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The golf course created by nature and little changed by man, where the game has been played continuously for more than 600 years, is ready to face the latest challenge to its integrity by the game’s leading players armed with the very finest technological advances. The Old Course at St Andrews is about to host its 28th Open exactly 150 years since the Championship was first played at Prestwick in 1860 and it poses just as stern a test now as it did when hickory shafts and balls of solid gutta percha were the latest must-buy golf gear. No lesser...

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP)—The winner of the 150th British Open will earn $1.29 million, about a $60,000 increase from the previous year. A total purse of $7.3 million—will provide the runner-up with $759,000 pounds and $496,000 for third place at the event being held at St. Andrews from July 15-18. .. organizers have taken into account the pound’s weakened position against the dollar and the euro.

I was just reading up on Tom Watson's amazing run at the Open when I just caught something that made me go hmmmm... This is the paragraph on Fox Sports Robert Lusetich Blog which is probably the source of the AP sports story... "He couldn't do it Saturday. On the 18th fairway, after hitting onto the green, he turned to his caddie, the Democratic political consultant Neil Oxman, and brought up their friend — Watson's late caddie, Bruce Edwards, who passed away from complications associated with Lou Gehrig's Disease." http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/9824080/Watson's-game-plan-has-him-on-verge-of-history Neil Oxman, Watson's caddie is a DEM CONSULTANT?? ****Now here's...

The third round of the British Open is in the books, and somehow, Tom Watson is still on top at the famed Ailsa course at Turnberry. The 59-year-old birdied the 16th and 17th holes for a miniature rally, but miniature's all he needed to go from "fading" to "leading" as the final round looms. Now's as good a time as any to recall Watson's second British Open win, a slugfest with Jack Nicklaus (no, not a literal slugfest, that's hardly behavior fit for a golf tournament). The year was 1977, and the scene was Turnberry: Somehow that day in 1977,...

Here is ESPN video with highlights from Round 2 of The British Open Golf Championship (overseas they call it The Open Championship) where the big story is 59 year-old Tom Watson is tied for the lead after two rounds at -5 under par. Watson began the day one shot behind at -5, and quickly made birdie on the 1st hole at Turnberry, Scotland. But he then bogeyed five of his next seven holes, including four straight. He stood at -1 on the 9th hole, and appeared to be on his way out of contention. But he made birdie there, sank...

It seemed too much to expect, a second thrilling round at the British Open by a 59-year-old icon, but Tom Watson showed he still had the putting touch that won him five Opens in his heyday. And, if anything, he made Friday’s second round at Turnberry even more dramatic than the first.

My wish has come true........Tiger Woods misses cut at British Open and my weekend TV viewing will be precious. Now I don't have to listen to the suck hound annoucers drool over his every shot. Ever notice when Tiger hits a shot, it's brilliant.......but when another golfer hits the same OR better shot........it's OK ??? Sorry if this offends anyone, but I don't care. Tiger Woods will not be on my screen this weekend.....tee-hee.

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.

Emotional Tiger Woods wins 11th major By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf WriterHOYLAKE, England - Tiger Woods bottled up his emotions when he buried his father in May. Even as he stalked the brown, baked links of the British Open on Sunday, his steely focus never wavered. Until he tapped in his final putt. That gave him his third claret jug, his 11th major championship, but the first victory he couldn't share with Pops. And that was all too much for him. "I saw this coming last night," said Steve Williams, the caddie and confidante who stood with him at Earl...

  LEADERBOARD Leader: Tiger Woods Position: 1 Today: -1 Total: -13 Thru: 5 Round: 4   Player Today Thru Total   Tiger Woods -1 5 -13   Colin Montgomerie -2 6 -11   Jose Maria Olazabal -1 5 -11   Bernhard Langer -2 11 -8   Vijay Singh -1 8 -8 Full Leaderboard

Here's what today's 2005 British Open win at St. Andrews means. Tiger Woods is keeping up with the Jones: If you include the US and British Amatures as majors--which Nicklaus does--Tiger is now tied for second all-time with the great Bobby Jones.The second British Open championship means Tiger owns multiple titles in each of the four majors--a career slam. Only Nicklaus has accomplished the feat before h im.Woods broke the tie with Ben Hogan and Gary Player at nine career major professional victories. Major No. 10 gives him sole possession of third, one behind Walter Hagen.Woods is the best finsher...

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Never has there been a golfer who better understood the value of a moment and could keep himself in it, who could make the unforgiving minute stutter, who could hold back the years like some Olympian god. So it was no surprise when Jack Nicklaus compressed time at the home of golf with one final perfect stroke that represented all of the competitive magic he brought to major championships for nearly half a century. On Friday at the Old Course, one of his most cherished places in the world, with the stubborn Scottish sun at his...

Tiger Woods dropped a shot in the first 3 holes, and Retief Goosen is charging hard, only 1 shot off the lead.

For those who are interested in this tournament.

By Jon Bramley 8 minutes ago Jack Nicklaus made an emotional exit after the most illustrious career in golf at the British Open on Friday, a day when Tiger Woods took a giant step toward clinching his 10th major. Woods took the tournament by the scruff of the neck with a flawless 67 to move four shots clear of the field late in the second round but it was Nicklaus who stole most of the plaudits at the Old Course. The 65-year-old, who holds a record 18 major titles, was intent on avoiding the halfway cut but despite perfect conditions,...

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- There is little doubt how he would like to go out. Jack Nicklaus plays in major championships to win them. So no words were needed Tuesday when the Golden Bear was asked what scenario would best satisfy him when he ends his competitive golf career this week at the 134th British Open. Nicklaus merely held up his hands, one with the palm turned up and the other palm facing out, as if he were cradling the Claret Jug. Three times in his 37 Open Championship appearances Nicklaus grasped the prized trophy -- and seven more times...

Sunday tee times SANDWICH, England -- Final-round British Open pairings and tee times. All times Eastern: Time Pairing 4:45 a.m. Greg Norman, Padraig Harrington 4:45 a.m. Shingo Katayama, Skip Kendall 5:05 a.m. Tom Lehman, Trevor Immelman 5:15 a.m. Tom Watson, Markus Brier 5:25 a.m. Darren Clarke, K.J. Choi 5:35 a.m. Gary Murphy, Mike Weir 5:50 a.m. Raphael Jacquelin, J.L.Lewis 6 a.m. David Lynn, Anthony Wall 6:10 a.m. Duffy Waldorf, Tom Byrum 6:20 a.m. Ian Poulter, Brad Faxon 6:30 a.m. Hennie Otto, Peter Fowler 6:40 a.m. Marco Ruiz, Phil Mickelson 6:50 a.m. Jose Coceres, Andrew Oldcorn 7:05 a.m. Retief Goosen, Paul...

<p>When the leader of an American institution looks out his window and sees Martha Burk of the National Council of Women's Organizations, the New York Times and the Rev. Jesse Jackson all blowing their horns, like Jericho the walls soon come tumbling down. At least in most cases.</p>

Sunday, July 21 Els hangs on to capture British OpenAssociated Press Final round scores GULLANE, Scotland -- Ernie Els didn't need Tiger Woods around to show he still has the mettle of a major champion. Winning the largest playoff in British Open history was worth the 23 holes Ernie Els had to put in Sunday. Els rebounded from one setback after another Sunday, most of it his own doing, and outlasted Thomas Levet of France to win the British Open in a four-man playoff that produced the first sudden-death finish in the 142-history of the tournament. Els squandered a three-stroke...

<p>The real British Open began Saturday. The real Grand Slam ended.</p> <p>Whipping winds raged off the Firth of Forth, spewing cold rain that sent Tiger Woods to his worst round as a professional -- an 81! -- and swept away his chances of winning all four majors in the same year.</p>

GULLANE, Scotland - It's not a British Open without some rain and wind to make things interesting. It's usually not a major championship unless Tiger Woods is in contention. The rain returned Friday to Muirfield, soaking the course and making things more difficult for the early players. David Toms found that out quickly, making a double bogey on the first hole to drop off a share of the lead on a links course made more colorful by the thousands of umbrellas fans carried along the fairways. So did Phil Mickelson, who took two shots to get out of the wet,...

Leaders go low on Day 1 of OpenAssociated Press GULLANE, Scotland -- Tiger Woods may have a fight on his hands. Tiger Woods tips his cap after his round, knowing he'll have another chance to climb the leaderboard Friday. And not just with the photographers. After a surprisingly calm and sunny day at Muirfield, the British Open already was shaping up as a different test than the other two majors that Woods won with relative ease. For the first time in seven rounds at a major championship, his name was not among the leaders. That distinction belonged to PGA champion...

GULLANE, Scotland - Tiger Woods, seeking a third successive major title, survived a poor day with the putter Thursday to post a one-under par 70 in his first round at the British Open. That left him three adrift of the early leaders, no problem for the world's greatest player, but it remained a round of missed opportunity for the American, who could have been clear of the field if a few of his double-figure birdie putts had dropped. He managed just three birdies, also chalking up two bogeys, as he struggled to get to grips with Muirfield's slow, heavily-sanded greens...