Curtis not blown away by gusts

By George Kimball / 137th British Open Notebook Sunday, July 20, 2008 - Added 8m ago SOUTHPORT, England - Out of deference to predicted gale-force winds of nearly 50 mph (and this time the forecasters were correct) at Birkdale, the R&A moved several tee boxes forward for yesterday’s third round of the British Open. The 499-yard sixth, for instance, was reduced to a mere 486 yards. The 11th, which had played at 436 yards in earlier rounds, measured 358, and the 16th went from 449 yards to 371. But that didn’t make up for some of the other conditions. Several competitors reported balls oscillating on, and even blowing off, the greens. Playing the 346-yard fifth, Greg Norman used a 5-iron from 121 yards out on his second shot - and needed every bit of it to reach the green. Even under these difficult conditions, Ben Curtis, who... [read full story]