of the first challenging six holes, but bounced back with a birdie on No. 7 to take sole possession of the lead at even par.
Third Round Leaderboard
| 1 | J. Furyk | 7 | E | |
| T2 | F. Jacobson | 11 | +1 | |
| T2 | N. Colsaerts | 7 | +1 | |
| T2 | G. McDowell | 7 | +1 | |
| 5 | T. Woods | 7 | +2 | |
| T6 | M. Thompson | 8 | +3 | |
| T6 | J. Peterson | 7 | +2 | |
| T7 | K. Chappell | F | +3 | |
| T7 | L. Westwood | 15 | +3 | |
| T7 | B. Hossler | 10 | +3 | |
| T7 | W. Simpson | F | +3 |
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UPDATE: Saturday, June 16 at 6:48 p.m. ET by Richard Langford
Tiger Woods is not running away with this tournament. Woods, who had played the challenging first six holes of this course at even par in the first two rounds bogeyed two of the first three holes to fall to +1.
The greens are actually playing a little slower today and Tiger has struggled to find his tough. Although, he is not far off.
He isn't the only one struggling. Three players, Woods, Jim Furyk and David Toms, were under par through two rounds, and they all bogeyed the first hole.
Furyk is the only one who did not pick up two bogeys in the first three, and he now has the lead all to himself at even par.
You can check out the full leaderboard here.
Third Round Leaderboard
| 1 | J. Furyk | 3 | E | |
| T2 | T. Woods | 3 | +1 | |
| T2 | D. Toms | 4 | +1 | |
| T2 | G. McDowell | 5 | +1 | |
| T2 | N. Colsaerts | 4 | +1 | |
| T6 | F. Jacobson | 8 | +2 | |
| T6 | R. Jacquelin | 7 | +3 | |
| T8 | K. Chappell | 14 | +3 | |
| T8 | L. Westwood | 13 | +3 | |
| T8 | J. Peterson | 4 | +3 | |
| T8 | M. Thompson | 5 | +3 | |
| T8 | J. Dufner | 6 | +3 | |
| T8 | B. Hossler | 7 | +3 |
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UPDATE: Saturday, June 16 at 5:45 p.m. ET by Richard Langford
The top 10 are just starting to take the course. There have not been any big movers on the course yet, but in a setting this challenging, just being under par is enough to make a big move.
Michael Thompson just holed out on No. 1 on his third shot after his second shot landed in the first cut of rough on the long par four.
Thompson, who lead after the first round, instantly moved back to even-par.
Retief Goosen is also making a bit of noise. He is two-under through 10 holes and is not at +3 for the tournament.
Third Round Leaderboard
| T1 | J. Furyk | N/A | -1 | |
| T1 | T. Woods | N/A | -1 | |
| T1 | D. Toms | N/A | -1 | |
| 4 | M. Thompson | 1 | E | |
| T5 | J. Peterson | N/A | +1 | |
| T5 | N. Colsaerts | N/A | +1 | |
| T5 | G. McDowell | N/A | +1 | |
| 8 | B. Adams | N/A | +2 |
*Seven players are tied at +3
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UPDATE: Saturday, June 16 at 4:16 p.m. ET by Richard Langford
It does not appear that this course will be any easier on Saturday. With 45 golfers on the course, there are just eight golfers under par for the day, and Angel Cabrera is the only one who is more than one-under.
The Argentinean is two-under through 15 holes. He is now tied for 35th at +6 for the tournament.
This is going to be an exciting day. The weather is perfect, and the greens certainly have not softened up.
You can check out the full leaderboard here. We are still about 45 minutes before anyone from the top 10 begins their round.
Leaderboard After Second Round
| T1 | J. Furyk | -1 |
| T1 | T. Woods | -1 |
| T1 | D. Toms | -1 |
| T4 | J. Peterson | +1 |
| T4 | N. Colsaerts | +1 |
| T4 | G. McDowell | +1 |
| T4 | M. Thompson | +1 |
| 8 | B. Adams | +2 |
*Nine players are tied at +3
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Round 3 begins with 28 golfers within five strokes of the lead. Of course, there is one player sitting atop the leaderboard, tied with two others at -1, who everyone will be anxiously watching to see if he can make Sunday a one-man redemption party.
After shooting a 70 and 69 on this par-70 course, Jim Furyk and his funky swing could run away with this tournament like he did in 2003 when he captured his only major championship.
What? You aren't anticipating Furyk's round? Well, I suppose this is understandable since Furyk is tied with a little-known American, Tiger Woods.
Woods is striking the ball beautifully and with confidence, and while David Toms and Furyk have so far kept pace with the icon, he is most definitely the man to beat.
Who knows what the future holds in this tournament, though. After all, the Olympic Club is the same site that saw Arnold Palmer blow a seven-stroke lead Sunday at the Open, and this course can quickly destroy a score.
The co-leading threesome has a one-shot cushion as they are the only players for the tournament that are not over par. A group of four, led by 2010 U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell, sit at +1.
Woods will be paired with Furyk as the day's final group. They are scheduled to begin play at 6:05 p.m. ET.
Kevin Streelman and Bo Van Pelt get the Day 3 action underway at 3:15 p.m. ET. Feel free to check out all the tee times here.
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