Price still hopeful of clinching 4th Major

Nick Price has not won a major title for almost a decade. But the 46-year-old Zimbabwean believes he can clinch the fourth of his career at this week's U.S. Open.

The former world No. 1 charged into contention at Olympia Fields with a second-round 65 on Friday, mixing six birdies with a bogey to finish at 4-under 136, three strokes behind leader Jim Furyk.

"I think I've got another major in me," said Price, whose last major victory came at the 1994 PGA Championship at Southern Hills.

"Certainly the British Open last year [where he tied for 14th] and at Lytham [the year before when he shared 16th], I played well enough to win. And the PGA at Medinah [in 1999, when he finished fifth] I played really well.

"Maybe I'm hanging on to a dream, but I still feel I have an outside chance."

Price produced a superb display of course management in benign conditions at the par-70 North Course, striking his iron shots with precision and putting beautifully.

"I got off to a great start, hit the ball really well and made some great putts today," said Price, whose best U.S. Open finish was fourth at Olympic in 1998.

"I hit more fairways and more greens [than during his 71 on Thursday], but I had more birdie opportunities because I hit better iron shots. I just got on a roll."

Price, who clinched his first major title with the 1992 PGA Championship at Bellerive and his second with the 1994 British Open at Turnberry, is widely regarded as one of the best ball strikers in the history of the game.

Even at the age of 46, he is a match for anyone, as long as his putting is on track.

"The greens have always been so treacherous at the U.S. Open, and I'm not saying these [at Olympia Fields] aren't," he said.

"It's just that they're not up to the speed that I think they're capable of getting up to [if the sun shines over the next two days].

"In years gone by, certainly my Achilles' heel was on the greens at the U.S. Open. Baltusrol in particular, in 1993, was the best I played from tee to green at a U.S. Open. And I putted very poorly [to tie for 11th].

"And Olympic I played well. I felt I had a pretty good chance to win there, too, but putted poorly the last day [and ended up fourth].

"That's been my real problem at the Open, but certainly for the last few years my putting has improved," added Price. "And within the last [year], I think I went up another level with my putting.

"If I drive the ball well the next two days, I think I might have a chance come Sunday. But I'm not going to think about that until [hole] 14 on Sunday."