Golf Central

On this day in 1958, Ian Woosnam, the champagne-snorting captain of the 2006 Ryder Cup team. member of the European "Big Five" and 1991 Masters champion, was born in Oswestry, Wales.

Little Woosie was famous as a pint-sized golf star, winning 28 times on the European Tour and the '91 green jacket before coming up the greatest display of blowing champagne and snot from his nostrils like a firehose in the celebratory haze of the European victory two years ago at the K Club in Ireland ...

This guy Mark Brown knows how to get hot at the right time ...: Indeed he does. The Kiwi from Lower Hutt shot a 64 in the third round to move into the hunt, then rattled off five birdies in his last seven holes to win this thing.
Does he get the George McNeill Award?: I suppose he does. Not many people knew who he was before today, but now they will.
Looks like a classic finish ...: Not if you're Taichiro Kiyota. The world No. 474, a cricket-loving Japanese, had a four-shot lead with seven holes left. But he made two bogeys coming in, Brown fired in the birdies, and that's Brown with the trophy and a three-shot win.
Pity for Taichiro, but good on Brown. Tell me a bit about him then ...: Well, he's 33 but he gave up golf for three years and took up a teaching job. He was disgusted by his performance. Brown returned to pro golf in 2006, and now he's got two wins in as many weeks. His first pro title came last week on the Asian Tour's SAIL Open in New Delhi, so obviously India suits him ...
A lot better than a teaching job ...: You can say that again.
A lot better than a teaching job ...: Who are you? Gilligan? ... Anyway, this is obviously a huge week for Brown.
What did he have to say about it?: He said: "Let's have a solid nine holes, and the birdies started falling. The rest is a dream."
Nice story ...: And now Brown's exempt on the European Tour through 2010. And he gets his name on the George McNeill ... I mean, Johnnie Walker trophy.
How did Vijay Singh and Adam Scott fare?: Vijay was suffering from a stomach bug and came tied for 17th, while Adam Scott still hasn't done his Me Myself & I interview and finished 30th.
Oh well. They're far too well-known to win this thing ...:
 hey sure are. All the top seven finishers started out of the world's Top 100. Which I suppose rules out Mark Brown for next year ...

Now this is what you call a muddled leaderboard ...: Well, Luke Donald feels like he's back where he belongs.
So how did our Englishman do Saturday?: He fired a nifty 66, to sit tied atop with the leaderboard with ageless warrior Mark Calcavecchia and the little Aussie Matt Jones, who has been clinging to the the leaders like a leech.
So what's Luke's theme song for the week?: It's got to be "Stand And Deliver" by Adam and the Ants. Luke said today "there are a lot of scary shots with a lot of water around, so you have to really stand up there and hit good, solid shots."
66 is pretty solid around here ...: Sure is, and so is 67, which is what Calc shot. Jose Coceres of Argentina and our Londoner Brian Davis are also still within a shot of the lead, so it's anybody's ball game on Sunday ...
That sounds like a bit of a cop-out ...: There are 25 guys within five shots of the lead, so really, anyone can win. Included in that mix are guys like Ernie Els and Robert Allenby, so who knows?
No fearless predictions then ...: Not really. It's too tough of a course for stuff like that, but I'd have to say that Donald or Calc, both of whom have won the Honda before, look good for a fight to the finish. As for Calc, he's got a chance to win this thing in three different decades following his wins in '87 and '98.
I'll make a prediction then ... Calc.: Why's that?
He's the only one in the field who can remember the song "Stand And Deliver" ...

So who's in the hunt for the George McNeill Award now?: Taichiro Kiyota!
Have you heard of him before:? Yes, but only just. Only because we ran a funny picture of him a few weeks ago after the Indian Masters ...
Well, tell me a little bit about him then ...: Well, he's a Japanese guy ...
That's rather obvious ...: Stop interrupting me please. He's a Japanese guy, ranked No. 474, who has apparently discovered that he likes cricket after watching it so much recently in India.
A Japanese cricket lover? That's a bit odd. I suppose it helps explain his shots on the 18th then ...: Sort of. Taichiro nearly knocked his hopes for six when he smoked his approach on 18 way over the green, but he chipped in for a miracle birdie. He's gone 68-67-67 and leads by one.
Who else is in the mix?: Mark Brown, a Kiwi, and Indian lad Jyoti Randhawa are a shot back on 13-under after Brown fired a scorching 64.
And how are the big names doing?: Vijay Singh, the world No. 7, is scuffling about five shots off the pace, and Aussie star Adam Scott shot a 74.
Did you hex Adam then?: No. But if he wants to contend then he needs to do his Me Myself & I interview like a good lad and pick up a little IGWT karma.
You've said that before ...: I know, and he keeps saying no.
Be playing like George McNeill soon ...

So how do you become a pro golfer if you come from Islington?: Easy. You tee off at Highbury, watch out for the cars and buses on Holloway Road, grab a quick pint at the turn at the Hemingford Arms, a few long approaches down Caledonian Road and you're at Kings Cross.
Then what?: Get the tube back to Highbury & Islington and do it all over again.
Presumably Brian Davis learned to golf outside of north London ...: Probably. It's a bit hazardous golfing in Islington itself. Have you seen the house prices there? You don't want to knock out any windows ...
Well, Davis must have learned well ...: Sure. The Islingtonian shot a 67 on Friday and after 36 holes he's leading by one. He survived a double on his 16th hole and he's trying to win for the first time in 98 starts on the PGA Tour.
And who's chasing our Englishman?: The skinny Aussie Matt Jones also had 67 for 7-under, and Dudley Hart tore it up with a 29 on the front side to sit at 6-under. John Mallinger and Ben Crane are 5-under, and big Ernie Els is still in the mix at 5 shots back.
So who do you think will win this thing?: I know it sounds cliche, but the course. A lot of good players missed the cut, including defending champ Mark Wilson, Mike Weir, Chris DiMarco, Jason Day, Trevor Immelman, David Duval and Tadd Fujikawa.
And how did first-round leader Luke Donald fare?: He followed up a "lucky" 64 with a struggling 74 ...
Sounds safer golfing in Islington ...: You might be right ...