British Open | The Shark bites back, taking a 2-shot lead

SOUTHPORT, England — Whipping 45-mph winds howled in off the Irish Sea Saturday, wreaking havoc on swings, scores and psyches in the third round of the 137th British Open. And yet, the massive crowds and a worldwide television audience had to be blown away by the sight of Greg Norman defying the elements and any notion that a man his age — 53 — should not be leading a major championship after 54 holes.

That's where he stood at the end of play at Royal Birkdale, at the top of a leaderboard that offers sublime possibilities today, when slightly less abusive winds are expected. With a two-shot lead over defending champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland and 36-hole leader K.J. Choi of South Korea, Norman will attempt to become the oldest major winner in history, by five years, if he can somehow summon the same swashbuckling greatness that once made him the No. 1 player in the world.

"The players are probably saying 'My God, what's he doing up there?' " Norman said. "At the same time, these guys have known that I have played golf before and I've played successful golf before. ... If I'm a young kid looking now and seeing a guy at 53 leading the British Open, I'm going to say boy, I've got a lot of years left in my career. I think that's great, I really do."

The hero of Australian golf came here on an extended honeymoon after marrying tennis great Chris Evert three weeks ago. Though he insists he now plays more tennis than golf, for a third straight day of brutal conditions, he looked as if he'd been working on his game for months, keeping his poise despite a double bogey at the 10th hole to post a 2-over-par 72 and three-day total of 2-over 212.

Harrington, who won the Claret Jug a year ago in far more benign conditions, survived a double bogey at the 12th hole that took him out of a tie for first, but came back with birdies at 15 and 17 to stay within two shots of Norman with a 72-214. Choi had two double bogeys and a 75 on a day when the scoring average was 75.6, nearly 6-over par.

"Not in a million years" was Evert's response Friday when asked if she or her new husband thought these heroics were possible for a man who hasn't won on any tour since 1998. But Norman continued to defy all odds, finishing with birdies on two of his final five holes, barely missing a twisting 30-foot eagle putt at the 17th hole and nearly sinking a birdie chip from behind a greenside bunker at the 18th.

"I'd put it in the top three hardest rounds of golf I've ever played under the circumstances," said Norman, who found only three fairways off the tee. "It was just brutal today. The wind was so heavy and so strong. I've never seen the ball react the way it did once it hit its apex."

For a third straight day, Norman was accorded a stirring ovation as he strode toward the final green, where he saved one last creative tap-in par.

Many of his far younger competitors also seemed in awe of his accomplishments. Said Englishman Justin Rose, "He's got a 23-year-old body and a 53-year-old mind."

"When he's interested, Greg Norman can really play," Harrington said. "When he wants it, and he's as fit a 53-year-old that there is, once he puts his mind to it he certainly can play. He hasn't lost any of his ability. Greg seems to be back thinking about it this week, and he's well-capable of putting it together."

The oldest major champion was Julius Boros, winning the 1968 PGA Championship at age 48. The oldest British Open winner was Old Tom Morris, prevailing in 1867 at 46. And on Sunday, a Shark with a history of getting bitten in majors will have a chance to win his third British Open.

On Friday, Jack Nicklaus predicted if Norman got into position to contend for the title, he almost certainly would draw on past experiences and remember how to control his emotions and play well down the stretch. Norman agreed.

"I think only the individuals who have been there before know what you do," he said. "It's like seeing shots I hit today from 120 yards with a 5-iron. The yardage was mentioned to me, but I didn't even pay attention to yardage. I already saw the shot, I knew that was the shot I had to play to get the ball close to the hole. If the conditions are tough [today], I'm going to have the same mind-set."

Some players said the wind was strong enough Saturday to possibly merit a stoppage; balls were blowing off their spots on several putting surfaces.

Norman said he has no doubt he'll be in contention on the back nine today despite predicted winds in the 25-30 mph range.

"I'll be honest. I walked to the first tee nervous today," he said. "It was a good indicator for me. I hadn't felt that way for 10 years, maybe even longer. I was excited about being there."