Jacquelin takes over top spot in India

Delhi, India (Sports Network) - Raphael Jacquelin managed an even-par 72 in windy conditions Saturday to move into the lead after three rounds of the Indian Masters.

Jacquelin, who trailed by two entering the round, completed 54 holes at six- under-par 210.

Second-round leader Damien McGrane struggled to a three-over 75 to slide into a share of second place at five-under-par 211. He was joined there by Graeme McDowell (73) and Jose Manuel Lara (71).

Arjun Atwal and S.S.P. Chowrasia are one stroke further back at minus-four.

During an up-and-down round, four different players owned at least a share of the lead. Jacquelin did not take over the top spot by himself until an eagle on the par-five 14th at Delhi Golf Club.

Jacquelin opened with four straight pars. A birdie on the fifth moved him to minus-seven and when McGrane bogeyed the same hole, the duo shared the lead.

The 33-year-old Jacquelin parred four straight from the sixth. He was in the lead momentarily during that stretch as McGrane bogeyed the sixth, before making birdie at No. 8.

Jacquelin stumbled to back-to-back bogeys from the 10th to fall to minus-five, where he was two behind McGrane.

McGrane, the overnight leader, bogeyed 11 and 12 to drop to minus-five and all of sudden McDowell was alone in the lead.

McDowell ran off seven straight pars to start his round. He birdied the eighth, but gave that shot back with a bogey on No. 11. He stood at minus-six at that point and was alone in the lead before faltering to a bogey on 13.

Jacquelin regained the lead as he converted a 15-foot eagle putt on the 14th. Through three rounds, he has played that hole at minus-five.

The Frenchman parred 15 and 16, but dropped a shot on the 17th. That dropped Jacquelin into a share of the lead with McGrane at six-under. Jacquelin parred the last to end there.

"It is always good to be on top of the leaderboard so I am satisfied for sure," said Jacquelin, who has won twice on the European Tour. "I missed some short putts on the back nine so that was a little disappointing.

"The way I hit the ball on the front nine, I should have made a few more birdies. I didn't hole anything. The course was playing tricky and hard."

McGrane birdied the 14th for the second straight round, then stumbled to a bogey at the 16th to slip back to five-under. He parred the last two to end one back.

"I struggled in the wind conditions. I found it to be quite difficult today," McGrane admitted. "The putting was a little more difficult as the greens were faster and drier. All in all it was a tough day on the course."

McDowell fell two back with his bogey on 13, but closed with five consecutive pars to finish in a share of second at minus-five.

Lara remained near the lead the entire round, but never made a move as he carded 17 pars and a lone birdie. That was the only bogey-free round of the day.

Atwal was even-par through nine holes with two birdies and a double-bogey on the par-three seventh. After birdies on 10 and 11, he stood at minus-six and briefly was tied for the lead as he parred three in a row from the 12th. However, bogeys on 15 and 16 dropped him back to minus-four.

Ross McGowan posted a two-under 70 Saturday to move into a share of seventh at three-under-par 213. He was joined there by Maarten Lafeber (73) and Hendrik Buhrmann (75).

Ernie Els continued to climb back into contention after an opening-round 75. He fired a three-under 69, the lone round in the 60s Saturday, to get back to minus-two. He is tied for 10th with five other players including Thomas Bjorn.

Warren wins playoff at Johnnie Walker

Perthshire, Scotland (Sports Network) - Marc Warren capped an up-and-down Sunday with a birdie at the second playoff hole to beat Simon Wakefield and become the first Scotsman to win the Johnnie Walker Championship.
Warren made just four pars in a final-round, four-under 69 that was marked by equal stretches of inconsistency and steadiness. He holed a 10-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole in regulation to tie Wakefield for the lead at 12-under 280.
Tied for the third-round lead, Wakefield played in the final pairing and needed a successful up-and-down from in front of the 18th green for a birdie and the win. But he left his chip 12 feet short, then missed his birdie try on the right edge to settle for a 70 and force the playoff.
Back at the 18th again for the first extra hole, both players were left with about 90 yards on their approach shots. Warren put his on the fringe, and Wakefield knocked his on the green to eight feet.
Wakefield was left with another chance to clinch his first European Tour win after Warren missed a long putt from the fringe, but the Englishman again skirted the cup with his birdie putt, sending the duo back to the 18th tee.
The duo had played the par-fives a combined 23-under par in regulation this week, and Warren finally showed why.
On the par-five 18th again, Warren went for the green with his second shot and landed it on the surface, probably 90 feet away from the hole. Wakefield laid up, then stuck his third on the back of the green, 15 feet behind the cup.
After Warren lagged his putt to four feet, Wakefield left yet another try on the edge of the cup. Warren followed with the easy birdie, claiming his second European Tour win in as many years.
He was the seventh Scotsman to win a tour event on Scottish soil.
"It's absolutely an incredible feeling to win here in Scotland," said Warren, whose first win came at the 2006 Scandinavian Masters. "I feel sorry for Simon. He had the lead for most of the day, but fortunately for me I managed to claw back and force the playoff."
Martin Erlandsson fired a seven-under 66 -- the best round Sunday on the par-73 Gleneagles layout -- and finished tied for third place with Soren Hansen (68) at 11-under 281, one shot behind the leaders.
Fredrik Andersson Hed was tied with Wakefield for the third-round lead, but managed only a one-under 72 on Sunday. He shared fifth place with Graeme Storm (69) at 10-under 282.
Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood were among 15 total players who finished the tournament within five shots of the winning score.
That Warren was able to get to 12-under was remarkable, considering he began the final round with bogeys on three of his first five holes. But a stretch of five birdies over a seven-hole stretch got the Scotsman back into the mix.
His closing birdie at the 18th was a blessing: He had coughed up a share of the lead with a bogey at the 17th, dropping one shot behind Wakefield. After making his four-footer on the 18 green, he headed to the practice green.
"It was just a matter of waiting to see what Simon was going to do," Warren said. "That was the toughest thing."

Warren leads by one at Gleneagles

Perthshire, Scotland (Sports Network) - Scotland's Marc Warren opened with an eight-under-par 65 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.
Warren, whose lone win came last year at the Scandinavian Masters, has struggled of late. He has missed the cut in six of his last eight starts and owns just two top-10s all season.
"The last few months have been frustrating because I haven't been getting the results that I want," said Warren. "But over the last couple of weeks I have noticed a couple of things and (my coach) Bob Torrance has been working hard with me on them this week to put it right and today was a glimpse of that."
Nicolas Colsaerts is one stroke behind Warren at minus-seven. Jeev Milkha Singh was joined in third place by Miles Tunnicliff at six-under-par 67 on the par-73 PGA Centenary Course at The Gleneagles Hotel.
Warren started his round on the 10th tee and birdied his opening hole. He came back with birdies on 12 and 14 to get to three-under.
The Scotsman made another birdie at the par-three 17th. Around the turn, he kept rolling.
Warren birdied the first and second to climb to six-under. A birdie on the par-three fourth gave him the lead at seven-under. He made a clutch 15-foot par-saving putt on the eighth, his 17th, to remain tied for the lead as Colsaerts had joined him at minus-seven.
"The only time I had a bit of trouble was on the eighth hole, my 17th, where I hit a good enough tee shot, but it just went through the fairway," said the 26-year-old Warren. "I probably had too much club off the tee and probably should have hit three-wood because the wind was helping a bit more than we thought off the tee. But I managed to scramble a four."
At the ninth, Warren missed the green on the short side, but hit a stellar chip shot to nine feet. He rolled that putt in for birdie and the outright lead.
"It is obviously a very solid start and I'm pleased to have no bogeys on my card and eight birdies," Warren stated. "It was a very solid round from tee to green and on the greens as well."
Colsaerts, who started two groups ahead of Warren, also birdied the 10th to start his round. He parred the next five before converting an eagle chance at the par-five 16th.
He parred the next two before dropping in back-to-back birdie putts from the first to get to five-under.
Colsaerts drove the 419-yard, par-four eighth and drained the 10-foot eagle putt to jump into a share of the lead at seven-under. He ended one back as he parred the last.
"I will just keep on doing my thing," Colsaerts said. "I know where to go here and where not to go so I just need to keep it in play and hope. I won't get too many more starts this season so I suppose it is make or break. There is no pressure yet."
Joost Luiten, who finished second last week, carded a five-under-par 68. He was joined in a share of fifth place by Phillip Archer, Mark Pilkington, Simon Wakefield, James Hepworth, Zane Scotland, Shiv Kapur and Phillip Price.
Eight-time Order of Merit champion Colin Montgomerie and former British Open winner Paul Lawrie are among 13 players tied for 13th at minus-four.

Ilonen claims second win of 2007

Stockholm, Sweden (Sports Network) - Mikko Ilonen birdied the par-three 18th Sunday, then watched as Martin Kaymer closed with a double-bogey.
Kaymer's closing double handed Ilonen his second win of the season. Ilonen completed the event at six-under-par 274 thanks to a final-round 68.
"Unbelievable finish. First I dumped it in the water on 16, then I miss a birdie on 17," Ilonen stated. "Then for the first time, I hit that green on 18 and make birdie. I'm out of words."
The 22-year-old Kaymer, who was going for his first win, shot three-over 73 and ended in a share of second at minus-four. He was joined there by Peter Hedblom (69), Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (68), Christian Cevaer (69) and Nick Dougherty (70).
Kaymer and Ilonen, who hails from Finland, battled throughout the round. After both players birdied the par-five 15th, it looked as though the 16th at Arlandastad Golf Club would be the turning point.
Ilonen's tee ball came to rest on the edge of the water right of the green. He tried to play out of the water, but advanced his ball just a few feet. He pitched his third to eight feet, but two-putted for double-bogey to slide to five-under.
Kaymer, now leading by two, knocked his tee shot over the green at the 16th. He chipped to seven feet, but only two-putted for bogey to slip to six-under.
Neither player could take advantage of the par-five 17th as they both made par.
Ilonen, playing one group ahead of Kaymer, hit a stellar tee shot to six feet at the 18th. He knocked that in for birdie to move to minus-six, then watched from the scoring trailer to see what Kaymer would do.
Kaymer pulled his tee shot left, then his chip came up short of the green. He tried to putt through the fringe, but his ball stopped eight feet short of the hole. He two-putted from there for double-bogey to end tied for second.
"You never wish for a finish like that, but someone has to win and someone has to lose," said Ilonen. "I'm sure Martin is going to win very soon. He's been up there a couple of times now. I'm sure he's lifting a trophy in the next few months."
Ilonen collected his second win of the season as he also won the Indonesia Open back in February.
Ilonen had three birdies and a bogey over the first six holes to move to minus-six, one clear of Kaymer who bogeyed four and five. Ilonen bogeyed the seventh, but recovered that shot with a birdie on nine.
Kaymer birdied the ninth to join Ilonen in the lead at six-under and set up the big finish.
Cevaer posted four rounds of one-under 69 to end in a share of second. He posted four birdies and three bogeys on Sunday. Dougherty managed just two birdies and two bogeys in the final round to end at minus-four.
Gonnet parred his first 11 holes, before collecting two birdies over the final seven holes to cap a bogey-free 68 that left him tied for second.
Hedblom opened with nine straight pars before collecting three birdies and two bogeys on the back nine to end at four-under.
James Kingston, who entered the final round tied for the lead with Kaymer, struggled to a four-over 74. That dropped him into a share of seventh at three-under-par 277, where he was joined by Paul Broadhurst and Corey Pavin.

Sabbatini alone on top at Firestone

Akron, OH (Sports Network) - Rory Sabbatini managed his second consecutive three-under 67 on Friday and moved into the lead after two rounds of the WGC- Bridgestone Invitational.
He is in at six-under 134 on the South Course at Firestone Country Club, two shots better than reigning Masters champion Zach Johnson, who fired a 65 on Friday.
It was at the Wachovia Championship this year that Sabbatini made a big deal about wanting to play with Tiger Woods in the final round. On that Sunday, Woods clocked him en route to victory and this week could see this rivalry renewed.
Woods, a five-time winner of this event, posted an even-par 70 on Friday and is tied for third place at minus-two.
"The course is playing a little tough out there," said Woods. "It was quite a challenge. I hit the ball decent today, I struggled getting the pace. It was hard to read the putts."
Woods bogeyed his first hole, but got that stroke right back with a birdie at No. 2. He bogeyed the sixth, but once again, reclaimed the lost shot quickly with a birdie at eight.
He parred out from there and did not give himself many great looks at birdie.
"I didn't hit it close," said Woods.
Scott Verplank shot a two-under 68 and Kenny Perry managed a one-under 69 to join Woods in third place at two-under-par 138.
So far it has been Sabbatini who has controlled his game best at Firestone. With demanding rough and hot, humid conditions, this tournament is resembling a U.S. Open and Sabbatini is handling it.

"The way I look at it is I'd take even money right now shooting even-par on the weekend," said Sabbatini. "The course is only going to get tougher. We've been very fortunate that we really haven't had any wind. If there's wind on this golf course, it's going to become almost impossible to play."

Sabbatini, an overnight co-leader, wasted little time in breaking into red figures on Friday. He knocked a nine-iron to 15 feet at the first to set up birdie, then birdied the par-three fifth when his six-iron stopped 12 feet from the hole.

He dropped a shot at the sixth after his drive landed in the right rough. His second came up short of the putting surface, but he only chipped to 12 feet. Sabbatini missed the par save, but parred his next seven holes.

At the 14th, Sabbatini's three-wood drive rolled into the rough. His second missed the green, and like the sixth, his 12-footer for par stayed above ground.

He was back to three-under par for the championship, but caught fire late on the back nine.

Sabbatini played a five-iron to 20 feet at the par-three 15th and converted the birdie try. He missed the fairway at 16 and laid up in the fairway. The decision paid off for Sabbatini as he hit a sand-wedge to 15 feet and made the putt.

The South African polished off his third birdie in a row at 17. His eight-iron approach stopped 10 feet from the stick and this year's winner at Colonial sank the birdie putt to reach six-under par.

"I didn't quite hit the ball as well as I did yesterday," acknowledged Sabbatini. "I hit a couple more drives today in that thick hay they call rough out there. It was just a little more of a grind today, a little more work. I think the positive thing I can take out of it is that I did battle out there today and came out on top."

Johnson began on the back nine Friday and tallied three birdies and a bogey. He added three more birdies on his second nine at Firestone to get into sole possession of second.

"Today obviously my score card showed that I played solid," said the reigning Masters champion. "I hit a lot of fairways. That's what it came down to, and my putter started to work."

Davis Love III also fired a 65 on Friday and is tied for sixth place with Lee Westwood (71) and Chris DiMarco (70). The group came in at one-under-par 139.

Paul Casey and Hunter Mahan shared the first-round lead with Sabbatini and both shot rounds of three-over 73. They are tied for ninth with Justin Leonard (67), John Senden (69), Peter Lonard (70) and Mark Calcavecchia (72) at even- par 140.

Phil Mickelson's woes continued on Friday. He has missed the cut in the last two major championships and shot a two-over 72 in round two. Mickelson is tied for 41st at plus-six.

"Obviously I didn't score well, six-over par, but I'm not displeased with the way I'm playing," he said.

This Week in Golf - July 26th through July 29th

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - SENIOR BRITISH OPEN - SENIOR BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, Muirfield Golf Club, Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland - The Senior circuit heads across the pond this week for the Senior British Open as the golf world remains focused on the British Isles.
The middle of July brings three straight weeks of British Opens. Irishman Padraig Harrington won the British Open last week, this week is the Senior British and next week will be the Women's British Open.
Loren Roberts headed to Scotland last week to begin preparation for his title defense at the Senior British Open. He played 136th Open Championship at Carnoustie, but after rounds of 74-75 missed the cut.
Last year, Roberts entered the final round four strokes clear of Eduardo Romero, but both struggled Sunday. Roberts could only manage a five-over 75, while Romero shot 71. That left them tied at six-under-par 274.
Things would have been more interesting if Tim Simpson hadn't struggled to a four-over 74 to end at minus-one. Dick Mast tried to make it a three-man playoff, but his Sunday-best, three-under 67 left him one stroke back.
Roberts needed only a par on the 18th in the playoff at Turnberry to win his second Champions Tour major.
Romero was denied his first Champions Tour win, but he didn't wait long to collect it. He claimed the final major in 2006, the JELD-WEN Tradition, as he erased a five-shot deficit then birdied the first playoff hole for the title.
This week's host course, Muirfield, has hosted its fair share of top-flight events, including the Ryder Cup, Walker Cup and British Amateur. Muirfield has also hosted more Open Championships, 15, than any other course.
Bob Charles and Tom Watson are the only two players to have won the British Open and Senior British Opens at the same venue.
Three players are scheduled to tee it up this week who have a chance to match that feat. The one likely with the least chance is Gary Player. He does own 19 Champions Tour wins, but the 71-year-old has not won on tour since 1998.
Tom Watson, who owns five British Open and two Senior British Open crowns, won at Muirfield in 1980. He has won nine Champions Tour events, with this year's Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am title being his last.
The last of the three players with a chance to win the Open and Senior Open on the same course is Nick Faldo.
Faldo, who turns 50 on Wednesday, will look to win for a third time at Muirfield. Faldo won the British Open at Muirfield in 1987 and 1992. He played at Carnoustie last week, but missed the cut by six strokes.
This will be just the 21st playing of this championship, while it is just the fifth year on the Champions Tour schedule.
The winners of the first two majors this year were both first-time winners. Denis Watson, the Senior PGA champion, and Brad Bryant, the U.S. Senior Open winner, will both try to collect their second major title at Muirfield.
TNT will have two hours of coverage of the first two rounds. ABC will cover the weekend action with 90 minutes of coverage Saturday and two hours of action on Sunday.
The Champions Tour will be back in action next week with the 3M Championship, where David Edwards earned the 2006 title.
PGA TOUR
CANADIAN OPEN, Angus Glen Golf Club (North Course), Markham, Ontario, Canada - The PGA returns to North America, but remains outside the U.S. as the tour heads to Ontario for the Canadian Open.
With the new PGA Tour schedule, this event was moved up a little more than a month from September 7-10 last year. Thanks to the new schedule, there is less star power than normal heading to Angus Glen.
World No. 3 Jim Furyk heads the field, but the next highest-ranked player is Canadian Mike Weir, who is ranked 38th. The only other players in the top 50 are No. 38 Stephen Ames, a naturalized Canadian citizen who was born in Trinidad, and No. 46 John Rollins.
Furyk, the defending champion, closed with rounds of 67-65 to fend off Bart Bryant by one and Sean O'Hair by two last year at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.
Furyk trailed Justin Rose by two entering the final round, but Rose went the wrong way. He closed with a four-over 74 to drop into a share of 14th.
The event rotates over several different courses with 38 different venues hosting throughout tournament history. The North Course at Angus Glen is hosting the event for the first time since 2002.
The Golf Channel will broadcast action of the opening two rounds, while CBS takes over for the weekend.
Next up for the PGA Tour is a pair of events. Many of the top players in the game will be in Akron, Ohio, for the World Golf Championships - Bridgestone Invitational, where Tiger Woods is the defending champion. The opposite event is the Reno-Tahoe Open, where Will Mackenzie claimed the title in '06.
EUROPEAN TOUR
DEUTSCHE BANK PLAYERS' CHAMPIONSHIP OF EUROPE, Gut Kaden, Hamburg, Germany - The European Tour has its second straight big event as the field heads to Germany for the Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe.
Several players who teed it up last week at Carnoustie have made the trek to Gut Kaden this week.
Anders Romero had the lead on the back nine at the British Open, but his double bogey-bogey finish left him in third place, one stroke out of the playoff.
Romero will go to Gut Kaden looking to secure his first tour win. He had four top-10 finishes this year and had four last year as well. Romero posted 20- under par last year at this event, but that was just good enough for a tie for fourth place.
Last year, Robert Karlsson fired four rounds in the 60s and set a new tournament scoring record of 263. That gave him a four-shot win over Charl Schwartzel and Lee Westwood.
Several players for the U.S. PGA Tour remained in Europe to play Gut Kaden this week. That list includes Americans J.B. Holmes and Brett Wetterich, as well as South African Rory Sabbatini and Australia's Rod Pampling.
The German contingent will be led as usual by Bernhard Langer, a three-time winner here. Other Germans in the field include Martin Kaymer, Marcel Siem and Sven Struver.
The Golf Channel will have three hours of coverage all four days.
Next week, the European Tour also offers two events. The biggest and brightest stars will be at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, while the remainder of the field plays the Russian Open Golf Championship, where Alejandro Canizares won last year.
LPGA TOUR
EVIAN MASTERS, Evian Masters Golf Club, Evian-les-Bains, France - The LPGA heads across the pond for two weeks, starting with this week's Evian Masters.
There will be a select field on hand this week to try to wrestle the title away from Karrie Webb, who held off Laura Davies and Michelle Wie by a single stroke last year.
For Webb, it was her first win at this event and 33rd of her career. She has won two more times since then. Her victory here last year was one of her five titles in '06.
Wie returns to action this week for the first time since withdrawing from the U.S. Women's Open a few weeks back. Wie has been battling a wrist injury throughout the year so there is no telling if she will be able to complete the four-day tournament which starts on Wednesday.
The Evian Masters will be played for the 14th time overall and eighth as a part of the LPGA Tour. The event is hosted by the Ladies European Tour, but the last seven winners have been regulars on the LPGA Tour. Catrin Nilsmark was the last full-time LET member to capture the crown, which she did in 1999.
The Golf Channel will broadcast action of all four rounds, but each day the coverage will be tape-delayed.
The LPGA remains in Europe next week as the tour heads to Scotland for the Women's British Open, where Sherri Steinhauer won last year. The championship will be played at the home of golf, the Old Course at St. Andrews, for the first time.
NATIONWIDE TOUR
COX CLASSIC, Champions Run, Omaha, Nebraska - The Nationwide Tour remains in the nation's heartland this week for the Cox Classic.
Johnson Wagner, last year's winner, has moved on to the PGA Tour. However, he has missed the cut in 13 of his last 15 starts, but he does stands 126th on the money list thanks in large part to tying for ninth at the Houston Open.
Wagner closed with rounds of 64-63 to win by four strokes over Craig Bowden.
Bowden put together a strong effort despite the fact that his young daughter had gotten sick earlier in the week. Due to that, he nearly missed the event. Instead, Bowden birdied the 18th for a solo second place finish.
The Golf Channel has coverage of all four rounds from Champions Run. Next up for the Nationwide Tour is the Wichita Open, where Kevin Johnson won last year.

Padraig Harrington wins 2007 British Open Championship

Carnoustie, Scotland (Sports Network) - Padraig Harrington defeated Sergio Garcia in a playoff on Sunday to earn his first major at the British Open Championship at Carnoustie.
Harrington took the aggregate, four-hole playoff 15-16.
This was the first major championship for Harrington, who became the first European to win a major since Paul Lawrie titled here in 1999.
Harrington took a commanding lead right away in the playoff. At the first, he hit his approach to eight feet, while Garcia drove into the right rough, then found the front bunker.
Garcia blasted out to 12 feet and missed the putt. Harrington sank his birdie try to lead, 3-5. Both parred the par-three 16th to allow Harrington to maintain his two-shot lead.
Harrington continued his fine form at the 17th. He found the fairway off the tee then hit a sensational approach to six feet. Garcia also landed in the short grass, but his second stopped 30 feet left of the stick.
Garcia narrowly missed his birdie effort, opening the door for Harrington to take a huge lead. The Irishman came up short with his birdie try and the lead was two shots on the 18th tee.
Harrington, who hit a driver into the burn en route to a double-bogey at 18 in regulation, pulled a hybrid-club in the playoff and found the fairway. His ball did not get much roll, leaving him a long second shot.
Garcia hit driver and ended up in the left rough. Harrington laid up before Garcia's second rolled to 28 feet. Harrington's third fell outside of Garcia, giving the Spaniard some hope.
Garcia just missed his birdie putt, and his par chance was farther than Harrington's bogey putt. Garcia made his, then Harrington followed him for the claret jug.
The conclusion in regulation conjured up the ghost of Jean van de Velde from 1999.
The last time Carnoustie hosted the Open Championship, Van de Velde squandered a three-shot lead on the 18th hole. He lost to Paul Lawrie in a playoff and both competitors in this year's extra session made a mess of 18 as well.
Harrington came to the 18th hole with a one-shot lead over Garcia and his drive bounced twice on a bridge and fell into the burn. After a drop, Harrington hit his second into the burn short of the green on the left and dropped another one.
Harrington hit his fifth shot four feet past the hole and sank the double- bogey putt to post seven-under par.
Garcia now had a one-shot lead and hit an iron down the fairway at 18. He waited for several minutes as the raker had to tend to the traps that both Chris DiMarco and Paul McGinley found in the group before.
Garcia's second found a bunker short and left. He blasted out to six feet and had that putt to win his first major championship.
Garcia missed the putt and then headed to the four-hole playoff, tied at seven-under-par 277.
Harrington fired a four-under 67 on Sunday, while Garcia managed a two-over 73.
Harrington earned his 12th European Tour win and his third PGA Tour victory.
Andres Romero held a two-shot lead on the back nine Sunday, but double-bogeyed 17 and bogeyed 18. Over his final 11 holes, Romero collected seven birdies, two double-bogeys, and two bogeys and finished alone in third place in only his third major at minus-six.
Richard Green matched the Open Championship record at Carnoustie with a seven- under 64 on Sunday. He tied for fourth with 2002 winner Ernie Els, who shot a two-under 69, at five-under-par 279.
Tiger Woods never mounted a charge on Sunday. He shot a one-under 70 and tied for 12th place in his bid to become the first player to win three straight claret jugs since Peter Thomson from 1954-56.
"The golf course, it kicked my butt this week," said Woods. "I wasn't as sharp as I needed to be all week. I thought I was putting great, but I couldn't get myself close enough all week."
The back nine on Sunday was a wild scene. Three different players traded the lead and on some holes, there were four-shot swings.
Garcia began the final round with a three-shot lead over Steve Stricker.
Garcia let everyone back into the mix, starting with a bogey at the fifth. He had a five-foot birdie look at the sixth, but blew that putt four feet past. Garcia made that putt, but Stricker missed a birdie try from three feet to try and close the gap. That failed attempt was similar to the third when Stricker failed to capitalize from a similar length.
Garcia's second at seven went through the green and the Spaniard did not hit his chip hard enough. He left himself with 12 feet for par and missed that putt to drop to minus-eight for the championship.
Romero holed out from a bunker at 11 to get to minus-seven. Garcia's tee ball at the par-three eighth missed right and he chipped to eight feet. The leader after each of the first three rounds missed that putt to fall into a tie with Romero at seven-under par.
Romero might have felt some pressure being in a tie for the lead at that point. His second at the 12th went well right of target and landed in a gorse bush. Romero took an unplayable and made double-bogey to fall two back.
Els and Harrington only trailed by one at that point. Els, the winner of this title in 2002, tallied three birdies on his front nine to reach six-under par.
Harrington rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt at nine to get to minus-six, then stuffed his approach to three feet to set up a birdie at 11 that tied him with Garcia at seven-under par.
Romero atoned for his error at 12 with a 10-foot birdie putt at the 13th and was within one of the lead. Garcia knocked his approach to four feet to set up birdie at 10, but left the putt short.
Romero continued his rebound with a seven-foot birdie putt at 14 to join Harrington and Garcia in the lead. Els sank a clutch seven-footer for par 12 and stayed within one.
Harrington's 25-foot birdie try for the lead at 12 horseshoed out of the hole. Els could not make another par save at 13, so he fell two behind the trio at minus-seven.
The amazing run of Romero continued at 15, where he drained a 15-foot birdie putt to take the lead at minus-eight. At the par-three 16th, Romero hit a spectacular three-iron 20 feet short of the stick and converted that birdie putt to reach nine-under par and go two clear.
The next turn of events in the crazy final round came when Romero made a horrible decision to hit a two-iron out of the rough on 16. His ball went out of bounds and he walked off with a double-bogey to drop to minus-seven.
Harrington's second at 14 headed left, but bounced to 20 feet. He sank the eagle putt to move to nine-under par, one clear of Garcia. The Spaniard answered with a nine-footer for birdie at 14 and the pair was knotted at minus-nine.
Romero fell out of the race with a bogey at 18, essentially making it a two- player race.
Harrington hit a spectacular tee shot to the 250-yard, par-three 16th, however his six-footer stayed above ground. Garcia could not save par at the 15th when he hit an iron off the tee and left himself 268 yards to the flag at the par- four hole.
Garcia fell one back and hit an indifferent shot into the 16th green. His ball stopped short and left and he putted up to two feet. Garcia made par, but had a stroke to make up on the final two holes.
That's when both fell apart on 18 and Harrington prevailed in the playoff.
Stewart Cink (70) and Hunter Mahan (65) shared sixth at minus-four.
Ben Curtis, the 2003 champion, posted a six-under 65 and tied for eighth place with Mike Weir (70), K.J. Choi (71) and the player who began the final round in second, Steve Stricker (74). That group came in at minus-three.

Garcia and Harrington headed to British Open playoff

Carnoustie, Scotland (Sports Network) - Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington are headed to a four-hole playoff to decide the British Open Championship at Carnoustie.
The duo, who finished regulation at seven-under-par 277, will play the first, 16th, 17th and 18th holes.
The conclusion conjured up the ghost of Jean van de Velde from 1999.
The last time Carnoustie hosted the Open Championship, Van de Velde squandered a three-shot lead on the 18th hole. He lost to Paul Lawrie in a playoff and both competitors in this year's extra session made a mess of 18 as well.
Harrington came to the 18th hole with a one-shot lead over Garcia and his drive bounced twice on a bridge and fell into the burn. After a drop, Harrington hit his second into the burn short of the green on the left and dropped another one.
Harrington hit his fifth shot four feet past the hole and sank the double- bogey putt to post seven-under par.
Garcia now had a one-shot lead and hit an iron down the fairway at 18. He waited for several minutes as the raker had to tend to the traps that both Chris DiMarco and Paul McGinley found in the group before.
Garcia's second found a bunker short and left. He blasted out to six feet and had that putt to win his first major championship.
Garcia missed the putt and then headed to the four-hole playoff.

2007 British Open Third Round News & Notes

Carnoustie, Scotland (Sports Network) - Any golf fan who went to Carnoustie would dream of an opportunity to meet the two-time defending champion and world No. 1, Tiger Woods.
A 60-year-old woman had that chance on Saturday at the sixth hole.
It could have gone better.
Woods missed his second shot well right at the par-five hole. His ball struck the woman in the head and Woods went over to check on her before hitting his third.
"I went over there and the lady was bleeding all over the place," said Woods. "I felt really bad. I've done that before. You don't ever feel good about it. You have kind of a pit in your stomach.
"She was smiling. I don't know how she was smiling. But I just apologized the best I could."
Woods gave her an autographed golf glove as well.
The adventure was not over for Woods at six. After receiving a favorable, albeit unfortunate, bounce off the women's skull, Woods had a clear shot for his third from the rough.
A camera went off in his backswing, but he stopped before making impact. Woods and his caddie reprimanded the cameraman, then he made par.
Woods shot a two-under 69 and is tied for 15th place at minus-one.

ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER RUN

Last year, Chris DiMarco came to Royal Liverpool in some bad shape.
He lost his mother not long before the British Open Championship and expectations were low. The Ryder Cup was a few months away and DiMarco, an admitted, unabashed fan of playing American team competitions, was not in the top 10. In fact, U.S. captain Tom Lehman basically said DiMarco was not playing well enough to warrant a wild-card pick.
DiMarco finished 65-69-68 and took second behind Tiger Woods. That vaulted him to sixth on the Ryder Cup points list and made everything a little bit better for the Florida Gator.
This year, things have not gone DiMarco's way much either. According to ABC's Paul Azinger, the next Ryder Cup captain, DiMarco's left shoulder pops out 70 percent of the time on his back swing.
With the Presidents Cup looming, DiMarco is 36th on the American points list. Barring a major run late this summer, DiMarco, the man who clinched The Presidents Cup for the U.S. in 2005, will be watching on the couch.
Well, the run started Saturday at Carnoustie.
DiMarco fired a five-under 66 in round three and is tied for third place at minus-three for the championship.
"You need to stay patient out here," said DiMarco. "As long as you give yourself chances out here, you can make some 20- or 30-footers."
DiMarco credited a change of caddies in part for turning his season around. Actually, it's a familiar face. He brought back his old caddie, who lost his job this time last year.
"Last year, I came over and I had lost my mom. I brought a friend over with me and we had a great finish," said DiMarco. "We kept him on for this year and I just wasn't feeling it."
He felt it on Saturday.

MASTERFUL ROUND

Masters champion Zach Johnson did not have a good start to his week at Carnoustie. He lost his golf clubs somewhere along the trip over to Scotland.
"I was a bit stressed to say the least," admitted Johnson, who missed the cut in Milwaukee last week. "I had my clothes, which are important, but nowhere near as important as my sticks."
Johnson got his clubs on time, but didn't do much with them through the first two rounds. He made the cut on the number, but shot a three-under 68 Saturday to finish in a tie for 20th at plus-one.
He will need a serious run on Sunday if he is to win both the Masters and British Open in the same year. Tiger Woods was the last to turn that feat in 2005, but before that was Mark O'Meara, Johnson's playing partner on Saturday.
"I won one golf tournament and I've got to stick to how I won that and why I won that green jacket and just keep going about my business," said Johnson. "It was an amazing week, but this is a new week. Hopefully I can have another amazing week because I love this championship."
* Steve Stricker's 64 on Saturday was a British Open Championship record at Carnoustie. The previous best was the 65 carded by Jack Newton in the third round in 1975.
* John Senden had perhaps the most bizarre shot of the tournament on the 18th Saturday. His third at the closing hole hit the grandstands on the left, then ricocheted hard to the right and seemed destined to go out of bounds. That was, until the ball hit a stake guarding the out of bounds mark and bounced back into play. Unfortunately, the Australian still double-bogeyed the hole.
* Four inches of rain was forecast on Saturday, but aside from light rain when the final pairing teed off and finished, there was very little precipitation. The wind is supposed to kick up on Sunday. "The forecast was wrong again today," said Woods. "We'll see."
* Woods was not the only player to hit a spectator. Garcia clunked a gentleman on the head left of the 17th green, but hit an amazing chip and saved par from three feet.
* If Garcia can hang on Sunday, he will become the first European to win a major since Paul Lawrie at the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie.
* The hardest hole on Saturday, and for the third consecutive round, was the par-four closing hole. It played easier than the first two rounds, but was still over par at 4.37.
* The easiest hole in round three was once again the par-five 14th, which played to an average of 4.36.
* For the week, 18 has been hardest at 4.65, while 14 has played the easiest at 4.60.

Woods' sliced shot results in spectator needing 2 stitches to head

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland (AP) -- A woman was hit in the head by Tiger Woods' ball when he sliced an approach at the British Open on Saturday. She needed two stitches to close the wound.
Jennifer Wilson, from Antrim, Northern Ireland, was treated by medical staff after being driven away in a golf cart. Woods had earlier apologized and given the 63-year-old an autographed glove.
Wilson was struck just short of the green at the par 5 sixth hole at Carnoustie, where she was standing with her husband.
"We were standing 30 yards short of the green and I said to Jennifer: 'Get your crash helmet on, Tiger's coming,"' Cecil Wilson said. "I could not believe it when Jennifer then got 'clunked,' but he does go off line from time to time. She just sank to her knees and we laid her down flat. She's had two stitches and there was quite a lot of blood. A guy in the crowd said he was a doctor, but to be honest we didn't really need him.
"She was pretty quiet and several people helped to get pieces of paper and napkins to stem the bleeding. She's lying down, but is hoping to go back and see some more golf. We are trying to get Tiger to sign the ball. My wife did him a favor, she headed it back in for him."
Woods went on to par the hole, at which point he was 1 under, five behind leader Sergio Garcia.
Garcia, who finished at 9 under for a three-stroke lead, gave away a signed glove and a ball after hitting a freelance photographer with his tee shot at the 17th.
Chris Ratcliffe was standing in the photographers area down the left side of the hole when Garcia's ball struck him behind the left ear. Tournament officials said the Englishman was shaken but not injured.

Swedish golfer fined $1,028 for whacking tee marker

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland (AP) -- Sweden's Henrik Stenson was fined more than $1,000 for whacking a tee marker on the eighth hole at the British Open.
Stenson swung at the marker in disgust after a poor shot Friday, taking out half of it. He was fined 500 pounds -- the equivalent of $1,028 -- under the European Tour's disciplinary procedure.
Stenson made triple bogey on the par-3 hole and wound up shooting a 5-over 76. He missed the cut by one stroke.

2007 British Open Second Round News & Notes

Carnoustie, Scotland (Sports Network) - It has been quite a golfing week for Spain.
On Monday, Seve Ballesteros, a three-time champion, and Spain's greatest golfer in history, announced his retirement from competitive golf. He had been hampered for years by a bad back, but his statement at Carnoustie brought an end to an era in Spanish golf.
Then, one day later, Jose Maria Olazabal, a two-time Masters winner and Ballesteros' long-time Ryder Cup partner, withdrew from the British Open Championship with a knee injury
Things did not look good for Spanish golf.
By Friday afternoon, that country became the toast of Scotland.
Sergio Garcia, who recently re-formed the Spanish Armada with Olazabal at last year's Ryder Cup, shot a wonderful 65 in round one, then put together a steady 71 on Friday to sit atop the leaderboard.
Just below him on the leaderboard, three shots back is Miguel Angel Jimenez. "The Mechanic" nearly aced the 16th hole on Friday and hit the best approach of the week at Carnoustie's closing hole. Unfortunately, Jimenez missed the six-footer for birdie, but is in at minus-three.
As expected, the "younger" generation gave thanks to Ballesteros.

"For me when I look at myself and I believe so many players think the same thing," said Jimenez. "We feel proud for what he did for us."

If it was going to be a "Win one for Seve Week," the pressure should be on Garcia and Jimenez. They are the only Spaniards left in the field after Olazabal withdrew.

"The odds are not huge," Garcia admitted after his opening round. "It would be amazing. It would be something out of, how do you call it, a fairy tale or something like that."

OTHER FORMS OF ENHANCERS

In the wake of Gary Player's bizarre accusation on Wednesday that he knows at least one player in the world on some form of steroids, most players have come out swinging.

But on Friday, Jim Furyk, who is tied for fifth place after a pair of 70s, admitted that some elements most athletes don't employ might have aided in his strong play this week.

"My wife and I were looking for a place to eat last night," said Furyk. "We ended up grabbing a couple of pizzas...and on our way carrying them back to the hotel we saw Justin Leonard, Scott Verplank and a couple of the other large American contingent and they talked us into one pint up there at the Kinloch."

Maybe the pizza and beer are helping Furyk, the No. 3 player in the world, but last year is what got him started. After missing five straight cuts at the British Open, he took fourth place at Royal Liverpool.

With conditions expected to get even windier over the weekend, Furyk likes his chances. He actually likes them just fine right now.

"If the weather keeps up the way it is right now, I'm not ill-willing anyone like that, but if the weather keeps up the way it is, I should be within respectable distance of the leaders," he said.

AMATEUR RECAP

In case you forgot, 18-year-old amateur Rory McIlroy went through Thursday's first round as the only player in the field without a bogey.

He more than made up for that on Friday.

McIlroy collected two birdies, a double-bogey and five bogeys en route to a five-over 76 and a share of 31st place at two-over-par 144.

"It was a bit of a struggle, but I managed to steady the ship on the last six holes and played that in level par which is always good on a course like this," said McIlroy. "I'm just happy to be here for the weekend."

McIlroy basically has a free weekend among amateurs. The Silver Medal is his since no other amateur made the cut, but one, with perhaps a more compelling story gave it his all.

Drew Weaver, the British Amateur Champion, only managed a one-over 72 on Friday and missed the cut at plus-six. He had 20 feet for birdie on the last with a chance to get to five-over. There was an outside chance the cut would fall to plus-five, but it hardly mattered as Weaver missed the putt.

This has been a remarkable week for Weaver. He will be a junior at Virginia Tech and was only a few 100 yards away from the tragedy in April.

"I have had a fantastic week," said Weaver. "I had a wonderful time, but it's a tough feeling to have come so close to making the cut. I played my heart out today, and it's a tough realization that I won't be playing through the weekend".

* The group of leader Sergio Garcia, Johan Edfors and Chad Campbell were put on the clock for slow play on the 14th hole. They were not assessed any penalty.

* If Garcia wins this event, he will be the first Spaniard since Seve Ballesteros in 1988 and the first European to win a major of any kind since Paul Lawrie here in 1999. He has never held a 36-hole lead in a major championship.

* The weather is supposed to get significantly worse on the weekend. Rain is forecast, although the amount predicted has fluctuated throughout Friday. The wind is supposed to pick up on Saturday.

* John Daly and Achi Sato both shared the lead during Thursday's first round, but both missed the cut.

* Daly, Justin Leonard, Nick Faldo, Todd Hamilton, Tony Jacklin and Paul Lawrie, who won the last British Open Championship at Carnoustie in 1999, were the former champions who missed the cut.

* Paul McGinley was alone in second place after Thursday's first round, but struggled to a four-over 75 on Friday. He is tied for 13th place at even-par 142.

* The easiest hole for round two was the par-five 14th with an average of 4.61. The most difficult hole on Friday was once again the par-four 18th with an average of 4.71.

* The 14th has been the easiest for the week with a 4.65 average. The 18th has played harder than the par-five 14th with an average of 4.72.

2007 British Open First Round News & Notes

Carnoustie, Scotland (Sports Network) - Who was the only player in the field to go through Carnoustie on Thursday without a bogey?
Would you believe an 18-year-old Northern Ireland amateur named Rory McIlroy?
He shot a three-under 68 to put himself in a tie for third with two of the last three U.S. Open champions. That 68 could have easily been a 66 and a share of the lead with Sergio Garcia.
"This is just awesome," said McIlroy. "I really enjoyed myself out there today. To play Carnoustie with no bogeys on your card, probably the toughest Open course, that's pretty good."
McIlroy birdied the par-four fifth hole, then added another at 10. At the par- three 13th, McIlroy hit a seven-iron inside three feet and holed the birdie putt to reach three-under par for the championship.
At the par-five 14th, McIlroy hit his third to five feet, but missed the birdie putt. One hole later, the 18-year-old once again got about three feet from the hole, but this time missed the birdie putt.
McIlroy closed with a pair of pars and when Garcia bogeyed the 16th, the young man who won the European Amateur Championship last year had the only bogey- free round.
"I played some really good golf," acknowledged McIlroy. "I probably should have been a couple better."
McIlroy confirmed that he will turn professional later this year after representing Great Britain & Ireland in the Walker Cup. He will compete on the European Tour with hopes of making the PGA Tour some day.
"Hopefully I establish myself there," said McIlroy, referring to his play on the European Tour. "I'd love to be able to say I won this one day and play on Ryder Cup teams and win majors. It'd be pretty nice."
THE FORGOTTEN GOAT
Everyone by now has heard or read or seen a piece on Jean van de Velde this week. His collapse on the 72nd hole at Carnoustie eight years ago was an epic flameout, not just in golf, but in all of sports.
There has been some time devoted to Paul Lawrie. Considering he shot the lowest round of the day on Sunday and actually won the thing, it's not inappropriate.
The fella you may not have heard too much about is Rod Pampling.
In 1999, Pampling, then an unknown Australian who toiled mainly on the Australasian Tour and went by Rodney, not Rod, shot an even-par 71 and led after round one.
On Friday of '99, Pampling came back with an 86 and missed the cut. That was the last time a first-round leader at a major actually failed to advance to the weekend.
"It was a bear of a golf course," said Pampling. "I know I really didn't play that badly. I just had horrendous lies in the rough and it added up really quickly."
With Lawrie at plus-two and Van de Velde on the shelf with a stomach ailment, Pampling might find himself in the spotlight a little more this week. He handled it fine on Thursday.
Pampling shot a one-under 70 in round one and is part of a group tied for 13th place. Hopefully he can avoid a big number on Friday and see how Carnoustie plays on the weekend.
"When you get weather like this, the whole golf course changes," said Pampling, who played early on Thursday in cold and rainy conditions.
Pampling has certainly rebounded from the miscues in time. He won the 2004 International and also titled at Bay Hill last year. Pampling is 36th in the world rankings and has an outside chance to make the International Presidents Cup team.
"I don't worry about it," said Pampling.
RETURN TO HOPE
The player that made the biggest impact early on Thursday was British Amateur champion Drew Weaver. He birdied his first two holes, but ultimately slipped down the leaderboard.
"I got off to a great start, I couldn't have pictured starting off any better... the conditions were not easy by any means," said Drew.
Weaver finished with a 76 and is tied for 118th place.
Weaver's story this week is one about returning to form after tragedy. He will be a junior at Virginia Tech University and led the Hokies to a share of the ACC title.
Weaver was two buildings away from the massacre at the Virginia Tech campus in April. He wears a patch on his golf bag to honor those last during the horrible tragedy.0
"Although the events of April 16 will never leave me," Weaver said on a blog written for opengolf.com, "I believe that going through that terrible day has made me a stronger person emotionally. I feel that I have a much better perspective on life in general after everything that my fellow students and I went through a few months ago."
* Tiger Woods received a favorable ruling after an errant drive on 10. His tee ball ran into the rough near television cables. Woods got a free drop from a rules official and he was able to save par. "That was a weird drop," said Woods."
* If Woods can visit the winner's circle on Sunday, he will become the first player to win this event three years in a row since Peter Thomson turned the trick in 1954-56. However, Thomson lost in 1957 only to return to victory in 1958.
* Two players held at least a share of the lead on Thursday, but stumbled badly. Achi Sato, who is only in the field thanks to a second at the Mizuno Open Yomiuri Classic in June, birdied four in a row early, but only managed an even-par 71. John Daly holed out for an eagle at 11 to get to minus-five, but carded a double-bogey at 12, a triple at 14 and three bogeys in his final five to shoot a three-over 74.
* Phil Mickelson drove the ball well and hit some greens, but did not putt well at all. He bogeyed the last to shoot an even-par 71. "I didn't take advantage of a day that allowed a lot of low scores," he said.
* The temperatures were low on Thursday and rain greeted the players in the morning. There were no stoppages in round one.
* The easiest hole on Thursday was the par-five 14th, playing to an average of 4.70. Amazingly, the hardest hole is the par-four closing hole which played to an average of 4.71.

McGinley in front early at Carnoustie

Carnoustie, Scotland (Sports Network) - Ireland's Paul McGinley shot a four- under-par 67 on Thursday to grab the clubhouse lead during the first round of the British Open Championship at Carnoustie.
Former U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell birdied the 17th hole to post a three-under 68. Markus Brier, Lucas Glover, an alternate who got in when Shingo Katayama withdrew earlier in the week, and 1995 champion John Daly are three-under par on the course.
Tiger Woods, the two-time defending champion, managed a two-under-par 69 and is two behind McGinley in his quest to become the first player to win three consecutive claret jugs since Peter Thomson did it from 1954-56.
Woods fell to one-under par after back-to-back bogeys at 12 and 13. He got back to two-under par in the most unlikely fashion. Woods drained a very long birdie putt from just in front of the green at 16, then parred the last two.
"The back nine's really tough" said Woods."You've just got to suck it up and try and hit some good shots. To play the last three holes one-under par, I'll take that any day."
Woods was joined in the clubhouse at minus-two by two-time PGA Tour winner this year, K.J. Choi and Stewart Cink.
The players who teed off in the morning were greeted by fairly heavy rainfall, steady wind and temperatures that did not get higher than 50 degrees. Eventually the rain stopped and the wind died down, and it roughly coincided with when McGinley teed off.
He flew out of the gate on Thursday with back-to-back birdies at one and two. McGinley added birdies and four and seven and found himself in the lead at four-under par.
Two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen briefly got to that number, but fell down the leaderboard. McGinley did not thanks to some steady par saves. At the ninth, he sank a five-footer for par, but one hole later ran home a 25-foot save to stay in the lead at minus-four.
At the par-three 13th, McGinley rolled in a five-foot birdie putt to reach five-under. He padded the lead with a birdie at 14, but things fell apart right away for the Irishman.
McGinley did not reach the putting surface with his second at 15. He missed a five-foot par save, then hit a poor tee shot at the long, par-three 16th. McGinley came up short of the green and could only manage to get his second to 40 feet. He missed that putt, but made a tricky six-footer to save bogey.
His lead down to one, McGinley saved par at the last from four feet to keep his spot atop the leaderboard.
"I stepped up my game today," said McGinley, a three-time European Ryder Cup member. "I played really well. I'm obviously very pleased."
This was somewhat unexpected for McGinley, who has had a mediocre year so far on the European Tour. He has made 10 cuts in 15 starts, but has not finished higher than a tie for 16th.
"My form hasn't been good," acknowledged McGinley. "I've been making cuts but haven't been performing at the high end of the field."
Goosen, Thomas Bjorn, Rod Pampling, Gregory Bourdy, Carl Pettersson, J.J. Henry and 2002 PGA Champion Rich Beem are in the clubhouse at one-under-par 70.
Paul Lawrie, who won this title in 1999, the last time Carnoustie hosted the British Open Championship, shot a two-over-par 73. Colin Montgomerie and Adam Scott also posted that number on Thursday.

Rose trying to end British Open slump

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland (AP) -- Justin Rose failed to qualify for the past three British Opens. Now he's back and hoping to end an eight-year shutout in majors for British golfers.
Paul Lawrie's victory at Carnoustie in 1999 was the last time any British -- or European -- golfer won a major, and that has become almost as embarrassing to the locals as Colin Montgomerie's failure to win even one.
The return to Carnoustie has fueled hopes of a British repeat here, and Rose appears to be the leading candidate. He tied for fifth at the Masters and 10th at the U.S. Open after being close to the lead early in both.
"Having played well in the last two majors, beginning to believe that's where I belong and just that alone makes it much easier to go out there and let it happen," Rose said Wednesday.
The English golfer leads several British contenders -- Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, Montgomerie among others -- who are trying to bring the title back home.
"Hopefully, I will be a contender," said Rose, who came onto the Open scene in 1998 when he tied for fourth at Royal Birkdale as a 17-year-old amateur. He turned pro the next day.
"I certainly take a lot of confidence in what happened at Augusta and the U.S. Open," he said. "I felt I was in the tournament from the word go and in the tournament all week. I felt comfortable being in and around the hunt. For two good experiences to be so close together, should a third come around, it might be easier."
Rose has had a good season. He won his first tournament, the MasterCard Masters at Melbourne, Australia last year. He lost a playoff in the BMW Championship in Germany just before the U.S. Open and finished third at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic on the PGA Tour. He has seven top-10 finishes and hasn't missed a cut in 11 outings.
Tony Jacklin, the first British player in 18 years to win the Open when he triumphed at Royal Lytham in 1969, says Rose as a definite contender.
"Rose is the one who has my attention," said Jacklin, who followed his Open win with a long-overdue British victory in the U.S. Open a year later. "After Birkdale he went through a tough time, but the fact is he's still there, still beating on it. And he's making headway, getting confidence all the time."
Rose said that more majors could follow for British golfers once somebody ends the drought.
"It's probably going to be one of those situations that, when one of the guys breaks through, you'll probably find quite a few will," he said. "What is it going to take for us to just get to that next level? I think we're all trying to find out exactly what that is.
"Paul (Casey) at the U.S. Open was saying he would love to be the first Brit to win a major -- and so would I -- first for a long time," Rose said. "I think we're all pushing ourselves and we're all aware of the fact that it's true."
Rose played a practice round with Nick Faldo on Tuesday and hoped that some of the detached determination that made his countryman a three-time Open and three-time Masters winner might rub off on him.
"You've got to look at what's worked for a six-time major champion and certainly other major champions and there's definitely that single-mindedness they have," Rose said. "I don't know whether I could be better at it. But I think that's something that I can look at to try and, maybe, when the time is right, to make your game."

Olazabal pulls out of British Open

Carnoustie, Scotland (Sports Network) - Jose Maria Olazabal has withdrawn from the British Open Championship.
Olazabal, a two-time Masters champion, has not played since last month's U.S. Open at Oakmont. He has battled a knee injury that forced him to withdraw from events in France and Scotland the last two weeks.
His best finish at the British Open was a third in 1992 and a tie for third two years ago at St. Andrews. In 1999 when the British Open was last played at Carnoustie, Olazabal missed the cut.
The Spaniard was replaced in the field by Tom Pernice Jr., whose best previous finish at a British Open was a tie for 65th at Royal St. George's in 1993. Last year, the 47-year-old from Kansas missed the cut by a shot.

2007 British Open Championship Preview

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Needless to say, the last time Carnoustie hosted the British Open Championship, it was quite a memorable tournament.
The year was 1999 and you might remember a certain obscure Frenchman named Jean van de Velde coming to the 72nd hole of the tournament three shots ahead of the equally unknown Paul Lawrie and Justin Leonard, the Open Champion two years prior.
From there, most Americans remember the sound of ABC's Curtis Strange calmly losing his mind as Van de Velde made a complete mess of the 18th at Carnoustie.
Not just any mess, but one marred by horrible shot-making and even worse decisions. Who could forget Van de Velde, pants rolled up his leg, trying to pull off a miracle shot from the burn? What most don't recall is that Van de Velde ended up holing a seven-footer for triple-bogey just to get into the playoff.
Lawrie took the extra session with an amazing display of a golf, a continuation of his final-round 67, which matched the lowest round of the tournament.
More importantly than making Van de Velde the butt of golf jokes for some time, his epic collapse at the closing hole was more indicative of the venue and a wild week.
Carnoustie played as one of the most difficult major championship venues in history. The trio in the playoff finished regulation at six-over-par 290, a higher number than the last two U.S. Opens, both widely considered two of the most demanding tracks in recent times.
The 290 finishing score was the highest since Fred Daly posted a 293 at Hoylake in 1947.
"Although I tied for seventh, it was probably the hardest British Open course I have ever played -- even harder than Muirfield," Tiger Woods said on his personal blog on his Web site. "The set-up was unfair and ridiculous."
Woods, and most others in the field that year, complained about the narrowness of the landing areas. There have been few accommodations to appease the players, therefore, the premium this week is on hitting the fairway.
That may not help Woods, the No. 1 player in the game. He ranks 153rd on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy. But, recent history should help Woods.
He is a three-time British Open champion and the two-time defending champion. Two of Woods' victories came at St. Andrews, but who could forget his emotional, tear-jerker of a win last year at Hoylake. It was his first major title since the death of his father, Earl, and once again family takes center stage for Woods this year.
The day after last month's U.S. Open, Woods and wife Elin welcomed daughter Sam Alexis into the world. He has played only once since then, and not under ideal conditions.
Woods came back at Congressional for the AT&T National, where he served as tournament host and had many responsibilities outside the course. Woods tied for sixth at his own event, but putted poorly and never really threatened the top of the leaderboard.
He will this week. In that same blog on his site, Woods stated flatly that the British Open is his favorite major championship. He has held a piece of the lead on Sunday in each of the first two majors, but shockingly has not visited the winner's circle.
That is very different than what we've become accustomed to with Tiger. This week may be a statement due to the fact that everyone still thinks his head will be with Sam and the family. If you've learned anything, when you feel Woods is down, he pounces.
Woods' tie for seventh in '99 should be a good indicator of possible success. Considering that Van de Velde is not in the field and neither Lawrie nor Leonard are in form, who else from eight years ago could be a factor?
One gentleman who tied for fourth at Carnoustie makes an interesting choice. He rose to higher fame at Oakmont a few weeks back. You might know him better as the U.S. Open champion, Angel Cabrera.
His length can allow him to manhandle almost any course on earth and when everyone thought hitting the fairway was essential at Oakmont, he hit some and missed some but still walked off with the trophy.
Phil Mickelson played well in Scotland last week at Loch Lomond, losing in a playoff. Butch Harmon's new swing techniques should come into play best this week as Harmon has tried to get Mickelson's ball flight closer to the ground and that would help at Carnoustie.
Although Mickelson's record at the British Open is less than stellar, he is a new player in the last few years. If his wrist holds up, he could be an impact golfer.
Lawrie's win in 1999 was historic not just for Van de Velde's folding, nor for Lawrie's underappreciated awesome play on Sunday, but he was the last European to win a major.
This week, Luke Donald, Paul Casey and Justin Rose all make sense. Donald, especially, since length is not nearly as vital as accuracy. Casey has an amazing major record this year, and Rose, who has battled back issues all year, has not finished outside the top 10 in five starts this year on the European Tour.
Jim Furyk and Retief Goosen were both in the top 10 last time at Carnoustie. As always, they will be factors, along with Ernie Els, Vijay Singh or even Monty, who won two weeks ago at the European Open.
If you are looking for that one person in sensational form at the moment, look no further than Niclas Fasth. Since a tie for eighth at the BMW PGA Championship, he has a fourth at Oakmont, a win at the BMW International Open and a second to Montgomerie two weeks ago. Fasth also has a runner-up at the British Open, finishing second to David Duval in 2001.
As is the case with major championships anymore, the venue should be the story. The tales will be about Carnoustie's treacherous layout which will mean a world-class player should hoist the claret jug.
Remember, the harder the track, the better the winner. Who is No. 1 right now? Ah yes, the two-time defending champion...

Woods, Rose, Lawrie headline British Open pairings

Carnoustie, Scotland (Sports Network) - Two-time defending champion Tiger Woods was paired with Justin Rose and Paul Lawrie for the first two rounds of the 136th British Open Championship, which tees off Thursday at Carnoustie Golf Club.Woods won the last two Open Championships at St. Andrews in 2005 and last year at Royal Liverpool. Lawrie won the last Open played at Carnoustie in 1999.
Rose, playing as an amateur, was the darling of the 1998 British Open at Royal Birkdale, where he shared fourth place behind playoff winner Mark O'Meara.
That threesome will tee off Thursday morning at 9:09 a.m. local time, which is 4:09 a.m. (et). They then tee off Friday at 9:20 a.m. (et).
American Joe Durant will hit the first tee shot Thursday at 6:30 a.m. local time.
Another featured group includes last year's runner-up Chris DiMarco, paired with five-time European Ryder Cupper Darren Clarke and 2005 U.S. Open winner Michael Campbell. They play at 7:58 a.m. local time Thursday and 1:09 p.m. Friday.
Two-time U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen tees off Thursday morning at 8:09 a.m. local time with 1997 British Open champ Justin Leonard and two-time Open runner-up Thomas Bjorn.
That threesome will be followed by 2006 U.S. Open winner Geoff Ogilvy, 2004 British Open champ Todd Hamilton and Anthony Wall.
Three-time British Open winner and 11-time European Ryder Cup performer Nick Faldo will be joined by Carl Pettersson and Trevor Immelman on the first tee at 8:42 a.m. local time Thursday.
Eight-time European Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie is paired with Toshi Izawa and Stewart Cink at 9:31 a.m. local time Thursday.
Tom Lehman, the 1996 British Open champion, plays with Jeev Milkha Singh and Nick O'Hern in the following group.
Ernie Els, the 2002 Open winner, is joined by Robert Karlsson and Lucas Glover the first two days. They will be followed by Robert Allenby, Bradley Dredge and 1995 British Open victor John Daly.
Newly crowned U.S. Open winner Angel Cabrera tees off at 1:09 p.m. local time Thursday with Rory Sabbatini and 2005 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Sean O'Hair. The following group will be Padraig Harrington, 2001 U.S. PGA Championship winner David Toms and reigning U.S. Amateur champion Richie Ramsay.
World No. 2 Phil Mickelson, who is coming off a tough loss at the Scottish Open, tees off Thursday at 2:20 p.m. local time with Toru Taniguchi and five- time European Ryder Cupper Lee Westwood. They come back at 9:09 a.m. Friday.
Zach Johnson, who won The Masters in April, is paired with Graeme McDowell and Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal. They tee off at 2:31 p.m. local time Thursday and are followed by Chad Campbell, Sergio Garcia and Johan Edfors.

Mickelson moves one clear at Loch Lomond

Glasgow, Scotland (Sports Network) - Phil Mickelson carded a three-under 68 Saturday to move one stroke clear of the field after three rounds of the Scottish Open.
Mickelson completed 54 holes at 12-under-par 201. Gregory Havret, who shared the second-round lead, managed a one-under 70 and is one stroke back at minus-11.
Steve Webster used a third-round 69 to move into third place at nine-under-par 204. Louis Oosthuizen fired the round of the day with his seven-under 64. That moved him from 52nd place, which was the cut line of minus-one, into a share of fourth at minus-eight. He was joined there by Phillip Archer (69).
Ernie Els, a two-time winner here, shares sixth at seven-under-par 206 with Mikko Ilonen and Jose Manuel Lara, who led with Havret after round two.
Mickelson, who could become the first American winner here since Tom Lehman in 1997, opened with a splashing birdie at the third.
His second shot stopped on the edge of the water at the par-five and he blasted from there and onto the green. He rolled in the birdie putt to gain a share of the lead at 10-under.
Lara, playing one group behind Mickelson, birdied three and four to move two clear of the field at 12-under.
As Lara and Havret struggled the remainder of the front nine, Mickelson remained in the mix as he parred three straight from the fourth. He birdied the seventh, then sank a six-footer for birdie on nine to take a two-stroke lead at 12-under.
Mickelson's approach at the 10th plugged so deep in a greenside bunker that he had to take an unplayable lie. After taking a drop, he got up and down for bogey.
The 37-year-old recovered that lost stroke with a four-foot birdie putt on the par-five 13th, a hole which he has played in minus-four through three rounds.
At the short par-four 14th, Mickelson missed his only fairway of the day. He was lucky to find his ball in high grass, then pitched to 11 feet. He two- putted for par, then parred the final four holes as well to remain one ahead.
"It was a real fun day," said Mickelson. "It was a difficult afternoon, with the wind picking up and there were a lot of over-par scores. I hit a lot of good low drives out there and I only missed one fairway all day."
Havret had an up-and-down start with birdies on one and three to go with bogeys on two and four. From there, he parred the next eight holes.
The Frenchman converted a 14-foot putt for birdie on 13 to move to 11-under. He parred out to remain one back.
Alejandro Canizares posted a three-under 68 in round three. He shares ninth place at six-under-par 207 with Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher, Pelle Edberg and Sergio Garcia.

Edberg shoots 65 to lead European Open

Straffan, Ireland (Sports Network) - Bolstered by a pair of 60-foot birdie putts and recognizable only by the red bandana he wore on his head, unheralded Swede Pelle Edberg fired a five-under 65 on Friday to take the lead midway through the Smurfit Kappa European Open.
The 28-year-old Q-school graduate posted six birdies and just one bogey on the shortened K Club course to finish two rounds at eight-under 132, one shot better than Colin Montgomerie and Niclas Fasth.
It was the first time he held a 36-hole lead on the European Tour.
"I thought I was going to be more nervous when I played today, seeing my name popping up the leaderboard, but I stayed pretty calm," said Edberg. "Obviously, if there's going to be a crowd out there tomorrow, I may get nervous. I'm not used to that kind of situation."
The two players behind him are.
Montgomerie, the eight-time Order of Merit winner, posted seven birdies and a bogey Friday to shoot a six-under 64. Fasth, a winner two weeks ago at the BMW International Open, had four birdies and two bogeys for a 68.
They shared second place at seven-under 133.
David Frost (66) and Simon Khan (67) were another shot further back at six- under 134, while four more players shared sixth place at five-under 135.
Irishman Padraig Harrington (minus-one) and U.S. Open winner Angel Cabrera (even-par) safely made the cut, but remained non-factors. The cut fell at one- over par, with players like Paul McGinley and Ian Woosnam missing the weekend.
Meanwhile, the man at the top found himself in a new position.
"If the guys told me beforehand that I could have a top-10 (finish), I would have taken it," said Edberg, who owns just one career top-10 finish on the European Tour. "Now, I am not so sure. Top 10 is always a good result and a good position, but I'm going to do everything I can to be up on the board on the weekend."
Edberg made two 60-foot birdie putts in his second round: at No. 2 and No. 8, both par threes. His only bogey Friday -- and just his second birdie in two days -- came at the par-four fourth.
He admitted to enjoying the challenge of a shortened course this week, a reality forced upon the players and tournament organizers by heavy downpours that occurred ahead of the tournament and into the first two rounds.
The 18th hole was converted from a par five to a par three, lowering the course's overall par from 72 to 70.
"Obviously the course has been shortened because of the rain, but I like having to shape the ball," said Edberg, "and I've needed to do that."
Now, he needs to shape two more good rounds.