Newsday (N.Y.): Clarke leads Johnson in British Open

By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

SANDWICH, England -- One has a lifetime of near misses, the other only a single heart-breaking year. Darren Clarke and Dustin Johnson are  linked more by what they haven't done than what they have.

Clarke, at 5-under-par 205, has a one-shot lead over Johnson after Saturday's third round of the 140th British Open, a tournament battered by weather and elevated by expectations.

"I've failed 19 times to try and lift the Claret Jug,'' Clarke, 42, said of the trophy presented to the champion, "and Sunday, I have the opportunity.''

So does Johnson, 27, from South Carolina whose  near misses in 2010, unable to hold final-round leads at the U.S. Open and PGA  Championship, made him a sympathetic figure.

American pros are winless in the last five majors, including the U.S. Open last month at Congressional, won by Clarke's Northern Irish countryman, Rory McIlroy.

A year ago, another Northern Irishman, Graeme McDowell, won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. And there have been German and South African winners. Now, suddenly the leader board is full of U.S. challengers besides Johnson.

Ten of the top 16 golfers after 54 holes are Americans, including Rickie Fowler, whose  2-under 68 moved him into a tie for third; Lucas Glover, tumbling  from a tie for first after a 73, is tied for fifth; and Anthony Kim, Davis Love III and -- surprise -- Phil  Mickelson are tied for seventh.

The nasty weather forecast arrived Saturday with a bang, 30-mph winds and in the morning steady rain. But conditions started to abate by the time Clarke and Glover teed off at 3  p.m. "We started off in terrible conditions,'' Clarke said, "but then got lucky.''

Clarke shot 1-under 69 with superb ball-striking and only so-so putting.

Johnson shot 2-under 68. Johnson, who in the first round was 4 over through 13 holes, was at 5 under with two to play Saturday but bogeyed 17.

"The European Tour guys have been playing well," Johnson said, alluding to the fact that Mickelson, at the 2010  Masters, was the last U.S. player to take a major. "But I don't think there's anything wrong with the American guys or American golf. We struggled, but we've got a good shot at getting one Sunday.''

Johnson had great shots last year. He was in front at Pebble Beach in the Open, then triple-bogeyed the second hole and double-bogeyed the third. Two months later, after apparently tying for first in the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Johnson was penalized for grounding his club in a bunker and missed the playoff won by German Martin Kaymer.

"The U.S. Open,'' Johnson said about his agony, "was the first time I've gone into a major in the last group.''

Sunday will be the third time in the last six tournaments. Knowing the crowd will be cheering for Clarke, Johnson said: "I'm OK with that. He's on his home turf, so I would expect him to have huge crowd support. But the fans out there have been great for me.''

They were out there for McIlroy, as well, but he  played inconsistently, hit a ball out-of-bounds and shot 4-over 74, tying him  with the venerable Tom Watson, the 61-year-old who shot 72 in the worst of the weather and is tied with McIlroy.

Mickelson has only one top 10 finish, a third in 2004, in 17 previous British Opens, but he seems to have figured out links golf. "We got lucky with the weather,'' Mickelson said, echoing Clarke. "We went from fighting for pars on every hole to thinking birdies on some holes.''

Clarke's wife died of cancer just before the 2006 Ryder Cup at the K Club near Dublin. He chose to play, won all three of his matches and inspired the Europeans to a rout.

Clarke has reordered his life and is engaged to a former Miss Northern Ireland. Asked what it would mean to win the Open, Clarke replied: "Everything. It's the biggest and best tournament in the world.''

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Newsday (N.Y.): Clarke, Glover lead British Open

By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

SANDWICH, England -- The Open Championship? This one is as open and as wild as any in history. After two rounds, everyone who made the cut in the 140th British Open has a chance to finish first.

There are only seven shots between the co-leaders, Darren Clarke and Lucas Glover, who are at 4-under-par 136 after Friday, and the highest scorers remaining, a large group at 3-over 143 which includes K.J. Choi and Paul Casey.

Six days ago, when he arrived in England after taking last weekend's John Deere Classic, Steve Stricker was asked who might win this Open at Royal St. George's. He cautiously, but it turns out correctly, answered, "I think anybody can."

Well, anybody but the top two players in the World Golf Ranking, respectively Luke Donald and Lee Westwood. Or Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, PGA Tour money leader Nick Watney and Matt Kuchar. All missed the cut.

But Clarke, 42, shot his second straight 68, and Glover, winner of the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, who Friday had a 70, certainly can win.

So can Thomas Bjorn, who despite a 2-over 72 after his 65 Thursday is only a shot back at 137. So can Chad Campbell, PGA champ Martin Kaymer and Miguel Angel Jimenez, also at 137.

So can Masters champ Charl Schwartzel at 138, or Phil Mickelson -- yes, that Phil Mickelson, who only once before was a contender in the Open -- at 139. So can last month's U.S. Open winner, Rory McIlroy, who after a 1-under 69 Friday is at 140.

Perhaps so can the 20-year-old amateur Tom Lewis, who is at 139 after adding a stumbling 74 to his first-day 65. Maybe so is 61-year-old Tom Watson, who had a hole-in-one on the 178-yard sixth and shot 70 for 142.

"It's the most open I've seen an Open in a long time," McIlroy said. He's only 22, but he's heard from others. "I think it will be exciting to be a part of it and exciting to watch the next two days."

Especially if the forecast is accurate. Friday, the weather along the English Channel was more like the Southern California coast. The temperature was in the 70s, the breeze was light. But it's supposed to turn nasty Saturday, heavy rain, stiff wind.

"I hope it comes in," Mickelson said, "and we get faced with that. I think it's going to be a difficult challenge, but the course is set up in a way it can accommodate some bad weather. And it's fun to be in contention heading into the weekend of the British."

For only the second time in his 18 attempts.

McDowell, winner of last year's U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, and McIlroy, winner of this year's, are proteges of Clarke's. Clarke has a second in the 1998 Open and a third in 2001, but that's as close as he's come to any major.

"It would mean an awful lot," he said of a possible victory.

Glover, the Clemson graduate, grew a full beard over the winter and kept it. "They told me," he said, "no one has won the Open Championship with a beard since the 1890s."

Actually, it was 1882, Bob Ferguson at St. Andrews.

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Newsday (N.Y.): Bjorn, amateur tied for British Open lead

By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

SANDWICH, England -- They were separated by seven hours and many pages of history, but after a tumultuous first round of the 140th British Open, Thomas Bjorn, age 40, and Tom Lewis, age 20, were together at the top of the scoreboard.

Bjorn, the Dane with all the baggage, finished about noon British Summer Time yesterday, with his superb 5-under par 65 at Royal St. George's. Lewis, the English amateur with all the promise, sank his final putt for the same score around 7:30 p.m.

If a novel were to be created about Day 1 of the oldest tournament in the world, a proper title, with apologies to Charles Dickens, might be "Great Unexpectations."

Bjorn, remembered mostly for taking three shots out of the sand on the 70th hole and taking himself out of the lead the last time the Open was held here in 2003, came into the tournament in a funk. His five European Tour events prior to the Open showed three missed cuts, a withdrawal and an 81 in the final round of the French Open.

Lewis parents were such fans of Tom Watson that they named their son after him.

Lewis, 20, was paired with Watson Thursday along with Henrik Stenson. Lewis won the British boys amateur at St. George's two years ago but never had played in an Open.

Bjorn and Lewis were a shot ahead of Lucas Glover, who won the  2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, the Spaniard Miguel Angel  Jimenez and Webb  Simpson, a one-time Wake Forest star.

Rory McIlroy, in his first  tournament since the 22-year-old Northern Irishman set records winning the U.S. Open last month at Congressional, came in with a 1-over par 71 and is tied for  53rd.

"On a day like this," said McIlroy, who played early  when the wind was gusting, "you could have shot a high number and put yourself  out of the golf tournament."

Very much in the mix is the American Dustin Johnson who was 4-over par through 14 holes. "If you would have bet [against] me being 1-under standing on the 18th tee, I would taken it," he said.

Johnson birdied 14, birdied 15, had a hole-in-one at 16 and birdied 17, going 5-under in four holes. A bogey at 18 gave him an even-par 70.

That was the same score as Phil Mickelson. Louis Oosthuizen, who won the Open last year at St. Andrews, shot 72.

Bjorn only got into the Open on Monday when Vijay Singh withdrew. "There's a lot coming back here after what happened eight years ago," he  admitted. "I just wanted to go out and knuckle down. I've always promised myself  I'll keep going and going."

This time he had a birdie 2 on the 163-yard 16th, three strokes better than the last time he played it, in '03.

Asked what his father, Ole, who died in May, would have thought about the round, Bjorn choked up and wiped tears from his eyes.

Lewis is going to be a pro, like his father, Bryan, who briefly played the European Tour. Tom left school at 16 to hone his game, backed by the R&A, the governing organization of British golf. He is from the same town north of
London, Welwyn Garden City, as Nick Faldo.

"I played well today, got a lot of cheers," said Lewis. "At first it was for Watson, but toward the end I was playing so well they were cheering for me . . .  I was just happy to be here, but to shoot 65 the first round was something I wouldn't have thought."

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RealClearSports: Pro From Denmark Is Bjorn Again

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

SANDWICH, England -- He wanted no tears from anyone, though on this day of success, minimal as it might prove to be, Thomas Bjorn understandably shed a few of his own.

There he was, tied for the lead Thursday after one round of the British Open. It was the result of good karma, great golf and a story fit for a Hollywood script.

Except this was played out on the moonscape links of ...

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2011

Newsday (N.Y.): Mickelson eager for links at British Open

By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

SANDWICH, England -- It hasn't been his tournament, except once, in 17 years. Phil Mickelson and the British Open have become virtual enemies. Something happens when he comes across the Atlantic, and more significantly comes upon a linksland course.

In 2004, the year he won the Masters, the year he made such a gallant run at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, Mickelson led the British Open on the back nine the final day. That was at Royal Troon, on the west coast of Scotland. He missed by a shot of making the playoff in which Todd Hamilton beat Ernie Els.

"I love this tournament," was Mickelson's comment. "I just haven't played well in the past." He said that at Troon seven years ago. For all intents he said it again this week, slightly modified.

"I'm not trying to fix any past poor play," was his explanation heading into Thursday's first round of the 2011 Open at Royal St. George's, "I'm trying to come here and play the way links golf should be played . . . I actually really enjoy it."

Even if he doesn't enjoy his record, the lone top-10 finish. The last time the Open was held at Royal St. George's, along the English Channel on the southeast tip of England, in 2003, Mickelson tied for 59th.

At age 41, Mickelson is attempting to persuade himself the Open is new.

"I'm trying to pretend it's my first time here," he said, "and appreciate playing the ball on the ground on days when the wind blows and appreciate being able to play some through the air when the wind is a little bit calmer."

To those in the New York Metropolitan area, where Mickelson has been successful, winning the PGA at Baltusrol in 2005, leading the U.S. Open at Winged Foot for 71 holes in 2006, coming down to the wire at Shinnecock and at Bethpage Black in 2002 and 2009, it may be difficult to imagine he can't play well on any course.

But links golf, on rolling fairways full of bunkers and blind shots, bewilders Mickelson. The skills he exhibits with a wedge or with a putter, are negated. It's difficult to spin a shot on a green as hard as cement when the wind is gusting 30 mph.

"I enjoy being rewarded for a precise shot," said Mickelson, "and having the ball end up close to the hole if you hit it really well. But I'm coming to enjoy the challenge links golf provides."

To that end he played in the Scottish Open last week at Castle Stuart, a new links course near Inverness. He never made it to the leaderboard, but he did make the cut.

Because of quirky bounces of links golf, luck often is involved, but as Jack Nicklaus pointed out, the player with the most good breaks usually is the one who hits the most good shots.

For Mickelson's practice round Tuesday, the wind was howling. Upwind, he couldn't reach the 243-yard, par-3 11th with a full driver, but downwind he could rip a ball 380 yards off the tee on the 426-yard, par-4 17th.

"I don't think the scores will be ridiculously low here," Mickelson said. "I think making No. 4 [at 495 yards] a par 4 [from a 5] immediately knocks four shots off the score relative to par. So we're going to have a tough time breaking par over four rounds."

For someone wanting to think positively, Phil Mickelson seems all too negative.

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