Forget the Tiger the Shark is back!

[Bear]

Norman atop British Open leaderboard with 70


SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Two-time champ Greg Norman is the unlikely clubhouse leader in the second round of the British Open. The 53-year-old has scaled back his golfing schedule, only playing in five tournaments this year. But Norman is on his game at Royal Birkdale. The Shark carded a second straight 70 today and heads into the weekend at level par.

Camilo Villegas closed out a tournament-best 5-under 65 with an astonishing five straight birdies and is one shot off the lead.

Jim Fuyrk shot a 1-over 71 and at plus-2. He's tied with Rocco Mediate, Robert Allenby and Graeme McDowell, who all shot 73s, and Alexander Noren who matched par with a 70.

[McCovey]

:beerbang: Go Shark Go! :beerbang:

Shades of Jack Nicolas winning the '86 US Open at age 46. :D

[Bear]

:beerbang: Go Shark Go! :beerbang:

Shades of Jack Nicolas winning the '86 US Open at age 46. :D



Yes, the Bear is still my all-time favorite golfer. But the Shark is 53! What a story this would be. Everyone would want to sleep with Chris Everett. Is that scary or what.

[McCovey]

You mean Chris Evert? :D

[SF Kid]

Lovee to see Norman pull this off.

Hell even Michelle Wie is only four back in some meaningless tourney...so

The World is coming to an end.

Anyway the Norman story would be even better than Nicklaus feat seeing as they are plahyng in the cow pasture with weather that should be saved for some place in India.

Here is a Kodak moment (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jle1G5l-qsU) from the '86 Masters... :eek:

[McCovey]

Nicklaus gave that, "I planned that shot that way" look. :p

[Bear]

You mean Chris Evert? :D

Yea, thats her!:p

[McCovey]

I would love to see Jack Nicklaus circa 1972 vs Tiger. That would be a true clash of the titans! :beerbang: Who would you guys take in such a showdown?

[Bear]

I would love to see Jack Nicklaus circa 1972 vs Tiger. That would be a true clash of the titans! :beerbang: Who would you guys take in such a showdown?

Well equipment would have to be the same also, but I am sure the Kid would take Tiger and just to make it interesting I would take Jack. Jack is my favorite player, but I am no fool. Tiger has done things on the Gold course Jack has only dreamed about.:toast:

[McCovey]

I never saw Jack in his prime. Wasn't he an outstanding putter? On occasion it seems Tiger's putting is not there.

[Bear]

I never saw Jack in his prime. Wasn't he an outstanding putter? On occasion it seems Tiger's putting is not there.

Jack was an outstanding putter, but Tiger is also. Sure it may not be Tiger's strongest part of his game, but that's only because he is great at every part of the GAME!;)

[SF Kid]

Let's not kid ourselves. In Jack's day he got all the perks that many other players didn't. MacGregor made special clubs and formulated special balls for Jack so he had the best of the best at the time. One thing I hate about Nicklaus now is how he whines about the equipment. He sounds like a bitter old man who is about to have his records shattered. As I just got through saying he had it all when he was playing but I guess it was OK ...now the shoe is on the other foot and he doesn't like it. Taking nothing away from Nicklaus. He was great. He did things in his prime that people never thought was possible. Woods has taken it to another level.

I really believe that if it were possible to turn back the clock and use the same equipment that Woods is better than Nicklaus in their collective primes. Woods hasn't really even hit his prime yet. If it is true what Woods has said recently, i.e. that he's had pain in his knee for 10 years then once his knee is put back together and he makes necessary swing changes/adjustments it might just be scary. Fourteen major championships and he is only 32.

As for putting, Nicklaus was very very good. However Woods is his equal and maybe a little bit better. Woods' ability to make critical putts when he has to is unmatched. And, I'm not talking about the crazy 75 footers he makes for eagle at the Masters or the US Open -- I'm talking about the 12 foot par saves he makes routinely tournament in and tournament out. That is just flat out remarkable.

[SF Kid]

Jack was an outstanding putter, but Tiger is also. Sure it may not be Tiger's strongest part of his game, but that's only because he is great at every part of the GAME!;)Actually putting is probably the strongest part of his game. His entire short game is nothing short of amazing.

[Bear]

Actually putting is probably the strongest part of his game. His entire short game is nothing short of amazing.

Even when I agree with you, YOU want to pick a fight!:boxing:

[SF Kid]

KJ Choi leads the Open Championship.

Hell I think that if you're within 10 shots of the lead you're in this thing. So that includes Mickelson although I don't think his high ball striking and all the spin he puts on the ball is conducive to winning in England. Never know though he did make the cut.

Interestingly enough, today I was thinking about the year that Jean Van De Velde had his melt down on the 72nd hole. Paul Lawrie started that day 10 shots off the lead and he ended up in the playoff and eventually won the damn thing. Now that just shows you how unpredictable it is to play in those cow pastures in those kind of weather conditions. Anything can and usually does happen. Remember also that Woods was leading the Open going into Saturday back in 2002 and he shot 81 on Saturday to play himself out of another major. Ernie Els eventually won that one in a four way playoff. Playing over there is in a word "nutty".

[SF Kid]

Jack was an outstanding putter, but Tiger is also. Sure it may not be Tiger's strongest part of his game, but that's only because he is great at every part of the GAME! ;)But we don't agree.

[Bear]

Jack was an outstanding putter, but Tiger is also. Sure it may not be Tiger's strongest part of his game, but that's only because he is great at every part of the GAME!;)

Nit picker!!! Putting is not his strongest part of his game and that is from his lips! His short irons are. For a guy who thinks he knows the game you need to check your facts.:nono:

[SF Kid]

Show me where he said that. You have a link? Didn't think so.

The consensus is that putting and his ability to make the crucial putts is strongest part of his game. He has always had problems with his distance control on his shorter irons although it's much better than it used to be. Don't try and bullshit your way through this one. I study this shit -- you don't.

[SF Kid]

Jack was an outstanding putter, but Tiger is also. Sure it may not be Tiger's strongest part of his game, but that's only because he is great at every part of the GAME!Perfect example of saying one thing and taking it back in the next sentence. Nice try. Bear receives an "F" in golf for today.

BTW Michelle Wie is one shot back in some PGA tournament after two rounds and apparently playing very well. Yep, the world IS coming to an end.

[SF Kid]

Any of you guys watching this British Open?

What a friggin' mess.

Is that golf? I don't think so. Horrible.

[Bear]

The Shark has a 2 shot lead going into the final round.:clap:
GO GREG!!! :bowdone:

[SF Kid]

God I hope he doesn't blow it.

[SF Kid]

Not good. Norman bogeys the first three holes to fall out of the lead. Man, this guy has problems on Sundays when he has the lead. Long way to go though.

[Bear]

Norman tied for third, but he gave it his all and played like the champion he is. Tip you cap to Greg. What a great Tournament.:beerbang:

[SF Kid]

Well the Shark gave it a good go. We knew it was a long shot but he's the same as ever -- he's a gun slinger and kept trying his best.

Short of Norman winning I was actually hoping Ian Poulter would win the thing but can't take anything a way from Harrington. His 5 wood shot on 17 that lead to eagle was just spectacular. Great champion and the guy is a class act.

Still in the end that links golf isn't for me. Those courses look like cow pastures and the predictable weather conditions are just flat out stupid.

[McCovey]

I don't know much about golf. What is "links golf"? :shrug:

[Bear]

I don't know much about golf. What is "links golf"? :shrug:


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A links golf course, sometimes referred to as a seaside links, is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. The word comes from the Scots language and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes, and sometimes to open parkland. It also retains this more general meaning in the Scottish English dialect. It can be treated as singular even though it has an "s" at the end, and occurs in place names that precede the development of golf, for example Lundin Links, Fife.

Many links – though not all – are located in coastal areas, on sandy soil, often amid dunes, with few water hazards and few if any trees. This reflects both the nature of the scenery where the sport happened to originate, and the fact that only limited resources were available to golf course architects at the time, and any earth moving had to be done by hand, so it was kept to a minimum.

At Bruntsfield Links in Edinburgh, Scotland, the course (a considerable distance from the coast) is still used for pitch and putt golf, and boasts a sign erected by the City Council which asserts that golf may have been invented there.

The challenges of links golf fall into two categories. Firstly the nature of the courses themselves, which tend to be characterised by uneven fairways, thick rough and small deep bunkers known as "pot bunkers". Secondly, due to their coastal location many links courses are frequently windy. This affects the style of play required, favouring players who are able to play low accurate shots. As many links courses consist literally of an "outward" nine in one direction along the coast, and an "inward" nine which returns in the opposite direction, players often have to cope with opposite wind patterns in each half of their round.

Links courses remain most common in Ireland and also in the United Kingdom, especially in Scotland. The Open Championship is often played on links courses and this is one of the main things which differentiates it from the three major championships held in the United States. There are well known links courses in other countries, including in North America: Pebble Beach Golf Links in California (on the Pacific Ocean) and Whistling Straits in Wisconsin (on Lake Michigan) in the U.S.; and, in Canada, Harmon Seaside Links (in Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador).

Links courses tend to be on, or at least very near to, a coast, and the term is typically associated with coastal courses. However, links conditions can be duplicated on suitable ground, even hundreds of miles or kilometres inland. One especially notable example of an inland links-style course is Sand Hills Golf Club, a much-acclaimed early-2000s layout in the Sand Hills of Nebraska.


The closest thing to a links course in the Bay area is Bodega Harbour Golf Courses in Bodega Bay in SONOMA COUNTY.

[McCovey]

Thanks, Bear. That's some good info.

[SF Kid]

Just as the golf world was lamenting the loss of their star and world's number one player for the rest of 2008 Greg Norman came to the rescue.

Unlikely as it was Greg Norman gave golf a shot in the arm precisely when it needed it the most. Consider the British Open without Greg Norman in the mix. Without Greg Norman leading the Open by two shots on Sunday. I'm betting their would have been zero interest. I know I would have not been watching had Harrinston and Englishman Paul Warning been the top attractions going into the weekend. Harrington is a deserving champion but he has very little fan appeal or at least he didn't.

Of couse we all know that Norman was ranked number one in the world back in the day but did you know that he held that number one ranking for 331 consecetive weeks? :bugeye: The Open ended up being a great story and had Norman pulled off the unlikely victory it might have been the greatest feat; the biggest story in the history golf. So it goes to show that golf will survive even without Tiger Woods. No one player is bigger than the game itself and it was proven this last week albeit the most unlikely scenario anybody could have possibly dreamed up.

[Bear]

I hate to say it, but that was a great post Kid. I did not know you had it in you.:clap: