By Alex Myers

I never met Payne Stewart. Nor did I ever cover his curtailed career, or even see him play in person. But 13 years after his tragic death, I've never forgotten how crushed I was to read about it in the local newspaper; and I'm still grateful for the role he ended up playing in my own journey.

The year 1999 was the first one I really got into watching golf, and the U.S. Open, with its wall-to-wall TV coverage, was the perfect sporting event for a lazy junior to plop himself down on the couch in between final exams. I remember getting so caught up in the action that I even backed out of playing baseball with my friends that Sunday. Yes, I was choosing to watch golf instead. No, that was not cool.

Related: Jim Moriarty on Stewart's death

What unfolded that day at Pinehurst was one of the most memorable final rounds in major championship history -- and not just because it was probably the first one I watched from start to finish. The current top-ranked player in the world, David Duval, was in the mix, and there were charges from other marquee names like Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods. But it was the final pairing duel between Stewart and Phil Mickelson, famously on-call with his wife due to give birth to their first child at any moment, that took center stage.

Usually, I would have been drawn to the younger player in that scenario, but for some reason, I felt myself rooting for Stewart all day. OK, so maybe the initial reason was I had him on my fantasy golf team (I wish I was kidding). . . Nevertheless, I was pulling for Stewart to keep Mickelson major-less, and I'm still struck by how he was able to do it.

Stewart was always known as a great putter, but the way he rolled it that day, especially on the back nine, has taken on mythical proportions in my mind. Yes, there was the winning 18-footer for par on No. 18 (was it really only that long?) that set off a reaction so perfect (above) it would be immortalized as a statue behind the green. But there were plenty of other clutch, curling putts -- like the 30-footer (nowt that's more like it) for par on No. 16 -- that Stewart seemingly willed his way into the cup on the diabolical Donald Ross greens to earn his second U.S. Open title and third major overall.

It was truly inspiring. Not just to someone who was still stuck in a phase of questioning whether mini-golf was better than playing real golf, but to a sports nut hoping that one day watching similar drama unfold could be a bigger part of my life.

I still ditch my friends during weeks of major championships, but they don't make fun of me anymore. It's part of my job now. Thanks, Payne.

Alex Myers is a GolfDigest.com contributing editor.

Hey, you! Yeah, you, the obnoxious guy who yells out absurd things right after a golfer tees off. You know who you are. Now stop it!

It's bad enough that golf fans have had to endure "Get in the hole!" and "You da man!" for decades. But now we have to deal with a new era of creative -- make that ridiculous -- sayings, many of which were on display at Olympic Club during the U.S. Open. "Mashed potatoes!"? "Filet mignon!"? "5-hour Energy!"? OK, so that last one -- yelled following a Jim Furyk tee shot, of course -- was actually pretty funny... but back to my original point: Enough's enough! If I wanted to hear drunk guys yelling random things, I'd watch "Jersey Shore."

I really hoped no one yelled "Get in the hole!" here. It was a par 5. (Getty Images)

I'm not trying to sound all Bobby Jones-preachy here. I don't think fans should be restrained to soft "golf claps" and dressing like they're about to attend a business conference, but they should keep in mind that players can actually hear them. And worse, everyone else watching -- both in person and on TV -- can as well.

I mean, if you're going to take advantage of total silence, why not at least scream something that's for a good cause? Maybe something like "Peace and goodwill!" Or, "Lower gas prices!" Or better yet, "Stop making Adam Sandler movies!"

At least there weren't any fans dumb enough to interrupt the trophy ceremony. Oh wait, that's right. One bozo's desperate attention-seeking ploy did just that, and prompted Webb Simpson to deliver the line of the week when he said, "Enjoy the jail cell, pal." Now that's something I hope everyone heard loud and clear.

Related: The shots that defined the U.S. Open

Fans are supposed to stay behind the ropes and in general, keep to themselves. They should not feel entitled to make themselves part of the show. Can you imagine watching a highlight of Jack Nicklaus' 1-iron off the flagstick on No. 17 at Pebble Beach in the 1972 U.S. Open and hearing some idiot yelling "Mango chutney!" in the background? When it comes to major championships, as I once heard a Grand Canyon tour guide enthusiastically proclaim, "We're making memories here, people!" Let's try not to taint them.

-- Alex Myers
Follow @AlexMyers3

Related: Webb Simpson shows you how to use a long putter

The galleries were packed on the 18th green on Sunday. (Photo by Getty Images)

Related: Sh-t Golfers Say

Related: Overheard in the gallery on Satruday

Related: Spectator interrupts Webb Simpson's victory interview

Seven notable third-round stats that indicate how the U.S. Open might unfold Sunday, provided by Golf World contributing writer Brett Avery, who compiles the Rank and File statistical sections for the magazine's coverage of the major championships and other significant events.

1. Once again the first six holes of The Olympic Club hammered most players senseless and sent some contenders spinning out of control. The last four players off the first tee were a combined 12 over par on that stretch: co-leader Jim Furyk (70) and John Peterson (72) were two over; Tiger Woods (75) was three over and David Toms (76) five over. Conversely, Lee Westwood (67) played those holes one under and co-leader Graeme McDowell (68) even par. One scenario for the fourth round would see an early starter posting anumber and seeing whether it holds up. He probably would need to escape thefirst third of the course largely unscathed and capitalize over the last third. Here are the top eight players heading into Sunday and how they have navigated the first through sixth and the 13th through 18th:

--McDowell (209): one over; six under (no bogeys)

--Furyk (209): one over; one under

--Jacobson (211): four over (no birdies); even

--Westwood (212): four over (doubled No. 1 Thursday); one under

--Ernie Els (212): eight over (one double); one under (one triple, one eagle)

--Blake Adams (212): eight over (two doubles); one under

--Nicholas Colsaerts (212): five over (two doubles); two over

The field is a cumulative +2.497 at the first six and +0.766 at the last six.

2. Graeme McDowell has broken par in the fourth round in his last three majors: 70 in the 2010 Open Championship at St. Andrews (T-23), 69 in the '11 U.S. Open at Congressional (T-14) and 68 in this year's Masters (T-12). Furyk, on the other hand, has done it only once in his last 18 closing rounds in majors. To Furyk's benefit, however, that only time since the 2006 PGA Championship was a 70 in this year's Masters (solo 11th). Jacobson? He's made the cut in 13 of 23 career majors and has broken par Sunday just once (70 in the '03 Open Championship, T-6). His fourth-round scoring average in majors is 73.308.

3. Five of the top seven players through 54 holes are from the international contingent: McDowell (Northern Ireland), Jacobson (Sweden), Westwood (England), Els (South Africa) and Colsaerts (Belgium). If Furyk, Adams or another U.S. entrant were to win, it would mark the first time the host country won three consecutive major championship titles since the 2006 Open Championship through '07 Masters (Woods, Woods, Zach Johnson). It would make the first time three different U.S. competitors won consecutive majors since the 2003 U.S. Open to 2004 Masters (Jim Furyk, Ben Curtis, Shaun Micheel, Phil Mickelson). PS: International players have won six of the last eight Opens.

4. Because you're bound to read or hear repeatedly that Westwood has the most top-three placings in majors without a win since the 1934 inauguration of the Masters, here's the background. He's been runner-up twice ('10 Masters and Open Championship) and placed third on five occasions ('08 U.S., '09 Open Championship and PGA, '11 U.S. and '12 Masters). That ranks Westwood ahead of Colin Montgomerie (five seconds, one third) and Doug Sanders (fourseconds, two thirds).

5. Driving is eminently important in the Open but Ernie Els has hit only 13 fairways, better than only one of the 72 players to make the cut (Branden Grace, six). Hitting greens in regulation is also vital, although Els ranks T-57 this week with only 27. He's erased all those problems, however, with his putter. Els is tied for first in the field with only 80 putts. He has placed in the top 20 in fewest putts among those making an Open cut only three times (and not since 2004).

6. It doesn't tell us a thing about the fourth round, but it's fun anyway: When Furyk won the 2003 U.S. Open at Olympia Fields, Woods had won "only" eight majors.

7. As long as we're at it: The first four Opens at Olympic were won by men in their 30s (Jack Fleck, 33; Billy Casper, 34; Scott Simpson, 31; Lee Janzen, 33). That would seem to favor McDowell (32), Jacobson (37),Westwood (39), Adams (36) and Jason Dufner (35) among the top 13 players, or those leading or within four shots. [h/t PGA Tour]

-- Brett Avery
Follow @BWAvery

SAN FRANCISCO -- Tiger Woods squinted into the setting sun. He wanted to follow the flight of his pitching wedge shot from the 18th fairway.

Where'd that go?

It was a question he'd been asking all day long. More often than is good for an immortal, he discovered he'd hit shots in places he didn't intend to visit.

You see it, Joe?

Woods's caddie, Joe LaCava, indicated the ball had gone right.

Huh?

The ball sat atop gnarly grass just past the green's right fringe, 20 feet from the hole.

Now what?

"Brutal lie," Woods said later. "Nasty."

Related: 20 things that have happened since Tiger's last major

On a day when he might have shown us the Old Tiger, he was the Same Old Tiger. He shot 75 and from atop the leader board, he fell to a tie for 14th. He'll go into Sunday's final round five shots behind leaders Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell.

It was 2:45 p.m. Saturday when Woods came to the putting green. As on many days since he collided with karma and that hydrant, he was the object of the golf world's attention. But this day was different -- different because in the Open's first two rounds, he had reminded us of how good he once was. It was different, too, because, for the first time in three years, he came to work having slept on the lead in a major championship.

Hard to imagine, how omnipresent he was -- winner of 14 majors -- and now how long he has been away. He won the U.S. Open in 2008, limping on a bad knee and a splintered leg. He lost the 2009 PGA Championship in the last round, to Y.E. Yang. That was the first time he had lost a major when leading after 54 holes. In the nine majors since -- he missed two of them with injuries -- he has finished no higher than fourth (three times) and has been in contention on a Sunday only once, and then just briefly, last year at Augusta.

Related: Rory vs. Tiger: The new rivalry?

Of all the questions hanging with Woods, there has never been one asking if he could play brilliantly. We have seen those lightning flashes. We saw one in that 2010 Masters when, suddenly, there he was, with four holes to play, facing putts to make the tournament his. There was a time, when it mattered most, Woods rolled them all in; that Sunday in Augusta, they all stayed out. And not until this week's U.S. Open on the merciless Olympic Club course did we see even a glimmer of the Tiger who for so long dominated the majors. As he built a tie for the lead at 36 holes here, Woods had shown such control and resolve that, yes, it could be argued, he was about to make the world his again.

A bridge walkway brings players from the putting green to Olympics' first tee. It is perhaps 15 feet above the thousands of golf fans gazing up at the heroes. At 2:58 on this afternoon, Jim Furyk crossed the bridge. Hearing cheers and applause, the veteran smiled broadly and waved to the people, happy to be there. Then came Woods, who heard much louder applause and raucous calls of "Go get 'em, Tiger!" He cared only enough to touch the bill of his cap, once. Why so grim? Better than anyone, maybe, he knew there was a harsher question to be answered. Could he keep the flickering flame of brilliance alive?

The answer came quickly.

No.

As precise as he had been with every club in the bag for two days, he was imprecise on this day. He missed the first green, 50 yards short from the left rough. He left his tee shot short on the par-3 third. He left a wedge short on the short par-4 sixth. All bogeys. At the eighth, he three-putted from 35 feet, not even touching the hole with his second from three feet. At the 17th, a short par-5 where birdies must be made, he dumped a 200-yard shot into a bunker 30 yards short and right of the green. An ugly par.

Then came the 18th, uglier yet.

"I struggled on the greens," Woods told reporters. He never could adjust to speeds slower than expected, he said. "It was a tough deal to adjust to." Well. On a day when Woods' iron play was ragged, one is reminded of Ben Hogan's wife, Valerie. The story is, she had grown weary of the great man's complaints about his putting. She suggested, "Hit it closer."

As for Sunday's final round, Woods did his best to portray the kind of confidence that once came naturally. "I'm definitely still in the ball game," he said. "I'm only five back, and that's certainly doable on this golf course." He also said, "It's just patience. It's just a few birdies here and there. It's not like where you have to go out there and shoot 62 and 63. This is a U.S. Open. You just have to hang around."

Hang around?

Never, not once, did Tiger Woods hang around and win a major. Every time, 14 times, he has been on the lead going to Sunday. Common folks hang around, all those guys who might maybe perhaps win if everything falls right.

And there is the answer to all the questions.

This Tiger Woods is just another guy who can win.

-- Dave Kindred
Follow @davekindred

(Getty Images photo)

The Olympic Club is renowned for its U.S. Open villains, usually culled from its playing ranks (Jack Fleck, Billy Casper, Scott Simpson). On Saturday, it apparently identified one in the broadcast booth.

NBC's Johnny Miller was eviscerated in the Twitter world throughout the telecast of the third round, criticism coming from all quarters -- fans, players, counterparts, even a player's wife.

"How does Johnny Miller have a job when he speaks such nonsense???" Geoff Ogilvy's wife Juli wrote on Twitter.

Peter Kostis, a CBS analyst, posted this when Miller called Graeme McDowell "a driving genius," who then drove it into the trees: "He's a driving genius! Whack, club hits ball, whack, ball hits tree, oops."

Colt Knost, who missed the cut, weighed in: "According to Johnny miller every bad shot is BC of nerves!! There is such a thing as a bad swing. Sorry for being human"

Then this from Tommy Biershenk, who must have missed Chris Berman's inane play on his name the day before, something to do with beer and shank: "Am I the only one that can do without Johnny Miller? #Mr.Negative."

One viewer wrote on Twitter that "If I ever see Johnny Miller I am going to follow him the rest of the day and criticize his every move."

The criticism began with Miller talking about the unusually nice weather in the San Francisco area this week: "It's always windy here half the time." He also drew viewers' ire by repeatedly noting how the course was softer than previous days, how Tiger Woods doesn't adjust well when green speeds change, and how Beau Hossler's swing reminded him of Colin Montgomerie's.

A Twitter handle called Quorum Sports brought some needed perspective to the discussion: "I get worn down by Johnny Miller but he sounds like Adel (sic) to me after 48 hr Chris Berman self indulgence." He meant Adele, but point well taken.

'A groove low'

Miller was ridiculed on Twitter when Tiger Woods hit his second shot at the sixth hole and Miller said that he could tell by the sound that he'd "hit it a groove low."

The fact is that Miller called it a thin shot a split-second after Woods hit it and the ball, indeed, came up short. He got it right, as he so often does, notwithstanding his critics.

'Tiger actually gagged'

Miller's appeal over the years evolved from his steadfast reluctance to pull his punches. He still has it, evidence of which came in this analysis of Woods early in Saturday's telecast:

"He goes to the Masters and really fell apart, from pressure. The first time in his whole career I can say that Tiger actually gagged just a little bit because he wanted it so bad. He's going after Nicklaus's record, 18 majors."

Laying up? Really?

When Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts, one of the longer players in teh game, laid up on the 268-yard par-4 seventh hole, the crowd voiced its displeasure.

"Nice layup," one fan yelled.

Then the crowd booed.

"The longest hitter maybe in the world, on any tour, and he's laying up," Miller said, chuckling.

Where's Sean Foley?

Instructor Sean Foley has been missing from Woods' side during his warmup. Where's he been? NBC's Gary Koch had the answer.

"I was talking to Sean early in the week," Koch said. "He said Tiger approached him right before the Memorial Tournament and said, 'I don't want you watching me warm up any more. I don't want you walking around with me in practice rounds.'

"I asked Foley, 'how do you interpret that?' [He said] 'I love it. It means that Tiger is back to thinking about playing golf and not worrying so much about his swing before he goes out.'"

Foley has been working with Woods post rounds.

Massacre at the Olympic Club?

It has become an article of faith in golf that when a U.S. Open is won with an under-par score that is unacceptable to the USGA, it enacts revenge the following year with its course setup (see the Massacre at Winged Foot in '74 following Miller winning the '73 Open with a final-round 63 at Oakmont).

Lawrence Donegan cited this in the (U.K.) Guardian in writing about Rory McIlroy's early exit a year after winning the Open with a score of 16-under par.

"Golf can be a humbling game, though this is clearly not enough for the masochists who run the US Open," Donegan wrote. "They demand humiliation, complete and in public, and they got it on a Friday of carnage at the Olympic Club in San Francisco which saw the scoring head north and Rory McIlroy head to the airport.

"Not that the US Golf Association would be so impolite as to say as much in public but McIlroy's epic effort on the east coast provoked them into serving up a brute on the west coast."

-- John Strege

The crowds around the 18th hole were dense all day. (Photograph by Getty Images)

Related: Sh-t Golfers Say

Related: Overheard on Friday

SAN FRANCISCO -- Here he comes again. Already seven times a top-three finisher in major championship play, Lee Westwood has given himself yet another chance to break his Grand Slam duck. After a nifty little third round of 67 at the Olympic Club -- five birdies, two bogeys -- the 39-year old Englishman sits at two over par for 54 holes.

"I've probably been in contention in majors more than anyone else over the last three or four years," he confirmed. "So I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I'll go out and have some fun and see what happens.

"Every time I've got myself into contention in one of these events I've learned something about myself. I've been up there in a lot of different ways: leading, coming from behind. So I've picked little bits out of all of those. But the main thing is just to go out there and believe that I'm good enough. I must be. I get myself into contention often enough."

Despite the fact that he has recorded more than 40 worldwide victories over the course of his 19-year professional career, such a positive outlook is somewhat new for the man from Worksop in the English Midlands. With so many near things and so much disappointment came inevitable introspection and questioning of his mind and method.

"This is a golf tournament," he continued. "It's just a game of golf. I go out and play golf for a living on the best courses in the world and at the biggest tournaments. It's not a bad way to pass the time.

"I don't take it too seriously. When you've been out here 20 years or so, I think it's time to relax, give yourself a break and enjoy it."

Related: Lee Westwood's pre-shot checklist

That, of course, hasn't been the easiest thing to achieve over the course of this particular week. With the Olympic Club playing so hard and fast, scoring well has been more of a grind than a game. He himself started the week with a double-bogey six at the opening hole.

"Look at the players' faces out there," said Westwood, after making a 40-foot "bomb" for birdie on the 18th green. "They're looking pretty wound up and stressed aren't they? There aren't many smiles. Which is a shame. This is one of the biggest tournaments of the year and one that I assume everyone looks forward to."

In prospect now for Westwood is yet another genuine chance to rid himself of the tag "best player never to win a major." It's a label he has long deserved and one, we can safely assume, he won't miss one little bit.

-- John Huggan
Follow @johnhuggan