By Art Spander
Special to NewsdaySANDWICH, England -- One has a lifetime of near misses, the other only a single heart-breaking year. Darren Clarke and Dustin Johnson are linked more by what they haven't done than what they have.
Clarke, at 5-under-par 205, has a one-shot lead over Johnson after Saturday's third round of the 140th British Open, a tournament battered by weather and elevated by expectations.
"I've failed 19 times to try and lift the Claret Jug,'' Clarke, 42, said of the trophy presented to the champion, "and Sunday, I have the opportunity.''
So does Johnson, 27, from South Carolina whose near misses in 2010, unable to hold final-round leads at the U.S. Open and PGA Championship, made him a sympathetic figure.
American pros are winless in the last five majors, including the U.S. Open last month at Congressional, won by Clarke's Northern Irish countryman, Rory McIlroy.
A year ago, another Northern Irishman, Graeme McDowell, won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. And there have been German and South African winners. Now, suddenly the leader board is full of U.S. challengers besides Johnson.
Ten of the top 16 golfers after 54 holes are Americans, including Rickie Fowler, whose 2-under 68 moved him into a tie for third; Lucas Glover, tumbling from a tie for first after a 73, is tied for fifth; and Anthony Kim, Davis Love III and -- surprise -- Phil Mickelson are tied for seventh.
The nasty weather forecast arrived Saturday with a bang, 30-mph winds and in the morning steady rain. But conditions started to abate by the time Clarke and Glover teed off at 3 p.m. "We started off in terrible conditions,'' Clarke said, "but then got lucky.''
Clarke shot 1-under 69 with superb ball-striking and only so-so putting.
Johnson shot 2-under 68. Johnson, who in the first round was 4 over through 13 holes, was at 5 under with two to play Saturday but bogeyed 17.
"The European Tour guys have been playing well," Johnson said, alluding to the fact that Mickelson, at the 2010 Masters, was the last U.S. player to take a major. "But I don't think there's anything wrong with the American guys or American golf. We struggled, but we've got a good shot at getting one Sunday.''
Johnson had great shots last year. He was in front at Pebble Beach in the Open, then triple-bogeyed the second hole and double-bogeyed the third. Two months later, after apparently tying for first in the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Johnson was penalized for grounding his club in a bunker and missed the playoff won by German Martin Kaymer.
"The U.S. Open,'' Johnson said about his agony, "was the first time I've gone into a major in the last group.''
Sunday will be the third time in the last six tournaments. Knowing the crowd will be cheering for Clarke, Johnson said: "I'm OK with that. He's on his home turf, so I would expect him to have huge crowd support. But the fans out there have been great for me.''
They were out there for McIlroy, as well, but he played inconsistently, hit a ball out-of-bounds and shot 4-over 74, tying him with the venerable Tom Watson, the 61-year-old who shot 72 in the worst of the weather and is tied with McIlroy.
Mickelson has only one top 10 finish, a third in 2004, in 17 previous British Opens, but he seems to have figured out links golf. "We got lucky with the weather,'' Mickelson said, echoing Clarke. "We went from fighting for pars on every hole to thinking birdies on some holes.''
Clarke's wife died of cancer just before the 2006 Ryder Cup at the K Club near Dublin. He chose to play, won all three of his matches and inspired the Europeans to a rout.
Clarke has reordered his life and is engaged to a former Miss Northern Ireland. Asked what it would mean to win the Open, Clarke replied: "Everything. It's the biggest and best tournament in the world.''
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