June 18, 2005

PINEHURST - Former NC State three-time All-America Tim Clark had one of only 10 par-or-better scores Saturday at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, moving him 18 spots up the leaderboard heading into Sunday's final round. He made five birdies, five bogeys and eight pars on the day for his score of 70, putting him in a tie for 15th place. It was similar to the 4-under 66 he shot last in last year's third round at Shinnecock Hills Country Club to move into the Top 10. He hopes to have a better finish Sunday than he did last year, when he struggled along with the rest of the field on the difficult conditions to shoot a 9-over 79. That was still good enough for a tie for 13th place. Clark is one of only five golfers who scored under par in the second and third rounds, joining third-round leader Retief Goosen, Jason Gore, Peter Hedblom and Arron Oberholser. That means he would likely be in contention had he not started poorly on his first nine holes on Thursday, when he made bogeys on Nos. 14, 15, 17 and 18. He discussed his third-round performance with gopack.com's Tim Peeler Saturday afternoon.

Tim Clark ON SATURDAY'S ROUND

I have to say that Saturday was a lot better than Friday, ball striking-wise. I hit a lot more fairways. I had a lot more chances for birdie. I am very happy with an even-par round. It could have been a little bit better, but still I made some good saves when I needed to. I think that should move me up the leaderboard.

Sunday's tee time Tim Clark, TBA

I had a couple of pretty good holes, including a birdie on No. 15, which is one of the hardest greens to hold on the course. I hit a 5-iron that caught the right part of the bank on that green and rolled up right where I needed it to. It stopped about three or four feet by the hole. That might have been my best shot all year long.

The last four holes at Pinehurst No. 2 are really, really tough. If you can get through them at even par, then you have done OK. I did that. Unfortunately, I bogeyed 18 after making that birdie on No. 15, to get back to even for the day and 5-over for the tournament.

I have said ever since my first nine holes on Thursday, I have started to feel like am playing a lot better. Unfortunately, I finished that first round with a double-bogey on my last hole of the day (No. 9), even though I made a good swing. But I still felt like my game was starting to come around. I have been working hard these last two days, and I think my game is right there now. The way I am hitting it and the way I am putting it, I can shoot a couple under on Sunday, which is what I am going to need to have a chance.

I don't think about what would have happened if I hadn't made that double-bogey at the end of my round on Thursday. The way I played the front nine was just really poor. That's why it is so encouraging the way I am playing right now. But you have to be careful on this golf course, there are double-bogeys lurking around every corner.

Some people don't like that about the U.S. Open, but I kind of do. I think it's fun playing in the Open. You get penalized for every bad shot, which we don't really see much on the PGA Tour. There is certainly an emphasis on driving the ball well and making good approach shots in the Open. I guess the only thing that isn't that fun is around the greens. It can get pretty severe. It caught me today. I putted one off the green on the par-3 sixth hole. I was 25 or 30 feet from the hole and I putted it off the green. I ended up making a 10-footer for bogey there.

On the 13th hole, I was in front of the green and went straight over the green and off the green. You have to watch yourself and not hit the ball in the wrong spot.

I always feel like I have a very good chance on a U.S. Open course. Last year, I was right there in the hunt. This year right now, I am not that close to the lead, but I feel like I have put in a good performance. I have always felt I play better when the scores are right around par. I don't know if fans want to see us play like that every week or not. I don't really think so, and I know the players don't want that either.

As for what might happen in the final round, a lot of it depends on what my good friend (and fellow South African) Retief Goosen does in the third round. The way he is playing, he could sort of run away with the tournament, believe it or not, on this course. He is playing well enough to go out there and shoot a couple under par today. That could give him a big enough cushion. Certainly, if the lead stays at 2-under or close to even, that will put a lot of guys in the tournament.

Retief has everything. The thing that really stands out in his game to the people who have played with him is his play out of the rough. He is so strong. He is probably the best player you have ever seen out of the rough. That shot he hit last year out at the Tour Championship is something he does all the time. That's only when he misses a fairway. He's playing very well right now. I think he is hitting a lot of fairways and a lot of greens. It's going to make him tough to beat. I think the first year he won, he really scrambled a lot. Obviously, he can do everything.

I feel really good about my chances going into the final round of this second U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. I have been lucky enough to take advantage of the par-5s. I think I am 6-under on the par-5s, which you just have to do in order to compete out here.

What I hope to do is score early in my round. I have gotten off to a fast start the first few holes the last two rounds. I have been at 1- or 2-under the first five or six holes. That is what I am going to need Sunday. You really need to have a good cushion coming to the back nine, because that back nine is really, really tough.

You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.

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