Who needs Tiger? This British Open leaderboard has juicy nuggets galore

Maybe Tiger should sit out more majors.

Okay, not really. But c’mon, this leaderboard at Royal Birkdale is one of the most intriguing in years. Just when you thought this year’s U.S. Open was the greatest sports event in the history of homo sapien competition, the British may offer up its own classic - albeit a 180-degrees different. Except for Rocco, of course.

Talk about a throwback leaderboard.

Look beyond Greg Norman (man, I need to marry a tennis pro. Is Anna K. still on the market?), and the story lines are endless. The golf writers at Royal Birkdale are getting fat juicy steaks plumped down on their laptop every 15 seconds. Thankfully all this bogus “asterisk” talk is long, long gone.

Padraig Harrington was written off after a wrist injury suffered recently, but here he stands above the fold (which makes Phil Mickelson’s whining at Oakmont last year all that more wimpy - no wonder Phil’s not cut out for links golf). David Duval is talking about being just a few bounces away from getting his place back among the world’s best golfers.

But I’m most intrigued by Jean Van de Velde. If anyone ever deserved a sportsmanship award, it was Van de Velde last year when the Open returned to Carnoustie and was asked to conduct countless interviews recollecting his immortal follies from 1999. What made it even worse for the Frenchman, is his health was deteriorating and many wondered if he would ever play competitively again, suffice to say qualify for a British Open.

But here he is, five off the lead after a solid 71. He stands even with Adam Scott, one better than my pick, Sergio Garcia, and is just a few holes away from being in serious contention - all while world powers Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh are afterthoughts. Els and Singh are out of the tournament completely.

Let’s look at the leaderboard a little closer: Camilo Villegas is picking up where Andres Romero left off last year. What’s with South Americans and their penchant to go on ridiculous birdie streaks?

Justin Rose, at 6-over, has to be one of the biggest disappointements of the tournament. Sure, he’s not out of it. But anything short of a Top Ten is going to draw some serious criticism from the home country media - after he finished 4th here as a pimple-popping teen a decade ago.

Norman, Mediate, Duval, Van de Velde (not to mention Michelle Wie threatening to win her first golf tournament on the LPGA this week)…Frankly, I’m waiting for the scorers to announce John Daly actually shot a 59, not 89 today, making him tied for the lead with K.J. Choi. It wouldn’t surprise me. Not this week.