One for the ages as Norman leads Open
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Taking the lead: Greg Norman and wife Chris Evert leave the course after his third round (Reuters)
A rewired Greg Norman took the lead after the third round of the British Open after a day of high winds and high drama at the Royal Birkdale course in north-west England.
At 53, Norman stands just 18 holes away from removing Old Tom Morris from the record books after 141 years as the oldest man to win the Open.
If he can hold on to his lead, he will also be, by a distance of five years, the oldest man to win a major.
The Australian shot a 72 to take a two-stroke lead into the final day over defending champion Padraig Harrington, who also had a 72, and halfway leader KJ Choi of South Korea, who came in with a 75.
Also remaining firmly in the hunt a further stroke back on a day when some of the world's best golfers were blown clean off the leaderboard was little-known Englishman Simon Wakefield, one of only four players to match par.
Four players are on seven-over including 2003 Open champion Ben Curtis, England's Ross Fisher, rising US star Anthony Kim and Swedish newcomer Alexander Noren.
"It's going to be a day for watching others whereas last year the only person that I focused on was me because I had to go forward to have a chance of winning," said Harrington who came from six strokes back at Carnoustie last year to defeat Sergio Garcia in a playoff.
"Patience was the key, it was very windy out there. It feels like I've run a marathon," Wakefield said.
"I don't want to get ahead of myself. I was very nervous this morning. I'm not going to think about anything, I'm just going to go and play golf."
In view of the conditions, tees on the 6th, 11th and 16th were moved forward, reducing the length of the course by a total of 159 yards and several holes were repositioned to easier spots.
Wind gusts of up to 72 kilometres per hour raised the possibility that play could be suspended at any moment if the balls were moving on the greens and on several occasions officials came close to doing so.
Overnight leader by one and bidding to become the first Asian golfer to win a major, Choi stood firm early on with pars on his first four holes to stretch his outright lead to three strokes at that stage.
Norman, with a huge gallery in tow, bogeyed the first and third holes.
But a wayward drive at the sixth lead to a double bogey for the Korean, followed by another dropped shot at the eighth and suddenly he was in a four-way tie for the lead with Norman, Harrington and Furyk.
Harrington fell away with a double-bogey five at the 12th where his tee-shot nestled into deep rough on a mound overlooking the green, while Furyk took a double bogey six at the 10th followed by a bogey at the next.
They were soon being gobbled up by English journeyman Wakefield who was safely in the clubhouse after posting a tremendous par-70 thanks to three birdies on the back nine.
Choi and Norman both came to grief with double bogeys at the tough 10th, but "The Tank" as the former weightlifter from the Korean island of Wando used to be known, dug deep to pull ahead again with a birdie at the 13th.
Norman matched him with one of his own at the par-three next hole.
And when Choi bogeyed the par-five 16th, Norman had the outright lead, which he held on to over the final two holes.
Harrington meanwhile finished strongly once again with birdies at 15 and 17 to move up to a share of second with Choi.
US veteran Davis Love, Sweden's Henrik Stenson and 2003 Open champion Ben Curtis were the only players other than Wakefield to match the Royal Birkdale par of 70.
The 2002 champion Ernie Els saw his hopes scuppered when he carded a four over 74 leaving him at 13 over for the tournament.
"It's been a frustrating week on the greens and when you're not making putts it's more frustrating," he said.
"I had a good back nine but let it slip at the end again."
World number two Phil Mickelson also failed to make any impression faced with the wrath of the elements.
He could only manage a 76, leaving him stranded, like Els, on 13 over.
Pre-tournament favourite Sergio Garcia again failed to get anything going, coming in with a 74 for a total of 219, but he insisted he still had a chance at seven strokes off the pace.
"I'm really disappointed. I fought really hard but didn't get anything out of it."
-AFP
