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The Michigan Daily-Saturday, July 21, 1979-Page 11
BRITISH WINDS BLOW SCOR ES WAY UP
Irwin shoots 75, still leads Open
YTHAM ST. ANNES, England (AP)-Although the wind, rain, cold and Ben Crenshaw and Bob Byman, both winnters on the American tour this
vn mistakes sent Hale Irwin reeling to a 75, the 4-over-4 effort was good season, and Rodger Davis of Australia were next at 215, four strokes behind Irwin.
h to retain a 2-stroke lead yesterday after the third round of the 108th British Davis, another early starter, got in with a 70, while Crenshaw and Byman had
Golf Championship. hard-won 72s.
ut Irwin, seeking to add this ancient title to the U.S. Open crown he won a Tom Watson, twice a British Open champion and the outstanding player in the
ago, knew he'd let slip a great opportunity to put the tournament out of game for the past 2% seasons, hit one out of bounds on the second hole and finished
bogey-bogey-bogey for a 76 that put him 5 shots back at 216.
t's still a wide open game going into tomorrow," he said. "Nothing has Some other scores: Jerry Pate 76-219, Tom Kite 77-224, Lee Elder 76-223, Ray
ed. Floyd 71-220, Masters champ Fuzzy Zoeller 79-229, Johnny Miller 77-227, Ed Sneed
vo one ran off and hid from the rest of the field. No one disappeared. 70-221 and Gary Player 69-220.
rff n " s'm ",n *{ af R~i-N ,_ -#.t f. er. 14 - _2111 .- t._ ..._L. . _ i ___ '
Everyone who was there before is still there. Its still up for grabs. And I have to
play accordingly."
His assessment seemed correct.
Although his score was, by far, the poorest he's had in the foul playing con-
ditions that have plagued the tournament-but failed to discourage record crowds
of 30,000-all the would-be contenders had equal, or even greater, problems.
Irwin finished 54 holes over the 6,822 yards of thistles and thickets, gorse,
mounds and hillocks that make up the Royal Lytham and St. Annes Club course in
211, two under par.
That's the only score under par in the tournament and is 2 strokes better than
Severiano Ballesteros of Spain, who also shota 75 Friday.
Ballesteros, who ranks as Europe's finest player, remained only 2 strokes
back at even-par 213 despite a double bogey on the second hole.
Jack Nicklaus, the defenind champion, actually closed ground on the leaders
with a 2-over-par 73. Going into today's final round, he is at 214, only 3 shots back.
And he held that position despite his continued troubles over the difficult
back nine, which plays into the teeth of the prevailing wind off the Irish Sea. He's
played that par 36 homecoming side in 40, 39 and 39.
"I'm in striking position," said Nicklaus, who owns a record collection of 15
major professional titles. "I still have not played a back nine. I have yet to do that.
If I can play a decent front side tomorrow, get it out in shape and then get in home
without playing 39 or 40, maybe I have a chance."
He shared the No. 3 spot with England's Mark James, who shot a 69 in the
relative warmth and calm of the morning, before rain punished the other leaders.
Seve to preserve jinx?
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England (AP) "Sure, I can still win, why not?"
-Spaniard Severiano Ballesteros stan- asked Ballesteros in the accent that
ds between the first American victory sets the girls swooming.
in a British Open at Lytham St. Annes "IN 1976 I went into the final round
for more than a century. ahead and finished second. Maybe this
Not since Bobby Jones won here in year I can reverse that. If I start well I
1926 has an American won the Open on will have a good chance to win."
this windy, rainswept links course. The one thingBallesteros did not do
Friday was start well. He dropped 3
U.S. OPEN champion Hale Irwin shots in the first three holes and was
goes into the final round with a 2-stroke obviously dissatisfied.
lead over the 22-year-old Spaniard, with "I did not have much luck today," he
Jack Nicklaus a stroke back in third said. "Maybe I was saving it for
place. tomorrow."
AP Photo
'Hay Jack, what's up'
Defending British Open champ Jack Nicklaus fires out of the rought on the
seventh hole in the second round of the Open at Lytham St. Annes Thursday.
Actually, this rough looks more like the remains of a burned down barn
but then, that's the British links for you-all mounds, thickets, thistle and
gorse.4