Quiet men take turn in the Open spotlight

US Open: Cink and Goosen display gritty resolve lacking in performance from more favoured players as Garcia's hopes fade

Tiger Woods was under par for the second day running but could not produce the low score he was hoping for in order to be a threat to the third round leaders, Retief Goosen and Stewart Cink, at the 101st US Open. His chances of an unprecedented fifth successive major title had disappeared with his 74 in the first round at Southern Hills.

A 69 in the final round left the defending champion at three- over-par. Not only was Woods eight behind Goosen, who birdied the short sixth with a monster 60-foot putt across the green to go one ahead of Cink, but he finished two behind the early clubhouse leader, Tom Kite. The 51-year-old Kite, the champion in 1992, and Vijay Singh showed what could be done by scoring 64s to equal the lowest round of the week. Both came home in 31, Singh making six birdies and his only par coming at the 18th.

It was the first time Woods had finished over par in a tournament since the Open at Carnoustie in 1999 when he was 10 over. An opening drive of 361 yards was an emphatic statement of intent but he could only par the hole and he then drove into the trees at the second and bogeyed the hole.

In classic Tiger style he responded by birdieing three holes out of four, hitting his approach to four feet at the fourth, getting up and down from a bunker at the par-five fifth and holing from five feet at the seventh.

But the ninth hole again proved his undoing, his approach spinning off the front of the green. His bogey there put him out in 34 and though he holed from 15 feet for a birdie at the 11th he could not get higher than 10th on the leaderboard.

After a string of pars, he overshot the green at the 17th and though he chipped down to two-and-a-half-feet, he missed the putt. Not even Woods can win a major on as severe a course as this without being on top of every department of his game.

What Goosen and Cink both had on their side was their calmness. It was a quality Woods exuded like no one else before in winning each of the previous four majors. But it was absent this week in Tulsa.

Both Goosen and Cink are quiet men who can play some mightily effective golf. And during the third round here they both showed the sort of gritty resolve required of a US Open winner.

Cink, the 28-year-old from Atlanta with two victories to his credit, recovered from dropping three strokes over the first two holes to make six birdies and score a 67. "I've worked too hard to pack it in after a couple of holes," Cink said. "I will never let myself get down because of a couple of bad holes."

Goosen hit only three greens in regulation on the back nine but parred every hole coming home for a 69. A brilliant chip at the 17th was the best of his up-and-downs, while his three-iron from rough right of the fairway at the last safely found the green when a five looked likely. "My short game saved me today but when I am playing well, my putting is the strongest part of my game."

Sergio Garcia, hoping to become the first European winner of the championship since Tony Jacklin in 1970, fell back with an outward nine of 39. Phil Mickelson dropped back behind Rocco Mediate and Mark Brooks.

If Ernie Els is known as the "Big Easy" he is an extrovert compared with Goosen. The 32-year-old South African won the European Tour Qualifying School in 1992, a not inconsiderable moment in a player's career, barely blinked, got on a plane that night and was playing in an event back home the next day. Ten consecutive days of competitive golf are probably good training for playing in major championships but making the cut was always a problem in the big events.

Goosen has won four times in Europe, three of them in France, though not as often as expected given a model swing. "I was pretty nervous but in the middle of the round I managed to calm myself down and start relaxing," Goosen said. "I was quite enjoying it at one stage."

Scotland's Colin Montgomerie, just five strokes off the lead at the halfway stage, saw his hopes of moving into contention yet again at the US Open disappear with a 77 in the third round. Montgomerie finished on 12 over after a 76, having made only one birdie over he weekend.

"I got myself into a position to do quite well but didn't take it," he said. "Yesterday was very disappointing."

Nick Faldo, in one of the few tournaments that he can earn Ryder Cup points, closed with a 75 to finish well down the field at 15 over. Faldo was playing with Scotland's Gary Orr, who took a 76 for 16 over after taking a double bogey six at the last.