Norman in familiar spot at major

Tag : Round Over Bit
Padraig Harrington enjoys few momentsmore than the walk down 18th fairway of a century-old links course,especially with a four-shot lead in the British Open and theengraver putting the final touches on the oldest trophy in golf.
He stopped Sunday to share the moment with Greg Norman, who knowsthis path all too well.
Celebration for one, sympathy for the other.
"I did say to him coming down 18 that I was sorry it wasn't hisstory that was going to be told," Harrington said. "I did feelthat, but I wanted to win myself. In this game, you have to takeyour chances when you get them."
Harrington seized his opportunity by smashing a pair of fairwaymetals into the par 5s that carried him to a 32 on the back nine ofblustery Royal Birkdale and made him Europe's first player in morethan a century to win the British Open two years in a row.
"Obviously, winning a major puts you in a special club," Harringtonsaid after closing with a 1-under 69 to win by four shots over IanPoulter. "Winning two of them puts you in a new club altogether."
Norman got a chance no one saw coming.
Still on his honeymoon with tennis great Chris Evert, at 53 only apart-time golfer with no expectations, the Shark found himself witha two-shot lead going into the final round and still one shot aheadwith nine holes to play.
It ended like so many other majors for Norman - a quick successionof bogeys, the clutch shots belonging to someone else. He madeeight bogeys in gusts that reached 40 mph, closed with a 77 andtied for third.
"Where does it rank in those? Probably not as high as some of theother ones," Norman said of the six other times he lost a 54-holelead in a major. "Quite honestly, I'm sure I surprised a lot ofpeople."
So did Harrington.
The 36-year-old Irishman injured his right wrist eight days ago,and it was so sore that he could only practice for nine holes onTuesday and for three swings on the eve of his title defense.
He gave himself a 75 percent chance of starting, 50 percent offinishing.
Turns out that wrist was strong enough to hit all the right shots.Better yet, it was strong enough to lift the claret jug.
"It was a great distraction for me," Harrington said. "It took alot of pressure off me. It took a lot of stress off me. The factthat I didn't play three practice rounds like normal for a majorwas a big bonus. I was very fresh going into the weekend, and this36 holes was a real battle."
Harrington first had to take the lead from Norman, which he did onthe par-3 12th when Norman missed a 10-foot par putt. Then came alate charge from Poulter, who made a 15-foot birdie on the 16th andsaved par with a 15-footer on the final hole for a 69 that lookedlike it might be good enough to win.
But the Irishman responded with clutch shots of his own. He hit a3-wood into the wind to 40 feet on the par-5 15th and got down intwo putts for birdie, giving him a two-shot lead. Standing in the17th fairway, still aware that Norman could make eagle and stay inthe game, Harrington hit a 5-wood that bounded onto the green andup the ridge, stopping 4 feet away for eagle.
That gave him a four-shot lead, and he knew it was over when histee shot found the 18th fairway.
What a change from last year, when Harrington made double bogey onthe 18th hole, got into a playoff only when Sergio Garcia couldn'tsave par, and couldn't celebrate at Carnoustie until a testy3-footer for par on the last hole of overtime.
"I enjoyed the claret jug so much I didn't want to give it back,"Harrington said.
He finished at 3-over 283, becoming the first European since JamesBraid in 1905-06 to win the Open in successive years.
It was his first victory since the British Open last year, and itcould not have come at a better time. Harrington moved to the topof Europe's Ryder Cup standings, and the victory moved him to No. 3in the world ranking behind Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.
"I'm quite enjoying this," Harrington said, cradling the claretjug. "I don't think I'll get down off the stage."
Norman played a familiar role as the tragic figure.
He lost his two-shot lead after the third hole and wound up in atie for third with Henrik Stenson, who shot 71. The 77 was one shotbetter than the last time Norman led a major, closing with a 78 inthe 1996 Masters.
"I walk away from here disappointed, but with my head held high,because I hung in there," Norman said.
Poulter thought he could bring England its first British Open sinceNick Faldo in 1992, playing bogey-free over his final 15 holes. Hewent to the practice range in case of a playoff, but put his clubsaway when he saw that Harrington made eagle on the 17th hole.
"I can only do what I can do," Poulter said. "And I done my best."
Norman tried to keep alive his hopes with a 35-foot par putt on the14th, and a shot from a pot bunker that made him spin backward,turning to see the ball land 4 feet away at the 15th for his onlybirdie of the day. Harrington, however, didn't back down.
"Padraig played brilliantly today, even though he tried to let itget away in the middle of the round," Norman said. "He came backand performed brilliantly, and he finished like a true champion."
The leaderboard featured a familiar name, missing an "s."
Chris Wood, a 20-year-old amateur from England, closed in on thelead until three straight bogeys on the back nine. He finished witha 72 and tied for fifth at 10-over 290 with Jim Furyk (71).
"It's been the best week of my life," Wood said.
Norman felt much the same, except for the final day.
What an amazing week for the Shark - spending his honeymoon inSkibo Castle, showing up at Royal Birkdale to tune up for theSenior British Open and Senior U.S. Open, then feeling those oldcompetitive juices.
Fans perched themselves atop every sand dune to see if Norman couldpull off a victory that would have ranked among the most stunningin golf, from Jack Nicklaus winning the Masters at age 46 to BenHogan returning from a life-threatening car crash to win the U.S.Open.
But instead of a fairy-tale ending, he delivered a rerun ofopportunities lost in the majors.
Norman hit into a pot bunker on the first hole and made bogey. Hemissed the green left on the second hole and made bogey. His teeshot buried in the right rough on the third hole for another bogey.And he had to make an 8-foot putt to save bogey on the sixth.
Just like that, a two-shot lead over Harrington turned into atwo-shot deficit.
Harrington gave him one last chance with three straight bogeys toclose out the front nine. That was the last bogey he made.
"This year is more satisfying," Harrington said.