Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Tiger Woods tees off on No. 10 in the third round of the U.S. Open.

By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

They brought out the water to soften the greens for the third round of the 107th U.S. Open, fearful that Oakmont Country Club was on the precipice of careening out of control.

	Andy Starnes, Post-Gazette Aaron Baddeley reacts to his birdie putt on No. 18 yesterday in the third round of the U.S. Open. Baddeley leads the tournament at 2-over 212. Click photo for larger image. Multimedia: Excerpts from press conferences of players atop the Leader Board after three rounds of the U.S. Open at Oakmont: Aaron Baddeley Tiger Woods Paul Casey Stephen Ames Justin Rose Bubba Watson Click to view video report PG golf Writer Gerry Dulac wraps up Day Three developments at Oakmont yesterday. Plus: Bubba Watson survives a triple bogey Volunteers keep leaderboard tradition alive More coverage All eyes on Tiger at Open Ron Cook: Baddeley driven by Nicklaus' advice Bob Smizik: With Tiger roaring, Open finally springs to life Watson: Playing it safe for once results in catastrophic triple bogey Analysis: Mickelson should put all blame on himself Cabrera: Driving problem leads to big crash in third round In many, if not most ways, Arnold Palmer is the father of modern golf Oakmont: This is a place only members can love Ames, Rose like their spot, chances SEEN at the U.S. Open: Faces in the Crowd U. S. Open Notebook: U.S. Open Notebook: Stricker holes out on No. 18 to stay in hunt Inside the Open: Day Three Today's tee times for Round 4 of the U.S. Open PLUS: Blog: Rough Shots Your Guide to the U.S. Open Our U.S. Open section

Instead of dousing the putting surfaces, perhaps someone should have poured water on Aaron Baddeley. Or Tiger Woods. Maybe that would have cooled them down.

On a day when Woods electrified the crowd with a quick start and laser-like accuracy, it was Baddeley who charged to the 54-hole lead of the U.S. Open, capping off a round of 70 with a 14-foot birdie at the final hole that gave him a two-shot advantage on the world's No. 1 player heading into final round today.

"I felt really calm out there," said Baddeley, who is at 2-over 212 -- the same score that led the Open after three rounds a year ago at Winged Foot. "When I made bogey, I wasn't fussed a lot because you're going to make bogeys in the U.S. Open."

Woods, though, waited until the final hole to make his only bogey of the day, the lone blemish on a round of 69 in which he hit 17 consecutive greens in regulation and put on a masterful display of ball-striking. The only green Woods missed was No. 18 when his drive landed in a fairway bunker on the right side, forcing him to play out safely to the fairway.

Still, after managing one of only two subpar rounds on the day -- Steve Stricker (68) had the other -- Woods is alone in second at 4-over 214, poised to win his third U.S. Open title.

Four other players -- Bubba Watson, Paul Casey, Stephen Ames and Justin Rose -- are another shot back at 215.

"I felt I controlled my ball all day, whether in the air or on the green," said Woods, who leads the field in greens in regulation (38 of 54, 70.4 percent). "That's nice to have Saturday afternoon in the U.S. Open."

Woods and Baddeley will be paired in the final group at 3 p.m. today. Woods will be seeking his 13th major title, more than any other player except Jack Nicklaus. Baddeley has never won a major and is appearing on the weekend for just the third time in 10 major championships.

Woods, though, has never come from behind to win a major championship. He has held or shared the 54-hole lead when he won each of his 12 major championships.

"I'm right there with a shot at it," said Woods, who has won two U.S. Open titles (2000, '02). "It was especially important to keep me in range or close to the lead."

Baddeley, who has taken a tournament-best 85 putts in three rounds, is trying to become the second player in a row from Australia to win the U.S. Open.

"To be honest, if I had one player in the field to play with, that's Tiger," said Baddeley, who has two victories in five full seasons on the PGA Tour. "He's great to play with, he's very courteous and he's a great competitor. I'm going to enjoy it, and I feel like my game is good."

It was the third consecutive day Oakmont allowed just two subpar rounds, but the scoring average (74.683) was the lowest for three rounds. Four other players shot par-70, including Jim Furyk, the most of any round.

The reason: The USGA had the greens watered in the morning, two hours before the round, paying particular attention to the slick surfaces at Nos. 2, 3, 12 and 13.

"The golf course was certainly more receptive than it was [Friday]," Woods said.

After opening the tournament with a double bogey and making just three bogeys in 35 holes, Baddeley was a little more inconsistent in the third round, offsetting five birdies with five bogeys.

It was the polar opposite for Woods, whose round included two birdies and 13 consecutive pars before his hiccup at the final hole. In addition, he missed several birdie putts inside 8 feet, including at Nos. 5 and 7, and also had an eagle putt at the par-5 fourth stop on the edge.

"It could have been really low," Woods said. "Those shorter ones, like at 5 and 7, they're both downhill and they break about 2 to 3 feet. Those putts you can't take a run at."

Baddeley opened a three-shot lead with a 6-foot birdie at No. 13, but began squandering his advantage when he made bogey from the greenside bunkers at Nos. 15 and 16.

But after a poor iron tee shot landed on the grassy face of a fairway bunker at No. 17, Baddeley managed to save par from the awkward lie, setting up his dramatic finish.

At No. 18, he hit an 8-iron from the fairway to 14 feet and made birdie to give him a two-shot lead heading into the final round.

"After I bogeyed 16, we just said let's get one or two coming in," Baddeley said. "I made a nice par on 17 and the birdie was nice. I hit three really good shots in there."

Watson, who leads the PGA Tour in driving distance, was leading the tournament at 1 over when his short game -- and his impatience -- got the best of him at No. 9.

With his ball in the greenside rough in two, no more than 15 yards from the hole, Watson fluffed a flop shot that never made it to the green. Then, without even waiting, he quickly stood over his next shot and blasted it over the green, leading to a triple-bogey-7 that dropped him from the lead.

"If you had a hard shot before, it doesn't matter if you take your time or not," Watson said. "An impossible lie is an impossible lie. All I was trying to do is go at the center of the green, and it was fluffy. I wanted to hit it quick."

Angel Cabrera, the second-round leader, also was having problems, though his were more methodical. He had three bogeys in a five-hole stretch, beginning at No. 7, to fall from the lead.

He is tied with Stricker and 2003 U.S. Open champ Furyk, who birdied the final two holes, at 216.

"If I would have shot 70 and finished bogey-bogey, I probably would have been disappointed," Furyk said. "But come in there birdie-birdie, it makes you feel good coming off the last green."