Round three latest at Birkdale
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If you needed any proof that it’s blowing a hoolie out on the Lancashire links today, some of the leaders can provide it.
We’ve just spent an hour on the range here at Birkdale, watching the final groups warm-up.
Graeme McDowell was hitting knock-down drives into the wind, which barely got more than 20 feet off the turf. And he raised a wry smile when he saw that a flat-out 3-iron was only reaching the 150-yard marker.
Just to his left, Rocco Mediate was also bashing his driver straight into the wind, and he was delighted when one of his shots finally carried the 200-yard board.
On the way to the range, you cross the 10th – a brutal hole today with the wind coming right across the fairway from the left. In four groups, guess how many tee shots found the fairway? None…
The wind is definitely getting up here, so the leaders will have their work cut out this afternoon. By tea time, five or six over could be leading.