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Sunday Running Updates

Ricky Barnes is begun his fourth round. However, an ominous note about his recent play. He's bogey five of his last 12 holes. The first hole, which begins off an elevated tee, didn't start on a great note. He drove in the rough, then sent next shot to front of green. He ultimately ended up bogeying the hole. Lucas Glover needed just a 4-foot putt for par. The two are tied.

Fourth Round Setup

6:50 p.m. - The fourth round course setup is as follows:

Green Speeds - mid to high 13s (greens were rolled this afternoon during gap between the last group from round 3 and the start of round 4). They were not mown due to extremely wet conditions.

The hole-by-hole notes are as follows:

Hole 3 - 238 yards (back teeing ground)

Hole 5 - back teeing ground used

Hole 6 - very front of forward teeing ground (33 paces up) allowing for choice off tee

Hole 7 - penultimate teeing ground (489 yards) again used due to wet conditions and forecasted north winds (head wind)on this afternoon and tomorrow

Hole 8 - 226 yards - back teeing to back right hole location; tee markers set right to bring oak into play (should play into north wind)

Hole 9 - back teeing ground used

Hole 10 - front of back teeing ground used (501 yards); should play very long into northerly wind on Sunday

Hole 11 - tee markers moved down to lower tee (25 yards shorter) that creates truly blind drive (must pick tree in distance for target)

Hole 13 - forward right teeing ground used (555 yards) with center left (only 3 paces) hole location

Hole 14 - 127 yards; hole location set in front left tongue (4 from front; 3 paces from both sides) with tee markers set on front and far left side of teeing ground

Hole 15 (please note change in hole location - new is 22-3R)

Hole 17 - 211 yards; hole locations set close to ridge that bisects green

Hole 18 - 364 yards to middle - (354 to hole - center hole location) ; hole will play downwind (north wind)

Third Round Is History

5:05 p.m. - Ricky Barnes got into trouble when he put his ball in the right greenside rough. It cost him. He couldn't get up and down, missing a 4-foot, par-save putt. He'll head into the fourth round with a one-shot lead on Lucas Glover, who registered an even par.

Barnes' even par kept him at eight-under total.

Four shots separate Glover from the next players, David Duval and Ross Fisher. Asked if he felt it was a two-player race, Glover shrugged it off.

"No, there are too many great players and the course is hard," he said. "Someone is going to make a run."

The fourth round is scheduled to begin at 5:45 p.m. Barnes and Glover, in the final pairing, will tee off at 7:37 p.m.

Back And Forth

4:40 p.m. - Moments after Lucas Glover buried a 4-footer for birdie on the par-4 16th to get within one stroke of Ricky Barnes, Barnes answered back by pushing in a breaking 20-footer for birdie on the par-3 17th. The ball broke about 3 feet right before finding the right side of the hole.

If Barnes birdies No. 18, he would tie the 54-hole record for lowest score.

Fisher, Woods Finish

4:32 p.m. - Ross Fisher needed to sink a 3-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to crawl closer to leader Ricky Barnes. After he closed out a round that featured two birdies, Fisher fished his ball out of the hole and threw into the gallery with a smile on his face. He enters the fourth round 3-under 207.

In the meantime, three-time champion Tiger Woods had his best round of the championship, carding a 2-under 68 for a 1-over total. He woke up early this morning, warmed up, but then learned of the delay and "shut it down."

He said the hardest part of all the stoppages has been on the mental end.

"It's gearing up, gearing down, gearing up, gearing down," he said. "We can't even remember what day it is out there. It's all a blur."

Mickelson Happy With Finish

4:16 p.m. - After completing his third round with birdies on two of his final three holes, Phil Mickelson stood at 2-under 208. "I feel if I can get a hot round in, it could make a difference," said Mickelson.

Mickelson went on to say that Ricky Barnes' lead isn't insurmountable, adding that anything can happen.

As he was saying that, Barnes bogeyed the par-4 15th to drop to eight under. Lucas Glover was two strokes behind.

Barnes Cards Another Birdie

3:46 p.m. - Rick Barnes increased his lead over Lucas Glover by three strokes after draining a 3-footer for birdie on No. 13.

Mahan In Clubhouse

3:41 p.m. - Hunter Mahan, a past USGA champion, closed out a solid 2-under 68 roound with a par. Mahan got as low as four under at one point. He talked about needing to be patient out there because there are many scoring opportunities, the point being that the course is so soft. Players haven't had to worry about balls bounding hard off crusty fairways and into the challenging rough.

Make no mistake, players still need to pick and choose their opportunities.

"Every hole is still hard," said Mahan. "Every hole has bogey or double bogey on it if you're not careful."

Barnes Gives One Back

3:28 p.m. - Ricky Barnes missed a short par putt he'd probably like to do over. From 3 feet away, he pulled the putt to drop to eight under. The lead is now two strokes. Lucas Glover is in second, followed by Mike Weir and Todd Hamilton at three under.

Players are having difficulty judging the moist greens today. Balls, for the most part, are being left short.

Glover Birdies

3:14 p.m. - Lucas Glover cut into Ricky Barnes' lead with a 6-foot downhill birdie putt on the par-4 11th hole. He's three-strokes behind Barnes.

Course Update

2:54 p.m. - We've had a little light rain this afternoon, but nothing to suspend play.

Hunter Mahan, who had climbed to four under, just doubled No. 15 to fall back to two under. Meanwhile, Phil Mickelson two-putted for birdie at No. 13 and hit his tee shot at the par-3 14th within 4 feet.

Ricky Barnes has fallen back to nine under after a good bogey at No. 10 following two poor shots: his drive and second from a fairway bunker. The lead is down to four strokes after Lucas Glover birdied the 10th.

Going Hunting

2:33 p.m. - Hunter Mahan is now the hottest player on the course. He just made his second consecutive birdie at No. 14 to reach four under par for the round and championship. He is tied for second with Lucas Glover and Mike Weir, six shots behind Ricky Barnes.

Bubba Booming

2:17 p.m. Bubba Watson is currently the hottest player on the course. The big-hitting lefty is three under par for his round (13 holes) and one under for the championship. Watson was one of the 30 competitors to start his third round on the 10th tee, but if he keeps his good play going, he'll tee off No. 1 for the final round.

Bogey For Barnes

2:12 p.m. - For the first time in 33 holes, Ricky Barnes has made a bogey. That happened at the par-4 seventh hole, but he actually increased his lead from four to five strokes. Lucas Glover made a double-bogey 6 at No. 7, slipping to five under. Barnes, who has just two bogeys in 43 holes, sits at 10 under for the championship.

Roller-Coaster Ride

2:10 p.m. - David Duval continues to go up and down on the leaderboard. He made bogeys at five and seven to slip to one under par, but has since made that up with birdies at eight and nine, getting to even par for the round and three under for the championship. Duval is ranked 882nd in the world, so no matter what happens, it's been a great week for the 2001 British Open champion.

Fading

2:07 p.m. - Mike Weir is starting to tumble down the leaderboard with three consecutive bogeys, the latest coming at the par-3 eighth hole. He stands at four under par, seven strokes behind Ricky Barnes.

Barnes Note

1:59 p.m. - While Ricky Barnes won the 2002 U.S. Amateur title, his brother Andy almost came away with a USGA title in 1994. Andy reached the U.S. Junior Amateur final at Echo Lake C.C. in Westfield, N.J., before losing to Korean-born Terry Noe. Five years later, Andy qualified for the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 and Ricky served as his caddie. When Ricky qualified for his first Open in 2000, Andy returned the favor. Andy, who is caddieing for Ricky this week again, currently is the assistant men's golf at the University of Arizona, where both he and Ricky played.

Lead Widens

1:53 p.m. - Lucas Glover just bogeyed the sixth hole to fall back to seven under for the championship. Ricky Barnes managed to get his ball up and down for par at No. 6 to stay at 11 under. He now owns a four-stroke lead over Glover. Mike Weir is five shots off the pace, while Hunter Mahan and Todd Hamilton sit eight shots back. Are we looking at a runaway?

Chip-In

1:31 p.m. - Tiger Woods just chipped in from greenside rough at the par-3 17th hole to get to three over for the championship, but he's 14 strokes behind leader Ricky Barnes. Last year, Woods also chipped in for birdie at No. 17 in the third round. He followed that up with an eagle at 18.

Barnes, by the way, is the 519th-ranked player in the world. Hard to believe for a guy playing this well at the 2009 U.S. Open.

Eagle Has Landed

1:20 p.m. - Ricky Barnes just rolled in a 25-foot eagle putt at the par-5 fourth hole to reach 11 under par for the championship. He becomes the fourth player in U.S. Open history to reach double-digits under par in the event's history, joining Gil Morgan (1992), Tiger Woods (2000) and Jim Furyk (2003). Only Woods has finished the championship double digits under par (12-under 272 total). Barnes currently leads Lucas Glover by three strokes and threatening to run away from the field. Barnes has also gone 30 consecutive holes without a bogey (he has just one in 40 holes).

Can't Buy One

12:41 p.m. - Tiger Woods just missed a 5-foot birdie putt at No. 13. He came up 2 feet short with a birdie putt at No. 11 and missed from 12 feet at the 12th hole. It's looking like it might not be in the cards for the defending champion who is seeking to join Willie Anderson, Bob Jones, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus as a four-time U.S. Open champion. He also is looking for his 10th USGA title, which would move him to first alone on the all-time list, ahead of Jones.

Watch Out For Westwood

12:36 p.m. - Another birdie for England's Lee Westwood at the par-5 fourth. Westwood hasn't won a major, but he sure seems ripe to accomplish the feat. He is one of Europe's finest players.

Quick Setup Update

12:33 p.m. - Because of all the overnight rain, the greens were not cut this morning. They were double-rolled and are rolling between high 12s and 13 feet on the Stimpmeter. No grass was cut on the fairways or in the rough due to the rain.

Mahan Moving

12:28 - Another birdie for 1999 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Hunter Mahan at the par-4 sixth hole to reach three under for the championship.

Meanwhile, Japan's Azuma Yano three-putted the first hole to drop to two under.

Roaring Sunday

12:10 p.m. - Phil Mickelson is generating roars on the course. The left-hander, seeking his first U.S. Open title, just birdied the par-3 third to move to two under for the championship.

Lee Westwood, who finished one stroke shy of the playoff last year at Torrey Pines, collected a birdie at the second to reach three under par for the championship. With these soft conditions, it wouldn't be a surprise to see another 64 or 65 today.

First Move

Noon - Hunter Mahan is the first player to make a move on the leaders with a quick birdie at the par-5 fourth hole to reach two under for the championship. Mahan does have a connection to our current leader. He lost to Ricky Barnes in the 2002 U.S. Amateur final at Oakland Hills. This is also the 10-year anniversary of Mahan's win over Camilo Villegas at the U.S. Junior Amateur, which was held at York (Pa.) Country Club.

Play Has Resumed

11:54 a.m. - The third round has resumed again. Let's keep our fingers crossed for no more heavy rain.

Information for Ticket Holders

For play on Monday (conclusion of Round 4 and Playoff, if necessary), spectators holding Thursday or Monday tickets will be admitted to the course through the Admission Gates.

If less than 90 minutes of golf are played today, Sunday tickets will also be honored on Monday.

On Monday, Thursday ticket holders who have lost or misplaced their Thursday ticket should report to one of the Will Call facilities located at Bethpage State Park.

For individuals who purchased their tickets by mail or online well in advance of the championship, Will Call will verify their purchase with available records.

Individuals who purchased tickets at the pre-championship on-site sale (June 11-14) will need to show their receipt at Will Call.

Delayed Until Noon

6:15 a.m. - The championship has been delayed at least until noon. Spectator gates will open at 11 a.m. The course will be closed until then. The start of the fourth round, obviously pushed back, may occur today but only as weather permits.

Here's a link to the local forecast.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/golf/local/USNY0483?from=recentsearch

If you have any issues or concerns with the site, please e-mail Ken Klavon, Digital Editor at kklavon@usga.org.

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