OAKMONT, Pa. – Aaron Baddeley would like to make it two Australian U.S. Open winners in a row.
Baddeley, who made his first U.S. Open cut in three tries, entered yesterday in contention, just two shots off the lead at 2-over par. His countryman, Geoff Ogilvy, won the Open last year at Winged Foot.
“I feel like I have the tools,” Baddeley said. “I feel like I’ve got the game now to hit all the shots I need to hit to contend in a major. Before, I liked being in contention. Now, I feel like I can be in contention.
“It would be pretty cool to be the second Australian in a row to win,” Baddeley went on. “I’m comfortable with my game, and that makes it easier to stay patient. You just really have to think your way around the course. I’m comfortable with the putter now, and I’m going to keep it rolling toward the hole.”
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Another player who entered the day in contention yesterday was Bubba Watson, who’s one of the PGA Tour’s longest hitters. Watson, who’s never really come close to winning a major, played in the final group with leader Angel Cabrera yesterday.
Before yesterday’s round, Watson said he didn’t want to be considered any special story.
“I haven’t done anything yet,” Watson said. “It’s just Friday. I made the cut. If making the cut is a Cinderella story, yeah, I did that. You can call it [a Cinderella story] if I win the trophy.”
Watson, who’s a left-handed player from Bagdad, Fla., is a self-taught player who’s never taken formal lessons.
“My dad, who shot in the 80s every once in a while, taught me,” he said. “He’s right-handed so we used a mirror. He was the only one who really told me anything when I started the game. He told me just to hit it as hard as I can when I was a junior and then we’ll figure out the rest after that. That’s why I learned to hit far because I swung as hard as I could and had that long swing.”
Among the players Watson out-drives is Tiger Woods.
“I blast by him every time,” Watson said. “He always talks about his wins, and I always talk about how far I hit it. He doesn’t listen very much. He always talks about majors and all that stuff.”
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Mathew Goggin went off first in yesterday’s third round and, because of the odd number of players remaining in the field, played by himself in two hours and 57 minutes, shooting 74 to stand 14-over par for the tournament.
“I actually preferred to play by myself,” Goggin said. “I like to get into a rhythm. Playing by yourself is great.”
Goggin said he chose not to play with marker in case he got a good round going he could keep his rhythm.
He said he was “shocked at how many people” were already on the course watching the third round as he came through.
“It was shocking to me to be wandering around and all the bleachers were absolutely packed for the third three or four holes. They were all excited just to have anyone coming along, I think. It was an interesting experience.”
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South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel, who entered yesterday at 8-over, was asked how he stays patient in the grind of a U.S. Open.
“Count to 10,” he said. “I just try and forget about [bad things] as quickly as possible. If you want to get crushed, you’re going to get crushed. But then you must forget about it on the next shot. You can’t carry it over on this course or you’ll just keep losing shots. You take some deep breaths and off you go again.
“Everyone is losing shots; it’s not just you.”
Said Steve Stricker: “That’s the mental test of the tournament. You have to stay as positive as you can, and when you screw up, you need to put it behind you and keep plugging along.”
Paul Goydos, who missed the cut, said, “My patience is horrible. This golf course and the U.S. Open tests your patience. To me, the ultimate test is your patience.”
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USGA officials said they kept the green speeds the same as they were in the practice rounds. They said the firmest greens were Nos. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 13 and they were watered not only Friday night but yesterday morning.
The tee for No. 2 was moved up 26 yards to entice more players trying to driver the green, which was 325 yards away. No. 8, the long par-3, measured at 279 yards yesterday. No. 17 measured at only 305 yards yesterday, only 26 yards more than the par-3 8th.