All Done
6:06 p.m. - Joey Sindelar came in with par on the 18th hole and amateur Tim Jackson followed suit after draining a 6-foot putt. Entering the fourth round, Fred Funk holds a one-stroke lead over Sindelar and Greg Norman, and three on Jackson.
Someone asked Norman if he felt "tournament tough" coming off last week. "Yeah, today was a good day for me," he said.
Funk, Norman In Clubhouse
5:55 p.m. - Greg Norman had a chance to head into the fourth round tied with Fred Funk atop the leaderboard, but his 8-foot putt broke right and ran by the 18th hole. His final score for the day? Four-under 68. He's 12 under for the championship. Funk, in the meantime, finessed in a 4-footer for par and finished 4-under 68.
On the 17th hole, Funk had an impressive par save, stroking in a 10-footer from the left fringe.
"I got a bad spot. There aren't many good spots there. Decided to go for it and I was real fortunate," said Funk, runner-up last year at The Broadmoor.
As for Sunday?
"I'm ready to go. I'm fired up," he said.
Funk Trades Places With Norman
5:25 p.m. - Fred Funk said Friday he'd like to win this Senior Open. Well, he's certainly not fading. On the par-4 16th, he drained a 12-footer for birdie that had a straight line to the hole. Funk pumped his right arm when it went in. He jumped into the lead at 13 under. Greg Norman couldn't get up and down from a sidehill lie on the 16th hole and bogeyed.
Shark Swims To Top
5:12 p.m. - While Fred Funk and Joey Sindelar have flip-flopped, Greg Norman took sole possession of the lead with an eagle on the 510-yard, par-5 15th. All it took was driver, 6-iron and one putt from 20 feet. The ball broke about 1 foot right before falling in the back door. Norman, 13 under, holds a one-stroke advantage on Funk and Sindelar. Amateur Tim Jackson followed at 10 under.
Funk, Sindelar Tied
5:02 p.m. - Fred Funk misread the 14th green and his ball ran by after he was standing over a 6-foot putt. He took bogey and fell to 12 under. Leader Joey Sindelar added 'co' before the leader label when he bogeyed the par-4 14th to also drop to 12 under.
Just off the green, with roughly 10 feet to the hole, Sindelar attempted to pitch. The ball came off the club's hosel, squirting across the green. However, Sindelar recovered beautifully, knocking the next shot to 2 feet to score no worse than bogey.
Funk Ties Sindelar
4:36 p.m. - Fred Funk raised his arms in celebration after nailing a 6-foot putt for birdie. The achievement helped him grab a share of the lead with Joey Sindelar at 13 under.
Tim Jackson two-putted inside 6 feet to absorb bogey and drop to 10 under. Meanwhile, Mark O'Meara, a former U.S. Amateur champion, hit a 4-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th to get to 10 under.
Norman Moves Up
4:12 p.m. - Fred Funk passed Tim Jackson on the board after birdieing the 11th hole to get to 12 under. Greg Norman also moved up with a 4-foot birdie on the par-5 11th. Norman was looking at a 30-footer for eagle but the ball broke early.
Forsman Eagles
4:07 p.m. - First round co-leader Dan Forsman eagled the par-5 11th with a chip-in just off the green. He raised his arms in jubilation when the ball disappeared. It got him to nine under.
Joey Sindelar opened up a two-stroke lead when Fred Funk and Tim Jackson bogeyed the par-4 10th. Jackson dumped his ball in a right greenside bunker and couldn't get up and down.
As it stands, Sindelar is 13 under, Funk and Jackson 11 under, Greg Norman 10 under and Forsman.
Sindelar Overtakes Jackson
3:53 p.m. - Joey Sindelar birdied the par-5 ninth, which has been the easiest hole statistically this week. Sindelar bumped in a 4-footer to jump ahead of amateur Tim Jackson, who got up and down to save par.
Tom Watson shot a 3-over 75 and stands at two over for the championship. Coming off the British Senior Open, Watson had been battling food poisoning, although he wouldn't use that as an excuse. His runner-up finish at the British Open a couple weeks ago may have served as an inspiration to other 50-and-older players.
"It's pretty good for an old goat like me to inspire the other old goats out here," said Watson.
Cochran's Round
3:46 p.m. - Russ Cochran, winner of one event on the PGA Tour in his career, registered just 22 putts in his 8-under 64 round. He hit nine-of-14 fairways. It's his first U.S. Senior Open.
"I'll tell you what happens in a round like that for me," he said moments ago. "When you play and you play like that, it's unbelievably disappointing when you stop."
Jackson Bogeys; Cochran In With 64
3:38 p.m. - Tim Jackson carded just his second bogey in his last 44 holes after stumbling on No. 8. He found water, then couldn't convert a 20-foot putt to save par. He's tied with Fred Funk and Joey Sindelar at 12 under. Funk gained a stroke with a mid-range putt on the undulating par-5 ninth green.
The left-handed hitting Russ Cochran used the third round to make a gigantic leap up the leaderboard. He closed out No. 18 with a par to cap off a day that saw nine birdies.
No Letting Up
3:21 p.m. - For any golf fan, Tim Jackson and Joey Sindelar are putting on a clinic.
Sindelar pulled his drive on the seventh hole in the first cut of rough. He then left his approach shot 15 feet short of the flagstick, but promptly sank the uphill putt for birdie. He's 12 under.
After splitting the fairway, Jackson stuck his approach within 5 feet of the hole. He casually converted to drop to 13 under.
Russ Cochran, who started the day level par, is eight under through 17 holes. Greg Norman has quietly hung around, stroking in a 5-footer for birdie on No. 8. He fell to 10 under, joining Jackson, Sindelar and Fred Funk (-11) as the only players in double digits under par.
Sindelar Drops Back
3:09 p.m. - After Joey Sindelar dropped his ball in the abutting pond on No. 6, he took his drop and proceded to stick it to tap-in range for a bogey. Tim Jackson narrowly missed his 20-foot birdie try, but holds the outright lead.
Jackson, Sindelar Tied
3:02 p.m. - Just as Fred Funk was busy getting to 11 under, Tim Jackson and Joey Sindelar - paired together - birdied the fifth hole. Jackson rolled in a 20-footer; not to be outdone, Sindelar put in a 25-footer.
Funk Jumps Into Tie At Top
2:51 p.m. - Perhaps trying to atone for last year's Senior Open, Fred Funk birdied the par-5 fifth hole to catch Tim Jackson and Joey Sindelar at 11 under. Funk had a rocky 13th hole at The Broadmoor in the final round last year, which caused him to finish runner-up to Eduardo Romero.
Russ Cochran continues his magical round, birdieing No. 15. It was his eighth birdie of the round.
A side note: the lowest round in a Senior Open is by Loren Roberts, produced in 2006 at Prairie Dunes. He shot 8-under 62 in the third round.
Today's Setup
2:43 p.m.- Just passed on from a USGA official:
Green Speeds are approximately 12 feet on the Stimpmeter. All greens were double cut this morning after which the Stimpmeter readings were taken. Any green that was below 11-feet 6-inches was rolled. We’ve been able to “back-off” on the double cutting in the evening. All greens were single cut Friday night and a few were rolled once.
All grass inside the ropes was cut either Friday night or Saturday morning with the exception of bunker faces, which will be cut tonight after play.
Corrective watering was done last evening as well as this morning to all putting greens that required such to insure consistent firmness as well as to address a few “hot spots."
The following tees are being used on the holes with multiple teeing grounds: Hole 5 (574), Hole 9 (530), Hole 12 (419), Hole 14 (455) and Hole 18 (455)
Hole 15 – we are using a front hole location and have moved the tees up from the 530 sign post. The hole will play 491 today.
Par 3s
Hole 3 – 185
Hole 6 – 172
Hole 13 – 147
Hole 17 – 209
The following is a summary of the weather for the day from our Thor-Guard meteorologist, Greg Quinn:
Another pleasant morning can be expected with temperatures in the upper 50s to low 60s in our
area. A cold front will approach Indiana today and bring increasing clouds this afternoon.
Temperatures will be a bit warmer this afternoon with a high near 83 and breezy southwest winds
developing by late morning. An upper-level disturbance will pass through our area between 4-
6 p.m., providing a chance for a shower or storm but the better chance for rain will occur between
9 p.m. to 2 a.m. The front will wash out across southern Indiana on Sunday allowing for another
pleasant day with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s and dry northwest winds.
Third Round Leaders On Course
2:30 p.m. - Follow running updates as the action unfolds in the third round at Crooked Stick Golf Club. It took Fred Funk two holes to fall to double-digit numbers under par. He's at 10 under, one stroke behind Joey Sindelar, who birdied No. 1, and amateur Tim Jackson.
After Funk, Robin Freeman stands at eight under with a birdie on No. 4; he's tied with Greg Norman.
The round of the day thus far has to be Russ Cochran. He's fallen to seven under par after beginning the round even for the championship. It's his first U.S. Senior Open.
