Open Diary

Wie is not amused after latest blunder

(LEE MILNER/AP)

To become the first female Open winner has always been an ambition of the prodigious Michelle Wie, and she could certainly use such a dreamy thought today to take her mind off an awful weekend.

The Hawaiian 18-year-old, a star with umpteen endorsement deals since she was a kid, has famously never won a professional event. She has contested 61, including 47 on the LPGA Tour.

After a third-round 67 on Saturday in the LPGA State Farm Classic, she was just one shot off the lead. Playing superbly, she was in sniffing distance of that elusive breakthrough win. And that was precisely the moment she was told that she had failed to sign her scorecard on her second round. And thus she was disqualified.

"It's really unfortunate. I don't know why or how it happened," Wie said. Her infraction of the strict rules occurred because she left the defined scoring area before signing her card.

The error was discovered midway through Wie's third round, but she was not informed until after her final putt on Saturday. The task of telling her fell to the LPGA's director of tournament competitions, Sue Witters, who gave Wie the boot in a small office in an LPGA trailer.

"I felt like I was telling somebody that there was no Santa Claus," Witters said.

Eh? No Santa Claus?

No Bo Jo no-no, but posters? Poor show

The Diary would never do a Boris Johnson and question the all-round good-eggness of Liverpool and her fine people. The city is proud of having the Open nearby, especially in this City of Culture year, when events such as the weekend's Tall Ships Races are common.

A pity then, that Liverpool needs so many posters around town warning: "Watch your wallet while you watch for birdies. Don't let a thief mark your card at the Open." There was also this one: "Enjoy the tall ships but keep your treasure buried. Keep an eye on your wallet, bag or mobile."

Students keen to cut out negativity

On Saturday night at Liverpool Central station there was not only a temporary knife-detection scanner for all passengers disembarking, but 20 police officers inside the station and dozens more in vans nearby. "Why?" we asked.

"No special reason," came the reply.

"Is town always like this?" the Diary asked passers-by. Laura Peters, 20, and Kirsty McDonough, 21, were among those who said, regretfully, that it was.

"But golf can help make the world a better place," said Laura, a theology and sociology student. It was a view echoed by Kirsty, who is taking a product-design degree and wants to invent a golf ball that finds its own way to the hole.

So how can golf make the world a better place, exactly? "We both work in a bar nearby. And it doesn't half bring in the customers."

Handy Andy goes off the beaten track

Prince Andrew was here over the weekend, and more than once helped players to look for missing balls. Observed one spectator: "He looks a dab hand around a bit of rough."

Straight to the Tower!

Birkdale scotches Hansen's hopes

Some courses on the Open roster shrug off their snootiness when the show comes to town, like friendly Hoylake two years ago. Unfortunately, we fear Birkdale remains a little hoity toity, and not just because a respected golf correspondent was turfed out of the clubhouse on Saturday for wearing jeans. It's the attitude towards Scottish ex-Liverpool players we can't stand. Despite Alan Hansen and Kenny Dalglish living on the edge of the course, we hear both have been denied membership. Offside, or what?

Nick Harris

'I would have got no better than five under in that breeze'

As imagined by Nick Harris

Dateline: Orlando.

Jeepers! Who would ever believe you could win a major injured! Outstanding work, Padraig. Now try it hopping.

Whatever next? A player on a stretcher winning the USPGA? Or maybe a struggler from Birkdale. Perhaps even Tinky Monty.

"Don't be blue, Tiger honey," said my beautiful wife, Elin, on Saturday. "We'll create our very own final two rounds at the British Open right here."

"You mean we'll invite some guys I've never heard of and some old folks, sweetie?"

"No honey, I mean with the BBC. And a coupla wind machines."

Didn't Saturday's breeze kick butt? I don't think I would have managed better than five under. Certainly all your great English golfers tore up the field. Wakefield. Wood. I just don't have the space to list them all.

And what about poor Beejayzus Villegas? His score went up faster than a litre of your British gasoline. Golly, I miss England.

"You ain't comin' in here, mate!" said Elin, in her cute put-on British accent, conjuring a flavour of the clubhouse. Then yesterday she prepared the biggest treat. She walked into the den with two rounds of cheese sarnies and a mug of PG Tips and announced: "On the tea! Tiger Woods!"

"Honey, I know you're real down about this whole double stress fracture and ACL reconstruction," she said. "But let's pretend it's just another regular final day at a major."

I dearly love Elin for so many reasons, not just because she's a smart, funny, compassionate former bikini model. She can always raise my spirits.

There she was, ready to play the role all day of the famous Open starter, Ivor Robson. What a remarkable dude! Never goes to the bathroom all day.

"Tiger, honey," said Elin, late afternoon. "I really need to go pee."

"Ivor wouldn't, sweetie."

"OK, honey. But just in case, where did you put Sam Alexis's diapers?"

Right then, I had an uncomfortable reappraisal of Ivor. Luckily I was distracted by the presentation of the Jug.

Peter Dawson was saying, "And the champion golfer of 2008 is –" when little Sam Alexis toddled in and sat on the remote. The channel jumped to 71, where Dipsy and Po were shouting "Tinky Winky".

"Never gonna happen," said Elin.

Complete final-round scores

(GB or Irl unless stated)

283 (3 over)

P Harrington 74, 68, 72, 69.

287 (7 over)

I Poulter 72, 71 , 75, 69.

289 (9 over)

G Norman (Aus) 70, 70, 72, 77.

H Stenson (Swe) 76, 72, 70, 71.

290 (10 over)

*C Wood 75, 70, 73, 72.

J Furyk (US) 71, 71, 77, 71.

292 (12 over)

D Howell 76, 71, 78, 67.

R Karlsson (Swe) 75, 73, 75, 69.

E Els (SA) 80, 69, 74, 69.

P Casey 78, 71, 73, 70.

S Ames (Can) 73, 70, 78, 71.

S Stricker (US) 77, 71, 71, 73.

R Allenby (Aus) 69, 73, 76, 74.

A Kim (US) 72, 74, 71, 75.

B Curtis (US) 78, 69, 70, 75.

293 (13 over)

A Scott (Aus) 70, 74, 77, 72.

J Leonard (US) 77, 70, 73, 73.

K J Choi (S Kor) 72 67 75 79.

294 (14 over)

P Mickelson (US) 79, 68, 76, 71.

*T Sherreard 77, 69, 76, 72.

F Jacobson (Swe) 71, 72,79, 72.

G McDowell 69, 73, 80, 72.

P Waring 73, 74, 76, 71.

J Van de velde (Fr) 73, 71, 80, 70.

G Havret (Fr) 71, 75, 77, 71.

A Hansen (Den) 78, 68, 74, 74.

T Immelman (SA) 74, 74, 73, 73.

J Van de velde (Fr) 73 71 80 70.

G Havret (Fr) 71, 75, 77, 71.

D Love III (US) 75 74 70 75.

R Mediate (US) 69, 73, 76, 76.

A Noren (Swe) 72, 70, 75, 77.

S Wakefield 71 74 70 79.

295 (10 over)

A Romero (Arg) 77, 72, 74, 72.

R Green (Aus) 76, 72, 76, 71.

H Slocum (US) 73, 76, 74, 72.

N O'Hern (Aus) 74, 75, 74, 72.

T Lehman (US) 74, 73, 73, 75.

T Hamilton (US) 74, 74, 72, 75.

R Goosen (SA) 71, 75, 73, 76.

296 (14 over)

B Bryant (US) 70, 78, 74, 74.

W Austin (US) 76, 72, 74, 74.

J Williamson (US) 73, 72, 77, 74.

G Bourdy (Fr) 74, 74, 75, 73.

A Canete (Arg) 78, 71, 76, 71.

D Duval (US) 73, 69, 83, 71.

T Aiken (SA) 75, 71, 82, 68.

M Weir (Can) 71, 76, 74, 75.

C Villegas (Col) 76, 65, 79, 76.

S Khan 77 72 71 76.

G Storm 76, 70, 72, 78.

R Fisher 72, 74, 71, 79.

297 (15 over)

A Wall 71, 73, 81, 72.

M Campbell (NZ) 75, 74, 74, 74.

D Labelle (US) 78, 70, 74, 75.

S Appleby (Aus) 72, 71, 79, 75.

Z Johnson (US) 73, 72, 76, 76.

D Frost (SA) 75, 73, 73, 76.

S Garcia (Sp) 72, 73, 74, 78.

298 (18 over)

K Stadler (US) 72, 75, 78, 73.

C Montgomerie 73, 75, 74, 76.

R Finch 75; 73, 78, 72.

T Gillis (US) 74, 72, 79, 73.

S Verplank 79 (US) 7, 67, 78, 76.

P Hanson (Swe) 71, 72, 78, 77.

299 (19 over)

Wen-chong Liang (Ch) 77, 71, 77, 74.

J Lomas 75, 73, 76, 75.

S Hansen (Den) 75, 69, 77, 78.

300 (20 over)

L Westwood 75, 74, 78, 73.

D Horsey 74, 70, 79, 77.

J Baptiste Gonnet (Fr) 75, 72, 73, 80.

301 (21 over)

J-F Lima (Por) 73, 76, 75, 77.

M Wiegele (Aut) 75, 74, 78, 74.

J Rollins (US) 73, 75, 77, 76.

J Overton (US) 72, 75, 75, 79.

J Rose 74, 72, 82, 73.

C Parry (Aus) 77, 70, 77, 77.

B Jones (Aus) 74, 73, 83, 71.

P Larrazabal (Sp) 75, 74, 73, 79.

302 (22 over)

L Glover (US) 78, 71, 77, 76.

N Dougherty 75, 71, 79, 77.

303 (23 over)

M Kaymer (Ger) 75, 72, 79, 77.

304 (24 over)

P Archer 75, 74, 78, 77.

306 (26 over)

S O'Hair (US) 75, 73, 80, 78.

311 (31 over)

Chih-bing Lam (Sing) 72, 75, 83, 81.

(*denotes amateur)