Hole-in-One Highlights U.S. Open Round 3

No good scores to be had at Pebble Beach? Don't tell that to Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand.

Jaidee made the first hole-in-one of this year's U.S. Open, acing the fifth hole during early play in Saturday's third round.

Tom Watson and Stewart Cink are among those on the course. Cink made two birdies through his first seven holes to get to 5-over par on a cool, cloudy day on the Monterey Peninsula.

Teeing off later were Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh, who were seven shots behind leader Graeme McDowell. Phil Mickelson was two shots off the lead and in the third-to-last group.

McDowell doesn't tee off until just before 4 p.m. local time. The USGA wants to show its premier event in prime time on the East Coast.

Phil Mickelson shot 5-under-par 66 in Friday’s round to climb within two shots of the lead at the halfway point of the U.S. Open and give him a chance a chance to finally win something more than silver.

But it wasn't enough to catch Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, who set the early pace Friday with a 3-under 68 to take a two-shot lead into the weekend. All that mattered to Mickelson, however, was getting back to even par.

Tiger Woods made his first birdie at the U.S. Open late Friday without even using his putter, chipping in on the 11th hole at Pebble Beach to stay well in the mix in the second round. Although a pedestrian round of 1-over 72 left him seven shots behind, he believes he’s still in the mix. Woods has never won a major when trailing by more than six shots going into the weekend.

Asked if he liked his positions, Woods replied, "Absolutely."

"I'm right there in the championship," Woods said. "I just need to make a few more birdies, a few more putts on the weekend, and I'll be right there."

Watch NBC Bay Area Sunday for a U.S. Open special starting at 6 p.m.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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