OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP RELATED STORIES Rd 1: Battling Lam makes top 15 with fine 72 Rd 1: Choi crafts brave 72 in worst of weather Rd 1: Liang faces uphill task after opening 77 Rd 1: 17th hole birdie keeps Chia's chances alive Rd 1: Prayad struggles with wind and cold for 77 Rd 2: Choi takes lead with two closing birdies Rd 2: Liang makes first major cut with fighting 71 Rd 2: Lam makes cut and Singapore golf history Rd 2: Late bogies mean early exit for Prayad Rd 3: Choi joint 2nd as Norman storms 2 ahead Rd 3: Liang fires worthy 77 as scores soar Rd 3: Lam is blown away by Birkdale winds Rd 4: Choi heartbroken as Harrington defends Rd 4: Closing 74 gives Liang more major hopes Rd 4: Tough Open makes Lam eye Asian success Rd 4: Angelo Que means to learn and return Final scores The 2008 Open Championship home page Guide to the Royal Birkdale Course Four Australians qualify for The Open 67 Sentosa hopefuls aim for four Open berths Randhawa going for fourth Open outing Chia, Que and Ali lead Open berth battle Chia, Blyth, Lam and Que headed for Birkdale Dyson qualifies for Open - Rodgers, Brown and Jeev miss out Liang to make golfing history at Birkdale Prayad out to erase Masters misery at Birkdale Que looks to ride his winning wave Lam takes a second shot at Open Liang back in the swing and ready to shine Confident Prayad ready to face Birkdale breezes Lam aiming at top 25 - and having fun Chia out for Malaysian first at his second Open Que hoping to become a familiar face ASIAN GOLF TODAY TOP STORIES Ben Leong claims maiden victory PGA: Jeev and Wi tie for ninth Prom targets Thai win in Brunei Shin Ji-yai takes Women's British Open Asian Tour starts 2nd half on a high Norman to play 2009 Johnnie Walker Mission Hills to host AP Summit GOLF TODAY TOP STORIES Paul Azinger names US wildcards Faldo chooses Casey and Poulter Havret gains wire to wire Gleneagles win Sluman clinches First Tee Open with closing 67 Fallout continues over LPGA "English" rule Poulter chooses high risk Ryder Cup strategy

Lam is blown away by Birkdale winds

Royal Birkdale bared its teeth once more at the British Open on Saturday as Singapore’s Lam Chih Bing was blown off course with a third round 13-over-par 83.

Lam, the first Singaporean player to qualify for the weekend rounds at the year’s third major, carded four double bogeys, six bogeys and one birdie at a wind-swept Royal Birkdale which saw winds hit 50mph.

“It was so difficult out there,” said a dejected Lam. “I’ve never seen winds like that in my life. It was so tough, especially on the putting. It was so difficult to read the putts on the greens. On some of the shots, I was over the ball and I got blown off on my downswing.”

The Asian Tour stalwart started off steadily with a birdie on three erasing a bogey on the opening hole. But he boarded the dreaded bogey train from the fifth hole, finding thick rough with errant drives on the fifth and sixth and three putting the seventh hole.

With strong winds making life difficult for the elite field, par became a premium and Lam dropped four double bogeys and two more bogeys over his remaining 10 holes to fall right down the leaderboard from his overnight tied 38th position.

“I’m very disappointed, I wished I played better. It’s something which hopefully I can draw from it. I can learn a lot from today’s round. Hopefully tomorrow conditions will be better and I play a bit better,” he said.

“I was playing fairly well through six holes and then three putted the seventh from 15 feet. Those two doubles on nine and 10 really killed me. On nine, I flew the green and didn’t have a shot and on 10, I made a bad swing and three putted 12 and 13.”

Playing alongside former Open champion Tom Lehman, Lam said that he learnt from his more illustrious playing partner, who carded a commendable 73.

“I think the main thing was watching how Tom played today. Just seeing him make minor adjustments in the wind, I don’t have some of the shots that he have. On some holes, he turned the club over a little bit to counter the wind which is something I was lacking on a day like today.

“It was also good to play with Tom as he was a nice guy. I enjoyed having the opportunity to play with him,” said Lam.

July 19, 2008