Barnes Comes From Nowhere To Lead US Open

Mid-way through the third round of the US Open, little-known Ricky Barnes leads the tournament, and could on his way to joining a very exclusive club: that of the unheralded winner taming one of the toughest tests in the game of golf.

Barnes, the 2002 US Amateur Champion, has hardly made a huge splash on the PGA Tour his rookie year. His best finish was a tie for 42nd, he's ranked 169th in fairways hit, 105th for reaching greens in regulation and his putting a woeful 192nd amongst his touring pro peers.

Coupled with his unremarkable record in majors, one could see why no one gave him a second thought coming into the week:

Tournament	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
The Masters	DNP	DNP	DNP	21 LA	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
U.S. Open	CUT	DNP	CUT	T59	DNP	DNP	DNP	CUT	DNP
British Open	DNP	DNP	DNP	CUT	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
PGA Championship	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP

Barnes graduated from the Nationwide Tour to the PGA after last season, when he finished 25th on the Nationwide Money list, with his best performance on that tour being a second place showing in the 2006 Oregon Classic, where he lost in a playoff to Cliff Kresge.

While there is an incredible amount of golf yet to be played, and Barnes winning the tournament is by no means a sure thing - in fact, the odds are still stacked against him - what's clear is that Barnes has caught lightning in a bottle and has thus far mastered the sopping wet Bethpage Black golf course.