Olympia Fields, Illinois, June 15: Dicky Pride teed off inconspicuously midway through the third round of the 103rd U.S. Open and quietly shot a four-under-par 66 to haul himself into contention.
The 33-year-old pride, rose steadily throughout the day from a tie for 27th to joint-fifth heading into the final round at Olympia field country club's north course. Pride is on four-under 206 for the championship and trails 54-hole leader Jim Furyk by six strokes.
''it's unbelievable considering a year and a half ago I was sitting in the hospital in Florida about to die'', said Pride, who won on the PGA tour in 1994 and has since jumped between the PGA and nationwide tours. After finishing tied for 25th at the touchstone energy Tucson Open in late February 2002, Pride did not play on tour for nearly four months due to an attack of gallstone pancreatitis, a condition that can be fatal.

Pride had to be fed through a tube for two months and had his gall bladder removed.

His only previous open appearances were in 1992 and 2001 and both times he missed the cut.

This week has been dramatically different.

He opened with a 71 and followed that with a 69, a round that Pride was not entirely pleased with considering he double bogeyed the par-four 16th and bogeyed the par-three 17th.

''Yesterday, I kind of sprayed it a little bit toward the end'', he said.

''I talked to my teacher, and fortunately, he saw one shot on tv and I told him what was going on and he helped me out ... I hit the ball really good today''.

Bureau Report