By Eddie Pells

MAMARONECK, N.Y. (AP) _ Colin Montgomerie knows time is running out.

He made it clear in his own pithy way Saturday, when he was asked if there was ever a time he doubted he'd get another chance at a major like the one he's getting this week.

``Yeah, on the fifth tee,'' Montgomerie said.

Indeed, it was quite an unravelling for Monty early in the third round of the U.S. Open. Four holes, 5 over par. A trip from near the top of the leaderboard to somewhere much less impressive.

``That was a disaster,'' Montgomerie said.

But the 42-year-old Scotsman didn't get to be one of the best players in the world by checking out when things go bad. He steadied himself through the rest of the round, wound up with a 5-over-par 75 and finished the day only three shots out of the lead with 18 holes to play.

``There are,'' he said, ``very few opportunities left for me here at this thing, and tomorrow's one of them. I want to try and give this the best shot. From 5-over after four holes, that's OK.''

Indeed, he still has a chance. Of course, the challenge is daunting.

He's playing a course that has yielded a grand total of eight under-par rounds in three days. He's chasing Phil Mickelson. And he's tied in fourth place with Vijay Singh, among others.

Not long ago, Monty would have put as much fear into the rest of the field as those other guys. That was back in the '90s, when he was dominant _ a beloved compatriot to his fans in Europe, a cranky curmudgeon to those in the United States.

He finished third at the U.S. Open in 1992, second there in '94 and '97, second at the PGA in '95 and had a few more top 10s sprinkled in. He was The Best Player Never To Win A Major. He knew it. He stewed in it. After a long time, he realized it was too big a burden to bear.

Earlier this week, when he was in the lead, he talked about his change of attitude, trying not to put so much pressure on himself. It seemed to work last year at the British Open, where he contended in his first major this decade, finishing second behind Tiger Woods.

``It was nice to contend with Tiger on a course that was built for him, 200 years before he was born,'' Monty quipped.

Given the confidence from St. Andrews, and his new attitude, Monty was back in the picture this week. But going off in the final group on Saturday, something changed for four holes.

He couldn't take advantage of the long, narrow setup at Winged Foot that he claimed suited his tee-to-green game. Four straight times, he teed off into the rough.

On the par-3 third, he pull-hooked his shot deep into the tall grass and tried a flop shot over a bunker. It didn't clear the sand. Double-bogey.

On No. 4, after another tee shot into the rough, there were glimpses of the Monty of old, the one the fans in the States couldn't stand. He pointed his finger like a gun at a sound man and shook it at him to move. He snipped at photographers and a scorekeeper to get out of his line of sight. An indifferent chip dropped him to 5-over through four holes.

His latest, greatest chance seemed to be slipping away.

There was no meltdown on this day, though.

He stepped up and got the birdie he needed on the short, par-5 fifth. On No. 6, he tried to make a safe play from the tee box with an iron. The iron went into the rough. He took a swipe at his tee in frustration. It was as close to angry as he got.

After bogey there, though, Montgomerie made seven straight pars, then a birdie. He made tough, twisting putts to save pars on No. 17 and 18 and preserve his spot in a tie for fourth place.

``I pat myself on the back tonight,'' he said. ``The last 14 holes there were good.''

At this point, fourth place is no longer the goal. He has finished in fourth, and third, and second, plenty. He's 42 and needs to get his big win while he still has some game left.

He promised he'd sleep well Saturday night. He was all too well aware of the challenge that lies ahead.

``I'm capable of doing it,'' he said as the twilight set in. ``I'm not quite out of this yet. I've come back from farther behind before. Never against this quality of a field, though.''