With stellar play on the back nine at Royal Birkdale, Padraig Harrington shot a 69 in the final round to earn a four-shot victory and become Europe's first back-to-back British Open champion in more than a century. He earned nearly $1.5 million and climbed to No. 3 in the world rankings. "I'm really thrilled with the way I felt today on the golf course," Harrington said. "I hit the ball as pure as I could and just felt really good."
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Playing in almost impossibly windy conditions, Greg Norman pressed forward with the most improbable of British Open championship bids. At 53 years old, Norman shot a 2-over-par 72 Saturday at Royal Birkdale and with a 54-hole score of 2-over 212, owns a two-stroke lead over defending champion Padraig Harrington heading into Sunday's final round.
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Going out late in the day, K.J. Choi fired a 3-under-par 67 Friday to stand at 1-under 139 heading into Saturday's third round at the British Open. The only golfer in the field to get through two rounds with a score below par, Choi leads Greg Norman by one shot and Camilo Villegas by two.
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A little more than a month after thrusting himself into the spotlight with his valiant effort against Tiger Woods in the U.S. Open, Rocco Mediate was at it again Thursday. Playing in his first major since the runner-up finish at Torrey Pines, Mediate battled windy and wet conditions to post a 1-under-par 69 and share the first-round lead in the British Open.
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After coming within inches of winning his first major at last year's British Open, Sergio Garcia is the favorite in the 2008 Open championship at Royal Birkdale. With no Tiger Woods in the field - the world No. 1-ranked player is out for the year after undergoing knee surgery - local oddsmakers have Garcia as the 8-1 favorite.
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