OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – While Jim Furyk and Stephen Leaney dueled it out in the final group, the rest of the supposed U.S. Open challengers on this day went AWOL.

What happened to two-time major winner Vijay Singh, who bogeyed his final three holes Saturday to begin his freefall?

What happened to Nick Price, who had that magical start to Saturday’s round with birdies on the first four holes?

What happened to Jonathan Byrd, who started the day with an outside shot at 4-under?

They all faded faster than the guests at a 90-year-old’s birthday party.

Singh at one point, from holes No. 8 through 13, bogeyed six consecutive times. He made the turn at 4-over. Price wilted early and never truly made a move. And Byrd, too, went the other way.

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Phil Mickelson‘s lament in the majors continued this week as he finished well out of contention at 8-over-par following his final-round 73. Mickelson, now 0-for-44 in major championships, is simply having an out-of-kilter year.

Though he had some close finishes early in the year, with four top-10s in his first five events and a third-place finish at the Masters, Mickelson’s best finish is a tie for 13th in his last six events.

“It seems like Phil just wants to reboot and start the whole year over,” a close friend of his said.

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There will be no grand slam winner in golf this year. Masters champion Mike Weir, who entered yesterday’s round in a tie for 12th place, rallied to finish in a tie for third.