PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. - Tiger Woods judged the distance at 260 yards.
2010 US Open tee times: final round 2010 US Open leaderboard
He gauged the wind into his face off the Pacific Ocean. He weighed his options from behind a tree on the 18th fairway. None of the results could have been awful.
So he pulled a 3-wood, adjusted his grip for a cut around the tree and finally decided to grip it and rip it.
He begged the ball to go. He squatted to get a look, anxiously, and bent over at the waist to watch it land. And when it did, he gave a fist-pump and screamed, "Yes!"
Yes indeed - a flashback to the Woods of old - the golfer who dominated majors long before his private life became very public.
"Been waiting seven or eight months for that shot," said Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, as the two waited to leave the press area in a three-Lexus motorcade down 17-mile Drive.
That 3-wood to within 15 feet of the hole set up Woods' seventh birdie of the third round. He shot a 5-under-par 66 - despite bogeys on two of his first three holes - to pull within striking distance of the lead heading into the final round of the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. He's in third place at 1 under par, five shots behind leader Dustin Johnson, who also shot 66 on Saturday.
"When I got up there, I said, you know what, actually I have a shot at this," Woods said. "I was hoping Stevie (Williams) would give me a good number where I could actually give it a run.
"I made sure I committed to a hold, to a cut, and it came off perfect."
Woods began the day at 4 over. After his first three holes he was nine shots off the lead. But he made seven birdies in his final 15 holes.
"I was just trying to get back to even par or 1 over for the championship," said Woods, who has won three U.S. Opens among his 14 major titles. "I thought that would be a nice place to end up. I just happened to do one better than that."
Johnson's 66 left him at 6-under 207, three shots in front of second-round leader Graeme McDowell.
Greg Havret is fourth at even par. Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els are tied for fifth at 1 over.
"I've won U.S. Opens before, and it certainly didn't feel bad," Woods said. "But I have 18 more holes and you've got to be ready to play.
"I'm going to have to put together another good round tomorrow in order to win this."
He's also going to have to make up ground on Johnson and McDowell - unless they back up to him.
They played in the final group on Saturday and were both at 4 under for the tournament heading to the 17th tee. There, Johnson rolled in a tricky right-to-left putt for a birdie and McDowell made a bogey from the rough.
Johnson's round included an eagle on No. 4 where he drove the green, and he also birdied the famed 18th to extend his lead over McDowell and the field.
"I got it back together down the stretch with two birdie," said Johnson, who turns
Mickelson couldn't follow up his 66 on Friday with anything close to that on Saturday. He scrambled his way to a 1-over 72 which leaves him seven shots back.
Lefty's day included taking free relief from a grandstand on No. 17, hitting a punch-shot on No. 8 right-handed and a drop on No. 18. His tee shot there bounced in bounds, then off oceanside rocks, back in play, then rolled back out of bounds. He took a drop, reached the green, and made an unconventional par.
"You can make up a lot of ground if you make some birdies on Sunday at the U.S. Open," Mickelson said. "It will be challenging to make up that many shots. I didn't expect to be that far behind.
"You never know what's going to happen in a U.S. Open, I'll be out there trying to make a move and we'll see."
Els had a much simpler, boring, day. He remained at 1 under or even for the tournament through the entire day. He and Mickelson will be paired in the third to last group on Sunday.
"I need to play a good round of golf," Els said. "I need to make birdies early and have a good finish."
He also needs to chase down four others in front of him including Woods who won here by 15 shots 10 years ago and Johnson who has claimed the last two PGA Tour events on these hallowed grounds.
"This is what I live for," Johnson said. "This is what I practice for every day, this is what I play golf for - to win the U.S. Open."