Golf Central

On this day in 1957, an all-round genial bloke and battler on the golf course who was long known as the best player never to win a major championship was born, in Goldsboro, North Carolina: Mark Francis O'Meara.

Growing up in Southern California and turning pro in 1980, O'Meara had forged a career as a frequent winner on the PGA Tour. From the mid 1980s to the late '90s, O'Meara was a consistent threat to win: Starting with a victory at the Greater Milwaukee Open in 1984, O'Meara chalked up 14 PGA Tour titles by 1998, and was the king of his era at Pebble Beach, where he won four times.

Despite all that, O'Meara celebrated his 41st birthday in 1998 with hair graying at the temples and no major championships. But what a year 1998 was to be: ...

So this a definite case of follow-the-leader isn't it ...: I'd say. Your man KJ Choi is rolling over all obstacles ...
Well, that's his name isn't it?: The Tank ...: Yeah. KJ got that nickname because of his squatty, powerful frame, and the fact that as a kid he was a champion weightlifter.
Hmmn. Well, if KJ is a tank, what kind of a tank do you reckon he would be? ...: Surely not one of those flashy modern tanks. He'd be a veteran tank ...
Something Second World War? Old-school? ...: Yeah. Like a Sherman tank. Strong, reliable, durable, and wins a lot of the battles.
What's his secret weapon? ...: KJ is armed with a killer 8-iron which is his aiming with precision at the flagsticks. After his round Saturday, he said: "This week 8-iron is 90 percent good chance."
OK, now that the metaphor game is over, and now that you're through making fun of KJ's diction, can we talk golf? ...: If you insist. To be honest, nobody but KJ have much of a chance of winning this thing. He's just shot the lowest 54-hole score of his already stellar career, and Choi is 4-for-4 when he has the lead going into the last 18.
Somebody's got to be trying, though? ...: Sure. The Kiwi left-hander Tim Wilkinson, a 2007 Q-School grad, shot a beautiful 62 that left him four shots behind KJ. Another shot back are Steve Marino and Kevin Na.
Na, Na, Na, Na, hey, hey, hey, goodbye ...: I swear I'm going to be begging the boss for a non-singing sidekick ...

So, as Pete Townshend might have said: "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." ...: Indeed. Mark Murless just keeps humbly plugging along. He's already matched the target score he set for himself on Thursday, when he said he would be delighted to be under-par.
Steady, steady pace ...: Who are you, Peter Alliss?
No ... I'm just saying that Murless is certainly playing with authority ...: Well, 13 birdies, an eagle and only four bogeys is pretty steady indeed.
It's a bit wet out there still, though ...: Are you saying that our fearless leader is in danger of backsliding?
Possibly. That front-runner spot is a tricky one and it's always tough to lead a tournament from wire-to-wire ...: Yes, and it's causing our editor back at the IGWT field office in Inverness to bang his head on the computer table in frustration.
Why's that? ...: Well, with Murless leading all the way in Johannesburg, and with KJ Choi on top wire-to-wire out in Hawaii, he's finding it hard to keep those nifty little pictures on the site front from looking a bit same-same.
Too bad. Tell him to take a chill pill ...: I think he already did, mate ...

Dude, my guy is kicking some serious butt here in Hawaii...:  KJ Choi?
You know I'm backing Choi. He's doing a Choi Norris on the rest of the field. 64-65 kind of butt-kicking...:  Yeah, yeah, yeah. I say Na, Na, Na.
Sounds like a song ...: Yeah, yeah, yeah (Na, Na, Na ...)
I knew I'd get you singing...:  You insidious b------d. Anyway, I'm backing Kevin Na.
Jeez, we could have been the Beatles...:  You betcha. My money's on Kevin Na. He's only two back. Just put a Funk beat to it. Since our only Senior representive among this tournament of teenagers, Freddie "I No Longer Have The Silliest Name In Golf Thanks To Ben Bunny" Funk funked up our groove with a 64 on Friday.
I'm not down wit' da Funk. He's too old school...:  C'mon, just snap your fingers. Na, Na, Na, Na ... (Funk beat) ... Then once in a while shout "Choi!" It will have universal appeal. Now all we need is a label.
You've had too many mai-tais, man. Do your job. Who else is in the picture, preferably someone without a musical name?...:  Well, there's .... em .... Brian Gay .... em, at 6-under, with five other guys, including ... em Heath Slocum ... And Alejandro Canizares, son of Jose Maria. And em, some guy out of Arizona State called Chez Reavie.
He sounds like a restaurant. By the way, I'm hungry. Where are we eating tonight?...:  I heard there's a place in Honolulu called Funk Choi.
Let's go somewhere else...:  Na ...

Talk about setting your sights low...:  Yeah, I know. Mark Murless just figured he was happy to play in the Joburg Open, and if he got to 11 under after four rounds he would have been thrilled.
Look at him now...:  I know. He's nine under after two rounds. Goes to show a little local knowledge goes a long way. Four out of the top five in this Euro Tour spectacular are better known on the Sunshine Tour than anywhere else. Those would be Murless, Warren Abery, Charl Coetzee and first-time pro Tyrone Ferreira.
Who's the fifth one, then?...:  That would be Pablo Larrazabal, the young Spaniard. He's in solo second a shot behind Murless, our fearless leader.
Well, it doesn't hurt that the European Tour has a 'Zabal about, does it...:  He's not Ollie, but he's doing a pretty good imitation, getting up and down from everywhere.
It's not ideal conditions out there, is it? What with all the rain, they're doing a bit of grinding aren't they?...:  Yep. It's so wet out there that even your familiar names are scrambling to keep their heads above water.
Except for Darren Clarke...:  Everyone's favourite Ulsterman followed his opening round 73 with a 65 and is in striking range, five shots back.
That's about 10 cigars over the next two rounds for Darren. Do you reckon he can do it?...:  He's got a few cigars to burn before Murless makes a few birdies. But my advice is to keep your eye on 'Zabal.
Who are you now, David Leadbetter with a funny accent?...