John Senden, of Australia, hits a shot on the first hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open Championship golf tournament Sunday, June 17, 2012, at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
John Senden, of Australia, hits a shot on the first hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open Championship golf tournament Sunday, June 17, 2012, at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Jim Furyk hits a drive on the second hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open Championship golf tournament Sunday, June 17, 2012, at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Tiger Woods hits out of a bunker on the second hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open Championship golf tournament Sunday, June 17, 2012, at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Amateur Beau Hossler reacts after chipping in to save par on the first hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open Championship golf tournament Sunday, June 17, 2012, at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
A fan wears a costume as they watch Tiger Woods on the fourth tee during the fourth round of the U.S. Open Championship golf tournament Sunday, June 17, 2012, at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Jim Furyk is alone at the top in the U.S. Open.
Furyk stayed steady at even par while Graeme McDowell had one bogey to fall a shot back through three holes Sunday, emerging from an eerie fog that swallowed The Olympic Club in a battle of former U.S. Open champions. Furyk was 1 under for the tournament.
Lee Westwood and Frederik Jacobson were three strokes back of the lead through four holes.
Furyk's drive found the left rough on No. 1, he laid up and floated his approach 4 feet short of the pin to save par. McDowell's drive stayed in the fairway ? where he has been all week ? and his second landed in the shaved grass short of the green, where he two-putted for par.
McDowell's tee shot on the par-3 landed short. He chipped past the hole and two putted for a bogey to a fall a shot back of Furyk, whom he shared the 54-hole lead with entering the final round.
If there's a tie at the end of the day, there will be an 18-hole playoff Monday.
Tiger Woods dropped six strokes in the treacherous first six holes, including a double bogey on the par-3 third when he chunked a shot out of the rough and two-putted. He was 5 over through eight holes ? 10 shots behind the leaders ? and still waiting to end his four-year major drought.
The 17-year-old Beau Hossler saved par on No. 1 with a putt out of the fringe, giving a light first pump and hearing roars the once belonged to Woods. Chants of "Let's go Hossler!" could be heard from the second green when Woods was lining up his putt, which he left short for a bogey.
But Hossler bogeyed three straight holes to fall to 3 over on the round. He was seven shots back.
History hasn't been kind to the 54-hole leaders over the last decade.
Rory McIlroy was different last year, but he was playing a different kind of U.S. Open at Congressional, which was soft from rain and yielded a record score. Throw out his 69 in the final round, and you have to go all the way back to Woods at Pebble Beach in 2000 to find a 54-hole leader who broke par.
Aaron Baddeley had a two-shot lead going into the final round at Oakmont. He three-putted from 8 feet for a triple bogey on the opening hole and shot 80. Retief Goosen was going for his third U.S. Open title in five years at Pinehurst in 2005 when he took a three-shot lead into the final round. It was gone in three holes and he shot 81.
McDowell was three shots behind going into the final round at Pebble Beach two years ago when he watched Dustin Johnson hit wedge toward the second green and take five more shots for a triple bogey. Just like that, the lead was gone, and so was Johnson. He closed with an 82
Such a closing round would not seem likely for McDowell and Furyk. Not only are they U.S. Open champions (then again, so was Goosen), they have controlled games and toughness that makes them equipped for a fight against par.
Furyk won at Olympia Fields in 2003 and McDowell took home the title two years ago down the coast at Pebble Beach.
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Follow Antonio Gonzalez at: www.twitter.com/agonzalezAP
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