John Senden in US Open mix as Tiger Woods slides

AUSSIE John Senden clawed his way into contention as Tiger Woods' grip on the US Open weakened in third round action.

John-Senden

JOHN Senden clawed his way into contention as Tiger Woods' grip on a 15th major championship weakened in the third round of the US Open.

Senden fired an impressive two-under par 68 at the Olympic Club to move to three-over-par 213 and into a tie for eighth, four shots behind joint leaders and former US Open champions Jim Furyk (70) and Graeme McDowell (68).

"I really thought that par figures today would be a great round. So shooting two under and seeing the leaders not going anywhere, I think we have a chance to give it a shot tomorrow," Senden said.

Woods, who was tied with Furyk and David Toms for the overnight lead, shot a scratchy 75 on Saturday to drop into a tie for 14th but remained in the hunt five back of the leaders.

Not once in his 14 major wins has Woods come from behind after three rounds to claim victory.

The 36-year-old American had four bogeys through his opening eight holes before fighting back slightly with a birdie on the ninth.

But another bogey on the par five 16th and a closing bogey on the 18th after a poor approach and flubbed chip left him struggling.

McDowell, the 2010 winner just down the freeway at Pebble Beach, will be striving to make it three on the trot for Northern Ireland after Rory McIlroy's 2011 triumph. He carded three birdies on the back nine to temper just the lone bogey on the front side.

Furyk, the 2003 US Open champion, bogeyed two of the opening five holes but erased them with birdies on the seventh and 11th. He then went bogey, birdie over the back-to-back par fives late in his round to join McDowell in the lead.

Sweden's Fredrik Jacobsen (68) was outright third, two shots from the lead.

Lee Westwood (67), Ernie Els (68) and Blake Adams (70) were tied fourth at 212.

Senden opened with a solid run of four pars before his tee shot on the fifth sailed well right into tree trouble. He was forced to chip back to the fairway and although his third found the green he was unable to land a lengthy par putt and dropped a shot.

The Queenslander looked likely to gain it back on the drive-able par four seventh when he found the green with his tee shot but he three-putted and was forced to settle for par.

It failed to rattle his nerves though and on the very next hole he put a six iron to within two feet on the par three eighth and converted his birdie to be back even for the day.

A nice 12-foot birdie on the 14th came as the leaders were faltering, leaving the 41-year-old just four shots off the pace and when he curled in a six-footer from the fringe on the last he was just three back.

Furyk managed to extend his advantage over the Aussie to four over the closing holes but Senden remained confident he could make a charge on Sunday.

Of the other Australians Adam Scott shot his second consecutive even par round to be six-over for the championship in a tie for 27th, still an outside chance should he manufacture a low round on Sunday.

Alistair Presnell couldn't maintain his lofty positions of the opening two rounds, shooting a 75 to drop to nine-over. Rod Pampling (74) dropped to 11-over par while Jason Day had an outing to forget shooting a 76 to be 12-over.