Golf: Schwartzel grabs US Open lead
Charl Schwartzel seized the lead Saturday in the third round of the US Open.
ARDMORE (AFP) - Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion from South Africa, seized the lead Saturday in the third round of the US Open by playing Merion s first nine holes at two-under par.
Schwartzel took a bogey at the par-5 second but birdied the next two holes and added another at the par-4 seventh to make the turn at one-under for the tournament.
That put him one stroke ahead of Australia s John Senden, England s Luke Donald and American Steve Stricker, who were all on the front nine.
England s Ian Poulter and Justin Rose and Americans Phil Mickelson and Billy Horschel were next on one-over with only Poulter having reached the turn.
Mickelson and Horschel led on one-under when the round began but each made bogeys at the par-3 third and par-4 fifth to stumble back.
Stricker, who at 46 can become the oldest US Open winner and second-oldest major champion in history, opened with eight pars in a row, the only player not to make a bogey among the leaders so far in round three.
World number one Tiger Woods was struggling. He made a 12-foot birdie putt on the first but came up short of the green at the par-3 third on his way to a bogey there and also made bogeys at the fifth, sixth and 10th holes to stand on six-over for the championship.
