FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- It doesn't matter that golf's most bad-to-the-bone major championship has a leaderboard that looks like it was hijacked from the old Broome County Open. It doesn't matter that every time the turnstile clicks here, water falls out of the sky. And it doesn't matter that the only thing fans know about any of the players in contention is their first initial and last name.
They did not care.
As the USGA clearly states in its rules, the U.S. Open is an open championship. Meaning that, provided you have the right handicap and can qualify, anyone -- rich or poor, amateur or professional -- can walk away with a shiny silver trophy at the end of the week.That's why on a miserably cold, wet and muddy June evening Saturday night, this rowdy (read: intoxicated) gallery was still here screaming at the top of its lungs for everyone and everything. Because in all of the chaos that the U.S. Open has encountered at Bethpage Black this week, one thing has come shining through heading into the final two rounds:
The U.S. Open, for the first time in many years, is truly an open championship.
Anyone can win it -- including all of the people no one here knows.
"They walk by and look at the standard-bearer and see the last name," said Ricky Barnes. "It's been good. A few people remember that I was here in 2002."
And he's the leader.
No-name No. 1 -- Barnes -- was sitting on a bench outside the clubhouse Saturday night, completely unnoticed. This almost 90 minutes before he was set to tee off in his third round. No other player said a peep to the 28-year-old former "next Arnold Palmer," which should be considered fairly strange -- considering he broke the Open's 36-hole scoring record Saturday morning.
He followed up an opening-round 67 with a 65 early Saturday, bending this traditionally merciless golf course to his will.
But when he emerged out of the rear of the clubhouse to the back putting green, he got it from the fans -- even if they didn't know who he was. All they cared about was that he was still playing. It didn't matter if he wasn't Tiger Woods (who appears to have lost his "People's Champ" title belt, after sloshing around the Black for three days at 3-over-par) or Phil Mickelson (who's still treating Open galleries like a yo-yo with his 1-under play), it was just fine.
When you're trying to squeeze in a U.S. Open in between thunderclaps and raindrops, "Go guy!" doesn't sound half-bad.
"If you would have told me I would have been 8-under with only a one-shot lead, I would have said, 'You're kidding me,'" Barnes joked in the morning. "But I'll take it. It was a solid play. And I'm happy with the position I'm at."
That would be one shot ahead of no-name No. 2 -- Lucas Glover. He was the name at the top of the leaderboard when play was suspended Friday evening due to darkness -- which is basically golf-speak for "That doesn't really count, Lucas."
So to back it up, Lucas went out and shot a 64 Saturday. To put that into perspective: He tied the Black's course record -- at the U.S. Open.
"Every major is a shot-makers course, doesn't matter what club it is," Glover said Saturday morning after his round. "You gotta get it in the fairway. Get it around or on the green. Everybody knows Mike Weir can really putt. So that's the key. In soft conditions, it's putting. And he's a great putter."
Which brings us to the first actual name, Weir, the former Masters champion. He's lying in wait, a shot behind Glover and two behind Barnes. Weir is the only player with recent major championship experience on a Sunday. He's even got some top-10s in the Open, which certainly can't hurt.
"It's been a lot of starting and stopping this week," Weir said after shooting an even-par 70 Saturday morning. "It's just been a test of patience and trying to be in the right state of mind each time you come out, not to let things change too much. It's difficult for everybody."
Everybody includes the half-dozen or so tour nomads from far-off places or the world golf rankings. The rest of this leaderboard at 3-under is filled in with the likes of Sweden's Peter Hanson, David Duval and Japan's Azuma Yano, who had about as many "Is that Yanni?" jokes as he did birdies during his morning round of 65.
None of them managed to get off for their third round before the downpours started around 6:45 p.m. The no-names were safe, dry and warm inside the clubhouse as play was stopped for a rain delay and then for good at 7:10 p.m. (With a lot of luck, officials are hoping to get in 36 holes today and still crown a champion).
But who had to stand around on the tee boxes, fairways and greens in the driving rain while the brief rain delay took place? All of the big names, which is kind of appropriate at the everyman's golf course.
This Open is wide open.
For more U.S. Open coverage, follow Brendan Prunty on Twitter at twitter.com/BrendanPrunty.