SB Nation Chicago - The Open Championship 2012: Ernie Els Wins After Adam Scott Blows Lead

The Open Championship 2012 Results: Luke Donald Snares Top 5 Finish

2012-07-23T13:42:19Z

Luke Donald was far from the story at the 2012 British Open, but the world's top ranked golfer had a redemptive weekend. Donald— a native Englishman who graduated from Northwestern— had two disappointing showings at the 2012 major tournaments, finishing tied for 32nd place at the Masters and missing the cut at the U.S. Open.

But at the 2012 Open Championship, Donald snuck into the top five, tying for fifth at 2-under with Graeme McDowell. Ernie Els' 68 on Sunday propelled him to the championship, but Donald was— in a sense— right behind him, shooting 68 on Sunday to vault up the leaderboard. Donald was solid all week, shooting no lower than 68 and no higher than 71.

Illinois graduate Steve Stricker tied for 23rd at 2-over, which is a step down from where he finished (tied for 15th) at the 2012 U.S. Open.

Keep it locked to SB Nation Chicago for 2012 British Open tee times, results and updates. Or for more, head over to SB Nation's golf news hub and check out their 2012 British Open StoryStream.

2012 British Open: Ernie Els Takes Claret Jug After Adam Scott Blows Lead

2012-07-22T17:49:12Z

For a while, it seemed like Adam Scott was firmly on his way to winning this year's Open Championship, but things unraveled in stunning fashion for him as Ernie Els rallied from four strokes down with just three holes remaining to have his name etched into the Claret Jug once again.

Looking to win his first career major, Scott seemed to be totally in control entering the 15th hole, but he proceeded to bogey the final four holes of the round after putting himself in a clear position to win. Els took advantage of that opening, making a birdie on the 18th hole to put him one stroke ahead as Scott entered the final hole.

After shooting scores of 64, 67 and 68 over the first three rounds, Scott appeared destined to win his first major; instead, he treated fans to a stunning disappointment. A birdie on the 14th hole put him at 10-under for the tournament, four strokes ahead of the field with just four holes remaining, but a series of poor shots on the final four holes allowed Els to rally for the stunning victory.

On the 18th hole, Scott made a fantastic shot to put himself in a position to force a playoff, but he missed a reasonable put from eight feet out that would've extended his bid for victory.

Keep it locked to SB Nation Chicago for 2012 British Open tee times, results and updates. Or for more, head over to SB Nation's golf news hub and check out their 2012 British Open StoryStream.

2012 British Open Leaderboard: Adam Scott Maintains Lead As Final Round Winds Down

2012-07-22T16:38:18Z

Adam Scott hasn't been great on Sunday at the 2012 British Open, but he's been good enough to maintain a comfortable lead as the final round nears its end. Scott has shot 1-over on Sunday through 14 holes, bringing his score down to 10-under on the weekend, yet he still holds a four shot lead over the rest of the field.

Scott's closest competitor at the moment is Ernie Els, who has made a run at the title on Sunday. Els has shot 1-under in the final round, which is more impressive than it looks on a day that has seen a majority of the field shooting in the black. Els is through 16 holes at 6-under.

Tiger Woods, meanwhile, hasn't shot well in the final round. Woods, who is in Scott's group, is through 14 holes at 3-over, bringing his total score to 3-under, tying him for third with Graeme McDowell.

If Scott can finish his round without a historic collapse, it would be the first major victory of his career. His best finish in a major came in 2011 when he tied for second at the Masters, and he's almost certainly at least guaranteed to top that.

Keep it locked to SB Nation Chicago for 2012 British Open tee times, results and updates. Or for more, head over to SB Nation's golf news hub and check out their 2012 British Open StoryStream.

British Open 2012: Tee Times And Pairings For Sunday

2012-07-21T21:30:26Z

The schedule and pairings for the final round of the British Open have been released. The final pairing of the day will feature Adam Scott, who leads at 11-under, and Graeme McDowell. McDowell enters the final round at 7-under and is tied with Brandt Snedeker, who will be paired with Tiger Woods. Northwestern alum Luke Donald will be paired with Kyle Stanley, while University of Illinois alum Steve Stricker will be paired with Peter Hanson. Here is a look at the last five pairings for Sunday:

7:50 a.m. CT -- Bubba Watson, Thomas Aiken

8:00 a.m. CT -- Bill Haas, Thorbjorn Olesen

8:10 a.m. CT-- Ernie Els, Zach Johnson

8:20 a.m. CT -- Tiger Woods, Brandt Snedeker

8:30 a.m. CT -- Graeme McDowell, Adam Scott

Keep it locked to SB Nation Chicago for 2012 British Open tee times, results and updates. Or for more, head over to SB Nation's golf news hub and check out their 2012 British Open StoryStream.

British Open 2012: Adam Scott Holds Lead Heading Into Sunday

2012-07-21T19:04:03Z

Heading into the final round of the 2012 British Open, Adam Scott possesses a four-stroke lead over the rest of the field. Scott has long been considered one of the best young talents in golf, and after his play through the first three rounds, he looks set to break through with his first win in a major.

Scott, who sits at -11, is four strokes ahead of both Graeme McDowell and Brandt Snedeker. McDowell closed out the third round with a 67, while Snedeker struggled and shot a 73. Tiger Woods sits at -6 and is five strokes off the lead. He will be paired with Snedeker on Sunday. Zach Johnson and Ernie Els are both six strokes behind Scott.

Luke Donald delivered another steady round, shooting +1, and is 10 strokes behind Scott. Steve Stricker struggled on Saturday and sits at +1 heading into the final round.

Keep it locked to SB Nation Chicago for 2012 British Open tee times, results and updates. Or for more, head over to SB Nation's golf news hub and check out their 2012 British Open StoryStream.

British Open 2012: Tee Times And Pairings For Saturday

2012-07-21T03:00:15Z

Pairings and tee times have been released for the third round of the British Open. Both Northwestern alum Luke Donald and Illinois alum Steve Stricker played solid golf during the first two rounds, and they'll be among the last groups to start. Here's a look at the last seven groups to tee off:

8:20 a.m. CT -- James Morrison, Steve Stricker
8:30 a.m. CT -- Luke Donald, Steve Alker
8:40 a.m. CT -- Ernie Els, Thomas Aiken
8:50 a.m. CT -- Jason Dufner, Graeme McDowell
9:00 a.m. CT -- Matt Kuchar, Paul Lawrie
9:10 a.m. CT -- Thorbjorn Olesen, Tiger Woods
9:20 a.m. CT -- Adam Scott, Brent Snedeker

For a complete list of pairings and tee times, visit the British Open's website.

Keep it locked to SB Nation Chicago for 2012 British Open tee times, results and updates. Or for more, head over to SB Nation's golf news hub and check out their 2012 British Open StoryStream.

British Open Leaderboard 2012: Luke Donald Moves Up Leaderboard With Strong Second Round

2012-07-20T15:47:44Z

Luke Donald followed up an underwhelming first day in the 2012 British Open with a very solid second-round on Friday at the Royal Lytham & Saint Annes Golf Club. Donald shot a 68 on Friday and moved into the top-10 on the leaderboard thanks in large part to a string of birdies on holes Nos. 4, 5, 6 and 8. He recorded a total of five birdies in the second round and is now 2-under par for the tournament. The Northwestern alumnus and top-ranked golfer in the world is still eight shots behind tournament leader Brandt Snedecker (10-under), but he may hit his stride heading into the weekend rounds.

See the up-to-date British Open Leaderboard by clicking here.

Keep it locked to SB Nation Chicago for 2012 British Open tee times, results and updates. Or for more, head over to SB Nation's golf news hub and check out their 2012 British Open StoryStream.

British Open 2012 Tee Times: Luke Donald Starts Early On Friday

2012-07-20T03:30:03Z

Luke Donald had an underwhelming first day at Royal Lytham & Saint Annes Golf Club considering his lofty standing as the world's top-ranked player, but he can get back into contention with a stronger performance on Friday. On Thursday, the Northwestern grad shot an even 70 in the first round at the Open Championship.

Donald starts at 3:42 a.m. CT, which equates to a 9:42 a.m. start time across the pond in England. He's once again paired with Geoff Ogilvy and Phil Mickelson, who had a brutally disappointing first day at the Open. The sport's most famous lefty shot 3-over, putting him in a serious hole as he looks for another major championship.

Illinois grad Steve Stricker starts right after Donald at 3:53 a.m. CT, once again paired with Toru Taniguchi and Anders Hansen.

3:42 a.m. CT -- Luke Donald, Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy

3:53 a.m. CT -- Steve Stricker, Toru Taniguchi, Anders Hansen

Keep it locked to SB Nation Chicago for 2012 British Open tee times, results and updates. Or for more, head over to SB Nation's golf news hub.