More magic keeps Watson in the lead

“The first day here, ‘Yeah, let the old geezer have his day in the sun,’ ’’ Watson said. “The second day you said, ‘Well, that’s OK.’ And now today, you kind of perk up your ears and say, ‘This old geezer might have a chance to win the tournament.’ I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I do know one thing. I feel good about what I did today. I feel good about my game plan.’’

“And who knows?’’ he said. “It might happen.’’

It even got the attention of Jack Nicklaus, whom Watson beat at Turnberry in the famous “Duel in the Sun’’ epic in 1977. Nicklaus, who rarely watches golf on television, saw most of the third round from his home in south Florida.

“Like everybody else, I had some tears in my eyes,’’ Nicklaus said. “I just really hope he wins.’’

Watson wouldn’t reveal specifics of this game plan, only that he has in his head how many bogeys he can afford to make, and how many birdies he will need to make up for any mistakes.

“So far, it’s going well,’’ he said.

The plan has put him at 4-under 206, one shot better than Mathew Goggin of Australia and Ross Fisher, who isn’t even sure he will make it to the tee today. His wife is expecting their first child, and Fisher said his priority is to be in England for the birth.

Fisher, who birdied two of his last three holes for a 70, was fifth at the US Open last month, his best finish in a major. Imagine if he had been told that only a 59-year-old man would stand between him and the claret jug.

“Probably would have laughed,’’ Fisher said. “I mean, it’s incredible.’’

Watson will be playing in the final group with Goggin, a 35-year-old who hasn’t won in 10 years - and that was on the Nationwide Tour. Until yesterday, when his 69 was among only five scores under par, his greatest moment in the British Open came in 2003 when he was paired with Watson in the third round.

Lee Westwood (70) joined Fisher as the only players at par or better all three rounds at Turnberry, escaping with a bogey on the final hole to finish at 2 under with two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen (71).

Another US Open champion, Jim Furyk, made only two bogeys in his round of 70 and was at 1 under with Stewart Cink (71).

Steve Marino is still in the mix, somehow.