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By David Shefter

Farmingdale, N.Y. – It’s been 33 years since anyone has made the U.S. Open their first professional victory.

Ricky Barnes of Phoenix, Ariz., is possibly 17 holes away from accomplishing the feat. And interestingly enough, the last golfer to do it also was a past U.S. Amateur champion.

In 1976, Jerry Pate, two years removed from his Amateur victory, registered a memorable one-stroke victory at the Atlanta Athletic Club, hitting a bold 5-iron approach from 194 yards out at the 72nd hole to five feet for a winning birdie. At 22, he became the second-youngest Open champion since World War II (Jack Nicklaus was four months younger in 1962).

Barnes, 28, the 2002 U.S. Amateur champion who is the 519th-ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking, carded an even-par 70 on Sunday at Bethpage State Park’s Black Course to maintain his one-stroke lead over Lucas Glover through 54 holes of this rain-delayed 2009 U.S. Open.

But when the fourth round began at 5:45 p.m. EDT -- 7:37 for Glover and Barnes -- the 54-hole leader made his sixth bogey in his last 13 holes when he posted a 5 on No. 1, falling back into a tie with Glover at seven under par. Play was called for the day due to darkness at 7:58 p.m. and will resume again at 9 a.m. Monday.

Should an 18-hole playoff be necessary, it would also be played on Monday, weather permitting.

So for now, it appears to be a two-horse race, although Glover discounted that notion. “There are too many great players, and the golf course is too good,” said Glover, 29. “You know somebody is going to make a run.”

After 54 holes, three past major winners were within six shots of the lead, and another two-time U.S. Open champion (Retief Goosen) was seven behind. England’s Ross Fisher (69) and 2001 British Open champion David Duval (70), shared third at 3-under 207.

Three-time major winner and four-time U.S. Open runner-up Phil Mickelson (69) was another stroke back, tied with 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir (74) and 1999 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Hunter Mahan (68).

One can never count out Goosen, whose putting performance at Shinnecock Hills in 2004 was one of the best in U.S. Open history. The South African posted a third-round 68 and shares eighth place with Sean O'Hair and 2004 British Open champion Todd Hamilton.

Defending champion Tiger Woods might be too far back at 1-over 211, despite a third-round 68. But he did get to even par for the championship with a birdie on the seventh hole. He has 11 holes remaining.

“You just never know what's going to happen in this event,” said Mickelson, “and I think that if somebody around even, one, two under par can get a hot round, shoot four, five, six under, you just never know what’s going to happen. “If there were 30 people ahead of me, I would have to shoot eight, nine or 10 under par to have a chance. [Right now] there are two (actually four). If I can get a hot round going, [if] I can get a little bit of momentum, absolutely I feel like I can make up the difference.”

Heavy rains overnight soaked an already saturated Black Course (.8 inch measured rainfall), setting the stage for more red numbers. That didn't happen, however, as Bubba Watson’s 3-under 67 was the best round. Forty-five sub-par rounds were recorded over the first 36 holes. Only eight sub-70 rounds were posted among the 60 competitors in round three.

Barnes and Glover never came close to matching their second-round heroics. Of course, neither has been in this position at a major after 54 holes. The two have a combined one PGA Tour victory, that coming from Glover at the 2005 FUNAI Classic at Walt Disney World. Barnes’s best PGA Tour showing in 2009 has been a tie for 47th last week in Memphis.

Barnes had played what he described as “stress-free” golf in establishing the 36-hole scoring record of 132. Through six holes on Sunday, he seemed to be in that same mindset. His eagle at the par-5 fourth put him at 11 under, making him only the fourth player in U.S. Open history to reach double digits under par.

But his final 12 holes turned into a survival test. He made his first bogey in 32 holes at the seventh and followed it up with bogeys on 10 and 12, the latter a three-putt. The ship appeared to be righted with a birdie at 13 and another at 17 – he bogeyed 15 – only to miss a 4-foot par putt on 18 after a brilliant pitch from gnarly greenside rough.

“I wouldn't have liked to bogey the last hole and end it that way,” said Barnes, “but I've got to go back, take my shoes off and think, ‘Hey, I shot even par on [Sunday] with the lead. If I go out, do the same thing [in the final round], someone is going to have to really come back low from behind … to catch me.”

Big comebacks aren’t unprecedented in the U.S. Open. Johnny Miller was six behind in 1973 when he shot 63 at Oakmont – it came after a night of rain – and Arnold Palmer posted a 65 in 1960 at Cherry Hills after trailing by seven through 54 holes.

Collapses also can happen. Palmer blew a seven-shot lead over the final holes in 1966 at The Olympic Club and lost to Billy Casper in an 18-hole playoff. Remember, funny things can happen at a major championship.