Golf: British limping in Baltusrol

THE impression that the 93rd US Open is an all-American affair was strengthened yesterday when Britain's finest took their hats off to Baltusrol and conceded defeat. One by one they limped in and filled the still, sultry air with blasts of resignation: Sandy 'I've got no chance' Lyle, Nick 'It's just a slog' Faldo and Ian 'It's a waste of time' Woosnam.

They were all given a reprieve after the second round when Lee Janzen, the leader at the half-way stage with a record-equalling six under par, did not take the opportunity of going to seven under. The leading 60 players, plus ties, plus anyone within 10 strokes of the leader survived the half-way cut and that meant that Lyle, Faldo and Woosnam, who were all at four over par after the second round, remained in the championship. They were exactly 10 strokes behind Janzen. Yesterday Janzen maintained his challenge with a 69 to stand at seven under par, one stroke in front of Payne Stewart. Not that the Scotsman, the Englishman and the Welshman were particularly grateful. It served only to prolong the agony and all three sounded as if they would like to be anywhere but Baltusrol.

Lyle shot a level-par 70 in the third round which left him at four over par for the championship. 'I needed a 66 to stand any chance,' he said. At least Lyle played with a degree of confidence, boosted by a birdie three at the first where he holed a putt from 25 feet. His putting, however, has not been the most impressive part of his game. At the 11th he hit a nice second shot to eight feet from the flag. He missed, missed again and instead of a birdie three he walked off with a bogey five.

After Lyle came Faldo and the pessimism was even more pronounced. The world No 1, following rounds of 70 and 74, managed a 73. 'I made a lot of birdies and holed a lot of putts,' he said sarcastically. A lot of people can birdie the 18th, a par five of 542 yards, but not our lot. Faldo was short of the green in two and when he pitched his ball about 20 feet past the flag he tossed his club away in disgust.

'It's the same old ball game,' he said. 'I'm not hitting it close enough and I'm not making any putts. It's just a slog . . . it's hard work . . . I've got no lift. I can't do it on the golf course. I just can't do it.' After Faldo who, on 217 is seven over par for the tournament, came Woosnam and if it was difficult to paint a blacker picture the Welshman somehow managed it.

In the second round Woosnam had a seven at the 18th after flapping around in the trees and he was so confident of missing the cut he cleared out his locker. It was wishful thinking. 'He threw a wobbly,' his wife Glendryth said. Yesterday Woosnam hit his approach shot at the 18th into a lake. He took a bogey six in a round of 72 which left him at six over par, 13 strokes behind Janzen. Tom Watson, the US Ryder Cup captain who partnered Janzen in the third round, dropped from four under to one under after a 73. Stewart, who won the US Open in 1991, improved his score by two strokes with a 68.

A sudden loss of control off the tee undermined his confidence and left him hot and bothered. At the 11th he drove so far right of the fairway that his ball finished up in a bunker on the seventh hole. He lashed at that with a three-wood and escaped with a bogey five. 'I started hitting it all over the place,' Woosnam said. 'It was pretty hopeless . . . a waste of time. I'm too far behind. I've got no chance.' Dear oh dear. Come off it lads, the game's been good to you. Too good.

Jack Nicklaus, who won the US Open when it was last held at Baltusrol in 1980 - his 36-hole record of six under par was equalled here by Janzen - struggled yesterday but the same could not be said of his playing partner Fred Funk. Funk, who began the day at two over par, went to the turn in 33 and when he birdied the 11th, 12th and 13th holes, to move to two under par for the championship, his name appeared on the leaderboard.

Colin Montgomerie who, because of the oppressive heat, has been hitting the Anadin bottle, appears to be getting progressively worse. Big Monty has scored 71, 72 and 73 and he joined Woosnam on 216. 'I'm fed up,' he said, joining the lamentable British chorus. 'It is the saddest I've ever felt on a golf course. I'm hitting the ball well but my putting is dreadful. I don't know what to do.'

Barry Lane was the exception to the British malaise. Making his debut in the US Open, Lane, going into the final round today, is the leading European. He shot 70 yesterday and on 212 is two over par. His was a refreshing outlook on the championship. 'I'm loving every minute of it,' the Berkshire-based professional said. His ambition is to finish in the top 24, thus qualifying for next year's US Open.

Stewart reeled off 12 successive pars to stay four under and he made his move with a birdie at the 13th and another at the 18th. He may have looked somewhat garish - he was wearing shocking tangerine trousers and white shoes with bright gold tips - but his golf, although perhaps not as colourful, was very effective.

Nick Price, the reigning US PGA champion, also figured prominently on the leaderboard following a 70, which put him at three under par for the championship.

(Photograph omitted)