Duval and Norman struggle in Open golf

SOUTHPORT, England (AP) -- David Duval and Greg Norman felt the wrath of Royal Birkdale, where the sun finally came out but the wind picked up for the British Open on Saturday.

Leader K.J. Choi, the only player under par at the start of the third round, began with five straight pars -- solid play considering scores were soaring almost as fast as those gusts howling off the Irish Sea.

Duval teed off three strokes behind Choi but quickly fell out of contention. The wind, which was gusting at more than 30 mph, carried his second shot of the day into the tall, tangly grass right of the green, forcing him to take a penalty drop. He wound up with a triple-bogey, which was just the start of his woes.

Coming off a second-round 68, the 2001 Open champion bogeyed the next three holes before finally making his first par at No. 5. But a double-bogey at the massive sixth left him at 8 over for the day.

The 53-year-old Norman, trying to become the oldest major winner, yanked his opening tee shot into the tall grass, had to punch out and took bogey. He made another bogey at the third, where a four and a half-foot putt rolled all the way around the edge of the cup and stayed out, leaving him three strokes behind Choi.

Defending champion Padraig Harrington was the only one making a move on the leader. He chipped in for birdie at the fifth and made another birdie two holes later, pushing him into second place by himself at 1 over.

"This is a cold, ball-goes-nowhere wind," said Heath Slocum, who shot 74 and felt pretty good about it.

Choi saved par with an up-and-down out of a pot bunker at the first hole to remain the only player in the red. A 3-under 67 on Friday left him with a 1-under 139 midway through the tournament, which turned sunny after two days of rain and ominous clouds.

Phil Mickelson's cap blew off in the middle of the 15th fairway. A course worker retrieved it for Lefty, who shot 76 to drop further off the pace.

"We've got our work cut out today," said Graeme McDowell, another of those trying to make up the gap on Choi. "This is going to be a real challenge."

But it was possible to go low.

Ben Curtis, the 2003 Open champion, shot an even-par 70 for the early clubhouse lead at 7-over 217, though he had to hole out from 165 yards at No. 3 to do it. The American turned away in disgust after hitting the shot, but the wind blew it back on line -- and right into the cup for an eagle 2.

"It was probably about as tough as you can play out there," Curtis said.

Davis Love III and Henrik Stenson also shot 70 to sneak onto the leaderboard.

Camilo Villegas found the going much tougher after closing Friday's round with five straight birdies for a 65, the best round of the tournament so far and certainly unreachable on Saturday. He bogeyed two of the first four holes to fall four strokes behind Choi.

Jim Furyk also was in contention, despite a couple of bogeys in the first six holes. He was five shots behind Choi.

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