By John Paul NewportIt's irresistible, if unreliable, to judge a player's mood and nerves on the basis of pre-round observations.

My gut judgments about the two leaders: Ricky Barnes seemed rushed but relatively calm, while Lucas Glover seemed extremely tense.

That's maybe just how Glover is.Getty ImagesRicky Barnes waits in the second fairway alongside his brother and caddie Andy during the continuation of the third round Sunday."He's like they say about the duck: Looks calm on the outside but is paddling like crazy underwater," said his father, Jimmy Glover of Greenville, S.C., near the putting green a few minutes before the twosome teed off.

"He's always played his cards close to his chest.

I can't see anything different from the way he's handling himself now, but I never can."A bit earlier I watched Mr.

Barnes hit balls on the range.

His swing has a kind of timing pause at the top, which struck me as a difficult thing to control under the pressure of a U.S.

Open.

He also seemed to be working on a few things, rather than simply warming up and getting his rhythm, which isn't normally a good sign.

Variances in trajectory on some of his long irons seemed to be bothering him.

He made several turns without a glove to produce the feeling he wanted and then seemed happy.Right before teeing off near the putting green, his girlfriend, Suzanne Stonebarger, described his mood as "amazing." She said he was "calm and content and happy to be here, excited about how well he is playing." The Barnes brigade, including lots of family, is staying at a house only a mile from the course and they ate in last night.

"Everyone was laughing and joking," she said.

"The best thing Ricky has going for him today is his brother, Andy."Andy Barnes, a pro golfer himself who has played in a U.S.

Open, is on the bag for Mr.

Barnes.

"Andy knows how to keep him in the right place," Ms.

Stonebarger said.Through four holes, Mr.

Barnes is minus-three for the day (minus-11 for the tournament) after an eagle on the fourth hole, and Mr.

Glover stands at minus-8.



http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2009/06/21/gauging-the-vibes-of-barnes-and-glover/