TURNBERRY // Tom Watson refuses to be shaken off the scent of what, six weeks before his 60th birthday, would be a remarkable sixth British Open Championship victory.
The American legend traded shot for shot with a cluster of younger rivals for the coveted Claret Jug throughout an exciting third day at Turnberry before taking a one-shot lead on the 17th to go into the clubhouse on four under.
He will be seeking to make his experience of winning over these Ayrshire links 32 long years ago count this afternoon.
Watson, who began the day sharing the lead with his fellow American Steve Marino, 30 years his junior, remained in the ascendancy all afternoon until being joined at the top of the leaderboard on three under by Australia's Mathew Goggin, whose best finish in a major is a tie for 36th place in the 2007 US Open, and Englishman Ross Fisher.
But Watson rallied late in the day and birdies on the 16th and 17th gave him a one-shot clubhouse lead.
Goggin, whose last tournament win was on the Nationwide tour, claims that he is not too stressed by his barren years.
"There are situations where you feel like you could have done more or you've made a mistake or other guys just made good shots," he said. "You just chip away and knock on the door and hopefully you walk through. This would be a nice week to do that, obviously."
Ross Fisher's performance tobe within a shot of the lead was remarkable considering the Englishman is within hours of becoming a father for the first time. He has pledged to rush to the bedside of his wife Jo if she goes into labour. That might be a hard promise to fulfil if the most prestigious honour in the game comes tantalisingly into view this afternoon.
Fisher, who finished a creditable fifth behind Lucas Glover in last month's US Open, got himself to four under par for the tournament with a birdie at the third but bogeys at the fifth and 12th slowed down his momentum.
Another dropped shot at the 14th left him two strokes adrift, but two consecutive birdies, at the 16th and 17th put him level with Goggin on three under.
England's Lee Westwood, who has for several years been considered a potential major winner, also briefly threatened to claim a share of the overnight lead after a birdie at the long 17th, only to bogeying the last and finish on two under.
Nevertheless Westwood, who was within one putt of joiningTiger Woods and Rocco Mediate in a play-off for last year's US Open, will fancy his chances going into what should be a gripping final day.
A satisfied Westwood said: "I watched the golf on TV this morning and I knew how demanding it was. I was seeing guys nine over through 12 holes and so I knew it was playing tough. Fortunately I played a couple of weeks ago in a similar wind to this. I had a fair idea how the golf course was going to play if the wind turned round, and some of the guys may not have had that advantage."
Marino, 29, looked as though the occasion might be too much for him in his first Open as he subsided from five under par to level in the first five holes where a double bogey six at the fifth hurt him badly.
The young American showed tremendous character, however, to stick gamely to his task in what were unfamiliar conditions and the simplest of eagle putts on the long seventh reinvigorated him for the homeward stretch.
A birdie two at the 11th put him back to within a stroke of the lead but a bad miss from three foot at the 12th, just after he had watched Watson miss twice the distance, proved an unexpected setback.
He finished the day six shots off the lead. Mark Calcavecchia started the third day as the nearest challenger to the joint leaders. Like Watson, he was trying to turn back the Open clock, having triumphed at neighbouring Troon 20 years ago.
Calcavecchia, 49, remained firmly in contention after refusing to be unsettled by an early bogey five and another approaching the turn but his hopes were badly hit by a double-bogey at the 13th which was followed by another dropped shot at the next.
That enabled his experienced compatriots Jim Furyk and Stewart Cink to overtake him. Those tough Ryder Cup campaigners will be serious threats this afternoon as they are bracketed together on one under par after respective rounds of 70 and 71.
wjohnson@thenational.ae
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Copa del Rey final
Sevilla v Barcelona, Saturday, 11.30pm (UAE), match on Bein Sports
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
HAJJAN
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
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5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
RESULT
Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
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Pathaan
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