The Open Championship 2012 Results - Ernie Els Pulls Off Longshot Victory

The storylines coming into the 2012 British Open were the usual ones -- Tiger Woods was predicted to win, with a handful of other guys coming in as close seconds. This year in Golf has proven that anything can happen at a Major though, and Ernie Els took advantage of it after a late meltdown by Aussie Adam Scott provided the groundwork.

Scott had performed wonderfully through the first several days and found himself up four strokes with four holes to go. Unfortunately, the Aussie wouldn't win his first ever Major after bogeying three straight holes and then missing a seven-foot putt that would have put him into a playoff. All that Els had to do was play efficient golf and watch the meltdown before being presented with the Claret Jug.

It was the fourth title win of Els' career, and the second British Open.

Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson, also favored players coming into the Open, both had bad showings. Mickelson was out by the first cut and Watson was only able to finish 2-over, putting him in a tie for 23rd place. Tiger Woods, the favorite from the beginning, had an awful triple bogey late in the tournament to put him out -- he ended in a tie for third place with a 3-under score.

Cleveland native Jason Dufner made the cut but had a mediocre time of it at the Open, finishing in a tie for 31st place with a 3-over scoreline.

For more 2012 British Open coverage, stay with this StoryStream. For more golf news and analysis, be sure to visit SB Nation's golf hub.

British Open 2012 Purse: Champion Ernie Els Takes Home $1.45 Million In Prize Money

Tour veteran Ernie Els backed into his fourth career major title on Sunday afternoon at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in a thrilling final round, as 54-hole leader Adam Scott couldn't find a way to stay composed down the stretch.

Els' clubhouse score of 7-under par appeared quite beatable by the locked-in Scott at the time, until the Australian proceeded to quickly bogey each of his final four holes to effectively give the tournament away. For his troubles, Scott coughed away more than $600,000 in prize money by finishing in second place, as Els was bestowed with the $1.452 million top prize.

Tied in third place and set to receive $479,992 apiece were Americans Brandt Snedeker and Tiger Woods. Both men entered Sunday's round with a legitimate chance to pull off a victory, but could not tame the brutal conditions and numerous bunkers featured throughout the course.

Cleveland's own Jason Dufner finished in a tie for 31st place after a rough final round as well, and is set to receive $48,672 in addition to 39 FedEx Cup points. Dufner finished 7-over par for the weekend after opening the tournament with successful rounds of 70 and 66, but still posted the best finish at a British Open of his career after making the cut.

For the full payout breakdown on a per-player basis, go here.

For more 2012 British Open coverage, stay with this StoryStream. For more golf news and analysis, be sure to visit SB Nation's golf hub.

British Open 2012 Results: Ernie Els Takes Major Title After Late Struggles By Adam Scott

On a day when low scores were elusive for anyone trying to get the better of Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, it was former champion Ernie Els who came away with a thrilling victory over 54-hole leader Adam Scott.

Although it initially appeared that Scott would cruise to a multiple shot victory entering the final stretch, the Australian clearly felt the nerves on the biggest stage and proceeded to bogey four straight holes. Scott's slip-up opened the door wide open for Els, who birdied the 18th hole to card a 2-under 68 for the day and move to 7-under for the championship.

Needing a par to force a playoff with the more experienced Els after his previous bogey string, Scott's drive at No. 18 landed in a brutal fairway bunker and immediately eliminated his chances at a birdie. Even though he would hit a brilliant approach to give himself a great look at a tournament-saving par, the 32-year-old Scott couldn't quite find the bottom of the cup on his final shot and left a major once again with a sour taste in his mouth.

A four-time major champion who now has two British Open titles on his resume, Els overcame a number of personal struggles to put forth yet another impressive week at a major championship. His near-flawless back nine score of 32 ultimately served as the basis for his massive comeback, as the 42-year-old veteran finished his week at 7-under on the final nine holes alone.

For more British Open news, stay with this StoryStream. For more golf analysis, be sure to check out SB Nation's golf hub.

British Open Leaderboard 2012: Adam Scott Drops To 10-Under Through Three

Adam Scott has already run through a whole spectrum of emotions through three holes Sunday, as he bogeyed the par-3 first hole, birdied No. 2 and wound up in a bunker on hole No. 3, leading to a bogey.

The Australian now sits at 10-under par, three shots ahead of Brandt Snedeker, who's at even par for the day. Tiger Woods also is even through five and lurks just four strokes back at 6-under par.

Graeme McDowell dropped an early shot to fall back into a tie with Tiger at 6-under, while Louis Oosthuizen is 1-under on the day and sits at 3-under par overall.

After a 3-over par 73 Saturday, Jason Dufner again is struggling. He's 4-over on the day and has dropped 19 spots thus far.

Weather should not be a huge factor Sunday -- it's pleasant and partly cloudy, with winds at 10-15 mph.

For constant British Open updates Sunday, stick with this StoryStream. Head over to SBNation's dedicated golf hub for all golf news and analysis.

British Open 2012: Sunday TV Coverage, Streaming, Live Updates And More

With the third major title of the year up for grabs, it was 32-year-old Australian Adam Scott who took the difficult track at Royal Lytham & St. Annes by storm to carry a four-stroke advantage into Sunday's final round with an 11-under par score.

Scott, who has never won a major title in his career, finished in a tie for second place at the Masters in 2011, and could be just one mistake-free round away from adding his name to the long list of major champions. Lurking in the second to last group behind Scott and his playing partner Graeme McDowell is none other than Tiger Woods however, a man who presents a constant challenge at the sport's biggest events. Woods carded an even par 70 on Saturday to remain in the hunt despite missing several short putts, but will need to make up ground rather quickly to have a chance at leapfrogging Scott.

Live TV coverage of the final round will start up at 6:00 a.m. EST on ESPN, although Scott and McDowell are not scheduled to tee off until 9:30 a.m. A live online stream will also be available, as Watch ESPN and TheOpen.com will each offer a live broadcast throughout Sunday's action.

For more British Open coverage, stay with this StoryStream. For more golf news and analysis, head over to SB Nation's golf hub.

2012 British Open: Tee Times And Pairings For Sunday

The 2012 British Open is set to wrap up with its fourth round on Sunday, and Adam Scott has the lead firmly in his grasp at 11-under for the tournament. He didn't have a great showing in round three but still finished 2-under on the day and is looking to hold onto that lead. Brandt Snedeker and Graeme McDowell are tied for second place at 7-under, trailing by four shots.

Snedeker had a very rough day on Saturday and finished round three at 3-over, which is certainly a relief for Scott. Tiger Woods is in fourth place at 6-under and finished even on Saturday, missing a good opportunity to get closer to the top spot as Scott faltered slightly.

Cleveland native Jason Dufner had a poor showing in round three and ended up 3-over on the day and has dropped down to a tie for 14th place. Below, we've got tee times for Sunday, all of them in eastern time:

2:20 a.m. - Martin Laird
2:30 a.m. - John Daly and Tom Watson
2:40 a.m. - Jeev Milkha Singh and Rafael Cabrera-Bello
2:40 a.m. - Charles Howell III and Ross Fisher
3 a.m. - Chad Campbell and Andres Romero
3:10 a.m. - Lee Slattery and John Senden
3:20 a.m. - Warren Bennett and Aaron Baddeley
3:30 a.m. - Juvic Pagunsan and Retief Goosen
3:40 a.m. - Bob Estes and Richard Sterne
3:55 a.m. - Rory McIlroy and Fredrik Jacobson
4:05 a.m. - Brendan Jones and Ted Potter Jr.
4:15 a.m. - Thongchai Jaidee and Yoshinori Fujimoto
4:25 a.m. - Gonzalo Fernadez-Castano and Nicolas Colsaerts
4:35 a.m. - Pablo Larrazabal and K.J. Choi
4:45 a.m. - Sang-moon Bae and Adilson Da Silva
4:55 a.m. - Lee Westwood and Toshinori Muto
5:05 a.m. - Geoff Ogilvy and Miguel Angel Jimenez
5:15 a.m. - Ian Poulter and Greg Owen
5:30 a.m. - Branden Grace and Jim Furyk
5:40 a.m. - Rafael Echenique and Troy Matteson
5:50 a.m. - Gary Woodland and Rickie Fowler
6 a.m. - Paul Lawrie and Carl Pettersson
6:10 a.m. - Simon Dyson and Garth Mulroy
6:20 a.m. - Jamie Donaldson and Dale Whitnell
6:30 a.m. - Francesco Molinari and Harris English
6:40 a.m. - Padraig Harrington and Joost Luiten
6:55 a.m. - Steve Stricker and Peter Hanson
7:05 a.m. - Thomas Bjorn and Hunter Mahan
7:15 a.m. - Alexander Noren and Justin Hicks
7:25 a.m. - Matthew Baldwin and Keegan Bradley
7:35 a.m. - Steven Alker and James Morrison
7:45 a.m. - Greg Chalmers and Simon Khan
7:55 a.m. - Anirban Lahiri and Nick Watney
8:05 a.m. - Vijay Singh and Jason Dufner
8:20 a.m. - Luke Donald and Kyle Stanley
8:30 a.m. - Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar
8:40 a.m. - Mark Calcavecchia and Louis Oosthuizen
8:50 a.m. - Bubba Watson and Thomas Aiken
9 a.m. - Bill Haas and Thorbjorn Olesen
9:10 a.m. - Ernie Els and Zach Johnson
9:20 a.m. - Tiger Woods and Brandt Snedeker
9:30 a.m. - Graeme McDowell and Adam Scott

For more British Open coverage, stay with this StoryStream. For more golf news and analysis, head over to SB Nation's golf hub.

British Open Leaderboard 2012: Brandt Snedeker Slides, Adam Scott Holds Lead

Round 3 of the British Open has been a near-disaster for former leader Brandt Snedeker, who bogeyed six times through his first 16 holes. He's shooting 4-over on the day so far and has slid into a tie for third. Adam Scott has a firm grasp on the top spot, going 2-under through 16 holes and sitting at 11-under for the tournament.

Scott's closest competition is Graeme McDowell at 7-under, but Tiger Woods isn't far behind, tied for third place with Snedeker at 6-under. After a shaky start that featured two bogeys in his first three holes, Woods has settled down to shoot for par through 16 holes.

Cleveland-area golfer Jason Dufner had a tough day, shooting 3-over for a tournament score of 1-under and dropping 10 places into a tie for 15th.

For more British Open coverage, stay with this StoryStream. For more golf news and analysis, head over to SB Nation's golf hub.

British Open 2012: TV Schedule, How To Watch Online And More

Brandt Snedeker leads a crowded field with a 10-under after two rounds of play at the 2012 British Open. Tiger Woods is in third place at 6-under, and Jason Dufner is tied with four other golfers in fifth place at 4-under. It sets up what promises to be an eventful Round 3 on Saturday, one golf fans will not want to miss.

In order not to miss the action, set fans in the U.S. should set their alarms early. Play kicks off at 3:10 a.m. Eastern, and television coverage starts at 7 a.m. Eastern on ESPN. Online streaming is available from ESPN3 starting at 5 a.m.

A live stream of the action is also available from TheOpen.com, the British Open's official website, starting at 5 a.m.

For a complete leaderboard, check out Golf.com.

Stick with this StoryStream for leaderboard updates, tee times, news and more from the 2012 British Open. For all things golf, be sure to check out SB Nation's golf hub.

British Open 2012: Tee Times And Pairings For Saturday

Round 2 of the 2012 British Open is in the books. American golfer Brandt Snedecker currently leads the field with a stunning 10-under. Right behind him is Adam Scott at 9-under, followed by Tiger Woods at 6-under. Jason Dufner is one of five players tied for fifth place at 4-under.

Snedecker and Scott are paired together for Round 3 on Saturday. They are scheduled to tee off at 10:20 a.m. Eastern. Woods and Thorbjorn Olesen tee off at 10:10 a.m. Dufner is paired with Graeme McDowell, and the two are scheduled to tee off at 9:50 a.m.

Some of the other pairings and tee times for Saturday include:

3:20 a.m. ET - Tom Watson, Lee Westwood
3:30 a.m. ET - Chad Campbell, John Daly
3:40 a.m. ET - Adilson Da Silva, Rickie Fowler
5:15 a.m. ET - Frederik Jacobson, Jim Furyk
9:20 a.m. ET - James Morrison, Steve Stricker
9:40 a.m. ET - Jason Duffner, Graeme McDowell
10:10 a.m. ET - Thorbjorn Olesen, Tiger Woods
10:20 a.m. ET - Adam Scott, Brent Snedeker

The full list of tee times and pairings is available on the British Open website.

A complete leaderboard from the tournament is available via Golf.com.

Stick with this StoryStream for leaderboard updates, tee times, news and more from the 2012 British Open. For all things golf, be sure to check out SB Nation's golf hub.

British Open 2012: Brandt Snedeker Owns 36-Hole Lead At 10-Under, Jason Dufner Remains 6 Strokes Back

After 36 holes in the brutal conditions at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Glub this week in England, 31-year-old Brandt Snedeker has yet to make a single bogey. In what has been a remarkable stretch for the Nashville native, one that has seen him ascend the leaderboard to take a one-stroke lead into the weekend's final two rounds, Snedeker carded a 6-under round of 64 on Friday to firmly stake his claim.

Snedeker will join Adam Scott, who is one stroke behind the pace at 9-under, in Saturday's final pairing, while Tiger Woods (6-under) and Thorbjorn Olesen (5-under) also remain right in the mix. Woods used a jaw-dropping chip-in for birdie on the 18th and final hole on Friday to pull himself into third place and set things up nicely for the weekend.

Right behind the early favorites in a tie with four other men is none other than Cleveland's own Jason Dufner. Dufner responded from an opening round of 70 that included two double bogeys on Monday with a 4-under 66. The strong Friday performance has Dufner squarely in a tie with fellow contenders Paul Lawrie, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell and Thomas Aiken, who all remain well within striking distance. Aside from Snedeker's stunning round of 64, Dufner's second round 66 tied with the Danish Olesen as the second lowest of the day.

For more British Open coverage, stay with this StoryStream. For more golf news and analysis, head over to SB Nation's golf hub.

British Open 2012: Tigers Woods Is On The Prowl

Tiger Woods finished off his second round in classic fashion by sinking an amazing chip-in birdie from a deep bunker off the 18th green. After sinking the shot, Woods concluded the day at 3-under, which was the same score he finished with on the first day.

It was just Woods' second birdie on the back nine at the Open Championship this week, and it helped him break away from a pack of five golfers tied for fourth at 4-under.

Woods now sits only four strokes back of the lead for the tournamnet and owns sole-possession of third place.

With Brandt Snedeker at 10-under and Adam Scott at 9-under, Tiger is officially on the prowl by setting himself to take the lead over the weekend.

For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.

For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.

British Open 2012: Tiger Woods Alone In Third Place

After shooting a 67 in the first round of the 2012 British Open, Tiger Woods continued his steady play by improving to 5-under par for the tournament when he gained an additional two strokes on the front nine of his second round.

Woods managed to birdie Holes No. 4 and No. 6 to earn sole possession of third place on the leader board and has effectively closed the gap between himself and the current leader, Brandt Snedeker who was at 10-under par.

The real challenge will come on the back nine where Woods 1-over during his opening round.

With the course expected to be wet and playing conditions to remain slow, Woods will hope to continue to narrow the gap between himself and Snedecker before his round is finished.

For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.

For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.

British Open 2012: Luke Donald Gives Caddie Day Off

On Friday, Luke Donald put together an impressive performance during the second day of 2012 British Open when he shot a 68, which was two strokes better than his first round on Thursday.

The only difference between the days was that Donald used a replacement caddie during his second round because John McLaren (Donald's regular bag master) was excused from his duties in order to be in attendance for the birth of his first child.

New caddy (Gareth Lord) on the bag today as I've given Johnny the day off to welcome his 1st child into the world!! Gd luck Mr & Mrs McLaren

— Luke Donald (@LukeDonald) July 20, 2012

Gareth Lord acted as McLaren's fill-in and was available because Robert Karlsson (Lord's regular employeer) withdrew from the tournament earlier this week. Donald and Lord have teamed up together in the past, so it wasn't unusual for either one to do their job.

That means that McLaren will have plenty of time to enjoy his new-born daughter.

Via SB Nation:

"For me that was an important thing in my life to be around for [the birth of a child], especially your first one, and enjoy that experience," Donald said. "But I know what he's like. He's very passionate about his job, as well, and he'll get back here when he's ready."

Stick with this StoryStream for leaderboard updates, tee times, news and more from the 2012 British Open. For all things golf, be sure to check out SB Nation's golf hub.

British Open Leaderboard 2012: Ben Curtis Going Home After Dismal Second Round

A full leaderboard for the British Open can be found at Golf.com and the current top 10 can be found below:

1. Brandt Snedeker -10

2. Paul Lawrie -6

t2. Zach Johnson -6

4. Adam Scott -5

5. Ernie Els -4

6.Bubba Watson -3

t6. Graeme McDowell -3

t6. Tiger Woods -3

9. Steven Alker -2

t9. Luke Donald -2

British Open Odds: Odds On Tiger Woods Victory Improve After Round 1

The latest odds for the 2012 British Open are available, and following his 3-under performance in Round 1 odds on a victory for Tiger Woods have improved from 8/1 to 5/1, according to Vegas Insider. Adam Scott is the man currently in the lead after posting a 6-under in Round 1. Odds that he'll be in the lead by the end of Round 4 are 7/1. Odds that Cleveland native Jason Dufner will win the tournament currently stand at 80/1.

Some odds for other golfers of note:

• Rory McIlroy 7/1
• Adam Scott 7/1
• Zach Johnson 12/1
• Graeme McDowell 15/1
• Nicolas Colsaerts 15/1
• Paul Lawrie 15/1
• Ernie Els 20/1
• Field (all others) 20/1
• Bubba Watson 25/1
• Luke Donald 25/1
• Steve Stricker 25/1
• Padraig Harrington 30/1
• Peter Hanson 30/1
• Francesco Molinari 30/1
• Brandt Snedeker 30/1

2012 British Open: TV Coverage, Streaming, Live Updates And More

The 2012 British Open continues early Friday morning with Round 2, and there are plenty of ways for fans to tune in. ESPN will provide television coverage of the event beginning at 4:30 a.m. ET. WatchESPN will be streaming the event online starting at 4 a.m. ET, with some streams limited to those with cable subscriptions but many open to all. There is also live video of holes 9, 10 and 11 available at TheOpen.com, but access is limited to fans in the United Kingdom.

Live video of the event is also available on mobile devices. The Open Championship app has live scoring, a course guide, video from holes 9, 10 and 11 and is available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

Stick with this StoryStream for leaderboard updates, tee times, news and more from the 2012 British Open. For all things golf, be sure to check out SB Nation's golf hub.

2012 British Open Leaderboard: Adam Scott Alone At Top, Jason Dufner At Even Par

Cleveland native Jason Dufner had a rough back nine and finished at even par 70 for the first round of The Open Championship.

Dufner was two-under through the front nine, but recorded two double-bogeys on the back nine before birdies on holes No. 16 and No. 18 pulled him back to even par.

Adam Scott is atop the leaderboard after shooting a 6-under 64. If he had birdied No. 18 instead of bogey it, he would have shot the lowest round in a major championship. Scott scored three birdies and one bogey on the front nine, with five birdies and the one bogey on the back nine. From holes 11-16, Scott birdied five of the six holes.

Zach Johnson, Nicholas Colsaerts and Paul Lawrie are one stroke behind Scott. Some notable names, including Tiger Woods, are tied for sixth after a 3-under 67. Columbus native and Kent State alum Ben Curtis couldn't find the form that won him the 2003 tournament, as he shot a 5-over 75.

Here is the full leaderboard and below is the top 10.

1. Adam Scott (-6)

T2. Nicholas Colsaerts (-5)

T2. Paul Lawrie (-5)

T2. Zach Johnson (-5)

5. Brandt Snedeker (-4)

T6. Tiger Woods (-3)

T6. Rory McIlroy (-3)

T6. Ernie Els (-3)

T6. Bubba Watson (-3)

T6. Four others tied at -3

2012 British Open Leaderboard Update: Ben Curtis Struggles In 1st Round

The first round of the British Open is underway and for many players, in the books. Adam Scott presently occupies the top spot after finishing 6-under, while Paul Lawrie, Zach Johnson and Nicolas Colsaerts share a tie for second place at 5-under. The top five is rounded out by ... eight different players, as Ernie Els, Bubba Watson, Tiger Woods, Graeme McDowell, Toshinori Muto, Keegan Bradley, Rory McIlroy and Jbe Kruger share the spot at 3-under.

Muto, Bradley, McIlroy and Kruger have yet to finish their first round though, and could improve their standing before it's all said and done. Cleveland native Jason Dufner is tied for 39th, having finished his round even on the day.

On top of that, Ben Curtis has just wrapped up his day. Curtis won the Open back in 2003 but had a string of pretty bad years following it. He recently started playing a bit better though, and was hoping to make a dent at the Open. That being said, he finished tied for 135th place at 5-over after one round, so he'll need to improve things sooner rather than later.

For more coverage of The Open Championship, stay with SB Nation Cleveland. For more golf news and analysis, be sure to head over to SB Nation's golf hub.

British Open Leaderboard: Pair Of Double-Bogeys Leaves Jason Dufner Even After Round 1

Jason Dufner had a strong start but rough finish on Day 1 at the British Open.

Dufner was 2-under through nine holes -- for what it's worth, that was the same score through No. 9 as Adam Scott, who finished Round 1 with the lead at 6-under -- but faded down the stretch.

While Scott birdied five holes on the back nine, Dufner, No. 2 among 2012 PGA money leaders, recorded a pair of double-bogeys -- first on the par-4 13th and then on the par-4 15th. He followed that up with two birdies on the final three holes, but that was only good enough to scratch back to even.

Tiger Woods is currently in a six-way tie for fourth place at 3-under. Ernie Els and Bubba Watson are also at 3-uder.

Zach Johnson and Paul Lawrie are tied for second place at 5-under.

A complete, updated leaderboard is available at Golf.com.

British Open Leaderboard 2012: Jason Dufner, Tigers Woods In Action Early

Cleveland native Jason Dufner got off to a solid start at this year's British Open, which began Thursday.

Dufner, who started the week at No. 8 in the world rankings and No. 2 in 2012 earnings, was -2 through 11 holes. That was good for a four-way tie at No. 8.

A complete, updated leaderboard is available at Golf.com.

Tiger Woods, No. 4 in the world and No. 1 in earnings, shot -4 through 13 holes.

Adam Scott of Australia led through 17 holes at -7.

Dufner had two birdies and nine pars on his first 11 holes. The birdies came on two of the course's shortest holes: the par-3 No. 1 (205 yards) and the par-3 No. 9 (165 yards).

A list of online viewing options is available here.

For more on the British Open, you can stick with this SB Nation Cleveland story stream, or check out SBNation.com's golf hub.

2012 British Open: TV Coverage, How To Watch Online And More

The opening round of the 2012 British Open Championship will get underway from Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club bright and early on Thursday morning in England, as the best golfers on the planet desperately try to get a leg-up on their competitors with a strong first day.

Live online streaming coverage will be available at the British Open's official website starting at 12:30 a.m. EST Thursday morning, and will be simulcast on both Facebook and LiveStream in addition to being featured on The Open's iPhone and Android applications.

After whetting your appetite with the online stream, live network television coverage will begin four hours later at 4:30 a.m. on ESPN, and will run until the conclusion of the day's round at 3:00 p.m. An encore presentation will also be aired on ESPN until 6:00 p.m. immediately following the live broadcast.

For more Open coverage, stay with this StoryStream. For more golf coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's golf hub.

2012 British Open: Rory McIlroy Flying Under The Radar

With Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson potentially grabbing center stage in the first two days of the 2012 British Open, young star Rory McIlroy can fly under the rader at this year's tournament.

In addition, local boys Lee Westwood and Luke Donald will undoubtedly be commanding the attention of the local media, which will leave the 23-year old without much pressure and he wouldn't want it any other way.

Coming into last year's tournament fresh off a dominating performance at the U.S. Open (which saw him not only win his first major championship but also be heralded as the new face of professional golf), McIlroy faced a wealth of scrutiny and hype at the British Open which he handled poorly, notably citing poor weather conditions for his disappointing play.

With the hype largely subsided, McIlroy can now enter this year's championship focused on playing rather than living up to expectation.

Via USA Today:

"It's been lovely just going about my business," McIlroy said. "It's been nice to sort of prepare and there's definitely not the madness that was going on last year."

Stick with this StoryStream for results, leaderboard updates and more from the 2012 British Open. For all things golf, check out SB Nation's golf hub.

British Open 2012: Slow Play Will Be Policed At Royal Lytham

When the 2012 British Open gets underway on Thursday, officials at Royal Lytham will be on patrol trying to cut down on slow play by competitors.

Citing extended play by golfers as hurting the sport, threesomes will have 4.5 hours to complete the course on Thursday and Friday while duos will have 2 hours and 45 minutes to finish during the weekend, according to Royal Lytham's championship committee head, Jim McArthur.

However, there is not much officials can do other than to tell the golfers they are playing too slowly.

Via SB Nation:

"This year, we are making slow play a priority," McArthur said. As Golf Digest's John Huggan noted, however, McArthur also sprinkled terms such as "mitigating" and "circumstances" into his remarks.

"We give each group a time schedule for each hole, and we monitor that very stringently," McArthur averred. "And if a group is out of position with the game in front or over the time schedule, we initially start with words of encouragement to communicate with them and tell them that they are over the schedule or out of position. If they don't respond to that, we then put them on to the clock and deal with them that way."

Stick with this StoryStream for results, leaderboard updates and more from the 2012 British Open. For all things golf, check out SB Nation's golf hub.

2012 British Open: Players To Watch

With the 2012 British Open beginning on Thursday, all eyes will be fixed on Tiger Woods to see if he can end his four-year drought without winning a major championship.

In addition to Woods, SB Nation's Adam Fonseca believes that fans should keep their eyes on Lee Westwood as well. Having his own problems at majors, Westwood could breakthrough this weekend.

Via SB Nation:

Lee Westwood -- Speaking of elusive majors, Westy could write a book on his near misses at majors through his impressive career. He is pulling out all the stops this week in England, choosing to skip last week's Scottish Open so he could get an early look at Royal Lytham in the hopes of winning his first major victory. In the past four years, Westwood has recorded at least a fourth-place finish in seven majors, including two runner-up finishes in 2010. Enough's enough for Westwood, and this very well might be his week.

Fonseca also believes that Bubba Watson, Steve Stricker, Justin Rose and Marcel Siem should all have your attention.

You can read his article in full, here.

Stick with this StoryStream for results, leaderboard updates and more from the 2012 British Open. For all things golf, check out SB Nation's golf hub.

British Open 2012: How To Watch The British Open Online And On Mobile

The 2012 British Open is set to get underway on Thursday, and there are a number of ways for golf fans to watch the Open Championship online. WatchESPN.com is the primary source to legally stream the tournament, with coverage beginning Thursday at 3:30 a.m. ET. A cable subscription is required for some of the feeds, but many are accessible to all. A live feed will also be available at TheOpen.com, but only for fans in the UK.

This year is also the first time that Royal Lytham and St. Annes has made watching the British Open online possible via mobile device. Live scoring, video highlights, a course guide, and a live stream of holes 9, 10 and 11 will all be accessible via apps available for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.

Stick with this StoryStream for results, leaderboard updates and more from the 2012 British Open. For all things golf, check out SB Nation's golf hub.

2012 British Open Odds: Tiger Woods Remains Odds-On Favorite To Win

The latest odds for the 2012 British Open are available, and according to Vegas Insider Tiger Woods remains the odds-on favorite to win the Open Championship. Odds for a victory by Woods are currently set at 8/1.

There are a pair of Cleveland-born golfers in the mix: Jason Dufner and Ben Curtis. Dufner is a respectable but long shot at 40/1 while Curtis, who recently broke a six year winless streak, is a considerably longer shot at 80/1.

Some more odds for golfers of note:

• Rory McIlroy 10/1
• Lee Westwood 12/1
• Luke Donald 15/1
• Padraig Harrington 20/1
• Phil Mickelson 25/1
• Justin Rose 25/1
• Sergio Garcia 30/1
• Martin Kaymer 30/1
• Rickie Fowler 30/1
• Graeme McDowell 30/1
• Francesco Molinari 30/1

The course has been described as "unplayable," so those odds may shift once play is underway. Come Thursday, the 2012 British Open is anyone's tournament.

Stick with this StoryStream for results, leaderboard updates and more from the 2012 British Open. For all things golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub.

2012 British Open: R&A Chief Defends Course Against Criticism About 'Unplayable' Rough

With the 2012 British Open set to begin on Thursday, one of the biggest story lines heading into the championship is the difficulty of the courses' rough. Tigers Woods, the early odds favorite to win the tournament, even came out and said that the rough is 'almost unplayable,' which was a sentiment shared by other players as well.

Peter Dawson, the chief executive of the Royal & Ancient came to the course's defense and set the record straight.

Via The Guardian:

"The rough is up but the course is reasonably generous on width and most of the players seem happy with it, at least those I have spoken to, maybe 20 or so," Dawson said. "It's nature. We are not starting bailing rough on seaside courses. It grows in the month before the championship. Some years we have a dry summer [and] you get wispy rough; in wetter warmish conditions you get thick rough and a softer course. We don't cut the rough other than the first and second cut."

With rain in the forecast for the days leading up to the start of the tournament it's safe to say the rough issue should be present in this year's tournament.

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2012 British Open: Tee Times, Groupings Announced For Thursday

With the 2012 British Open scheduled to begin on Thursday, the pairings for the first two days of the tournament have been announced with some notable pairings.

Lee Westwood will be playing with Yoshinori Fujimoto and Masters champion Bubba Watson, while Tiger Woods will be playing with Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia. In addition, Phil Mickelson will be playing with Geoff Ogilvey and Luke Donald while Rory McIlroy will be paired with Louis Oosthuizen and Keegan Bradley.

Here is the complete list of pairings:

1:19 a.m. ET -- Barry Lane, James Driscoll
1:30 a.m. ET -- Richard Finch, Garth Mulroy
1:41 a.m. ET -- Matthew Baldwin, Adilson Da Silva, Tadahiro Takayama
1:52 a.m. ET -- Rafa Echenique, Kodai Ichihara, John Huh
2:03 a.m. ET -- Sandy Lyle, Todd Hamilton, Mark Calcavecchia
2:14 a.m. ET -- Alejandro Canizares, Jeev Milkha Singh, Greg Chalmers
2:25 a.m. ET -- John Daly, Chad Campbell, Michael Hoey
2:36 a.m. ET -- Thongchai Jaidee, Justin Leonard, Simon Khan
2:47 a.m. ET -- David Duval, Raphael Jacquelin, Miguel Angel Jimenez
2:58 a.m. ET -- Stephen Ames, Robert Rock, Kyle Stanley
3:09 a.m. ET -- Stewart Cink, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Johnson Wagner
3:20 a.m. ET -- Jamie Donaldson, Bill Haas, Ye Yang
3:31 a.m. ET -- Davis Love III, Tim Clark, Paul Lawrie
3:42 a.m. ET -- Adam Scott, Alan Dunbar (A), Matt Kuchar
3:58 a.m. ET -- Vijay Singh, Nick Watney, Ian Poulter
4:09 a.m. ET -- Darren Clarke, Ernie Els, Zach Johnson
4:20 a.m. ET -- Lee Westwood, Yoshinori Fujimoto, Bubba Watson
4:31 a.m. ET -- Dustin Johnson, Graeme Mcdowell, Hiroyuki Fujita
4:42 a.m. ET -- Tiger Woods, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia
4:53 a.m. ET -- Ryo Ishikawa, Martin Kaymer, Tom Watson
5:04 a.m. ET -- Thomas Bjorn, Aaron Baddeley, Charl Schwartzel
5:15 a.m. ET -- Jason Dufner, Martin Laird, Kevin Na
5:26 a.m. ET -- James Morrison, Daniel Chopra, Joost Luiten
5:37 a.m. ET -- Thorbjorn Olesen, Troy Matteson, Thomas Aiken
5:48 a.m. ET -- Brad Kennedy, Mardan Mamat, Steven Tiley
5:59 a.m. ET -- Warren Bennett, Aaron Townsend, Grant Veenstra
6:10 a.m. ET -- Dale Whitnell, Sam Walker, Elliot Saltman
6:31 a.m. ET -- Bob Estes, Steven O'Hara, Brendan Jones
6:42 a.m. ET -- Juvic Pagunsan, Scott Pinckney, Nicholas Cullen
6:53 a.m. ET -- Steven Alker, Lee Slattery, Russ Cochran
7:04 a.m. ET -- Tom Lehman, Pablo Larrazabal, Greg Owen
7:15 a.m. ET -- Marcel Siem, George Coetzee, Chez Reavie
7:26 a.m. ET -- Marcus Fraser, Lucas Glover, Gregory Havret
7:37 a.m. ET -- Charles Howell III, Paul Broadhurst, Richard Sterne
7:48 a.m. ET -- Carl Pettersson, K.T. Kim, Gary Woodland
7:59 a.m. ET -- Ben Curtis, Paul Casey, Trevor Immelman
8:10 a.m. ET -- Robert Karlsson, Mark Wilson, Branden Grace
8:21 a.m. ET -- Harris English, Simon Dyson, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano
8:32 a.m. ET -- Angel Cabrera, K.J. Choi, Ross Fisher
8:43 a.m. ET -- Jonathan Byrd, Sang-Moon Bae, Alvaro Quiros
8:59 a.m. ET -- Nicolas Colsaerts, Hunter Mahan, John Senden
9:10 a.m. ET -- Bo Van Pelt, Francesco Molinari, Toshinori Muto
9:21 a.m. ET -- Rory McIlroy, Louis Oosthuizen, Keegan Bradley
9:32 a.m. ET -- Rickie Fowler, Padraig Harrington, Manuel Trappel (A)
9:43 a.m. ET -- Luke Donald, Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy
9:54 a.m. ET -- Steve Stricker, Toru Taniguchi, Anders Hansen
10:05 a.m. ET -- Peter Hanson, Retief Goosen, Robert Allenby
10:16 a.m. ET -- Jim Furyk, Koumei Oda, Fredrik Jacobson
10:27 a.m. ET -- Marc Leishman, Brandt Snedeker, Alexander Noren
10:38 a.m. ET -- Andres Romero, Jbe Kruger, Richie Ramsay
10:49 a.m. ET -- Ted Potter Jr, Ian Keenan, Andrew Georgiou
11:00 a.m. ET -- Troy Kelly, Morten Orum Madsen, Anirban Lahiri
11:11 a.m. ET -- Prayad Marksaeng, Justin Hicks, Ashley Hall

For more coverage of The Open Championship, stay with SB Nation Cleveland. For more golf news and analysis, be sure to head over to SB Nation's golf hub.

British Open 2012: Tiger Woods Favored To Win Open

Despite his concerns about the 'almost unplayable' rough, Tiger Woods will enter the 2012 British Open as the favorite to win the championship.

Although it's been four years since Woods last won a major title, the odds makers still ranked him with twice as good a shot of winning as Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, the two players with the second best odds coming into the tournament.

Here's the latest odds to win at The Open Championship, according to Oddsshark:

Tiger Woods 13/2
Lee Westwood 12/1
Luke Donald 12/1
Padraig Harrington 16/1
Rory McIlroy 16/1
Justin Rose 25/1
Sergio Garcia 28/1
Dustin Johnson 33/1
Francesco Molinari 33/1
Graeme McDowell 33/1
Martin Kaymer 33/1
Phil Mickelson 33/1
Rickie Fowler 35/1
Adam Scott 40/1
Ernie Els 40/1
Hunter Mahan 40/1
Ian Poulter 40/1
Jason Dufner 40/1
Jim Furyk 40/1
Louis Oosthuizen 40/1
Matt Kuchar 40/1
Steve Stricker 40/1
Bubba Watson 50/1
Charl Schwartzel 50/1
Jason Day 50/1
Matteo Manassero 50/1
K.J. Choi 66/1
Nick Watney 66/1
Nicolas Colsaerts 66/1
Peter Hanson 66/1
Ross Fisher 66/1
Alexander Noren 80/1
Fredrik Jacobson 80/1
Henrik Stenson 80/1
Retief Goosen 80/1
Thomas Bjorn 80/1
Zach Johnson 80/1

For more coverage of The Open Championship, stay with SB Nation Cleveland. For more golf news and analysis, be sure to head over to SB Nation's golf hub.

British Open 2012: Tiger Woods Thinks Rough Is 'Almost Unplayable'

With the 2012 British Open set to begin at Royal Lytham on Thursday, Tiger Woods voiced his concerns over the course's rough area going on to say that it is 'almost unplayable.'

The main reason that the area is set to be so difficult is because of the heavy rains that the course has seen and with rain predicted for Monday through Wednesday, the course may become a glorified torture trap for competitors.

Woods' comments via The Guardian:

"Oh my God," was the instant Woods reaction when asked about the rough. "In some places it is almost unplayable."

[...]

"If it's calm, we can shoot some good scores," he continued. "If it's wet, lush, you've got to be more aggressive. Have to see how it's playing. Some years it's fast and some it's not. The two years I played it was quick. The ball was travelling quite a bit. They've made a few changes in tee boxes, lengthened a few holes but most of the bunker adjustments were made the last time."

In anticipation of the inclement weather in the days leading up to the start of the tournament, Woods participated in a practice round on Sunday.

For more coverage of The Open Championship, stay with SB Nation Cleveland. For more golf news and analysis, be sure to head over to SB Nation's golf hub.

The Open Championship 2012: Schedule And Preview

The 2012 British Open Championship will begin on Thursday from England's Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club.