CNN/SI Home U.S. Open Home Other Golf News Leaderboard Scorecards Course Stats Player Profiles Almanac Hole-by-Hole Photo Gallery

Stewart anticipates sleepless night Click here for more on this story Posted: Monday July 26, 1999 03:54 PM   Stewart played in the final group of the U.S. Open in 1991, 1993 and 1998. AP PINEHURST, North Carolina (CNN/SI) -- As U.S. Open leader through three rounds, Payne Stewart doesn't expect to sleep much the night before Sunday's final round. And he should know, he's been there before. Stewart, who birdied the final hole to take the lead going into the final round of the U.S. Open, said it would tough sleep soundly knowing he once again would be the man everyone would be gunning for on Sunday at famed Pinehurst No. 2. Sleep or not, Stewart has done all he could in this year's Open to forget what happened last year when he blew a four-stroke lead in the final round. "That's just the fun of it," Stewart said of the pressure going into the final round of a major championship, especially the one you want to win more than any other. "It's having to deal with the restless night's sleep that I'm probably going to have tonight. You've just got to deal with it. "If I didn't enjoy this, I wouldn't have entered the golf tournament." Stewart, 41, said it would not bother him being the player that 67 others will be trying to beat. "It tells me I'm playing some pretty decent golf," he said. "And I'll use that to motivate myself, saying 'Hey, you've got yourself back in the final group. You've got another chance to win.'" Stewart put himself in that position by draining a testy birdie putt on the last hole on Saturday to pull out of a tie with Phil Mickelson and put himself two shots clear of Tiger Woods and Tim Herron. Although he shot a two-over-par 72, he was the only player under par after 54 holes on an extremely difficult golf course. Stewart, who won his first U.S. Open in 1991 in an 18-hole playoff with Scott Simpson at Hazeltine, had said all week that all he wanted was another chance to win the Open -- after failing to do so last year, when he shot a closing 75. "Tomorrow is the last day. You don't have another chance," added Stewart, who also played in the final round in the 1993 Open at Baltusrol with Janzen, who also won that championship. But Stewart has learned a lot since that disappointment, especially from last year's experience, when Janzen overcame a seven-stroke deficit to win by one. "I'd like to think that my knowledge, my maturity and my understanding will all benefit me tomorrow," he said. "Like I told myself today: 'You've won the championship before, you deserve to be out there."' Still, Stewart knows from experience that he has his work cut out for him, especially on Pinehurst No. 2, where bogeys outnumbered birdies by more than four to one Saturday. "If I get on the first tee and I'm not nervous, then something is really wrong with me," Stewart said -- just before heading home for a restless night's sleep.   Related information Stories U.S. Open Leaderboard Stewart only player under par at perilous Pinehurst Key to Open success starts between the ears Tiger's patience pays off late in third round Duval survives nightmarish start to stay three back Alan Shipnuck at the Open: Good times ahead On The Course: Woods faces major distractions Your Take: Predictions for the U.S. Open Multimedia Click here for the latest audio and video Search our site Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call 1-888-53-CNNSI. Reuters contributed to this report.

Copyright © 1999 CNN/SI. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines.