Nine years later, Singh and Stricker are together again

Vijay Singh edged Steve Stricker to win his first major in the 1998 PGA Championship. They were paired again Saturday, and both carded impressive scores that put each of them in good position to challenge for another major title on Sunday.

OAKMONT, Pa. -- Steve Stricker finally beat Vijay Singh head to head. Too bad it was nine years too late. Fortunately, he is not too late to try and win the U.S. Open.

Stricker, runner-up to Singh in the 1998 PGA Championship, holed out from off the green twice at Oakmont Country Club Saturday, and posted a hard-earned 2-under-par 68 that elevated him into contention in the 107th U.S. Open. His third-round playing partner, Singh, nearly posted his own sub-par round, but a bogey at the home hole gave him a still-respectable 70.

The pairing, a reprise of the final round in '98 at Sahalee Country Club near Seattle, where Singh emerged with his first major championship, was by far the most impressive of the week at Oakmont, which has been stingy and surly and severely unkind.

"We had a good time today. I think we both played well," said Stricker, who moved into the top 10 with his 6-over 216 aggregate. "We fed off each other a little bit; he got off to a good start, and I played well in the middle and then he turned it on again at the end. We had fun with each other today."

Well, fun is a relative thing at the U.S. Open. Singh and Stricker probably came as close as anyone to having an enjoyable day. "We didn't talk a lot, but we both knew we were playing pretty good," said Singh, who finished 54 holes at 8-over 218. "There's not a lot you can say. It's hard out there and you just try to keep it going and stay focused."

Stricker and Singh hit only eight and six fairways, respectively, but found a way to score where most others couldn't. They combined for a best ball of 64 and they never bogeyed the same hole. Each needed 28 putts, and each has his share of saves and hole-outs, with Singh salvaging par on three of the first six to go with two birdies. The most miraculous was a bunker shot at the par-3 sixth that he played on a shelf away from the hole and watched as it rolled back and nearly went in.

Not to be outdone, Stricker, after missing on three straight birdie putts, chipped in from the fringe at the par-5 fourth for a birdie. He saved the best for last, however, when he drove poorly at 18 and had to lay up on his second shot. His lob wedge third from 74 yards was perfectly executed for a closing birdie.

"I was fortunate enough to have a third shot and the numbers were good," said Stricker, who led the '06 Open at Winged Foot after 36 holes and ended up tied for sixth. "You don't expect to hole it, but I thought I could get it up closer to a five- to 10-footer to try to get par. What a way to finish -- icing on the cake, and it gives me a chance going in tomorrow."

"The golf course wasn't easy, but it was easier than it had been and Steve and I did a pretty good job of making the most of what we had," said Singh. "It's out there. You have to play your game. For the most part I did OK. I don't know what my chances are tomorrow. It depends on the other guys. But it was a good day."

Asked by one reporter if it was as fun as their pairing in the "1988 PGA," Singh, 44, smiled and corrected him. "You mean 1998, and, yeah, it was good, but I liked that outcome better."

Stricker, 40, the PGA TOUR's 2006 Comeback Player of the Year, is hoping for a better outcome than last year's Open and at the PGA Championship where Singh beat him by two strokes. This comeback would be much more rewarding.

"I'm going to have to be patient again tomorrow and I'm going to have to take each hole as it comes," he said. "I'm going to really do it no differently. Tomorrow is about handling your nerves and the situations, and it's going to be tough for everybody. You just have to go out and play smart, and I can definitely draw on past experience.

"I've played with some winners in this event in prior years or guys that have come close. So I've been able to watch how they've done it and hopefully I can apply that to myself tomorrow."