2010 U.S. Open Third Round This And That

I haven't been as enthralled watching golf in a long time as I was today seeing Ryo Ishikawa shape a low, cutting driver onto the fourth green, followed a few minutes later by Dustin Johnson driving the green with an iron, prompting the USGA's Mike Davis, who moved the tees up, to quip, "3-iron's not what I had in mind."

And one other observation before we get to a smattering of accounts from Saturday's play at Pebble Beach: Johnson and Graeme McDowell play the game as it should be: fast without hurrying. Or at least they did today. Let's see what happens tomorrow under pressure.

Doug Ferguson's AP lede:

Dustin Johnson plays his best at Pebble Beach no matter what month, no matter what stage.

Larry Dorman for the NY Times:

With echoes of the cheers from Tiger Woods’s back-nine charge still rolling over Pebble Beach Golf Links, Dustin Johnson grabbed the lead, kept his composure and birdied the final two holes at dusk to take a three-stroke lead over the overnight leader Graeme McDowell and a five-stroke lead over Woods into the final round of the 110th United States Open.

About that scene at No. 4, Randell Mell writes:

Johnson makes folks gape in wonder.   Ask all those spectators along the fourth hole Saturday at the U.S. Open.

That’s where Johnson reached the short par 4 with his tee shot.

He drove the green with an iron.

An iron.

Johnson crushed a 3-iron 290 yards to 5 feet to set up his eagle there.

Gene Wojciechowski does some California dreaming about Sunday's possibilities.

Bob Harig on the Dustin Johnson/Tiger dynamic.

Woods is still a player to be feared, and as he gets more rounds under his belt, more competition, he will become more of a threat again.

But the days of wilting in his presence, if they're not over, should be. Woods has proved to be fallible too many times, scandal or not.

"He's human, too," Johnson said. "I'm going to do my best not to let it affect me."

Ron Sirak on Saturday's setup:

Oddly, and totally consistent with his playful manner, Davis actually shortened Pebble Beach for the third round. The tee on No. 3 was moved up 34 paces and on No. 4 it was moved forward 40 paces, making both par-4s drivable. No. 7 played at 99 yards -- the shortest hole in modern U.S. Open history. All this did was mess with the heads of the players by giving them more decisions to make.

Cameron Morfit also chimed in:

Different is good, the marketers and politicians say, but when did the staid old USGA become Russell Brand? The organization used to be become Judge Smails. That hasn't been the case under wild-and-crazy guy Mike Davis, the 45-year-old former Pennsylvania junior state golf champion who is in his fifth year as senior director of rules and competitions.

Jim Achenbach is ready to blow up the 14th green:

The way it is, the hole often punishes golfers for no good reason. Balls bounce and roll crazily on the green, and players are left with no viable escape options from just off the putting surface.
For a major championship, that’s crazy.

Dave Kindred on Ryo Ishikawa's bright future despite Saturday's tough round.

Ishikawa came to the first tee Saturday -- pardon the movie stereotype here -- looking like one of those little, lean, lithe terrors who can spring into the air, do a backflip, land behind you, and kick you upside the head before you know he has moved. He wore all black, except for silver sunglasses. Suggestions of acne on his handsome face were the only hints he was still a kid though no one much past adolescence, save for the occasional aging rock star, cares to match Ishikawa's glorious mess of black hair rising in curls above his visor and falling to his collar.

And in the good karma department, you may recall Russell Henley's sweet gesture back on Monday (seems like a month ago). Well the amateur is not only vying for low am honors, but as Jonathan Heeter of the Macon paper tells us, Henley has a shot at getting an exemption next year.

“It’s surreal,” Henley said. “I don’t know how they know me or why they cheer for me. But it feels really good when people are pulling for you. I just wish I could let every one of them know how much this has meant to me.”

The energy Henley received from the crowds helped propel the 21-year-old amateur to his best round at the U.S. Open.

Henley shot a 1-over-par 72 on Saturday, and he is 6 over for the tournament. The top 15 finishers receive an exemption into next year’s U.S. Open, and he is in contention for that distinction.

And a few more images from the day...soak 'em up, because you won't see anything like this at Congressional next year. Just a lot of fogged up lens shots. Click on the images to enlarge.

Ernie Els on No. 4 Saturday.