Johnson shoots 66 to take 3-shot lead in Open

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. - The words that Tiger Woods thought to himself as he approached his ball in the 18th fairway are the same ones that will cross a handful of minds through late this afternoon: "You know what? I have a shot at this."

Of course, that is what always goes through the mind of Dustin Johnson when he plays at Pebble Beach.

"From the first time I walked out here, I loved the place," he said, standing on the verge of having the biggest reason ever to love Pebble Beach. The winner of the past two AT&T National Pro-Am tournaments here the past two Februarys, he has a three-stroke lead heading into the final round of the U.S. Open.

Johnson is an aggressive, powerful player about whom Woods said after a practice round here Monday, "He's stupid long. It's just ridiculous."

Johnson kept pounding the ball down the stretch on his favorite course. He hit a tight draw into the difficult par-3 17th and made birdie. He challenged the par-5 18th with a driver, hit the green in two with a 6-iron and made birdie to complete a relaxed 5-under-par 66.

The 25-year-old from South Carolina has never been this close to a major anywhere. "I put myself in good position for tomorrow," he said last night. "I have to be very patient. If I can stay patient, I'm going to be tough to beat."

Graeme McDowell, the European Tour player from Northern Ireland, also has a shot at his first major championship. He stands second at 3 under par, although he gave up two strokes in the final three holes.

Not the least of the contenders is Woods, who finally marked his return to form after his scandal and halting 2010 season by shooting 31 on the back nine, ending with three birdies and going 1 under for the event he won so famously on the same course 10 years ago. Again, he could have been speaking for the group when he said, "It's a process. You have to just build."

The process and building will be tougher for Phil Mickelson, seeking his first Open title after five runner-up finishes. He bogeyed the first two holes and never did get hot, although he gained momentum with a birdie at No. 16 and saved par after having hit his drive off the rocks on No. 18. He is sixth at 1 over. "I fought hard today," he said.

Ernie Els had a mostly quiet third round. He did gain traction on the back, making birdie 3s at 15 and 16. Then he bogeyed the hard par-3 17th and finished at par, tied for fourth with Greg Havret. The latter is a French player who went through the Open qualifying procedure. When he was asked what his shot will be like, he said, "Yeah, 'magical.' That's a good word."

All of the other contenders had to withstand the back-nine frenzy created by Woods. It was vintage Tiger, right down to the daring cut 3-wood, around the distinctive fairway tree, out over the Pacific Ocean and onto the green 260 yards away. The two-putt birdie ended a 3-under-par streak on the final three holes. "All the Opens I've won, I've had one stretch of nine holes," he said. "That's what most Open champions have done, and I did it today."

Johnson has some unusual momentum. He is trying to win twice in the same year at Pebble Beach, as Jack Nicklaus did in 1972 and Woods did in 2000. He acknowledged that Pebble Beach in February is wet, mild, dark and windy and in June is dry, cool, bright and windy.

"It's not even close to being the same golf course. It's firm and fast and very difficult," he said with a lilt in his voice that certainly did not sound panicked.

This Sunday at Pebble Beach won't have anything like the breezy atmosphere of the AT&T. Still, it's not all bad. Pebble Beach is much prettier this time of year. "It's kind of nice," Johnson said, "not wearing rain gear."