By Art Spander
Special to NewsdaySHEBOYGAN, Wis. -- Glory's Last Shot -- that's what they call the PGA Championship. In truth, it's anything but a last shot for so many of the contenders, first and foremost Nick Watney, the kid from Northern California who has worked himself into the 54-hole lead.
He grew up in small-town Dixon, west of Sacramento, Calif., the city where he was born. He was a star at Fresno State and he's a fan of the San Francisco Giants.
And he's about to face the biggest day of his golfing life.
"It's going to be a tough day,'' said Watney, who never has held the lead of a major tournament until now, "but I'm looking forward to it.''
Even if he is well aware of what happened to his friend Dustin Johnson in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach last June. (Johnson was the third-round leader there before a final-round meltdown.)
Even if Johnson, 26, and 21-year-old hotshot Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland are in second, chasing Watney from only three shots behind.
Even if 32-year-old Matt Kuchar, who was in front when the delayed second round finally was finished Saturday morning, tumbled all the way into a tie for 11th after the third round.
The 29-year-old Watney shot a 6-under-par 66 Saturday for a spectacular 13-under 203 total after three rounds. Johnson and McIlroy are at 206. Wen-chong Liang of China, who in the third round shot an 8-under 64, a Whistling Straits course record, is tied for fourth at 207 with 22-year-old Jason Day of Australia and 25-year-old Martin Kaymer of Germany.
It says something about golf that of the six top players, only Liang, 32, is not in his 20s. It also says something that of those six, only Watney and Johnson are Americans.
If Watney, who has won twice on tour, hasn't exactly been under the sort of pressure which will exist Sunday, he does have a seventh place this year in both the Masters and the British Open. That will help some.
"At this point,'' Watney tried to persuade himself, if not the media, "it's just another golf tournament. I think that's the best way for me to look at it. Obviously, it's not, but I just need to go out there and keep doing what I'm doing. I'm playing very well. I'm putting the best I have in a really long time, so I can only control myself. Just got to do that [Sunday].''
Watney had the advantage of finishing his second round Friday. Because of fog delays the first two rounds, 78 golfers had to come out early Saturday, extending their day.
Liang also had the benefit of finishing his second round on Friday. He needed to play only 18 holes Saturday, not 30 as Tiger Woods and some others did, and in those 18, Liang made eight birdies and no bogeys, moving up from 37th.
He grew up in Zhongshan, where after the communist government relaxed controls, Arnold Palmer built China's first course since the 1930s. Liang won the Asia Order of Merit in 2007, the year he also played in another PGA, at Southern Hills, missing the cut.
"This round,'' Liang said through an interpreter, "is special to me because it makes people realize there are actually professional golfers in China.''
Dustin Johnson ended tied for eighth in the U.S. Open after a final-round 82 and he tied for 14th in the British Open.
"The younger guys have been playing well this year,'' Johnson said. "We have contended. We have won. [Sunday] is going to be a good show to see. You're going to have to go out and be somewhat aggressive. You've got to stay patient. I think at Pebble Beach I got maybe a little impatient.''
Watney, Johnson, McIlroy are all impatient to get that first major. As Johnson said, it should be a good show.
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