Baddeley leads Woods by two shots at US Open

OAKMONT, Pennsylvania, June 17 (Reuters) Australian Aaron Baddeley burst out of a four-way tie to grab a two-stroke lead over Tiger Woods going into the final round of the US Open at Oakmont.

The 26-year-old Baddeley made back-to-back birdies from the 12th to seize the lead, then bounced back from bogeys at 15 and 16 with a birdie at the last to post an even-par 70 and a two-over-par 212 total.

Woods, playing a near-perfect round from tee to green, took five on the 484-yard 18th for his only bogey in a rock steady round of one-under-par 69 to stand at four-over 214.

''You always dream of playing in majors and having a chance to win going into Sunday,'' Baddeley told reporters yesterday.

''I can only focus on what I'm doing. Today I felt really calm out there and peaceful. My game felt nice. I wasn't trying to press or do anything special.'' Baddeley, who has missed the cut in his two previous Opens, said he was excited about getting to play in the last group with Woods as he goes for his first major.

''It's perfect, it's exciting,'' he said.

''He's the best player in the world but I feel like I'm playing nicely.'' IN THE MIX Knotted in third place at five over par, three strokes off the pace, were Britons Paul Casey (72) and Justin Rose (73), Canadian Stephen Ames (73) and American Bubba Watson (74).

A shot further back were Americans Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk, the 2003 champion, and second-round leader Angel Cabrera of Argentina, who finished with two bogeys for a 76.

Watson held the lead briefly before posting a triple-bogey at the 477-yard, par-four ninth hole, where he rushed a poor follow-up shot in frustration after flubbing an attempt to get the ball out of the green-side rough.

Woods had birdies at the third and fourth holes and saw numerous other birdie putts that could have shot him into the lead slide just past the cup.

The world number one, chasing his 13th major title, was the last player in the field to register a bogey on a warm, humid day at the fast-running Oakmont layout.

At 18, Woods hit his tee shot into a bunker, blasted out to the fairway and placed his third shot on the green. He left his 20-foot par-putt on the edge of the hole.

''I didn't drop a shot today until 18, which was nice and that's what ultimately you want to have at a US Open,'' Woods told reporters.

''I hit a lot of putts that just grazed the edge, but I'm right back in the mix.'' Reuters SBA VP0630