Retief Goosen of Australia gestures after putting on the 3rh green during the third day of competition at the 105th U.S. Open Championship at the Pinehurst Country Club in Pinehurst, North Carolina, June 18, 2005.
2005 Pinehurst Resort and Country Club
With a three-stroke lead entering the round, the South African star Retief Goosen botched his chance at a third U.S. Open title by dropping six shots in the first nine holes. His first slip was a double bogey at No. 2 — the result of mishandling a simple chip shot. After that, Goosen says he couldn’t make a putt to save his life. Five more bogeys after the turn led to a dismal 81 and a share of 11th place at eight-over 288. His performance was all the more disappointing given the growing buzz about his career. While Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson dominated golf roundtables, Goosen was poised to become the new hot topic. His calamitous play at Pinehurst, however, stunned fans into silence.