Woods faces uphill struggle « kimmerlef

All Woods could manage yesterday at the British Open was a second straight 73, despite having four putts for eagle on the Old Course. None of them would drop, and the distance between the world’s No. 1 player and the only spot he really cares about grew from eight shots at the beginning of the third round to a daunting dozen by the time it was done.

Woods will be a mere sidelight on the final day, no matter how many times someone yells, “You da man!’’ Even at a tournament that can change drastically, given the fluky elements of the Scottish seaside, no one has ever come back to win from more than 10 shots down heading to the fourth round.

The man of the moment is an unheralded South African, Louis Oosthuizen, who will take the lead into the final round of a major for the first time in his life. At least he knows he won’t have to worry about Woods bearing down on him.

While Woods was on the fringe of contention at his first two majors post-scandal, he hasn’t been much of a factor at St. Andrews since opening with a 5-under 67 in pristine conditions Thursday.

“I hit it good,’’ Woods said. “I striped it all day. I just didn’t get anything out of the round. I couldn’t build any momentum. I wasn’t making any putts.’’

Mickelson disappoints
Next time, Phil Mickelson should wait until the end of his round to visit the concession stands at the British Open.

An errant tee shot that bounced into the hospitality area started a three-stroke slide, bringing a quick halt to a charge that could have put Lefty in the mix for his first claret jug. Mickelson’s 70 was still his best score of the week, but at 2 under for the tournament, he’s 13 strokes off the pace.

“I’m disappointed in myself because I let a good round slide,’’ Mickelson said. “I let a good opportunity to get back into the tournament somewhat, to where a good round tomorrow could maybe get it done. I let it go and I’m disappointed in myself.’’

A win at St. Andrews would have given Mickelson the No. 1 ranking for the first time in his career, but he struggled to get anything going in the first two rounds. As word spread that the four-time major champion was getting on a roll yesterday, his gallery — never small — swelled. He was at 3 under for the day through 10 holes, then added another birdie on the 13th.

But after scrambling to save par on 14 after putting his tee shot in a valley of rough so deep spectators couldn’t see the top of his head, Mickelson came undone with a double bogey on the par-4 16th.

Johnson eyes rally
Maybe Dustin Johnson will fare better trying to win his first major coming from behind than he did with the lead.

The South Carolina native put himself in contention at a second straight major championship, moving up to seventh place with a 3-under 69, Johnson has a lot of ground to make up, trailing Oosthuizen by nine strokes.

Then again, he had a three-shot advantage going into the final round of the US Open last month — and look how that worked out.

Johnson made a triple bogey at the second hole, erased his cushion, and staggered to the finish with a dismal 82 — the worst round by the 54-hole leader in a major championship since 1911.

Unsightly Daly watch
Another bad outfit, another bad round for John Daly. The 1995 champion, who matched his best score at the British Open with a 66 Thursday, failed to break par for a second straight day. His 2-over 74 would have looked even worse if not for two birdies on the last three holes. And for those keeping track, Daly traded the garish paisley-patterned pants he wore the first two days for ones with

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Woods faces uphill struggle

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