Ricky Barnes Maintains Lead at Bethpage

Admit it ... as a golf fan that has watched a few U.S. Opens, you don't think Ricky Barnes can win this thing. You know you're thinking it. I'm thinking it. Others in the field are thinking it. The only problem with that theory is the one guy that needs to think that doesn't seem to have that thought in his head at all.

The 28-year-old Barnes, who lives in Scottsdale and has never won a professional tournament and has made exactly two cuts ever in majors, played the third round of the U.S. Open like he was out at Arizona National, hacking it around with fellow Wildcat Chris Nallen. Sure, he made some bad swings tossed in the round, but it's Bethpage Black and you're not supposed to find all those tight fairways. Barnes, currently 8-under with a one shot lead over Lucas Glover, shot an even par round of 70 in the third round, something that, if matched in the final round, will all but seal up his first-ever win.

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Barnes got it to as low as 11-under for the week, but some bogeys in the middle of his round dropped him back to single digits. A lot of people get rattled in this situation, but Ricky never seemed to let it get to him. If Barnes is holding the trophy come Monday afternoon, he will be the highest-ranked player (519th in the world) to ever claim a major championship (Ben Curtis currently holds that title in the '03 British, when he won, ranked 396th in the world.)

Maybe the reports of Phil Mickelson's chances dying in the Sunday overcast were greatly exaggerated. Phil had exactly six pars in his third round, but the seven birdies he added helped keep him in the tournament, none bigger than the bomb he cashed on the 18th green to a roar reserved for 72nd hole heroics. Sure, Phil is six shots back of Barnes, but he also has the bonus of winning majors before and will be hanging around if the leaders start dropping back.

Nipping at Barnes' heels are David Duval and Ross Fisher, both 3-under, and Mickelson, Mike Weir and Hunter Mahan at 2-under.

I'm contractually obligated to talk about Tiger Woods, and his 2-under 68 on Sunday was tidy, but didn't do much for his chances at winning. The defending champion is nine shots back and I'm sure you've never heard, but Tiger hasn't ever come back to win a major. He had only one bogey on his card in the third round, but the birdies were few and far between and he will need a lot of those red numbers to even sniff the leaders in this final round.

The USGA will get players out for their fourth round late Sunday afternoon, with play completed on Monday.