Times wires
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Wild weather
The weather roared at Royal St. George's, turning the British Open into a test of perseverance.
Pounding rains and winds gusting more than 30 mph prompted players to don bulky, oven-style mitts between shots and huddle under umbrellas.
"It was playing stupidly difficult," said Edoardo Molinari, who shot 6-over 76 to fall to 9-over 219, 14 shots back.
Umbrellas snapped. Bo Van Pelt went through eight gloves trying to keep his hands dry. Some turned around their caps when putting so they wouldn't have to deal with rain dripping off the bill. Ryan Moore started with six small towels and one big towel. After 18 holes, all were wet.
"Whenever you have social rounds and it starts raining … you say, 'I'm outta here boys,' " said defending champ Louis Oosthuizen, not too upset about 74 that left him at 6 over. "I couldn't do that (Saturday)."
"I said to the crowd at the 15th — about 40 or 50 walking around — 'You're just mental. Just mental,' "Paul Lawrie, who won the 1999 Open but slogged to 11-over 81 Saturday, told ESPN. "I just don't understand that at all. I'm getting paid. I've got to be there."
By midafternoon, as co-leaders Darren Clarke and Lucas Glover teed off, no one was shooting a round in the red. But the weather did ease, giving those at the top a break. "We did get very fortunate with the draw," said Clarke (69), who held a one-shot lead at 5 under.
As for today? The forecast calls for more rain and strong gusts. But it's supposed to be better late, just in time for the leaders to finish.
Staying out front
The forgotten man in Northern Ireland's golf renaissance now has the chance to capture his own major trophy.
Darren Clarke, avoiding the brunt of wild, wet squalls, shot 1-under 69 to close at 5-under 205 for a one-stroke lead over Dustin Johnson (68).
"If somebody said to me, 'I'll give you a 69,' I'd have bitten their hand off before going to the first tee," said Clarke, 42. "I'm really happy with a 69."
Entering tied for the lead, Clarke birdied the first hole for a two-shot cushion when Lucas Glover made bogey. Clarke never gave up the lead, though Johnson twice moved alongside.
If Clarke can close the deal today, it will give Northern Ireland three of the past six major titles, joining the U.S. Open crowns of Rory McIlroy last month and Graeme McDowell a year ago.
"I've done nearly everything in the game of golf — been fortunate to play in a lot of Ryder Cups, played all the way around the world," Clarke said. "A major championship is the only thing that's eluded me."
Lessons from Watson
Playing with a smile that never left his face, Tom Watson, below, reveled in the kind of fierce weather that brought many of the early starters to their knees in a wet and wild third round.
Watson's 2-over 72 wasn't the lowest score of the day, but it might have been the most impressive.
"You know, if we had weather like we had this morning the entire tournament, I don't know who's going to beat him," Phil Mickelson said. "He played in the worst of it, and I think he shot about as well as anybody did."
Jason Day said Saturday had been his toughest day in golf. Edoardo Molinari described the conditions as "a joke."
Watson merely called them "bothersome."
"The challenge of dealing with conditions on a course like this is, it's fun," said the 61-year-old American, who is nine shots back at 4 over. "I kind of liked that forecast (Friday), when it said it was going to get nasty out there. It worked out well for me."
McIlroy's slide
Rory McIlroy, left, knows a thing or two about records, setting several in an eight-stroke victory at the U.S. Open last month.
Nine shots off the pace in the British Open, though, he is pointing to another record while hoping for a comeback.
"What did Paul Lawrie come back from? Ten shots?" McIlroy asked rhetorically, referring to the Scot's final-day recovery at Carnoustie in 1999. "Well, it's been done before, so I'll just have to keep the hope."
McIlroy trudged through the final holes of a rain-soaked third round. A double-bogey 7 at No. 14 left him down, and he slumped off the 18th green with 4-over 74 to finish at 4-over 214.
Can he recover? "If the conditions are decent, I could see myself going out and shooting maybe 4 or 5 under and getting in the hunt," he said. "If the conditions are similar to what they were (Saturday) morning, then it's going to be very tough."
Where has he been?
Having a half-dozen Americans among the top 12 on the leaderboard is not surprising. Anthony Kim being among them was what caught so much attention.
Kim is having his worst year, with only one top-10 finish. He keeps saying that his game feels as though it's good enough to compete, but it disappears from the practice range to the first tee. But after an even 70 that was anything but even — 4 over his first eight holes, 4 under his last 10 — Kim was tied for seventh and only five shots behind.
"I've found my game; it's just I haven't brought it to the tournaments," he said. "I'm excited that this is the tournament I brought it to. Other tournaments are very important, but to play well at major championships is what I work for. So to be able to put up some good rounds — probably my best rounds I've played all year at the British — is pretty rewarding."
Americans on move
Rickie Fowler, below, led an American charge up the leaderboard after the storms eased. Fowler, 22, took advantage of the meteorological good fortune and surged to finish two strokes back at 2-under 208.
"I had quite a bit of fun out there," Fowler said. "Obviously, it wasn't the best of conditions. But you knew it was going to be tough, and you just had to make the best of it."
Fowler birdied three holes down the stretch for 2-under 68. Dustin Johnson (68) was one back, and 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover (73) was four behind.
The United States hasn't won a major since Phil Mickelson captured the Masters in 2010, a drought of five in a row that is the country's longest in the modern Grand Slam era.
Quote of the day
"I'll probably stuff my face and go to bed at about 10:00 and try not to drink too much."
Darren Clarke, asked about his plans for the night before today's final round
Notable
The field of 71 players was separated by only seven shots to begin the day. At the end of the third round, only 20 players were within seven shots. Meanwhile, 22 golfers entered the day under par but just six remained by sundown.
Compiled from Times wires
