With 18 Holes Left to Play, US Open is Wide Open

Depending upon who you talk to around Bethpage Black, players as many as nine shots back of the 54 hole leader Ricky Barnes could have a shot at the US Open trophy between tonight and Monday.  Of course, among the five players at +1, only Tiger Woods' name is mentioned as a possible contender.

Aside from Woods, fourteen other players are at even par or better through three rounds.  That may seem a long way from Ricky Barnes (-8) and Lucas Glover (-7), who will remain paired together for the final round that is set to begin sometime around 6pm ET.  Still, the contenders beneath them remain confident and steadfast that this Open could still be theirs.

Phil Mickelson said he was just "one good round away" from winning his first US Open.  He is six strokes out of the lead.  David Duval and Ross Fisher - tied for third on -3 - both clearly still feel that they have a stake to claim in this tournament.

Mike Weir may have struggled in his third round, but a win is certainly not out of his grasp.  He has done it before - at the Masters in 2003.

The hope from the contenders may come from the fact that - unlike both Ricky Barnes and Lucas Glover - 5 of the other 12 golfers at par or better have won major championships.  Barnes and Glover have never been under quite as much pressure as they are about to experience.

What's more is that the rumo that SI Golf reported that there would be no repairing after round three is not true.  Barnes and Glover will likely have to wait until sometime tomorrow to really try to hold on for their first major victory. The pairings just released show that they will tee off at 7:37pm ET - very little time to get started in the final round considering the sun will set at 8:30pm ET.

Despite the waiting and the inexperience of the pairing, both have the advantage of playing with the other.  There has to be a certain comfort level in experiencing the pressure of a major championship finale with someone who is equally as foreign to the notion as yourself.

That said, Barnes and Glover held their own in the third round.  They both fired even par rounds of 70.  Only six of the players currently in the top 14 had better rounds.  In other words, the leaders sort of gained ground on the field by going sideways.  Certainly, Barnes would have felt better if he finished at -11 instead of -8, but a lead is a lead.

Mickelson acknowledged as much in his press conference, saying that, "[Barnes and Glover] are still at a better advantage because they have the lead."

If Barnes and Glover are to falter quickly in their final rounds, they open up the championship to the players under par and perhaps even those that are a couple over par. 

Bethpage Black is still fairly soft and its greens are receptive to approach shots.  It is still possible that Barnes nor Glover will have to falter in order for someone to catch them.