Alone in the Lead, Norman Looks to Make Golf History

New York Times ^ | July 20 ,2008 | LARRY DORMAN

[Jan Hus]

SOUTHPORT, England — The last time a golfer did what Greg Norman has a chance to do in the British Open, this name was Old Tom and the American Civil War had recently ended. So it is fitting that here in the land where 100-year-old golf courses are regarded as new, Norman is one step from rewriting his own history, and one of golf’s oldest records.

[Jan Hus]

Just married Chris Evert. Oldest winner of a major tournement previously was Julius Boros (48) in 1968 PGA Championship.

[Charles Henrickson]

And the Shark need not fear the Tiger.

The Norman Conquest?

[dighton]

Best served cold.

[InvisibleChurch]

Wasn’t it Norman who crumbled in the final round of the British Open years ago .... or was that the Masters?

[Redcoat1982]

I still like Harrington. Would be nice to see an Irishman win the Brit Open.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

Tiger is out until he can figure out the new drug testing rules...broken leg my backside.

[brityank]

Tee-off times for the fourth round of the 137th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport:

(GB & Ire unless stated, all times BST)

0710 Lam Chih-bing (Sin)
0720 Brendan Jones (Aus), Justin Rose
0730 Thomas Aiken (SA), Sean O'Hair (US)
0740 Martin Wiegele (Aut), Lee Westwood
0750 Phillip Archer, Martin Kaymer (Ger)
0800 Richard Finch, Lucas Glover (US)
0810 David Duval (US), Anthony Wall
0820 Nick Dougherty, Tom Gillis (US)
0830 Kevin Stadler (US), David Howell
0845 Liang Wen-chong (Chi), John Rollins (US)
0855 Ariel Canete (Arg), Jean Van de Velde (Fra)
0905 Craig Parry (Aus), Jonathan Lomas
0915 Richard Green (Aus), Jose-Filipe Lima (Por)
0925 David Horsey, Gregory Havret (Fra)
0935 Paul Waring, Phil Mickeslon (US)
0945 Robert Karlsson (Swe), Gregory Bourdy (Fra)
0955 Michael Campbell (NZ), Ernie Els (SA)
1010 Andres Romero (Arg), Nick O'Hern (Aus)
1020 Heath Slocum (US), Graeme McDowell
1030 Frederik Jacobson (Swe), Stuart Appleby (Aus)
1040 Scott Verplank (US), Jay Williamson (US)
1050 Thomas Sherreard, Jeff Overton (US)
1100 Woody Austin (US), Bart Bryant (US)
1110 Doug Labelle (US), Colin Montgomerie
1120 Pablo Larrazabal (Spa), Paul Casey
1135 Stephen Ames (Can), Peter Hanson (Swe)
1145 Adam Scott (Aus), Soren Hansen (Den)
1155 Zach Johnson (US), Mike Weir (Can)
1205 Trevor Immelman (SA), David Frost (SA)
1215 Camilo Villegas (Col), Anders Hansen (Den)
1225 Tom Lehman (US), Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra)
1235 Justin Leonard (US), Todd Hamilton (US)
1245 Simon Khan, Jim Furyk (US)
1255 Sergio Garcia (Spa), Retief Goosen (SA)
1310 Steve Stricker (US), Davis Love III (US)
1320 Rocco Mediate (US), Robert Allenby (Aus)
1340 Graeme Storm, Henrik Stenson (Swe)
1350 Alexander Noren (Swe), Anthony Kim (US)
1400 Ross Fisher, Ben Curtis (US)
1410 Simon Wakefield, KJ Choi (Kor)
1420 Padraig Harrington, Greg Norman (Aus)

[Subtract 5 Hours for East Coast, 8 Hours for West Coast times.]

[FlyVet]

'96 Masters. It was a sad sight to see.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/golf/mastshrk.htm

But, British Open is a whole different thing. Who knows what he will do.....he has won two British Opens, but also had some incredibly bad luck in US Majors, aside from the collapse.

[PGalt]

Interesting. Thanks for posting.

[GRRRRR]

Here we go! Sunday afternoon (morning) at the OPEN!

With no Tiger in it, I’d love to see Greg pull this one out of the wind!

[brityank]

Greg's falling back, behind Harrington by one.

Love the Brit sense of understatement:

1737: That's massive from Poulter at 18 - he rams home his 20-footer to save par and finish with a 69. He's seven over for the tournament, and one off leader Padraig Harrington. Poulter punches the air and screams like a man who has just rolled over to discover he spent the night with Jessica Alba.

[GRRRRR]

Norman better get his stiff shafts ready, cuz he’s gonna be history with any more bogies...

[REDWOOD99]

3 back with 3 to play. A win would be historic, all right. More likely he’s adding to his history of Sunday chokes.

[brityank]

Here's the top 20, 8 still playing:

ROUND 4 Leaderboard
Leading Players

Sunday, 20 July 2008

		COUNTRY	ROUND 4	SCORE	AFTER
1	Harrington	IRL		+5	15
2	Poulter	ENG	69	+7	18
3	Norman	AUS		+8	15
4	Stenson	SWE	71	+9	18
5	Wood	ENG	72	+10	18
5	Furyk	USA	71	+10	18
5	Choi	KOR		+10	16
8	Kim	USA		+11	17
8	Curtis	USA		+11	17
8	Wakefield	ENG		+11	16
11	Allenby	AUS	74	+12	18
11	Casey	ENG	70	+12	18
11	Els	RSA	69	+12	18
11	Howell	ENG	67	+12	18
11	Karlsson	SWE	69	+12	18
11	Stricker	USA	73	+12	18
11	Ames	CAN	71	+12	18
11	Noren	SWE		+12	17
11	Fisher	ENG		+12	17

[NormsRevenge]

bummer,, shark beached by gusty winds

30 to 40 mph winds can mess a game up pretty good..

the sun was shining but it was still a cool day

not that that course is ever easy to play.

Good job, Padraig!

[brityank]

Looks as if Harrington's got it; good job:

ROUND 4 Leaderboard
Leading Players

Sunday, 20 July 2008

		COUNTRY	ROUND 4	SCORE	AFTER
1	Harrington	IRL		+3	17
2	Poulter	ENG	69	+7	18
3	Norman	AUS		+8	17
4	Stenson	SWE	71	+9	18
5	Wood	ENG	72	+10	18
5	Furyk	USA	71	+10	18

[FlyVet]

I'm glad I recorded the last round. Haven't watched it yet, but looking at the scores, conditions must have been miserable.

Sometimes Love is a great foul-weather player ("Birdie, birdie, birdie....what course is he playing?"), but I see he finished +14.

[Afronaut]

I watch just to see that poor excuse of a man crumble, and he did not disappoint!

There is not many people I despise more that Greg Norman.

[brityank]

Typical weather, cool (50’s) and windy (35mph).

As someone once sad: “A guid walk spoilt!”