Tiger Woods heads into the final round of the US Open with a one-stroke lead in his quest for a 14th major.
World number one will ignore discomfort from surgically repaired knee
Tiger Woods heads into the final round of the US Open with a one-stroke lead knowing he may have to go through the pain barrier in his quest for a 14th major.
The world number one is playing for the first time since the Masters two months ago after undergoing arthoscopic knee surgery and has, at times, appeared troubled by the problem at Torrey Pines.
But it did not prevent him producing a stunning birdie-eagle finish on Saturday to claim the outright 54-hole lead at three-under-par, one clear of Englishman Lee Westwood.
History is also on the 32-year-old's side - he has triumphed on all 13 previous occasions when in front at this stage of a major.
"I get it (pain in his knee) but it's always after impact," commented Woods after his one-under third-round effort of 70.
"So I go ahead and just make the proper swing if I can. That's what it's all about - getting the ball in the hole in as few shots as possible.
"And I was just trying to manage my game, stay in there," he said of a topsy-turvy 18 holes that included a pair of eagles, two birdies, three bogeys and a double-bogey at the par-four first.
Grind
"It's a US Open. Guys aren't going to go low, and even though I got off to such a poor start again today I just hung around, trying to get back to even par either for the tournament or for the day.
"For the day would be great. But even if I finished at even par for the tournament it wouldn't be a bad thing either. Then all of a sudden things started turning."
Woods covered his last six holes in four-under, rolling in a 60-footer to eagle the 13th, bogeying the 14th, and then draining a 30-foot pitch from the rough to birdie the 17th. He signed off with a snaking 40-foot eagle putt at the last.
"I didn't really try and manufacture anything today, I was just trying to play the proper shot," he added.
"If pain hits, pain hits. So be it. It's just pain.
"You look at staying patient and just staying in the moment, just progressing one shot at a time. It's an old cliche but it's no more true than at the US Open. You cannot get ahead of yourself at this event."
