Phil Mickelson still optimistic

Just when Phil Mickelson ignored his idea of parring his way to the US Open title, Pinehurst No. 2 smacked him down with a triple bogey to slam the door on his title dream.

The American left-hander suffered a triple-bogey eight at the fourth hole and went on to shoot a two-over par 72 here Saturday in the third round of the Open to stand 11 strokes behind 54-hole leader Retief Goosen on eight-over 218.

"I'm not going to go into the final round defeated," Mickelson said.

"I understand realistically that might be the case. But Johnny Miller shot 63 (in the final round to win in 1973) in the Open at Oakmont. I'm not going to go into tomorrow's round feeling I don't have a shot.

"I just feel that I can shoot a low score out there even though I'll have to make 30- or 40-footers to do it."

Mickelson had fired an opening round 69 on his 35th birthday but soared to a 77 on Friday with eight bogeys and a birdie and remarked that he thought he could still win by finishing with 36 pars.

Mickelson began round three with three pars, sinking a testy 12-footer on the first hole, before his undoing came at the par-5 fourth hole as Mickelson tried to take advantage of a birdie opportunity.

Mickelson's first tee shot went out of bounds and his second found a left bunker. After advancing the ball across the fairway into rough, Mickelson hit the ball onto the green but three-putted, missing a 12-footer for double bogey.

"You just can't make any birdies out here or try to make birdies," he said.

"Pins were so close to the edges that not only was I not trying to get it close with my irons, I was being very careful with my putts not to putt it off the green."

Mickelson forgot his own advice about playing conservatively and paid dearly for it on a hole that is playing the easiest of the course this week. Even a par would have left him within realistic reach in the final round.

"You just can't play aggressive here," Mickelson said. "The best way to make up ground is to make three or four pars rather than try to make a birdie.

"It's a tough course to turn things around on because you just can't make birdies. The more you try, the more bogeys you're going to make."

Once more humbled, Mickelson followed his "snowman" with 11 consecutive pars before a breakthrough birdie at the par-4 16th and two concluding pars. Then he vowed to make a run at the leaders, predicting a final-round title shootout.

"I'm going to give it everything I can," he said. "It doesn't mean I'm going to fire at the pins. It just means I'm going to try to fire it into the middle of greens and make a lot of long putts."

Mickelson, runner-up here in the 1999 US Open to the late Payne Stewart, was paired Saturday with long-driving John Daly. The American stars drew cheers with every shot as crowds lined the course to see them despite a rough week.

"I've got the drinkers and the smokers and the eaters on my side," Daly said. "They like what we do."

Mickelson strode determinedly to greens while Daly was relaxed, having said early in the week he looked forward to playing his two rounds and being cut only to find himself working on the weekend, firing a 77.

"He came in and played strong after that eight," Daly said. "I came in the best I can."