TOM WATSON TIRING IN SENIOR OPEN

Norman shoots a 64 to take lead as

Fred Funk mets The Bogey Man

FROM THE GUARDIAN.CO.UK WEBSITE
By BILL ELLIOTT
Greg Norman took advantage as Fred Funk's rhythm faltered at the Senior Open Championship today.
A Senior Open Championship is many things. On a pleasant day, Sunningdale offered a pleasant course to walk while spotting various ageing warriors still determined to do their thing. This chaps' retreat on the Surrey-Berkshire border is a Home Counties' cliche brought to life – lots of blazers and straw hats with a few surreal touches thrown in to liven up the scene a bit.
While Fred Funk – has there ever been a more appropriately named golfer? – was doing his best to defend his lead, the surreal option was delivered by, first, a young woman painted silver who stomped about on stilts and then a bloke who entertained a group of children by clambering inside a necessarily large and yellow balloon and shouting a lot. The kids loved it. The adults scooping beer nearby seemed to enjoy it even more. 'Senior moments' suddenly took on a whole new meaning.
Meanwhile, Funk was at last giving the chasing posse some real cause for optimism. The jerky little American constructed his first bogey of the week on the second before dropping two further shots at the treacherous 12th, where he drove into rough, hacked short of the green, pitched way past the hole and three-putted.
Up ahead of Fred The Shedder, Greg Norman was rediscovering some of his old magic. Two under at the turn, Norman sniffed the famed sausage hut that sits beside the ninth green and that is felt by many to be the best restaurant in the area.
The Shark was clearly inspired by the aroma and birdied four of the next six holes to slip alongside Funk at the top of the leaderboard.
Suddenly the birdie virus swept through the field. Bernhard Langer, everyone's idea of an early favourite, charged through the chorus line, thanks to a 65 that takes him to six under par for 54 holes and in with a more than slightly decent shout on Sunday afternoon.
His Thursday round of 72 was as out of character for Bernhard as the parrot on the shoulder of a woman I then spotted waiting amid the autograph hunters by the recorder's hut – a weird first in 40 years of covering the game.
This parrot thing did not, however, faze Langer. But then nothing much ever does unsettle a man who found an inner calm and peace many years ago. "That was a good round," he said. So I asked if he had found some good karma out there, given that he has a track record of playing well at Sunningdale throughout the Eighties.
"Karma?" he said. "No, I didn't look for karma, I am, as you know, a Christian." This surreal atmosphere was getting better. Or worse, depending on your point of view.
What Langer also says is that it will be a cavalry charge for the title now and a first prize worth a published £222,777.53.
"It is not just the guys on the leaderboard who can win this now, it is a lot of people," he said. "This is that sort of course. You can be aggressive or defensive, it's your choice. I will stick to my game plan however." To be cautious? "No, to be smart."
While this conversation was taking place, Funk was living down to his name again with another bogey, Norman was in the lead on his way to a six-under 64 and Loren Roberts was sliding in beside Funk a shot back.
Tiredness, meanwhile, appeared finally to be catching up with everyone's favourite 59-year-old. For Tom Watson it must now seem a very long time since he put his feet up and thought about nothing. It showed a bit with a par-70 round during which the sparkle was missing.
"I'd five three-putts out there today," he explained. "Just about every green seemed to be a different speed and I couldn't get to grips with them."
No such problem for Larry Mize, who took just 29 blows over the back nine for a 64. Norman must have been delighted to see this. It was, after all, Mize who prevented the Australian winning the Masters when he pitched into the second play-off hole in 1987. So, a lot of good names to contemplate when the final round gets going tomorrow.
Silver Lady and Balloon Man were part of Family Fun Day by the way. Parrot Woman, however, was not. I have no explanation for this, but I can tell you that her efforts to enter the clubhouse were politely, but strongly, rebuffed. No problem with her being a woman of course – it's just that they never have liked parrots much at Sunningdale. Understandably, in my view.
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