GOLF: It's a tough ask to become a major champion. To do it twice proves the first was no fluke. To do it a third time smacks of greatness. And, in the 105th US Open at Pinehurst No 2 in North Carolina yesterday, Retief Goosen, the most unassuming professional golfer in this most selfish of sports, prepared to take his place among the greats, only to discover that it would be no wild goose chase as many had thought it would be.

Once or twice in every generation, somebody discovers the combination to the safe, a way to lift the prized jewels. In the historical context of the US Open, repeat safecrackers have been few and far between.

There was Willie Anderson in the early years of the 20th Century and, in more modern times, the names of Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Hale Irwin.

Goosen showed in 2001 at Southern Hills in Tulsa and again last year at Shinnecock Hills in New York that he can win this test of golfing patience and that he is difficult to catch with a lead. Since his win at Southern Hills, Goosen has held the 54-hole lead 11 times on both the PGA Tour in American and the European Tour. He has won nine times.

In normal times, he's not easily dislodged; but the final day of a US Open, even if you've been there before, is different.

He may have found the key to win the US Open, but this time round it wasn't working out as he had intended or planned.

On another beautifully sunny day in the Carolinas, those who set out in pursuit of Goosen, who had established a three-shot lead over his nearest pursuers, Jason Gore and Olin Browne, knew it was a huge task.

"The great ones learn how to play to their strengths, and how to be comfortable in uncomfortable environments," said Browne after observing Goosen up-close in Saturday's third round.

Indeed, the pack of pursuers were an unlikely lot.

Gore, ranked 818th in the world to Goosen's fifth, had come through local and sectional qualifiers to earn a ticket to the US Open and plays on the Nationwide Tour; Browne had to shoot a 59 in his second round of qualifying to earn a place in the field and started the final round with only one top-20 finish in 14 career majors; while Mark Hensby, who along with Michael Campbell started out four shots adrift, was competing in his first US Open.

Campbell, for his part, hadn't had a top-10 finish in a major since the 1995 British Open.

If anyone hoped to infiltrate Goosen's apparently unflappable nature, it was Tiger Woods, the world's number one, who resorted to some psychological warfare.

"We've seen it at Carnoustie (in 1999) where Paul Lawrie came from 10 shots back. Anybody who is at five-, six-, seven-over par, you shoot a quality round tomorrow, you never know what can happen."

Did Woods have a crystal ball? For the final round was evolving into a roller-coaster ride, especially for Goosen; but for others too. What was supposed to be a procession with a salute to Goosen as one of the greats became a case of jangled nerves as the Pinehurst No 2 course was the real winner.

Goosen, so calm and collected for the first three rounds, played with frayed nerves. He double bogeyed the second, chipping through the green after missing it with his approach and running up a six, and then compounded matters by bogeying the third, fifth and sixth.

From a starting point of being three-under, he had crashed to two-over and instead was placed into the role of pursuer as Campbell, one over after 63 holes, became the on-course leader, one clear of Goosen and Jason Gore with Tiger Woods just a shot further back.

(US unless stated)

285 - Sergio Garcia (Spa) 71 69 75 70.

286 - Davis Love 77 70 70 69, Rocco Mediate 67 74 74 71.

287 - Nick Price (Zim) 72 71 72 72.

288 - Bob Estes 70 73 75 70.

289 - Stewart Cink 73 74 73 69, Fred Couples 71 74 74 70, Ernie Els 71 76 72 70, Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 77 68 73 71, John Cook 71 76 70 72.

290 - Fred Funk 73 71 76 70, Justin Leonard 76 71 70 73, Paul Claxton 72 72 72 74, Kenny Perry 75 70 71 74.

291 - (x) Matt Every 75 73 73 70, Geoff Ogilvy 72 74 71 74, Jim Furyk 71 70 75 75, Adam Scott (Aus) 70 71 74 76.

292 - Steve Elkington (Aus) 74 69 79 70, Brandt Jobe 68 73 79 72, Phil Mickelson 69 77 72 74, Bernhard Langer (Ger) 74 73 71 74, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 71 73 73 75, Shigeki Maruyama (Jpn) 71 74 72 75, Ted Purdy 73 71 73 75, Tim Herron 74 73 70 75.

293 - Mike Weir (Can) 75 72 75 71, Chad Campbell 77 71 72 73, Tom Pernice Jr 74 73 73 73, Rob Rashell 74 72 73 74, Peter Lonard 71 74 74 74, Colin Montgomerie (Sco) 72 75 72 74, Paul McGinley (Ire) 76 72 71 74.

294 - JL Lewis 75 73 76 70, Nick O'Hern (Aus) 72 71 78 73,

295 - Richard Green (Aus) 72 72 78 73, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 74 71 77 73, Thomas Levet (Fra) 75 73 73 74, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 71 74 75 75, Nick Dougherty (Eng) 72 74 74 75.

296 - Frank Lickliter 75 73 78 70, (x) Ryan Moore 75 73 75 73, JJ Henry 73 73 76 74, Lee Janzen 74 74 74 74, Tommy Armour 70 72 79 75, Jonathan Lomas (Eng) 72 74 75 75, Ian Poulter (Eng) 77 69 74 76, Steve Jones 69 74 74 79, Keiichiro Fukabori (Jpn) 74 67 75 80, Luke Donald (Eng) 69 73 74 80.

297 - Michael Allen 73 72 77 75, Steve Flesch 72 71 78 76, John Mallinger 74 72 73 78.

298 - Stephen Ames (Can) 71 75 76 76, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 72 74 76 76, DJ Brigman 74 73 75 76, JP Hayes 77 71 74 76.

299 - John Daly 74 72 77 76, Omar Uresti 75 73 75 76, Charles Howell 77 68 73 81.

300 - Bob Tway 71 75 79 75, Jeff Maggert 72 75 75 78.

301 - Chris Nallen 76 72 78 75, Graeme McDowell (NIre) 74 74 72 81.

303 - Craig Barlow 76 71 76 80.

305 - Jerry Kelly 76 71 78 80.