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11:38am

On the heels of his birdie on 7, Watson pulls drive on the difficult par-4 8th and finds the fairway.

11:36am

We have a long way to go, but what the hell... Question for the roundtable: Would a Tom Watson win -- at age 59, for his sixth British Open crown -- rank as the greatest single major victory in golf history?

I say yes. Jack was a youthful 46 when he won the '86 Masters. And Watson would be 11 years older than Julius Boros, who is currently the oldest-ever major winner. (He was 48 when he won the PGA.)

So talk to me, Golf.commies. Would a Watson win tomorrow top them all?

11:32am

Birdie! Watson makes his 3-footer, to get it back to 5-under, the sole leader. Only 8 players are under par.

11:31am

Watson's eagle putt lacked that oooomph. He left himself about 3 feet for birdie, but it is uphill, Tommy fans.

11:29am

From the fairway on 7, the soon-to-be-60 Watson scoots a fairway wood to the front of the green on the par-5. He'll have a nice look at eagle -- call it 30-35 feet -- and looks likely to at least make birdie, to get it back to 5-under.

Seriously, who laced my latte? Is this really happening? Shouldn't he have faded by now? I keep waiting for Ashton Kutcher to turn up to tell us we've been punked.

11:24am

Calc taps in for par on no. 7, to stay 1 behind Old Tom. With Goosen making a double on 7, the '89 Open Champ looks like Watson's biggest threat right now.

11:22am

Still, there's no shame in playing the first six holes in 1-over, as Watson did. Now, he can try to feast on the par-5 7th. He stripes his drive down the center on 7. Ahead on that hole's green, co-leader Goosen just made a double-bogey 7, having taken an unplayable a few moments ago. 

Old Tom is again the sole leader.

Someone fire the screenwriter--this story is not believable.

11:17am

After twice saving par today from a Turnberry pot bunker -- which are more like moon craters -- Watson finally gives one back, missing his par putt on no. 6. His first bogey of the day. He drops down to 4-under, tied with Goosen for the lead.

11:14am

Thanks, Mike – fantastic work today. It was clutch, inspiring, emotional. In short, Watson-esque.

Are you like me? Did you hop out of bed today, just so excited about Old Tom? When his par-save putt dropped on no. 3 a few minutes back, I did the Snoopy Dance. So, I won’t even pretend to be objective today. But I will withhold from coughing, change-jangling, and "Noonan"-ing in other players’ backswings.

This is gonna be fun.

11:03 a.m.

Steve Marino makes another bogey on 5, Watson makes par and stays in the lead at 5-under. Thanks for watching with me this morning. Golf Magazine's Connell Barrett is taking over from here.

11:00 a.m.

Reader Dan is not going to be enjoying Golf.com's rerun of the 2006 British Open Live Blog later today: All I can say is THANK GOD the great and powerful tiger is on his way home! That was the most fun I had watching a round of golf. I cheered and laughed with every one of his boo-boos. Just a thought...maybe Hank shouldn't be wasting time with "Sir Charles" and concentrate more on his "meal ticket".

Low blow. Tiger, it's the readers, it's not me, man. Don't freeze me out over this.

10:56 a.m.

Hard not to be jealous of those fans at Turnberry, watching the action from a sand dune above the course.

10:54 a.m.

Spain is in the house. Reader Dani writes: You want a tough competitor? If Jimenez is tomorrow in contention...we'll see what happens, nobody cleverer than him on course.

I'm pulling for MAJ. To paraphrase an earlier comment, in terms of coolness, none of the guys out there are in Jiminez's class.

10:50 a.m.

Real Man of Golf nomination from Sports Illustrated's Dick Friedman.

How about Freddie Couples?

Surprisingly, no nominations for Sergio Garcia, who's 3-over for the day and 2-over for the tournament. Not that you would have seen any of his shots after the first hole on the ABC broadcast.

10:48 a.m.

Another bogey for Marino (2-under). It's not his fault, he needs better receivers.

10:42 a.m.

More from Friend of the Blog Michael Corcoran, who's is a Tom Watson believer.

There's nobody out there who's in Watson's class mentally. Goosen is closest and he's no Tom Watson. The guy was the toughest competitor who ever played golf. Watson was tougher than Woods. He didn't win as much, but that's because his competition was tougher.

10:37 a.m.

Another par on three for Watson, alone in the lead at 5-under. Marino has dropped two and is back to 3-under.

TV Critic asks: Where are the people? During the non-stop weepy replays of "the duel in the sun," the crowd were everywhere. Now, the blimp shots shows a sea of empty green seats and scant people along the fairways. I think I'm watching a Nationwide event.

10:35 a.m.

Friend of the Blog Mike Corcoran, who wrote a book on the Watson-Nicklaus Duel in the Sun, says today's crisp pace of play will be a big advantage to Watson.

He's able to walk right to the next tee and play and that's going to be a big help. His natural rhythm is faster than everyone else and if he's able to keep moving, he'll be in his optimal environment. Do I think he can win? Absolutely. I don't see anyone else making noise.

10:30 a.m. Ross Fisher makes a birdie on No. 3 and he's 4-under. As Cam Morfit noted, Fisher is an aggressive player and you can be aggressive here.

10:25 a.m.

Jim Furyk saves bogey with about an 8-foot putt on the reachable par-5 seventh. He's back to even, but avoided a real disaster there.

10:22 a.m.

Watson makes another par on 2. Marino makes bogey on No. 2 to go to 4-under with an interception, but Dolphins fans still believe in him.

10:17 a.m

Calc makes bogey on No. 2, back to 3-under for tournament.

10:16 a.m.

Brian writes: I have to think Bryce Molder is looking good at even par in the clubhouse.

I agree. In fact, there's a Golf.com staffer researching X-Files jokes right now for tomorrow's Live Blog.

10:14 a.m.

Golf Magazine's Cam Morfit is at Turnberry and he reports that England's Ross Fisher (3-under) has a set:

Ross Fisher, or "Rossie" as they call him over here, is the first player I've seen who's aimed for the pin on the first hole. That thing is placed on a shelf over a menacing looking bunker, on the right side of the green with a right-to-left crosswind. Almost everyone is closer to where Calcavecchia hit it, way left.

10:12 a.m.

The placid Goosen gets to 4-under with a birdie on No. 2.

10:10 a.m.

Pars for our leaders at No. 1. Little pro Eddie Merrins says when tom Watson was in his prime, he was the world's best short putter. That meant he could go after long putts because he knew he'd make the 5-foot comeback putt to save par if he had to.

10:05 a.m.

Hey ABC producers, the natives are getting restless.

Reader Mike: The masters is the best major due to the 56 minutes of golf for every hour

Hard to argue. The Masters is definitely the best to watch on TV for many reasons, especially that we all know the course so well.

Reader Mike (again): Im trying to watch the pairing of Westwwod/Cink and they are threw 2 holes and they havnt showed them once? ABCs coverage sucks, too much commentary and reflection of the past and the course. Lets see some golf!

I'm sorry, are Cink and Westwood playing?

Reader Aunt Maddie: TW-tiger who? could we please see some golf shots.

Maddie, don't think Tiger won't remember that crack. Just ask Vijay's old caddie.

Reader Kitibo: I think it is outrageous that US viewers cannot watch the BBC feed after the US coverage comes on. It is equally outrageous that we have to watch the BBC feed on ABC without HD

At least if we were watching the real BBC feed, we'd be seeing some golf.

10:00 a.m.

Reader Kitibo is not happy with the ABC coverage. He also has a Tiger question: Rick Reilly posing as a Travel Channel host, is this ABC reaching because of the Eldrick missed cut? Also on Eldrick, if his inconsistent play continues, do you see him deep sixing Hank?

Regarding, Tiger and Hank, I can only say, "I have no idea." Something's clearly not right.

9:56 a.m.

Our leaders Tom Watson and Steve Marino (5-under) are on the first tee.

9:50 a.m.

Did you notice the lukewarm reaction Englishman Lee Westwood got on the first tee Friday when he played with Tiger Woods and Ryo Ishikawa? Friend of the Blog and Golf.com's UK bureau chief Paul Mahoney calls it the "Scottish roar."

9:48 a.m.

Tom Watson is going to have favorable weather conditions today, according to @opengolf2009.

The sun is out and it is warm here for the final game to tee off in 15 minutes.

9:46 a.m.

It costs $350 to play Turnberry? Yikes!

9:40 a.m.

Miguel-Angel Jiminez and Retief Goosen (both 3-under) are on the course. Experience matters in links golf. Except for the remarkable Steve Marino, the leaderboard is all experienced Americans and international players, who play a lot more links golf than their American counterparts.

9:35 a.m.

Vijay Singh (3-under) is on the course. Boo Weekley is 1-under through 5. Daly is even after three-putting for par on 7, Furyk is 1-under through 3, Garcia misses a short putt on No. 1 and makes bogey, he's now par for the tournament. If you're a Sergio fan, you didn't want to hear that.

9:30 a.m.
Just saw Cobra's Face Off With David Feherty Contest. You can spend a day hanging out the flatulent Feherty. I wonder what you get if you win.

9:27 a.m.

John Daly (even) reaches the par-5 seventh in two. Hmmmmm.

9:24 a.m.

TV Critic writes: ABC's opening is only more of the "golf-porn" that we have to suffer through during The Open. Now, the obsequies for the player formerly known as Tiger Woods. It's been twenty minutes and we have seen about two shots --- if everyone who made the cut has a chance to win, why are we not seeing ANY DAMN GOLF?

You're right, it's embarrassing, especially since the BBC has been showing nothing but golf since the first tee shot this morning. Do they only have cameras on the driving range? Tiger withdrawal? I don't get it. Name players--Daly, Els, Cabrera, Furyk--are on the course right now and these guys are wondering if Steve Marino is going to be intimidated by a 59-year-old man. Get real!

9:22 a.m.

Canuck from Ottawa, Canada asks: Are we watching the View or the British Open?....seems to be a talk show rather than a golf tournament

Good point. I think Curtis Strange is the Barbara Walters of the ABC crew.

9:20 a.m.

Reader Mike A. nominates Steve Stricker (a respectable 3-over in the clubhouse) as a Real Man of Golf. We like it.

Steve Stricker has to be considered a real man of golf. Anyone who has the guts to be the comeback player of the year two years in a row and hits golf balls in the Wisconsin snow has some grit!

9:18 a.m.

Still looks like a Pittsburgh Pirates game with the sparse crowds at Turnberry. The Guardian UK newspaper has the obvious explanation (recession) and a surprising one (traffic).

"I notice it [the low crowds], very much so," said Justin Rose. "I was saying to someone out on the course that you would expect the stands to be pretty full by Friday lunchtime and they were a quarter full. It is a sign of the times maybe."

Given an adult couple attending the Open for a day can expect little change out of £200 this will be a luxury many will simply choose to do without. Turnberry is also notoriously difficult to get to; even with new traffic measures in operation there were tales this morning of cars crawling 30 miles short of the course.

9:09 a.m.

How is the wily Tom Watson getting ready for today's round? He's watching TV to see how the course is playing.

One of the great things you can do is watch TV. The coverage here is wall-to-wall.

9:05 a.m. ABC is taking over the broadcast with an introduction to the course from someone called "Mother Nature." I'm not making this up.

9:00 a.m. Watson's firm belief he can win this tournament reminds me of a famous Ty Cobb story (courtesy of BaseballLibrary.com):

Cobb was asked in the late 1950s how he would hit under "modern" conditions. Cobb answered, "Oh, I'd hit .310, .315." The interviewer was shocked. "But Mr. Cobb," he protested, "you hit over .400 three times! Why would you only hit .300 now?" Deadpan, Cobb replied, "Well, you have to remember. I'm 72 years old now."

8:55 a.m. Daly is safely on the green on the par-3 fourth.

To put things in perspective today... Mike Schmidt, Dan Dierdorf, John Riggings, Bill Buckner. All these guys were born in 1949, the same year as British Open leader Tom Watson.

8:49 a.m.

Angel Cabrera and Jim Furyk (both 1-under) are on the course--both in the fairway on No. 1.

8:45 a.m.

Steve Stricker and Luke Donald are both in the clubhouse at 3-over.

8:40 a.m. JD holes his chip on No. 3 (!) after a bogey on No. 1. Back to even par. Our friends at @opengolf2009 say the weather is getting better: The sun is trying to break through here. Could be a nice afternoon. The wind doesn't look like dropping though!

8:36 a.m.

Sergio Garcia is on the golf course. With Woods in Orlando and Harrington struggling, Garcia might be the guy to beat here.

8:33 a.m.

TNT interviews 2-under Stewart Cink, aka the nicest guy in golf. Thankfully, he looked fine. I was worried after he posted this on Twitter this morning: Pretty sure I have swine flu. I thought if you like BBQ as much as I do, that your antibodies would be built up against it!

8:28 a.m.

Bryce Molder shot 67 today. He's at even par for the tournament.

8:26 a.m.

Kenichi Kuboya (3-under) on the driving range. Not sure if Chris Berman is on ABC's team later today, but if he is, get ready for, "Ku-boy-a, My Lord!"

8:24 a.m.

I like Nick Faldo, but I thought "Sir Nick" on the bag was a bit much. If you're going to call yourself "Sir," you should have at one time defended the crown, preferably with a lance. It's like when economists go around calling themselves "doctor."

8:20 a.m.

No one under par is on the course yet. I thought Turnberry was supposed to be easy.

8:13 a.m.

Little Pro Eddie Merrins took a look at the leaderboard last night. Merrins' thoughts: Watson can win, Vijay has the ability to win but can shoot himself in the foot, Furyk is a factor, and Sergio could be the guy to beat because he's such a great driver of the ball.

BTW, the Golf Channel's Jay Coffin caught a great exchange between Watson and playing partner Sergio on Friday.

Sergio Garcia walked down the eighth fairway, put his arm on Tom Watson’s shoulder and said what any young man would say to someone who is 30 years his senior.
 
“Come on old man, get it going,” Garcia jabbed.
 
“Today I’m an old man playing like an old man,” was Watson’s retort.
 
“Remember yesterday,” Garcia responded, “It’s time to get going.”

8:10 a.m.

Reader Tlove asks: Why is Tiger Woods on the Man's Man List? Real men don't throw petulant temper tantrums after every poor shot, or because there is a speck of mud on the ball.

Woods plays such a tough style of golf--when he's playing well--that it didn't feel right to leave him off the list. But the judges have noted your objection.

8:07 a.m.

John Daly on the course. Hits his tee shot into the left fescue. Strange to see Long John on the first tee with an iron in his hand, but he likes this style of golf. JD reminds me of Dennis Rodman, another wild man with a questionable IQ in his personal life but a genius IQ in his sport.

8:05 a.m.

Nick Dougherty (even) tees off on No. 1. Can we convene the Doughertys of the world and ask them to agree on how to pronounce their name? "Door-ety? "Dock-erty?" I give up.

8:04 a.m.

Ernie misses the sand save, back to 1-over.

8:03 a.m.

If a 59-year-old man wins one of golf's major championships, then I may have to stop arguing that golf is a sport. It's still the greatest game though, and Watson's run here is one reason why.

8:00 a.m.

Ernie Els (even) hits a nice bunker shot to about 6 feet on No. 2. Great camerawork behind Ernie so you see the pot-bunker slope, the fescue above it and the flag blowing beyond it. Viva la Open Championship!

7:55 a.m.

I asked Eddie Merrins, the legendary Bel-Air teaching pro, why it's so difficult for older players to win big tournaments. I thought he'd say lack of power or nerves. Nope. He says it's eyesight. "I think that's what happened to Jack Nicklaus," Merrins said. "Toward the end of the career, he needed his son to read putts. He couldn't see the breaks anymore."

7:51 a.m.

Ernie Els makes birdie on No. 1 to get to even par. Strange to say, but Els winning British Open sounds almost as improbable as Watson. I'd like to see it. The Big Easy belongs on the Real Men of Golf list too.

7:43 a.m.

Reader Kerri asks: Love your blog! Did you finish the Man's Man list? I want to share it with my husband!

Yes, Kerri, the Real Men of Golf list is from the Thursday Live Blog. 

Here's the list so far (active players only):

Real Men of Golf: Tom Watson, Jim Furyk, Padraig Harrington, Tiger Woods, Mike Weir, Angel Cabrera, Darren Clarke, Stewart Cink, Boo Weekley (he onced wrestled an orangutan), Mark Calcavecchia, Miguel-Angel Jiminez, Kenny Perry.

The readers have disqualified Davis Love III and Camilo Villegas. Not that they had much of a chance, but Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie have disqualified themselves forever with their spat this week. Real men don't have spats.

Not a real man (yet)? Anthony Kim. He had to step away from his putt on the eighth hole Friday because he was giggling. Real men don't giggle.

More candidates? Please post them below.

7:40 a.m.

Justin Rose and Ernie Els (both 1-over) just teed off on No. 1. After the tournament, Rose will attempt to return the ring of invisibility to Mordor while attempting to evade the Dark Lord Sauron.

Justin

Frodo

7:32 a.m.

Shot of John Daly at the driving range--bright orange shirt, pants by Jackson Pollack, cigarette in mouth. God bless him!

7:30 a.m.

I never like to complain about the TV broadcast in the Live Blog, mainly because the networks do a mostly excellent job. However, TNT just hasn't been showing much golf, just a lot of talking heads. Anyone up this early doesn't need a primer on Tom Watson; we watched all this stuff last night. It's like when you go to a golf course and the starter explains the 90-degree rule. "Yes, we've actually played golf before, thanks."

7:24 a.m.

Golf.com editor Charlie Hanger got a lively discussion started with this question:

Bigger story at British Open: Tiger Woods or Tom Watson?

My answer: Tiger missing the cut is the bigger story. So far, the iconic image from this tournament is a dazed Tiger looking for his lost ball on 10 Friday like it was his lost greatness. Old guy leading a major after Friday isn't Man Bites Dog. Tiger missing the cut is. If Watson is still leading tomorrow...well, that would change everything.

7:19 a.m.

Weather report from Turnberry via @opengolf2009 on Twitter.

The wind is picking up more now. Think the afternoon games will have the course playing tougher.

Too bad Harrington is struggling because his plan is coming together: I am hoping for just to sneak in on the cut line, to get out nice and early tomorrow morning, in beautiful sunshine, shoot a good score and then the weather to come in. We can always dream, can't we?

7:15 a.m.

You may have heard that Tiger Woods missed the cut. Don't worry, Tiger fans. I'll be running lots of highlights from the 2006 Golf.com British Open Live Blog of Tiger's thrilling victory at Hoylake. j/k, j/k.

7:10 a.m.

Padraig Harrington (6-over) is 3-over through 8. Bad sign: He's wearing a sweater. Normally, Harrington intimidates Open opponents by wearing short-sleeved shirts even in near blizzard conditions.

7:05 a.m. 

No one's tearing it up so far today, but our leaders won't be off for a few hours. Best of the lot so far: Oliver Wilson (even) is 2-under for the day through six; popular darkhorse pick Steve Stricker (2-over) is 1-under through 11.

7:00 a.m.
Welcome back to the Golf.com British Open Live Blog Early A.M. Edition, where we answer the question: If one blogger posts in the forest, does anyone hear him? 

Weather at Turnberry: Not as bad as yesterday. 59 degrees, breezy, chance of rain. In other words, a great day for British Open golf.

Tiger's refusal is indicative of a pouty aspect of his persona that often crops up after his rounds, especially bad ones. Tiger knows he's a rock star who draws nearly as much attention as the president. He knows the world wants to see and hear him describe his rounds in a personal interview.

Yes, Tiger gave a group interview on Friday, but he often refuses one-on-one chats, and it bugs me.

He is on track to becoming the first billionaire athlete with the money earned out of his fans' pockets, and the graceful thing to do would be to give the network, and in turn his fans, a couple of minutes -- no matter what he shoots.

• Hooray, the weather finally got nasty. This is what a British Open is supposed to feel like. On Thursday guys were sweating in short sleeves, and that's just not kosher. Aside from the aesthetic reasons, Turnberry simply needed more bite, and the testy conditions have already begun to separate the men (Goosen, Cabrera, Kaymer, Calc)  from the boys (Curtis, Senden, Mahan, Gay). I hope the weekend brings more wind and rain and punishment. At least outside the press room.

• Steve Marino is not going to win the first British Open he ever shows up for but he's a very legit player. A couple of veterans have told me they think Marino is the best player on Tour who has not yet won a tournament. He has a lot of firepower off the tee and very soft hands and more imagination than most, which has been evident during his two stellar opening rounds. The best shot I've seen so far at this Open was his 5-iron at 17, from 227 yards out. Marino hit a big, high, slinging cut that rode a stiff left-to-right breeze, falling out of the sky 20 feet from the hole for the eagle that keyed his 68. Pretty macho.

• Turnberry is sometimes called the Pebble Beach of Scotland because of the beautiful holes that hug the craggy coast but the similarities don't end there. Both courses are in a remote spot accessible only by a two-lane road. The drive into Turnberry is such a lovely way to start the day. It winds through green hills dotted with sheep and meadows exploding in wildflowers. The majestic ruins of two old castles are an evocative reminder of all of Scotland's ancient history. Just when you're getting antsy to arrive at the Open the road reaches the crest of a steep slope and then plunges downhill, revealing the course and coastline below. It's breath-taking, and sure beats the Long Island Expressway.

• I'm officially off the Geoff Ogilvy bandwagon. Dude made exactly zero birdies Friday en route to a sporty 78. For the week he had more double bogeys (5) than birds (3). Good thing he stole that U.S. Open a few years ago because he's looking increasingly star-crossed in the majors. The only positive for Ogilvy is that he finished one stroke ahead of Ian Poulter, a popular pick to win coming in. (That means you, D. Hack.) After his strong runner-up finish at last year's Open I think Poulter got Andymurrayized, which is too say, overwhelmed by the crushing expectations of being Great Britain's best hope on the home soil.

• One of the pleasures of being at the Open is getting to read the prose of the Euro golf writers. Ian Chadband in the The Telgraph had this to say about Woods's uneven first round: "He drove like a sizzled learner…He has that John McEnroe knack losing his rag -- the cry of 'Godamit!' after a shocking drive at the third had been replaced by something rather shorter and more Anglo-Saxon by the 13th." Can't wait to read what Chadband's brethren have to say on Saturday morning. As jingoistic as the press is over here, the loudest spontaneous eruption of the day was when T. Watson made his ocean-goer on the 16th hole. Just goes to show that more than country, all reporters love a good story.

• After watching a couple hundred fans fail to find Tiger's ball in the weeds on the 10th hole I suddenly don't feel so bad at failing to locate a couple balls in the Royal Troon rough during a glorious twilight round last night. Every fairway over here should be framed in red stakes because once a ball buries in the long grass it's a lottery as to whether it ever gets found.

• Fearless weekend prediction: Retief Goosen plays the best golf but, as has become a habit, lets it get away late on Sunday, handing the Claret Jug to... drumroll ...  Stewey Cink. Tweet, tweet.

Connell Barrett, editor at large for GOLF Magazine, blogged all the exciting action at Turnberry for the second round of the British Open Championship. Read the recap below.

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3:04PM

Well, my little divots... I've enjoyed these eight -- count 'em, eight! -- non-stop hours slaving over a hot blog for you. We might witness an historic weekend, if Tom Watson does the impossible. I can't wait to watch.

Our live-blog is going dark now, but stay tuned to Golf.com for more Open Championship coverage. And me? I'm in the zone, so I'm gonna switch channels and live-blog Oprah, Judge Judy and The Girls Next Door. I can't be stopped. Only contained.

Tune in tomorrow morning to catch Saturday's action. We'll see you then.  

2:58PM

A reader named Phil says what everyone is thinking: Gimme more Goggin.

This is supposed to be coverage of the tournament. Goggin is still on the course under par and Barrett has posted anything about player other than Tiger for the last hour.

Phil, a phair point. What can I say? America has Goggin Fever, and I've failed to realize that. We'll make it right tomorrow. Especially since there will be no Tiger to cover.

2:51PM

And Debbie had another gem I had to share, to the Tiger teasers:

Get it through your thick skulls -- Tiger Woods is ALWAYS the story! I know it pains you, but millions of us have the power of the pocketbook. And we want to know what's going on with Tiger. My poor, sweet baby. I wish I could cuddle him right now.

I agree. (Umm, except for the cuddling thing. I'm not going there...)

2:45PM

The Down With Tiger brigade is loving life. Debbie has a message for you, Eldrick Hatahs:

Congratulations Tiger haters -- you live to bully another day! Now, where are those fat kids with low self esteem you can pick on?

2:41PM

Oh, speaking of Monty, he and Sandy Lyle are currently leg-wrestling in the press tent. (This is just getting weird...)

2:39PM

More from ear-to-the-ground Paul Mahoney (twitter.com/paulmahoneygolf):

Reporter to Tom Watson: "Last year, we had Norman, age, 53, leading. Now we have..." Watson interrupts: "Another old fart!"

Watson's opening address to standing-room only press conference: "Lady Turnberry took off her gloves today and she had some teeth." Sounds like a horrific blind date.

2:32PM

Joining Tiger at 5-over, and it's-all-over-but-the-shouting likely to be spending the weekend in a pub: Monty, Adam Scott, Mike Weir and Ben Curtis, who shot 80 today. Also going home is Anthony Kim, at plus-6.

2:27PM

The news for Tiger? Bad. Very bad. As the TNT fellas clearly explain (good on ya, boys), there are currently nine players on the course who are inside the cutline, with scores ranging from plus-1 to plus-4. Tiger would need seven of those nine players to drop to 5-over in order for the cutline to move and for TW to make the weekend. Possible? Yes. But unrealistic. That's a lot of giftwrapped golf shots. Some fuzzy math would have to go down. He has a better shot at nabbing an NFL wildcard spot than of making the cut.

2:20PM

Ishikawa makes bogey on 18, to drop to plus-six. He'll miss the cut. Woods taps in for his par, not knowing if he'll play this weekend. "I'm sure he'll assume the worst, thinking that that's it," Finchie says. True that. 

Looking at today's developements, I don't know which is more shocking: that Watson is co-leading, or that Woods had reached even-par before finishing at plus-5.

2:17PM

Using a wedge, Tiger chips over much of the break. His ball is tracking... tracking... tracking... and it stops at about a foot. He'll tap in for par to stay at plus-five.

But will he stay or will he go?

2:12PM

The pin on 18 is cut left. To hunt or not to hunt? That is the question. Tiger makes a good safe shot toward the center of the green, but his ball takes a big hop and trundles off the back. He'll have the option of putting or chipping -- call it 40 feet -- but chances are slim for a birdie.

Barring an incredible hole-out, he'll have to hope the cutline moves to plus-five.

2:08PM

Tiger has 199 yards to the hole from the right rough on 18.

2:05PM

Damn you, Baker-Finch! Tiger hits a long iron, but he shoves it to his right, giving it some extreme leaning-to-the-left body language. His ball trickles into the right rough, but we know not of his lie.

He's playing conservative/agressive. Tiger must know that a par might get him into the weekend, but that a bogey will definitely send him packing. He seems to playing for par or birdi, taking bogey out of it.

2:01PM

Bizarro Tiger stalks toward the 18th tee. What will he pull? Finchie says 3-iron. I think he has to be bold and hit a longer club, since birdie is a must. I call 3-wood.

1:59PM

From Golf.com contributer Paul Mahoney (check him out at twitter.com/paulmahoneygolf).

The secret to Calcavecchia's success, says the '89 Open Champ? "Four pints a night. Seems a nice round number."

I'll drink to that.

1:55PM

On 17 green, Tiger's eagle chip halts at 2 feet -- he'll make that for his second straight birdie, to reach plus-5 for the Open, 1 shot outside the current cutline.

One hole to play, one birdie needed (probably).

1:51PM

From 287 yards out, Tiger pulled 5-wood and hit a solid shot to the back of the 17th green, his ball rolling onto the back collar. He'll have a shot at eagle and should be able to get up-and-down for birdie.

The cut is currently at plus-4, and there's a chance it may move to plus-5. At the very least, Woods must birdie 17 and make no worse than par on 18. If he birdies both 17 and 18, he's in.

1:44PM

"That was a scooper," Finchie says after Tiger, pulling 3-wood, hits a pop-up off the tee. Center cut in the 17th fairway, but well back. Tiger slumps his head and shoulders. (His body language never lies.) If Woods is going to reach the par-5 in two, in order to make birdie or eagle and give himself a shot to make the cut, he'll likely need to hit a perfect 3-wood to get there. And he hasn't hit a perfect shot all day.

1:40PM

One birdie down, two to go. Tiger makes his birdie on no. 16. Two holes to play. He's at 6-over, 2 strokes outside of the plus-4 cutline. Well, Tiger's never dull. You have to give him that. You have to think it'll come down to the 18th green.

The par-5 17th is Turnberry's easiest hole this week. But can Tiger hit the fairway?

1:37PM

A reader asked about Tiger's missed cuts in majors. The only one he's missed as a professional was at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

1:36PM

Woods' approach on 16, from 132 yards, comes to rest about 18 feet from the cup. He'll have a look at birdie.

1:30PM

Three straight birdies must begin with one good swing, and Tiger has found the center of the fairway on no. 16.

1:27PM

Watson to Jim Huber, in his post-round interview, the Claret Jug literally within reach to his right: "Things are going my way, some good things are happening... The biggest putt of the day was the 25-footer I made on 9, and that turned me around. Lady Turnberry had her gloves off, but I put in a good counter-punch [smiles]. [At 18, when I made the long putt for birdie] I think the spirits were on my side. I don't have too many days left to play this championship, but I wouldn't be here unless I thought I could [win]."

Phew! What a round. What a day.

1:23PM

The math is very simple for Tiger, who just two-putted for his par on 15. He's at 7-over with three to play and he's 3 shots outside the cutline. He needs to play the last 3 holes in 3 under to avoid missing his second cut in a major as a professional.

1:19PM

Woods gives himself a chance, but not a great chance, on the par-3 15th; he'll have about 30 feet for birdie. This swoosh-wearing imposter is currently tied for 107th.

1:16PM

From the sublime to the ridiculous, Tiger Woods is 6-over on his round today. He has to make a bunch of birdies coming in, and he only has four holes left.

1:14PM

Tomorrow, he plays in the final group with Steve Marino.

I repeat: Tom Watson is the co-leader midway through the 2009 British Open.

OK, I'll settle down now.

1:11PM

Sorry for the delay. I just did a coffee spit-take all over my laptop, because Old Tom Watson rolled in his birdie putt on 18 (50 feet? 60 feet? a million feet?) to finish at 5-under. That did not just happen!

I am speechless. To quote David Feherty: "My flabber is completely gasted."

1:03PM

On 18, Watson takes a 7-iron, from 204 yards, and finds the middle right of the green. He'll have 40-50 feet for birdie. Not an automatic par, but Old Tom's lag putting has been stellar today. It's like his ball and the cup are magnetically attracted. He should 2-putt for par. Let's just hope he doesn't leave himself an artificial-knee-knocking 5-footer.

12:59PM

Oh. My. Lawd. Tiger just missed a 6-footer for bogey on no. 13. Double-bogey. He's at 7-over, and is now 3 shots outside the projected cutline (of plus-4).

Who is this swooshed man? I don't recognize him. I stand by what I said earlier: He doesn't look afraid. His head is down, shoulders slumped, face sagging. He looks depressed. Helpless. He looks utterly and completely lost.  

12:55PM

OK, you know all the stuff about Tiger's final charge today to make the cut? Umm, nevermind. He just fluffed a chip -- his third shot -- on no. 13 that came back to his ankles. He now has to get up-and-down to save bogey.

12:53PM

Old Tom Update: His drive on no. 18 trickled into the first cut, staying clear of the fescue. No worries there. With one more solid swing, he'll have a par or better to finish a strong round.

12:51PM

Finchie says that Tiger looks scared. Like he has fear in his eye. All due respect to IBF, I don't see it. He looks frustrated and lost, but afraid? No way.

Utterly shameless name-drop: Last year, I spent some time with Steve Williams for a piece on Steve and his relationship with Tiger. He said that Woods is the only player he's ever caddied for -- and SW has looped for Floyd and Norman, among many others -- who can make swing adjustments mid-round and fix a problem on the fly. So Tiger haters, don't be surprised to see Woods pull it together over these final holes and make the cut.

12:47PM

Watson struck a lovely tee shot on the par-3 17th, and had a nice look at birdie -- from about 20 feet. He missed the putt but left himself a stress-free par tap-in, with one hole to play. He remains 1 off the lead.

Tiger finds the fairway on no. 13, pulling an iron. That swing looked balanced and confident.

12:43PM

Brian writes, "The king is dead. Long live the king."

You may be right, Brian -- at least this year. Tiger just missed a lengthy par putt on 12, to fall to plus-5 for the Open. The current cutline is plus-3, and it may move up to plus-4, with the conditions getting tougher (more wind, harder greens).

So Tiger must shoot red numbers for his final six holes to have a shot at making the cut. He needs at least one birdie, and no bogeys.

12:40PM

Pardon the delay, all. Some technical difficulties. (Not as bad as Tiger's, but still...)

Our board has a serious case of Watson fever.

Scott writes:

Just like I remember the Tom of old...never give up...be patient and hang in there!! Just like he's doing today!! A bad 6 hole stretch, then comes back with a birdie on 9 and a solid par on 10. That's the way I remember Tom from when I was watching he and Jack battling!! Go Tom!!! My favorite golfer!!!!

And Dan says it all:

OK I don't care who you are... How can you not be rooting for Tom Watson right now... unbelievable.

12:32PM

Wow. Tiger clubs down from a fairway wood to a long iron, and he still finds a fairway moon crater off the tee on 12. How's that song go? "Tida said there'd be days like this, there'd be days like, Tida said..."

12:27PM

Talk to me. What's the bigger story: Norman's run last year, or Watson partying like it's 1977? Maybe it's the Pike Place blend talking, but I think Old Tom is leaving the Shark in his wake, so far.

12:26PM

You. Must. Be. Kidding. Either I'm hallucinating, or Tom Watson just dropped a 60-foot, right-to-left birdie putt on 16, to move within 1 stroke of the lead. He's at 4-under.

Tom, I'm sorry I doubted you.

12:19PM

Well, we're past the midway point of this 7-hour, non-stop British Open Blogathon. I'm taking a quick break to adjust my caffeine-and-guarana IV drip. Be right back.

Please blog amongst yourselves...

12:15PM

Woods make his double-bogey on 10.

What a turn of events. In the last hour, we've seen Watson turn a brutal round around, and we've seen Woods start swinging like a 13-handicap, nearly imploding on 10.

12:13PM

Tiger hit a nifty, bitey little pitch to about 5 feet on 10. He'll have that for a double-bogey, which would drop him to 4-over for the event and put him 1 shot outside the projected cut-line (plus-3).

12:10PM

Tiger's woes are contagious -- his playing partner Ishikawa had to take an unplayable, after finding some hairy rough on 10.

12:06PM

It's official, say the TV talking heads: Tiger's 5 minutes are up, no tee ball found, and Tiger's now hitting his fourth shot from the fairway. From 221 yards out, he leaves it about 15 yards short of the green. He's looking at a double bogey, or worse?

12:02PM

The seach -- like Hank Haney's place with Team Tiger, perhaps -- is over. Woods is walking over to his provisional shot.

NOON

They found a ball! But it wasn't Tiger's. He has 5 minutes to find his tee shot. Tick-tock, tick-tock...

11:58AM

A developing situation. Woods hit a provisional off the tee on 10. "Something's gone haywire" with Tiger's swing this week, Azinger says. There's currently a massive, hard-target search of every outhouse, hen house and dog house near the 10th hole for Tiger's tee ball. So far, Tiger's tee ball is nowhere to be found. 

11:53AM

Watson cozies a lengthy birdie putt to about an inch on 14, for another par, to stay at 3-under for the Open.

I'm not seeing a lot of blog love for Old Tom. C'mon, my cynical posters. You have to admit--it's phenominal the way he's bounced back today. He's 2 off the lead!

11:51AM

As Watson hit his approach on 14, said Curtis Strange admiringly: "He's a tough little booger."

Would someone please taser this guy?

11:45AM

Tiger's fat-like-me tee shot cost him on the par-4 9th. If he makes his 4-footer for bogey, he'll have gone birdie-bogey-bogey for the last 3 holes.

11:42AM

Master of overstatement Curtis Strange, as we watch Watson split the fairway on 14: "His driving has improved 300 percent since his prime." Yesterday, Strange said Kim was the player to watch "for the next 20 to 25 years." Because there are no other good young stars in the game, right Curtis?

Peter Alliss, where are you?

11:41AM

From Golf.com czar Charlie Hanger, who's keeping an eye on the commercials:

That RBS ad just now, showing all the glorious images of the Open and links golf, included a slow, loving pan up ... a ball washer? Ah, the majestic ball washers of

Scotland

11:38AM

"That likely could be the worst tee shot that Tiger's ever hit," suggests Azinger, never one to mince words. Tiger takes 5-wood again, this time from the rough, and makes better contact.

11:33AM

Tiger pulls 5-wood on no. 9 tee and makes a dreadful swing: Fat and right, finding some nasty rough, it appears. His worst lash of the day. Woods angrily slams his club into the tee ground, then slams it again into his golf bag.

11:27AM

OK, back to golf. Calc taps in on 18 for his second-round 69. He's 4-under, and 1 off the lead.

Meanwhile, Tiger mis-reads his par putt and makes bogey. He's back at 1-over.

11:22AM

Before we get back to the action, we have some tension a-brewin' on the boards. SI's Dick Friedman said that attempting to win a major may take priority over being at your child's birth. (See below.) "You're off your rocker," one poster decried. Another said that clearly Mr. Friedman is not a dad. Yet another jibed: "Dick is a good first name for Friedman." (Good one.)

Dick Friedman responds:

Please tell the commenters, such as Father UR NOT, that Father I AM: As of next Tuesday, I’ll have been a dad for 25-and-a-half years.  And while it was wonderful to be present at my daughter’s birth, I consider what I did in the years afterward to have had much more impact.

11:16AM

Correct me if I'm wrong, fans, but I haven't seen Tiger pull driver once today. (He just ripped what appeared to be a 3- or 5-wood on 8, finding the rough.) Then again, I've been up since 5:57AM, and my body chemistry is 87 percent caffeine, so my judgment is questionable.

11:13AM

Tiger makes his birdie putt on 7, his first red number of the day. He began the day with 67 names between his and the leader. He's now tied for 27th.

Sorry, Tiger haters, but it's gonna be a long day for you.

11:09AM

"As the conditions worsen, Tom Watson gets better," says Paul Azinger, as Ancient Tom rolls a 15-footer in for birdie on no. 3. He flashes his famous Huck Finn grin as he strides off the green, now only 2 off the lead -- he's now at 3-under.

11:04AM

The birdie-less one, Tiger Woods, sticks a wedge tight on the par-5 7th. He should get to even par in a few moments, only 5 off the lead.

10:59AM

Sports Illustrated's Dick Friedman has this take on ready-to-bolt dad-to-be Ross Fisher:

Fisher, who as I write is T4, continues the ominous trend of expectant fathers in contention for a major who are ready to decamp when the beeper goes off, signaling that their wives are going into labor. I decried this practice when Sean O’Hair was ready to leave Bethpage, and I reiterate my opposition here (assuming, that is, that there are no expected complications with the birth). I guess I think that opportunities to be Champion Golfer of the Year come along less often than chances to be Champion Father of the Year. And if Fisher wins, he will get the Claret Baby Bottle.

10:55AM

And here comes the British weather. "It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is NOT scoring." TNT apparently had the wrong score for Watson moments ago. He actually 2-putted for par on no. 10 to remain at 2-under, 3 off the lead.

10:48AM

Come on, TNT, it's called "live" golf coverage. Watson just hit a 6-iron to about 15 feet on no. 10, but they've already updated the leaderboard to show that Tom has moved it to 3-under through 10. Call it a gut instinct, but I think he's gonna roll this one in...

10:46AM

Calc 3-jacks on the par-3 15th. He drops a shot, and Marino is back alone atop the leaderboard.

10:42AM

On the par-3 fourth, Stewart Cink attempted a heroic pitch from deep beneath greenside hay -- and a suhwiiiing and a miss. Whiff. Then he pitched to about 30 feet past the hole. He's looking at double bogey. TNT's Tom Weiskopf let this comment (Freudian) slip: "Let's go back to Stewart Stink, err, Cink's problems." Youch.

10:37AM

Old Tom finishes his front nine with a birdie on no. 9, to get back to 2-under. A smile and a rare spring in his step from the 59-year-old today. He's only 3 back....

10:33AM

Drawing a nice lie in the bunker, Tiger parks his third to about 4 feet on no. 5. He should make that for his par.

10:29AM

Jim Huber did a nice look back at the Duel in the Sun -- Jack vs. Tom at Turnberry in '77 -- though when he said that "the course sparkled like the sun off the Ailsa Craig," I got a cavity.

Back to the action! On no. 5, after a perfect tee shot with a 3-wood, Tiger hits a low draw into the wind but finds a front-left moon crater of the long par 4.

10:25AM

Earl Anthony -- err, I mean Calc -- nearly jars his iron approach into the par-4 14th. He has 2 feet to reach 5-under for the Open, and a share of the lead with Steve Marino. Holy Beer Gut, Batman!

10:21AM

Another ho-hum par for Tiger. His swing looks much better than yesterday (of course, my swing looked better than his yesterday, I'm a hacker.) And he's nearly drained a couple of long putts. I still think he's heading to the mid-60s today, and I stand by my 66 prediction.

10:16AM

Here's a dispatch from Friend of Golf.com Paul Mahoney, a crackerjack UK-based journalist covering the action Over There. (Please check out Paul's twitter-iffic site: twitter.com/paulmahoneygolf)

Said Ian Poulter (+14): "I could have played with a set of spades and still wouldn't have found the middle of the club." Ross Fisher shoots 68 in Round 2 to go -3. He has a jet on standby in case his pregnant wife goes into labour. (The jet's for him; not her.) And here's Sandy Lyle again: "I don't regret anything. Monty isn't exactly squeaky clean." Over to you, Monty.

Good stuff, Paul. Keep it coming!

10:10AM

I love Baker-Finch's honeyed Aussie accent. But...little known fact: It's fake. He's from Newark, N.J. You heard it here first.

Tiger makes another stress-free par, on no. 3. After a nice bounce on the 169-yard par-3 fourth, he has about 20 feet for birdie.

10:06AM

Props to a poster named (seriously) TNTedium. He writes:

"Tiger was cursing and throwing fits on the driving range. He could not hit the ball straight even with 3 wood. He is definitely not going to win this championship."

TNTedium has spoken!

10:01AM

Calc., the 1989 Open Champ, has birdied two of his last three holes, to get it to 4-under through 12. I love it when a guy who looks like he belongs on the PBA Tour shows these flat-bellied kids how it's done.

9:59AM

Watson makes his fourth straight bogey, on no. 7. Sigh.

To quote another British legend, one John Lennon. "The dream is over/What can I say? The dream is over..."

9:57AM

Ahh, nothing gets the boards a-hoppin' like Tiger Talk. Someone suggested the World No. 1 lacked class, to which Tom replied:

"Hope Tiger keeps the driver in the bag today. I disagree with Tiger not having 'class'. As someone who played sports competitively I understand being extremely focused on the course and always wanting to be the best at all times, and there is nothing wrong with that. Off the course the guy is extremely classy, in my opinion."

9:51AM

Woods makes his par on no. 2.

Meanwhile, John Daly taps in on 18. He'll play the weekend. He shot 72 today and is even-par for the Open. His pants are plus-19.

9:45AM

Tiger's 4-iron approach on no. 2 holds the left side of the green, but with the pin cut right, he'll have to be happy with a 2-putt par.

You know who's really enjoying the action right now? Steve Marino. He shot a 68 today, and must be kicking back in his hotel room as the sole leader and loving what he's seeing.

9:41AM

Watson's par putt misses, for his fourth bogey today. He's now at 2-under for the Open and has fallen off the first page of the leaderboard.

At least he's through one of the toughest stretches on the course. Maybe he'll get back onboard the par-birdie train in the coming holes.

9:37AM

The tale of the T-Dubs: Woods pulls a fairway wood and finds the right side of the fairway on no. 2. Watson hits a nice bunker shot on no. 6, but had an awkward lie and stance, and will have 20 feet to avoid his fourth bogey of the day.

9:35AM

Well, at the British, when it rains it pours. Ancient Tom knows this better than anyone. Watson's tee shot on the 233-yard par-3 6th finds one of the moon craters that they call "bunkers" across the pond. We'll see what his lie looks like, but at Turnberry, finding the sand is usually the equivalent of a one-stroke penalty.

9:32AM

Tiger burns the right edge of the cup on no. 1, putting from off the green. He'll make his par to stay at plus-1.

9:30AM

Co-leader Kuboya lost his tee shot on no. 13 and had to re-tee -- stroke and distance penalty for a lost ball. He now lies three in the fairway on the par-4, so he's looking at a potential double bogey.

9:26AM

Let's call Watson's putt a 7-footer, but whatever we call it, he missed. Bogey. That's three bogeys today through five holes, after a blemish-free opening round yesterday.

He's got to be thinking, "I'd rather be home watching the Matlock marathon."

9:23AM

We talked about The Big Moment that would test Watson today? He now has five frightening feet for par on no. 5. Meanwhile, Tiger pulled iron on no. 1 and split the fairway.

9:21AM

The other T-Dub -- Tom Watson -- is just off the back of the green on the scarier-than-a-plate-of-Haggis 5th hole. Getting up and down for a par would have Ancient Tom walking on air toward the 6th tee.

9:19AM

Will Woods go low? Magic 8-balll says, "Signs point to yes." It's just a matter of time until Tiger adds a come-from-behind major win to his resume. I think yesterday's untidy round was an aberration -- a symptom of his wanting it too much and trying too hard, as my colleague Alan Shipnuck suggested on Golf.com yesterday.

My bold prediction? Tiger has The Look all day today and shoots 66.

9:14AM

Co-leader Stricker loses his share of the lead with a bogey on the difficult 5th. He falls to 4-under.

9:10AM

T-minus 10 minutes until Tiger.

9:05AM

One of my favorite Watson stories:

Back in the 90s, when he was mired in a decade-long winless streak on the PGA Tour, Watson missed the cut at the AT&T at Pebble, finishing with back-to-back bogeys. He and his friend Sandy Tatum, the former USGA president, left Pebble and went to Cypress Point for a late lunch. It was about 4:30pm when Watson, who had played terribly, looked at Tatum and said, “Hey, we can still get nine holes in!” They hadn’t brought their clubs, so they borrowed some sticks from a Cypress member and played four or five holes in the misty twilight, and they had a blast.  

That’s Tom Watson. After dominating golf for 15 years, he found himself in a crippling slump, and he had just missed yet another cut. But he so loves golf, he had to play an emergency round.

And thus ends my Jimmy Roberts moment for today's blog.

9:01AM

No. 4 takes a chunk out of Watson and Sergio both. Bogey and bogey. Sergio falls to even-par for the event.

9:00AM

Watson 2-putts for bogey on no. 4, dropping a shot and falling to 1 off the lead. A birdie-bogey-par-bogey start for the 5-time British Open winner.

8:58AM

Correction. Watson found the greenside bunker on no. 4, not the rough. He hit his bunker shot to about 15-20 feet from the pin, so he'll need to drop another long putt to avoid bogey.

8:55AM

Sergio -- 1-under for the tournament -- and Ancient Tom both hit weak iron shots that leak into the right rough on the par-3 fourth, short-siding themselves. The pin is cut to the right. Ouch. Depending on their respective lies, bogey may be a good score.

8:50AM

Old Tom -- actually, he's Ancient Tom -- is halfway through a "dream start," says Ian Baker-Finch. If Watson can survive the first six holes at even-par or better, Finchie adds, he'll be well on his way to a special day. So far, so good.

8:48AM

J.B. Holmes taps in on 18. He finishes at 2-under for the week, very much in the mix.

Meanwhile on no. 3, Old Tom lags a long birdie putt -- at least 60 feet -- to a few, stress-free inches. He's even on the day through 3.

8:44AM

Old Tom muscles a big drive on no. 1 that scoots well down the fairway, and he'll need every yard he can muster: The 489-yard third is the longest par-4 on the course.

Squint and watch Watson's swing and you'd think it was 1980. It's the same elegant, efficient, powerful action he's used for decades. What a thing of beauty. As opposed to his putting stroke, which can make you wince at times.

8:40AM

God bless Peter Alliss. His mellifluous tones are gracing TNT's airwaves. So says the British broadcasting legend: "Tiger will shoot a 68 or better today, to put a little fear in the leadboard." Peter, I'll drink to that.

8:35AM

After a short iron to the front of the no. 2 green, Watson 2-putts for bogey, giving back the birdie he made on no. 1. He's now in a three-way tie for the lead with Kuboya and Marino (who shot a 68 today), at 5-under.

8:29AM

Old Tom is being tested early. After missing the fairway on the par-4 second, Watson pulled his drive into the hay left of the fairway and was forced to pitch out back onto the short grass. He'll have to scramble for a par and hope for no worse than bogey.

8:26AM

Watson is poised to take sole possession of the lead as Kuboya is flirting with bogey or double-bogey on no. 9. He lies three off the green on the par-4 9th.

8:23AM

Well, Old Tom, that's one way to avoid fretting and sweating over yip-tastic short putts--just drain 25-footers all day.

And we'll be right back to the 1977 British Open after these commercial messages!

8:20AM

Par? Puhlease! Watson rolls in his birdie putt from the center of the green on no. 1, lifting his putter in celebration as his ball trickles in. He joins Kuboya at the top of the leaderboard, at 6-under. Wow.

8:17AM

Watson's iron approach on no. 1 finds the middle-back portion of the green. A solid start. He'll have two putts for an opening par.

8:14AM

Let's watch for The Big Moment today from Old Tom. There will come a point where he'll be tested, and the demons will come -- whether it's a slick  downhill 4-foot putt for par or bogey, or having to summon his 59-year-old joints and muscles to power his ball out of a thick lie. How he handles The Big Moment will reveal whether or not he'll be in this through the weekend.

8:10AM

Pulling a long iron on No. 1, Old Tom takes a confident, determined lash and his ball finds fairway, center-cut. One swing down... how many to go?

8:07AM

By the way, Tiger fans--Woods tees off in a little over an hour. An ominous number for Tiger: 67. He's never won a British Open shooting higher than an opening-round 67 (he shot 71 yesterday). And at the start of play today, there were 67 names between Tiger and the leader.

8:03AM

Now on the tee... Tom Watson!

8:02AM

David Duval rolls in a birdie putt of 18 feet on no. 1 to get back to even-par for the week. Duval's level of play seems to be in direct proportion to his level of interest in a given event. He almost wins the U.S. Open at Bethpage, then a missed cut at the John Deere, and now back in the hunt at Turnberry.

7:58AM

Just 11 minutes until Watson tees off. Not that I'm excited, or anything.

Meanwhile, on no. 8, leader Kuboya stripes a drive dead-center down the fairway. He does not appear to be intimidated by the hugeness of the moment. Then again, it's only Friday.

7:54AM

Early estimates from the TNT guys about today's cutline: definitely over-par, perhaps as high as plus-3. Take note, Tiger. If Woods' swing is as loose today as yesterday, the World No. 1 could be enjoying the weekend action from the comfort of his Florida mansion.

7:51AM

Harrington, on 13, misses his par putt. He falls to plus-4 for the week. He looks more frustrated with his putter than with his work-in-progress swing.

7:44AM

Golf Magazine Senior Writer Cameron Morfit was up with the rooster this morning filing this report. Take it, Cameron:

"Saw Tom Lehman playing the little par-3 course with his family outside the Turnberry Hotel after his first-round 68 Thursday in the golden fading light of a perfect summer day. Today it's raining. The par-3 course will get no play Friday, unless a player who's missed the cut gets extremely drunk."

7:41AM

Just 1,623 seconds until Tom Watson tees off. But who's counting...?

7:40AM

Goosen drops a 10-footer for birdie on 16. He's now 3-under for the event and 3 off the lead.

7:36AM

Golf.com's Anne Szeker is on the spot with some Kenichi Kuboya trivia. On our current leader, she reports:

"He's a four-time winner on the Japanese Tour, but hasn't won since 2002. He last played the British Open seven years ago at Muirfield. He finished T59th. His last PGA Tour appearance was 2004, the Sony Open. He finished T54. And now he's leading the British Open. Golf is such a fickle game."

7:32AM

Correction: Mr. 59 (as in years) Tom Watson tees off at 8:09am eastern time, 37 minutes away.

7:30AM

The Ponytailed One just tapped in for par on 13. Jimenez is 4-over on his day, and at 2-under for the event.

7:26AM

Talk to me, people! Is Watson a one-day wonder, or can he stay in this thing through the weekend? I'll bet you he did a little rain dance this morning. Tougher conditions today play to his advantage. Sure, he may balloon to a 79, but it won't be because he's thrown off by wind or rain. It will be because of age and nerves and a rusty putter. He knows how to play in sideways rain. And he knows links golf better than anyone on the planet.

How will the less experienced players handle rougher weather?

7:22AM

The wind has more chill and bite today, and scores reflect the conditions. Yesterday's scoring average was 71.19. So far today it's 74.21, more than 3 strokes higher.

7:19AM

Kuboya has dropped a shot. He now leads Watson by just 1, through 5.

7:14AM

The million-pound question of the tournament: Can Watson do it? Can a 59-year-old legend who has battled yips and low confidence win a major? He would be 13 years older than the oldest Open Championship winner ever, Old Tom Morris.

I find it hard to believe. Then again, I could barely believe my eyes as Norman made his run last year as a 53-year-old.

7:09AM

The leaderboard is-a changin'. Japan's talented Kenichi Kuboya -- don't pretend that you didn't have him in your office pool -- is now leading, at 7-under through 4 holes. He leads 59-year-old Tom Watson by 2. Watson tees off at 8:20am, eastern time.

7:06AM

Good morning, Golf.commies. Welcome to Day Two of the British Open. Play is underway at Turnberry, and I'll be with you every step of the way today, covering the live action. Seven-plus hours, I kid you not. (Don't worry, I get paid by the hour.)

Can Old Tom Watson keep playing like the Watson of old? Will the wind and weather affect scores today? Will John Daly keep it together? All will be revealed today. 

Send me your comments, questions and thoughts. Let's get to it!

That’s one way of saying that Turnberry, with the most magnificent scenery of all the Open links courses, is underserved by hotels, restaurants, and roads. But there’s a second explanation for the empty seats. Today’s mild temperatures and mostly sunny skies have lured many fans to the tented village, where they can follow the golf on a giant screen while sipping lagers and licking ice creams.

One suntanned Brit, hustling off to see what’s happening at the 17th green, shouted back to his mates: “Mind my place!” His pals didn’t seem to hear him. They were watching Ernie Els finish his round on the big telly when a young lady snuck up from behind and dragged the empty lawn chair into the shade of a nearby umbrella.

(Photos: John Garrity/SI)

•  Tiger Woods's nasty push into the burn on 16 is one of the worst shots I've seen him hit in a major. Ever. He followed with a great up-and-down to save bogey, and I'm not saying he can't still win, but that skanky short-iron at 16 was a pretty ominous sign. Tiger's untidy 71 is of a piece with his play in the majors so far this year. There has been an uncharacteristic inability to convert opportunities, and we've seen more loose shots than what we're used to. It has always been assumed that Tiger is immune to the human emotions felt by mere mortals but perhaps he is pressing just a bit, eager to win his first major since knee surgery and prove to the world, and himself, that he is whole again. Whatever it is, he needs to play a clean round on Friday or this Open is going to slip away in a hurry.

•  I'm surprised no one shot sixtynothing, especially given the perfect conditions and Turnberry's history of yielding very low scores. At a major you don't often hear guys grumbling about missed opportunities after a 68 or 69 but that was the sound track to the first round.

• What to make of all the golden oldies populating the leader board? Watson, Calc and O'Meara all produced some vintage highlights, proving again that there is golf and there is links golf, and they are not nearly the same thing. The reason there have been so many repeat winners at the British is because the quirky, sometimes maddening linksland is an acquired taste. Many good players never quite get comfortable with the turf and the weather and the crazy shots and blind shots (to say nothing of the bad food, weak water pressure in the showers and the mold smell that defines most hotels here). The trio of old-timers on the leader board have the know-how and patience to finesse their way around the auld sod. Turnberry is also a good venue for the infirm because it's a position course off the tee, unlike, say, the Old Course, where the longest of the long can blow their drives over all the trouble. This week likes of Angel Cabrera and T. Woods and other ball-bashers are laying up short of all the pot bunkers, meaning that on many holes they're playing from roughly the same spot as a short hitter like O'Meara. Can he or Calc or Watson hang on till Sunday afternoon? I doubt it, but it's sure fun to have them around for a while.

•  Round of the day might have been Ryo Ishikawa's 68, accomplished playing in front of his hero Tiger Woods and his nemeses--the hundred or so Japanese reporters that obsessively chronicle his every twitch. For his first spin around a true links course, to say nothing of the holy Open, the kid displayed admirable imagination and tremendous poise. Take that, Rory!

•  David Howell made a lot of noise with a front-nine 31, and I'll be quietly rooting for him over the next three days. The droll Englishman is one of my favorite people in golf, possessing both good humor and an admirable perspective, both of which were born in Swindon, the old railroad town where he grew up. While trying to get his playing career off the ground Howell spent his winters working menial jobs, beginning with  two years of installing rain gutters for the princely wage of 10 pounds a day. "I wasn't much use because I didn't like heights," he once told me. "I'd get to top of the ladder and hold on for dear life." By sheer pluck he played his way onto the Euro tour, and Howell loves to tell the story of his first tournament. "I was as unprofessional as you could possibly imagine," he says. "Baggy shirt, clubs all knackered, wooden driver with a frayed grip…" Standing on the first tee for the first round he overheard the following conversation between grizzled veteran Roger Vessels and his leathery caddie John McLaren.

"What chance has he got?" McLaren asked, eyeing Howell.

"You never know, but it doesn't look good," said Vessels.

•  Best development of the first round was Boo Weekley's surprise appearance on the leader board with a sweet 67. He's been a non-factor since the Ryder Cup but I've always felt the British is Boo's best chance to win a major, because of his head-high ball flight and the fact that the slower, flatter greens deemphasize the importance of putting. The Scottish fans and Euro reporters love Weekley's good ol' boy schtick, and if he happens to take this tournament he'll be one of the most popular winners ever. But I'm going to remain loyal to my pre-tournament pick, Steve Stricker. At least for another day.

In his postround remarks, he spoke of his beer-and-Advil formula for keeping his bad back in check. It aches all the time, and goes into spasms now and again. He spoke of a dream he had Wednesday night in which he was playing golf again with his old buddy Kenny Green, the Champions tour player who recently had his leg amputated. He talked about hitting hybrids for the first time in his life. He talked about preparing for the senior circuit.

He talked about everything except his chances to contend. I think he can. But to do so, he's going to have to back up his 67 with another strong showing in round two, something under 70.

- Follow Calcavecchia's round on our leaderboard

The only way to play pretty golf this week, he didn’t have to add, is by staying out of Turnberry’s thick rough.

Another morning 66 belonged to American Steve Stricker, who was still enjoying the afterglow of his Sunday-past victory at the John Deere Classic. “I feel good about my game,” Stricker said after his 6-birdie performance. “The only uncertainty was the emotional hangover from victory last week. And the jet lag. I kissed my wife and kids goodbye, and I was on the plane and I was here. It was almost like last week didn’t happen.”

Next to pull off Route 66 was five-time PGA Tour winner Stewart Cink, who said that the soft conditions partly -- but only partly -- explained why a 59-year-old was leading the tournament. “The weather is allowing some of the guys who may not be as long anymore to attack the holes. And the golf course is set up where there’s a lot of guys that have a lot of power that are laying back on some holes because of the bunkers on both sides.” Cink added that Watson is “one of the best ballstrikers of all time. He knows the way around here, and I’m not surprised to see him up there.”

The only 66-shooter to get the full press-room treatment -- because he finished before Watson -- was Australia’s John Senden. Naturally, he was asked to weigh in on the Ashes, the historically portentous cricket series between England and Australia, which currently stands even after an overmatched English side salvaged a draw in the first test. “We always hope that the Aussies kick a little butt over here,” Senden admitted. “With the second test starting in Lord’s today, I think I’ll get to watch a little bit on TV.”

Finally, we had a morning 66 from 35-year-old Matthew Goggin, who hails from Tasmania and resides in Scottsdale, Ariz. Goggin finished with birdies at 17 and 18, leaving him somewhat giddy. “You couldn’t get a much better day to play golf than this,” he gushed. “You don’t expect to be standing on the water there, and it looks more like a lake than it does the sea. It’s so calm. Stunning.”

Goggin summed up: “That was the highlight of the week so far. It was such a pretty day.”

He obviously hadn’t heard about Watson’s round.

Michael Walker Jr., senior editor for GOLF Magazine, will be blogging the action at Turnberry for the first round of the British Open Championship. Alan Bastable blogged the early rounds. Join the discussion by leaving a comment below.

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3:30 p.m. Getting ready to close down the Live Blog Headquarters for the day. Golf Magazine's Connell Barrett will be with you all day tomorrow.

The winner of the What NFL Team's Colors Should Ben Curtis Wear at Turnberry" contest is JFB for the answer: "Ben Curtis... in purple and gold because he is no longer out of favre." Yup, we value clever at the Live Blog, even though I had to read it a couple times before I got the joke.

Please keep the comments coming. Be nice to get a final Real Men of Golf list. Thanks to everyone for reading. See you later.

3:22 p.m. Did Reader Vivek catch Tiger and Stevie in a Rules violation? Hole #7..looks to me tiger putting from fringe and Steve attending the pin..Isnt that rule breach? Check out highlight on open championship website..

We looked into this and Tiger is in the clear. Here's Rule 17-1: Before making a stroke form anywhere on the course, the player may have the flagstick attended, removed or held up to indicate the position of the hole.

3:16 p.m. Reader Da Observer writes: By da Observer's count you have used the phrase "British Open" 3 times. 2 more and you catch Ian Pouter. You'll have some splaining to do.

Da Observer, I'm so glad you brought this up. I am a huge fan of the tournament known internationally as the Open Championship. In the U.S., we refer to this event as the "British Open," to avoid confusion with the U.S. Open, which is often referred to as "the Open" in the States. It's the same reason we say "soccer" instead of "football." We don't mean to offend you.

BTW, I was really surprised to hear Ian Poulter call it the "British Open."

3:11 p.m. Not much to watch live right now, but that's what happens when the first guys go off at about 2 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

3:10 p.m. It's a man's world for Boo Weekley, according to reader John.

I'd put Boo Weekley in the man's man category. He might not be everyone's type of man, but I don't see him getting manicures and pedicures. Someone I wouldn't put in that category is Davis Love III. Has always struck me as a pretty boy.

I like Boo and let's put Stewart Cink on the list too. Sorry, DL3, that's the price of your fancy clothing deal. We probably won't see any Adam Scott or Luke Donald nominations either.

3:05 p.m. Turnberry fans, you've let down Friend of the Blog Dick Friedman.

Garrity’s note about the patrons at Turnberry sitting in front of TV screens, eating and drinking instead of dedicatedly marching around the golf course is the most depressing thing I've read all day.

Having recently been to the new Yankee Stadium, this confirms to me that the entire sports world is turning into a giant food court.

3:02 p.m. TNT just showed some morning highlights of Graeme McDowell, 2-over today. McDowell made some insightful comments on Rory McIrloy last week. Rory evidently is a pretty good money player.

[Rory] normally turns me over in practice rounds.He's one of the best Tuesday players that I ever played with. He's pretty good on the weekends, as well. Yeah, myself and Rory went over a few weeks ago and he put a pretty good display on and took the money. Enough said.

2:55 p.m. Sports Illustrated's Alan Shipnuck didn't have any of the Tiger Kool-Aid they serve in the press tent. (By contrast, I imbibe freely.)

Tiger Woods's nasty push into the burn on 16 is one of the worst shots I've seen him hit in a major. Ever. He followed with a great up-and-down to save bogey, and I'm not saying he can't still win, but that skanky short-iron at 16 was a pretty ominous sign. Tiger's untidy 71 is of a piece with his play in the majors so far this year. There has been an uncharacteristic inability to convert opportunities, and we've seen more loose shots than what we're used to.

2:52 p.m. I was wondering why the grandstands at Turnberry look so empty. Sports Illustrated legend John Garrity has the answer. Ticket sales are down sharply, due to the economy and the remote location. But also everyone's at the tented village enjoying the great weather and drinking lagers. What's it like? Imagine a giant outdoor pub with tasty beer, good stories and live golf on TV. No wonder no one goes out on the course.

2:46 p.m. Is there anything harder to watch than Tiger Woods playing poorly? It's like watching dental surgery. One cringe after another.

2:43 p.m. Reader Josh writes: The comment about Watson being a man's man? I think Jiminez belongs in that group too.

Sure thing. I'd put Furyk, Harrington, Woods, Weir, Cabrera and Clarke in that group too. Who are we leaving out?

2:40 p.m. Reader Tom is already writing off Woods at Turnberry, but he's looking at the bright side: Looks like 2007 for Tiger a year-end PGA Championship victory at Hazeletine ... then a monster 2010.

Bogey on 18 for Daly, 2-under for the day. Pretty good. Prettty pretty good.

2:38 p.m. Sleeper pick Zach Johnson is even par for the day. I saw him a couple weeks ago and he was fired up for Turnberry. "It's my favorite tournament inside the ropes. Outside the ropes is another story," Zach said. He meant the food. This is my favorite tournament too, but what they say about the food is largely true. I heard a British announcer on TV last night brag that you can get Chinese food and fish and chips at the same restaurant here. Like it was a good thing.

2:33 p.m. 30-footer left for par for 3-under JD.

2:30 p.m. Daly in the greenside rough on 18. Will have a tough par save. Daly's girlfriend is wearing a matching green harlequin-print skirt. Looks much better on her.

2:25 p.m. Harrington's in the interview room holding the Claret Jug like it's his, because it is.

2:22 p.m. Harrington finishes 1-under. Ogilvy ends up 5-over. Don't expect to see him on the driving range afterward. We worked on an Golf Magazine instruction story together and Ogilvy told me, "I don't get guys who go to the driving range after a bad round, if you're playing badly, why keep hitting bad shots?"

2:18 p.m. Nice effort on the eagle putt for Long John. He'll tap in for birdie, now 3-under.

2:17 p.m. Furyk finishes 3-under. His kind of grimaces afterward. We'll count it as a half-smile.

2:16 p.m. John Daly (2-under) is going to be looking at eagle on 17. Le Cork likes the look: Daly looks like a lime dressed as Austin Powers looking for the world's largest and grooviest gin and tonic. In other words, he might hang around.

2:13 p.m. The other marquee afternoon group--Harrington (-1under), Furyk (3-under) and Ogilvy (4-over)--have played their approaches into 18. People are questioning Harrington's swing changes, but the three-time major winner is thinking like Tiger now. He sure sounds like him:

Over the next ten years I'll be very competitive and win plenty more tournaments. But definitely -- I definitely sacrificed -- I've done it many times. We all do it, players. You sacrifice in the short-term so that you get better for the long-term.

2:08 p.m. Just checked @stewartcink on Twitter. Here are some of his thoughts on the tournament so far.

Stimp at T'berry around 10.5

Best weather I've ever seen in twelve Brit Opens. And best course too.

Lack of wind left course relatively defenseless. If wind blows there are plenty of defenses. Deep bunkers/rough.

2:05 p.m. Daly (2-under) hits hybrid off the tee at 17. Course management from Long John, the original grip-it-and-rip-it man. Watch out! Though Top 100 Teacher Brady Riggs' comments on Ian Poulter are ringing in my head: "You can't win a major wearing pants like that."

2:00 p.m. Friend of the Blog Le Cork writes: Curtis should wear eschew NFL colors and wear either Boston Celtics gear or the soccer club Celtic from Glasgow. Because if you know your local history, as you undoubtedly do Great Blogger, you know it's the Irish who named Ailsa Craig and all the towns around Turnberry, which isn't the name of a town at all. Give the dozen balls to Tiger. He looks like he may need them.

Ouch! Tiger, it wasn't me. Please don't stop taking my calls.

1:57 p.m. In his post-round interview, Jiminez lights a cigar and holds the Claret Jug like he's trying to seduce it. I think I have a new favorite player. Players react differently to seeing that trophy. Mike Weir (3-under) wouldn't touch it earlier. Cink looked star-struck.

1:53 p.m. Ogilvy, possibly the world's greatest bunker player, escapes the pot bunker left of the 17th green and has a shot a birdie after the TNT guys doubt he can even get it out. Ogilvy is 4-over, but he will keep grinding. He's like Tiger, relentless.

1:52 p.m. TNT had a great post-round interview with Stewart Cink (4-under) this morning. Stewart was sitting three feet from the Claret Jug during the interview and he was ogling it like it was Megan Fox.

1:48 p.m. Tom Watson said he didn't think 65 would stand. Tom Watson was right. Miguel Angel Jiminez just birdied 18 for a 6-under 64.

1:45 p.m. Great tee shot by Harrington (even) on 17. The Little Pro Eddie Merrins says a guy who's struggling like Harrington can get his mojo back for a big tournament. If he does, you'll see it in his eyes.

A player like that can find his sense of confidence pretty quickly. He really found himself last year. Remember how big his eyes were? Everything was falling into place.

1:40 p.m. Nice bunker escape by Paul Casey after leaving his first shot in the bunker. The World No. 3 (no offense to Casey, but how is that possible?) is 2-under through 16.

1:35 p.m. Harrington and Furyk make this game look like work. They've got the faces of coal miners out there. What's the over/under on smiles from these guys this week? Three?

1:30 p.m. Reader TNTedium writes: Please, with the TNT promos. Has anyone ever been more miscast as "tough cop" than Dylan Mcdermott? That little pretty boy would melt with one stare from "The Closer." Dylan McDermott, undercover cop. TNT - Very funny.

BTW, Why didn't TNT give Charles Barkley a plane ticket to Scotland and a microphone? Would any sports fan not watch that?

1:27 p.m. Miguel-Angel Jiminez is tied for the lead after birdies on 16 and 17.

1:26 p.m. Sports Illustrated's Dick Friedman, a longtime Friend of the Blog, is looking for The Low Saltman. No, that's not the title of John Irving's next novel. Elliott and Lloyd Saltman are Scottish brothers playing as amateurs this week. Looks like Elliott's got the edge, he's 1-over through eight. Lloyd shot 75.

1:22 p.m. One of the afternoon's marquee groups--Goosen, AK and Rory--just finished 18. Goosen is 3-under, McIrloy 1-under and AK is 4-over after a gritty birdie putt. Now Goosen is going to take them out for ice cream and soda pops.

1:16 p.m. Swede Fredrik Jacobson is 4-under after a birdie 2 on 11. If I can't even spell Soren Hanson correctly most times, I'm going to be in real trouble with Fredrik Jacobson.

1:14 p.m. John Daly is three-under through 13. Hmmmmmm.

1:12 p.m. Colin Montgomerie finishes with a 1-over 71. Next year's Ryder Cup captain Monty has been in a spat with Sandy Lyle this week. The source of the conflict appears to be Lyle getting passed over as captain. Remember all the Monty-Faldo grumbling last year? Something about the Ryder Cup captaincy turns these accomplished, wealthy, middle-aged Europeans into Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton.

1:07 p.m. I like reader Brian's choice of NFL gear for Curtis: Curtis should wear the Lions' uniform: like a golf ball at Turnberry, they usually get blown away, frequently are lost in the weeds trying to advance down the field, and get into deep holes they can't get out of.

We may have a leader in the clubhouse for those Pro V1s.

1:05 p.m. Tough day out here for AK (5-over) with bogey on 17. Goosen, now 3-under, after his amazing sand save. "He stole a shot from the field," Ian Baker-Finch (I think) says.

1:03 p.m. Goosen (2-under) just made a ridiculous shot from against the side edge of a pot bunker on 17. Even in slow motion I don't know how he did it. Rory will stay 1-under after missing a decent run at birdie.

12:58 p.m. Hansen double-bogeys 16 and he's now 3-under, two off the lead. My non-Tiger darkhorse pick for the Open, Rory McIlroy (1-under through 16), misses the green and will be hitting from the high rough over a bunker. Eddie Merrins thinks a young guy like McIlroy or Ishikawaka has a chance here: These boys think they're ready, now they have to prove it. Impossible? I don't think so at all.

12:55 p.m.: Maybe the endless commercials part of a secret Scottish tourism campaign: "Come to Scotland for the Open Championship, because you can't see it on American TV."

12:52 p.m. Reader John writes: Wow, where is the golf? More golf please and much much less talking heads and commercials please.

John, you mean you didn't enjoy IMG at the Turn? Or Ernie Johnson interviewing a Scottish racecar driver? You wanted to see more golf? Weird.

12:48 p.m. There's a reason that you see so many players come up short on their approaches at Turnberry, according to legendary golf teacher Eddie Merrins. 

Everybody talks about American golf being target golf, but it's also background golf. On every hole you have a background of trees and buildings and you can see the depth relatively easy. Think of our championship courses like Winged Foot and Merion. But links golf is very flat so you have no sense of distance. The smokestacks of a distant factory can look very close. The yardages are chartered, but often your eyes disagree.

12:45 p.m. Ernie Els finishes with a 1-under 69. The game could really use a resurgent Ernie Els. He's got a rock star quality on the course and the fans really respond to him. But I don't know if it's ever going to happen.

12:43 p.m. AK makes a double on 16 and he's back to 4-over.

12:38 p.m. Reader Unbelievaboh has an answer to what NFL colors Ben Curtis would wear in Turnberry: patriots. can i have my pro v-1s now?

C'mon, Unbelievaboh, you have to tell us why. That's the contest.

12:36 p.m. The camera really does add 10 pounds. In person, Padraig Harrington's improbably thin. The big afternoon group of Harrington (1-under), Furyk (1-under) and Ogilvy (1-over) are playing like the grinders they are though 11.

12:32 p.m. If co-leader Ben Curtis still had his clothing deal with the NFL, which team's colors would he wear at Turnberry? A sleeve of Golf Mag-logo Pro V1s to the best guess.

12:30 p.m. Wish I could have seen the photographers around Tiger and Ryo Ishikawa this morning. I was on the practice green at the Accenture in Tuscon where they had their first meeting and the Japanese photographers turned the green into a rugby scrum. Security guys accustomed to Tiger's crowd were caught off guard. Ryo's 2-under 68 in that environment is pretty impressive. Maybe the camera got to Tiger? Nah.

12:25 p.m. Soren Hanson is 5-under through 13, co-leader. It's that Hanson, he's so hot right now. The 5-under number won't last.

12:20 p.m. Reader Dani writes: Please Mr. Walker, if you are going to post the leaderboard and write -5 & -4, post every names, you forgot my friend Jimenez

Sorry, Dani, I just cut and pasted the top names on the board. Miguel-Angel Jiminez and Paul Casey are both 4-under as well. No matter what happens Jiminez will safely maintain the "coolest guy on the course" title. He looks like he could be the leader of a biker gang.

Ben Curtis finishes with 65 to tie Tom Watson in the lead.

12:15 p.m. Not many people in the grandstands. Kind of looks like a Pirates night game. They'll be full this weekend though.

12:13 p.m. Reader EHB likes Boo Weekley, who shot 67 today: Boo has had a bad shoulder for a while - he's just getting back into playing form.

We're big Boo fans at the blog, and despite his country-bumpkin persona, he certainly plays a lot internationally and he's no stranger to links golf. We also like how Boo struggled to make it to the Tour. 

"I played mini-tours for five years, so I lived in the back of my truck, slept in the front of my truck," Boo said at the Scottish Open last week. In fact, we found a photo of Boo from those days.

12:07 p.m. Whoops. Ben Curtis has just birdied 16 and 17 and is tied for the lead at 5-under.

12:06 p.m. Leaderboard check:

I know my colleague Alan Bastable said we don't have a "Who the heck is that guy" on the leaderboard, but John Senden is pretty close.

12:04 p.m. Good approach by Anthony Kim on 14. If AK can get back to par after his 9 on the second hole, well, that would impressive. Love his group with Rory McIrloy (even) and Reteif Goosen (2-under). Goose looks like a chaperone.

12:00 p.m. Jim Furyk, looking as intense as ever, is 2-under through 9. Could be a good week for Jim, who took his loss at the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont hard.

11:57 a.m. If you're stuck at the office, the TV feed here is great. http://www.pga.com/openchampionship/2009/multimedia/video/live/default/player.html

BTW, I take back everything bad I said about the non-HD-broadcasting BBC. As excited as I am about Timothy Hutton's next project on TNT, I would like to see more golf, fewer commercials.

11:53 a.m. Padraig Harrington is 1-under through 9 and hits a nice hybrid off the tee. While everyone has been criticizing Harrington's swing changes -- "if it ain't broke.." -- one of his coaches,Golf Mag Top 100 teacher Dave Phillips, says that the real problem is that Padraig neglected his short game, the key to his major wins. Phillips says Padraig has been putting in extra hours on his short game in recent weeks to get ready for Turnberry.

11:48 a.m. Reader Brad is not feeling sentimental about John Daly, 2-under through 7: Why would anyone be "torn" between Watson and Daly? Watson is 59, one of the game's great champions, and a link to the era of Nicklaus, et al. I know you love the guy, but Daly is someone who almost completely squandered his talent through inability to control his appetites.

BTW, Luke Donald is wearing Polo. John Daly is wearing Bozo.

11:44 a.m. Sorry about the break in the action. I could join the American Olympic 4x100 relay teams with the way I pass the baton.

Thanks to Alan "Dawn Patrol" Bastable. I'll be here until the guys finish up. What a morning!  I have three main questions:

1. Can 59-year-old Tom Watson string together an improbable run at the scene of his greatest triumph after a 65 today? He had planned on being an ABC commentator this weekend.

2. Will Tiger Woods recover and get back in contention from what's becoming his usual middling opening round at a major?

3. The Royal and Ancient what? I don't get it.

Please keep the comments coming. We love you guys at the Live Blog.

______________________________________

11:33 a.m.  That's it for me. Thanks for reading. I leave you in the inimitable hands of Michael Walker Jr. Enjoy the action...

11:30 a.m.  Ogilvy made a mess of the par-4 8th after losing his tee shot. A double-bogey there drops him to 2-over. His group moves on to the 9th, the only hole on the course without a bunker. Dang, that tee shot's pretty. With a curling coastline down the left, looks a little like the 18th at Pebble. 

11:26 a.m.  Correction: Daly's putt at 7 was for eagle. And he drained it. He's 2-under.

11:24 a.m.  A lot has been made of the BBC's failure to broadcast the event in high-def. But I have to say this place looks extraordinary in reg-def. The craggy coastline, the brown fescue, Ailsa Craig resplendent in the distance. We're not at the John Deere Classic anymore.

11:18 a.m.  Daly sighting! And for good reason. The big man almost jarred his approach at the par-5 7th. His tap-in from there will get him to 1-under. Who would you rather see win this week: JD or Watson? I'm torn.

11:14 a.m.  Notably absent among the Open leaders: some dude you've never heard of. It's almost an Open rite to have a no-namer atop the board, but among the leaders in the house each is a reputable player. Curtis Strange just suggested that Poulter is "trying too hard to stand out."

11:08 a.m.  His fellow players have been needling Sir Nick Faldo about his new title. You can't blame them—he has it stitched onto his golf bag.  

11:06 a.m.  A reader asks about the Open cut rule. It's top 70 plus ties. For the record, there are currently 70 players at even-par or better.

11:01 a.m.  Dick Friedman of SI fame cracks the wit ... "As a contemporary of Tom Watson’s, I find it ironic that he’s in the lead while Anthony Kim, age 24, is the one with the stiff neck."

10:59 a.m.  Back to the action ... and, more specifically, Paul Casey. Mighty Casey is off to a blazing start with birdies at 1, 3 and 5, and an eagle 3 at the 7th. He would surprise no one if he triumphed this week.

10:56 a.m.  From the file of "Things I Never Thought I'd Feel," my heart goes out to Monty this week. He wasn't looking for trouble at Turnberry, but he found it when the British tabs ran quotes (that they had been sitting on so they could unleash during Open week) from Sandy Lyle about Monty's dodgy drop in Jakarta years ago. It was old news, and the papers made it new news. Give Monty credit, though. He's one-under through 9, and seems to be handling the stink with aplomb.     

10:48 a.m.  Harrington, electing to hit driver, found a pot bunker with his tee shot at the par-5 7th. Still, he's off to a nice start with a birdie and five pars. If he can get around in 69 or 70, it'll do wonders for his confidence. He was a winner last week in Ireland, but he needs to get into contention at a major so he -- and everybody else -- can stop worrying about his swing.   

10:41 a.m.  Reader PJ likes Els' chances: "He's been off the map for a while, but he's a top ballstriker at a ballstriker's course, in a championship he's comfortable with. I doubt this will be an afterthought this week."

I don't know, PJ. Ernie could be an afterthought by dusk. He's been an enigma in recent years, with scores and finishes all over the map. I'd love to see him stick around, but despite his tireless efforts to regain his world-beating form, he's looked more lost than found as of late.

10:36 a.m.  It's stunning how little of the actual tournament TNT is showing. I've seen more shots of Terry (Gannon) than I have of Paddy (Harrington). Is the preponderance of booth shots really necessary? Show me some golf already! A quick look at the scoreboard reveals a brigade of potential winners at 2-under: Els, Weir, Ogilvy, McIlroy, Zach Johnson, Paul Casey. Quite a group.

10:30 a.m.  Le Cork weighs in, with authority: "Without weather, Ailsa is the easiest course they play the Open at except for the Old Course—especially for current-day players. So unless the wind is strong every day from here on out, they'll go low. Trust Le Cork on that one." 

10:25 a.m.  If you haven't had the pleasure, here's a look at Poulter's threads (courtesy of his Twitter page). It's never a good thing when your slacks match the rug.

10:19 a.m.  Love Andres Romero, who's at 3-under through 8. Dude just has a way of showing up at the majors, and so far today this major is no exception. He bogeyed the second but then reeled off birdies on 3, 5, 7 and 8. I put him in the same mold as a Calc or a Hunter Mahan. When he starts making birdies, they come in bunches. 

10:15 a.m.  Tiger's turn with the press. He said the case of "the rights" he had on the course had also plagued him on the range before his round. Calling Hank Haney...

10:12 a.m.  Watson addressed the media. "I feel inspired here," he said. "I feel like I'm playing well enough to win the golf tournament [even if] I don't have the confidence in my putting that I did 32 years ago. Still, a few putts might go in." They did today, and if Watson keep giving himself good looks, he should hang around. After all, he knows this track better than its greenskeeper.

10:06 a.m.  Reader Tom Hacker is already thinking about the winning score. He likes 11-under. Much, of course, will depend on the conditions, but I don't see the boys going that low. The forecast looks good for the rest of today, but there's talk of wind and drizzle tomorrow. Predicting the weather beyond that is a futile task. I'll say the champ shoots 8-under.

10:01 a.m.  Boo Weekley made par at 18 to shoot 67. Since his star turn at the 2008 Ryder Cup, Boo seems to have faded into obloovion. Love to see him around late on Sunday — not so much for his play, but for his press conferences. 

9:58 a.m.  Most cliched camera shot at a British Open: old guy in tam o'shanter snoozing in the fescue. TNT just obliged us.

9:54 a.m.  Rory McIlroy, the bookies' favorite behind Woods to win this week, is off to a solid start. He's one-under through five holes, with a birdie at the second. By the way, Kim reportedly has complained of a pain in the neck. And he wasn't talking about the second hole. Seems he tweaked something.

9:49 a.m.  Thoughtful take on Tiger from reader Dan: "Is it me or does tiger not really seem the same after his return from the surgery. It seems his first round woes are starting to haunt him more and more often. Looks like he has dug himself into another hole that he doesn't seem to be able to climb out of. On a day when the course is giving up a lot of good numbers, when you are the best golfer in the world you should be able to shoot under par with the likes of Anthony Wall's and Graeme McDowell's of the tournament. A lot of very good golfers positioned themselves nicely today. i have a feeling Tiger's first round will come back to bite him on Sunday."

Dan, I'm not ready to say Tiger can't dig himself out of this hole. He's just 6 back. But you're right. He's not the same Tiger. He still wins, but the titles don't come with the relative ease that they did years ago. He's more of a grinder, a scrapper. In some ways that makes him tougher to beat than ever, but the days of his 5-, 7- or 10-shot wins seem, at least for now, to be a thing of the past.

9:45 a.m.  Kim birdied the par-4 fifth and hasn't missed a green since his train wreck on No. 2. Nice recovery, but he'll a handful more birds to claw back to par. 

9:41 a.m.  Scotsman Jackie Stewart, the legendary Forumla 1 driver (and an avid golfer), joins the TNT boys in the booth. "I've never been to Turnberry on a day like today, where there's no wind," he says. He bemoans the fact that the golfers aren't facing "real" British Open conditions. I'll second that.

9:36 a.m.  If there was any doubt that Tom Watson is a man's man, Golf.com's Charlie Hanger ends the debate with this wonderful memory ... "When I was about 14 or 15 I caddied for Tom Watson at an annual charity tournament in Kansas City, my hometown and his. On the first hole, a par 5, I was nervous as I could be. Before his third-shot approach, he asked me to dig into that old Ram staff bag and pull out his can of chew. Couldn’t believe the Kansas City Country Club man wanted a dip, but he did. He subtly got the chew in place, asked me for a yardage and stuck it about three feet from the pin. He handed me back his club and said, 'Nice yardage.' Proudest moment of my golfing life."

9:32 a.m.  BDawg asks about Anthony Kim, who is already 5-over through four holes. Kim had his troubles at the par-4 second where he found a pot bunker with his third shot and needed two hacks to get out. A few swipes later, he had a 9. It's a safe bet a player has never won a major with a quintuple on his card.

9:28 a.m.  Allis addresses Harrington's incessant swing adjustments, and I sense most golfs would agree with him. "I don't understand the tinkering," Allis said. "You can hone it, but if you can play, you don't tinker."

9:24 a.m.  A dash of local color from Golf Mag's Cameron Morfit, who is on site at Turnberry: "Bubba Watson prepared for his first British start by playing the 12-hole (11-hole now, thanks to a barricade in the way) pitch-and-putt course outside the Turnberry Hotel, with his wife Angie Ball, the former WNBA-er turned single-digit handicap; Ted Scott, Bubba's caddie; and someone I didn't recognize. They seemed to be having a ball in the fading light of a beautiful day Wednesday. He's got his work cut out for him to catch another Watson. Ian Poulter was hanging out at the end of the bar, a cap pulled over his head, at the pub in nearby Gervin on Wednesday night -- drinking water."

I don't know, Cam. With that outfit decision, Poults may have been sipping something stronger.

9:20 a.m.  And Harrington is off. Iron off the tee at the first. Finds the fairway. He's playing with Jim Furyk and Geoff Ogilvy. Not to hard to imagine the 09 Open champ coming from this group.

9:16 a.m.  Cink misses a lengthy par try at 18 and falls back to 4-under. Watson remains the sole leader.

9:13 a.m.  Now I get why Angel Cabrera uses an interpreter. Jim Huber just attempted to interview Ryo Ishikawa, who gamely tried to answer in English. Aaaaaaawkward. Huber wound up answering most of Ishikawa's questions for him. Seriously, though—props to Ryo for trying. 

9:10 a.m.  David Duval shot 71 today. He has to be one of the most intriguing stories in golf today, but at what point can we say he's officially back? With everybody waiting for him to collpase at Bethpage, he refused, eventually tying for second. He has good British Open memories (winner, 2001). Look for him to hang tough again this week.

9:02 a.m.  Speaking of the 17th, Cink birdied it to get to 5-under. He's tied at the top with Watson.

8:59 a.m.  CapsFan 80 wonders,"Why did Tiger hit driver at all today?" It's a good question. Woods did say earlier in the week that he would use the big stick sparingly. His plan was to dissect Turnberry with his irons, as he did Hoylake in 2006. I'm not sure how many times he let the big dog bark today, but he certainly hit it on 17. Will try to dig up that stat.

8:56 a.m.  Ian Poulter's outfit must have come from the gift shop at Glasgow Airport. He's in a sweater vest emblazoned with the Union Jack and red tartan pants. At what point does stylish become hideous?

8:53 a.m.  I owe you a 50 spot. Woods hits his putt left and it stays left. That's a 71 for Tiger. Ryo and Lee post matching 68s. Good playing.

8:50 a.m.  You won't catch Peter Allis tweeting this week. "We've only just got gas in our house," he deadpans, "so I'm not ready for the Twitter."

8:46 a.m.  Tiger sticks one close -- let's call it 8 feet -- at 18. Fifty bucks says he makes it.

8:44 a.m.  Another Nike guy, Stewart Cink, is worth watching. (Not that you have much of a choice—in his bumble-bee yellow shirt, you could spot him from across the Firth of Clyde.) Cink's at 4-under through 15, and seems to be striping the ball with authority. By his own admission, Cink can be mentally weak, and he's still scarred by his meltdown at the 2001 U.S. Open. Still, he's a better player than he was then. Love to see him in the mix come Sunday.

8:39 a.m.  Woods's opening scores in his three Open wins:

2000—67

2005—66

2006—67

He saved his par with a two-putt from 40 feet at 17, and if he can par the home hole, he'll finish with a 71. Yes, the man's got his work cut out for him.

8:34 a.m.  There must be 150 photographers following Woods, Westwood and the third member of their group, Japanese phenom Ryo Ishikawa, who's like a Jonas brother in Japan. Ishikawa, by the way, is at 1-under. That's classy and commendable play with a media circus in tow.    

8:30 a.m.  Peter Allis joins the telecast. "Tiger's going to have played absolute rubbish by his standards and still be in the hunt," Allis says. "But that is what he does."

8:25 a.m.  Woods is all out of sorts. He blew his tee shot right at the par-5 17th then hit one of the worst fairway woods I've seen from him -- a weak pop-up, high and right. Tiger will be at one of two places after this round: the range ... or the pub.

8:21 a.m.  There are a couple of interesting names in the clubhouse with 66s, one back of Watson—Steve Stricker and Camilo Villegas. Stricker is red hot, coming off a win last week at the John Deere, but but for all his fine play, in particular over the past few years, he's never won a major. Villegas hasn't won a major either, but golf fans know that day is coming. He doesn't have much experience on links courses, but that wasn't evident today. Curious to see how he holds up.

8:15 a.m.  Reader Norm declares: "Tiger will not win the Open this year." If he continues to fight his swing like he is today, Norm, you're absolutely right. Thing is, Woods's game can be as fickle as the Scottish weather. He can look flat and frustrated one day and indomitable the next. Generally, if Woods can play two rounds at the top of his game (especially if one of those comes on Sunday), that's good enough to win.

8:10 a.m.  Lee Westwood, playing in Tiger's group, also found the burn, then employed a bit of craftiness. Instead of dropping next to the hazard, he took his drop 50 yards back on the tee at 17. Clean lie, clean look the hole, and he sticks it to 12 feet. That's called making the Rules work for you. Woods, too, dropped on the 17th tee, though much closer to the 16th green. He stuffed his shot to 6 feet. Nice.

8:04 a.m.  D'oh! Woods blocks it right (again), and dunks his approach at 16 into the greenside burn.

8:00 a.m.  Woods continues his up-and-down round with a bogey at the par-3 15th. He then rebounded with a piped drive at the par-4 16th. He's at even. He's looked shaky, but if he can find a birdie or two coming in, he can't be unhappy.

7:55 a.m.  TNT's Jim Huber sat down with Watson, who looked incredibly relaxed and composed. A big reason's he's in this thing, Watson said, is because the firm turf gives him a chance to knock it out there with the young'uns. "On links golf courses," he said. "I can get it out there and get it rolling."

"Can you win," Huber asked.

"Who knows?" Watson said.

Huber: A sixth jug would be sweet.

"Yes, I could use one of those," Watson said. "And I'm not being greedy either."

7:49 a.m.  These conditions are too darn docile. Clear-ish skies, no wind, not a spit of rain. Hogwash! Give me gale-force gusts, black skies and sideways rain. That, to me, is what the Open is about.

7:44 a.m.  OK, trick question. Each statement was uttered by Paddy Harrington earlier this week. Harrington, the two-time defending champion, won last week in Ireland, but his game had been MIA otherwise, and plenty of interested observers will keeping a close eye on him this week. He goes off at 9:20 a.m. EST, and I look forward to seeing how he handles his first few holes. 

7:40 a.m.  Pop quiz time. Match the swing flaw to the player who said it:

A. "I've been working on my impact position and through concentrating on that my backswing got a little bit out.”

B. "I have a tendency to break my wrist late in my backswing. Earlier in my backswing I tend to lift the club with my arms and when I lift the club with my arms I get stuck in the backswing. I have nowhere to go.”

C. "It seems if I break my wrist a little earlier in my backswing obviously the club is then going up and I have no need to lift it as much with my arms.”

D. "I tend to keep the club on one plane rather than lifting the club off plane. That seems to be a reasonable breakthrough for me because this is something I've done eight years on and off.”

7:37 a.m.  Watson rolls home his par putt at 18—that's a 5-under 65. And it feels like it's 1975. Even a mediocre round tomorrow for Watson would keep him solid position for the weekend. Norman contending at Birkdale? Nice story. Watson contending at Turnberry? Chin-dropping stuff. Keep it up, old chap.

7:33 a.m.  Tiger tries a stinger off the tee at 14, but blocks it into the fescue right. "That's been his miss today," says TNT's Ian Baker-Finch. Watson made an aggressive run at birdie at 18 and rolled it 6 feet past. 

7:30 a.m.  Watson gets a rousing reception as he strolls down 18. He's an adopted son around these parts. If Watson can hold his position, at 59, he will be the oldest first-round leader in the history of major championship golf. What a story.

7:27 a.m.  Tiger made his par.

7:26 a.m.  Tiger blew his approach through the green at 13, but recovered with a delightful chip to five feet. He should save par there. Watson, ahead at 18, hacks his approach out of the rough to 25 or so feet. Two putts from there will leave him at 5-under.

7:21 a.m.  Greg Norman has been unable to summon the magic that carried him through four thrilling rounds at Birkdale last year. Despite a birdie-birdie finish, the Shark carded an unsightly 77. Give him credit, though—he was all smiles on the 18th green.

7:17 a.m.  Bam! Watson, in a dashing gray argyle sweater, drains his birdie. He's your outright leader. Have to believe the early starters have an advantage today. Word on the course is that the wind is picking up and clouds are rolling in.

7:14 a.m.  Cink and David Howell, the Brit, have joined the leaders at 4-under. Watson knocked a chip at the par-5 17th to 6 feet. He'll have a good look at birdie to get to 5-under. 

7:11 a.m.  Tiger Woods, with three birdies and a pair of bogeys, is one-under through 11, and hasn’t looked particularly pleased with himself. He three-putted the par-4 10th and flung a club after a loose approach at the 9th. Perhaps his birdie 2 at the 11th will get him back on track. He's historically a slow starter at the majors, so don't make too much of his inconsistent play.  

7:08 a.m.  Two other old farts and former Open champions, Mark Calcavecchia and Mark O’Meara, put together sensational rounds of their own. Each shot 3-under 67, and Calc described Turnberry as “a hard course playing easy today.” Other notables among the leaders: Vijay Singh—3-under through 14, and Stewart Cink—3-under through 9.

7:03 a.m.  The early story: Tom Watson. The 59-year-old, through 16 holes, is your co-leader at 4-under (with the Aussie John Senden, who'd finished, and the Brit David Howell, through 9). Watson has birdied four par 4s: Nos. 1, 3, 10 and 12, and not made a single bogey. Unreal. Not sure who I’m more impressed with: Watson or own Michael Bamberger who sensed Old Tom had this in him. “I know this will sound crazy, and maybe I've been listening too much to my friend Neil Oxman, Watson's caddie,” Bamberger wrote yesterday, “but I think Watson can shoot good scores at Turnberry.” Make that great scores.

7:00 a.m. Good morning, and welcome to the Golf.com Open Championship Live Blog, where if there’s nae wind and nae rain, there’s nae bloggin’. I will be shepherding you through this morning’s first-round coverage, reveling in the seaside splendor that is the Ailsa course at Turnberry. As always, your comments are the lifeblood of our blog, so keep them coming hard and fast. Can Tiger be beat? Can Paddy Harrington, fresh off his win at the Irish PGA, become the first player to win three straight Claret Jugs since 1860? And will Monty stick a banana up Sandy Lyle’s tailpipe? Grab your coffee and your haggis, egg and cheese, and let’s get down to business.

Take a look back at the past 12 months since Norman's improbable run at Birkdale in last year's British Open, where he nearly became the oldest major winner ever at age 53. Sure, the economy was not great at the time, but it hadn't gone into free fall yet. Norman treated his appearance at Birkdale as a lark. It was his honeymoon, he laughed, as his recent bride Chris Evert followed his every shot, and he was just using it as practice session for the Senior British Open the following week.

We all knew that Norman was into business now, not golf. Of all the ex-jocks who moved into the corporate suite, Norman was the most successful. He owned golf-club manufacturers, wineries, restaurant chains, housing developments, courses and even developed new strains of grass. Norman found a whole new arena for his competitiveness in business and he wasn't going to be a has-been grasping for lesser glory on the senior tour.

That was last year. Now, Norman appears to be playing everywhere. He was at the Masters, he'll be at the Open this week, he's playing a Champions Tour event in Oregon next month, and he recently committed to playing in the next three Australian Opens. Did he rediscover his love for the game? Doubtful. More likely, in the current business climate, he can't make any deals, so he's decided to pursue the one thing he still can do to make money: play golf.

Norman revealed as much in an interview this week with The Daily Mail's Derek Lawrenson, saying that laying off workers was much more painful than losing a golf tournament. Norman doesn't see much hope on the horizon either.

"[The American economy is] dead and it's a long time before it's coming back," Norman told the Daily Mail. "Run what's considered a small to medium business like mine, in the $200 million to $500 million turnover range and there's no incentives to grow. It's going to take a long time for business to recover and the rest of the world is going to recover quicker than America."

Let's hope he's wrong, but we'll know things have turned around when Norman is off the golf course and back in the boardroom. That's the sign to call your broker, and say, "Buy!"

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“Other people want to be politically correct and say what a wonderful job she did,” Trump said in an exclusive interview Tuesday evening. “She did a horrible job. It’s a really sad thing what her regime did for this great group of unbelievably talented ladies.”

Trump is more than a distant observer. From 2001 to 2008, the LPGA conducted its season-ending ADT Championship at Trump International in West Palm Beach, Fla. The tournament died this year when ADT and the LPGA couldn’t come to terms on a sponsorship deal. Trump blames the tour’s greed.

According to Trump, ADT paid $3.8 million for sponsorship rights in 2008 and Bivens wanted the company to spend $12 million in 2009. “The commissioner said, ‘Take it or leave it,’ ” Trump says, and ADT President John Koch “couldn’t believe it.”

“He’s too polite to say 'go screw yourself,'” Trump said. “So what he did is he bought time with the NBA and he took the Skills Challenge and did some other things. And then the LPGA came back to him and said, ‘Listen, we’ll take the number that you gave us [originally] and even less.’ But by that time John had spent his advertising money.

“That’s horrible business,” Trump said.

Trump also didn’t care for the way the LPGA handled his request to give a business associate of his a place in the ADT pro-am. The tour obliged Trump, he says, and then hit him up for the $5,000 entry fee.

“Five thousand dollars!” Trump recalled thinking. “For what? We pay millions of dollars and you’re not going to give us one slot?”

“They nickel-and-dimed us,” he said. “That’s the kind of thinking that was there. You really became incensed with dealing with these people.”

Trumps’ beefs with Bivens don’t end there. He said the LPGA recently approached him about holding the LPGA Championship at his course in Bedminster, N.J. “They totally loved the course, and then we never heard from them again,” he said. (Trump told the New Jersey Star-Ledger last month that he declined the tour’s request because they wanted him to commit the course for more that one year.)

Some pundits have suggested that Bivens’s aggressive style didn’t go down well because she was a woman, and that if she were a man, she would have been lauded as a tough, no-nonsense manager. Trump doesn’t buy it.

“This has nothing to do with her being male or female,” he said. “This has to do with bad business decisions and bad business people and people who were absolutely not equipped to handle that job.”

Trump also refutes the notion that her demise was triggered by the recession.

“A tremendous step backward was taken [by the LPGA] over the past couple of years, and it’s not because of the economy,” Trump said. “What happened was that in bad times, she pushed too hard.”

The latter rule applied today at Tom Watson’s pre-tournament press conference, where a British reporter needed just one strong quote to complete a story that was half-formed in his mind. “It’s been 32 years since your duel with Jack,” the reporter said from his chair, referring to the fabled “Duel in the Sun” between Watson and Nicklaus in the final round of the ’77 Open. “There’s not an Open goes by where it’s not mentioned, and there’s probably not a day that goes by that’s it’s not mentioned somewhere in the world. Do you think it was the greatest afternoon in golf and maybe one of the greatest --”

A smiling Watson cut him off. “No, it’s not for me to [say]. I was fortunate to be able to play some of my best golf against the best player in the world and ended up winning a few times.”

“But when anybody looks back on golf” -- the journalist wasn’t letting go of his premise -- “that afternoon is held up probably in the top three moments in sport. Do you recognize you were part of an amazing afternoon in the history of sport?”

The five-time British Open champ kept smiling, but he wasn’t willing to go the hyperbolic extra mile. “Well, it was pretty good. It was pretty good theater, let’s put it that way.” And just so no one would think he didn’t treasure his Turnberry triumph, Watson conceded that it was one of the top three moments of his career. The other two? “The chip-in at Pebble Beach” -- where Watson topped Nicklaus again for his only U.S. Open title -- “and winning the Kansas City Men’s Match Play when I was 14.”

That last one pretty much blew up the reporter’s quest for the “I-knew-I-was-making-history” quote. (Imagined headline: WATSON COMPARES DUEL IN THE SUN TO SCHOOLBOY TRIUMPH!) But Watson wasn’t trying to be a wise guy. He was making the point that a sportsman’s greatest thrill often comes early in life, when he is only beginning to appreciate his potential. In Watson’s memory, a hot afternoon at the hilly, tree-lined Blue Hills Country Club is right up there with his two Masters titles.

“That was the tournament,” Watson said, “that gave me the boost to say, ‘I can play this game.’”

For the record, the 14-year-old Watson beat Bob Devine, 4&3, in the final. It was (for the winner, anyway) the greatest afternoon in the history of sport.

(Photo: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images)

Tiger Woods, currently at 2 to 1 at Las Vegas casino sportsbooks, is the favorite by a wide, wide margin. If you think Woods will win, Esposito says you should grab him now. "Those odds will drop pretty quickly," Esposito said. "My guess is Tiger will be at 8 to 5, 6 to 5, or even before the British Open starts."

The odds are so skewed toward Woods--especially with his only near rival, Phil Mickelson, not competing at Turnberry this year--that the next player on the board, Sergio Garcia, is a 12-to-1 bet to win. Other contenders drop even further: Defending champion Padraig Harrington is 20 to 1, Henrik Stenson is 20 to 1, Paul Casey is 20 to 1, Rory McIlroy is 25 to 1, Geoff Ogilvy is 25 to 1, Ian Poulter is 25 to 1, Ernie Els is 35 to 1.

"There's real value there in players in that 20 to 40 group," Esposito said. "In fact, with those short odds, the house ends up rooting for Tiger because if one of those long shots come in the casino can really get burned."

The house also ends up rooting for Woods because he creates excitement around the casino when he's near the top at a major, Esposito said.

"We do really well at all the majors, and we'll have the British Open on all the big screens," Esposito said. "But if Tiger's in the lead, we get tremendous crowds."

The only real competitor to Tiger Woods on the board in Las Vegas is "The Field," currently at 8 to 5 odds. Keep in mind that "the Field," in the form of Lucas Glover, won the U.S. Open and paid off at 10 to 1.

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My journey began on Sunday evening, when I arrived at Newark Airport and met up with two golf scribes (Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post and Hank Gola of the New York Daily News) and one PGA Tour caddie (Ron Levin, Fredrik Jacobson's looper) for an early dinner. We talked golf, watched the Angels hammer the Yankees for the umpteenth time, and raced over to our gate.

Joe LaCava, Fred Couples's long-time caddie, was already on board. He was with me in coach, preparing to loop for Davis Love III. 

"Who won the Deere?" I asked him. "I missed the finish."

"Stricker, I think," LaCava said (he was right).

 "Cool, good guy," I said.

I settled into my window seat on Continental (I counted more than 20 golf bags being loaded onto the plane) and quickly browsed the movie selections. Ferris Bueller's Day Off? For old time's sake. The Wedding Singer? Who doesn't love Sandler and Barrymore? Big? Can't go wrong with Tom Hanks.

On the six-hour-plus flight, I ended up watching all three movies and, later, got lured into a computer game of blackjack. At customs, I bumped into ESPN's Mike Tirico, who was sporting a Detroit Tigers cap, and met up with Gola, who was driving our group to our flat about 30 minutes from Turnberry.

I was working on an hour sleep. When I finally arrived at our house, I was pleasantly surprised to find wireless internet and a comfortable bed. I logged onto my computer and spied a stack of new email messages. One said that Tiger had already made an appearance at Turnberry. Another said Padraig Harrington would be in the interview room Tuesday morning. Open Championship week had begun.

A dozen players have signed up for the flight so far, plus two spouses, and more are expected. Among those attending will be Brett Quigley, who qualified for this week’s British Open at Turnberry by virtue of his second-place finish Sunday at the John Deere Classic. Because of the memorial service, Quigley opted to take a pass on going to Scotland and play instead at Brown Deer. Quigley told the Associated Press, “My heart’s not into playing the British.”

Beth Smith was a passenger in a car with her two children, Abigale and Cameron, when it collided head-on with a bus carrying the London Silverbacks, a Canadian semi-pro football team, near Fort Wayne, Ind.  Police said Abigale was at the wheel of the Smiths’ sport-utility vehicle when it crossed the I-69 median and collided with the bus.  The memorial service had been delayed while the Smith children recover from injuries.   

The plane for the day-trip flight belongs to Sentient, the official private jet provider of the PGA Tour, and the cost of the flight is being underwritten by U.S. Bank Championship officials, although each passenger is being asked to pay $500 to defray expenses.

The flight will leave early Tuesday morning from Milwaukee and arrive in Peru for the service, followed by a reception at a golf course owned by the Smith family. The flight will return to Milwaukee later that evening.

During last week's John Deere Classic, a flight carried a number of tour players to a visitation service for the father of tour player Jonathan Byrd, who lost a long battle with brain cancer.