KJ Choi is two solid rounds away from becoming the first Asian to win a major tournament after knocking Greg Norman off the top of an unlikely Open Championship leaderboard.

GREG Norman may be talking down his own chances of winning a third British Open, but some of his younger rivals have few doubts over what he is capable of.

THE nightmare continued for John Daly at the British Open on Friday as the 1995 champion carded an abysmal 89 to miss the cut at a whopping 29-over.

AUSTRALIAN Nick Flanagan joined Sweden's Richard Johnson atop the US Bank Championship leaderboard as the US$4 million (A$4.1 million) tournament hit the halfway stage.

AFTER holding the clubhouse lead for most of the day, Greg Norman was unseated by South Korea's KJ Choi in the second round of the British Open at Royal Birkdale.

AMERICA'S Christina Kim fired a four-under 68 to hang onto a one-shot lead in the LPGA State Farm Classic, with teenager Michelle Wie in hot pursuit.

Scot shows remarkable nerve with 75 after disastrous start

ERNIE Els maintained a proud record of never having missed a cut at the Open as a professional yesterday when he undid the damage of an opening round of 80 thanks to a feisty

Updated at 1500hrsTWENTY two years after first lifting the Claret Jug, Greg Norman today set a testing clubhouse target in the second round of the 137th Open Championship.

Birkdale, Friday, 1530hrs

INSTALLED as the bookies' favourite at 8/1 last night to win his second major title tomorrow, the odds makers understand Jim Furyk is the kind of cool, insouciant golfer

ENGLAND's Justin Rose knows he will have to produce something special today if he is to maintain his chances of winning the Open at Royal Birkdale.

CHAMPION Padraig Harrington, helped by a 35-foot eagle putt at the 17th, picked up four shots in the last four holes to storm into contention at the Open yesterday.

IF SERGIO Garcia fails to lift the Claret Jug by a single shot tomorrow he will have only himself to blame.

Nicklaus queries new generation

AS A two-time Open champion, Greg Norman shouldn't need any advice about how to finish off the job over the weekend, writes Phil Johnson.

FORMER champion Greg Norman continued to roll back the years in the second round of the 137th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale today.

THE Open Championship resumed today amid the threat of being halted by bad weather - but that may not worry some of the biggest names facing an early exit from Royal Birkdale

AUSTRALIAN Adam Scott proved he has fully recovered from a worrying finger injury by moving into contention at the Open.

PAUL Lawrie made it an unwelcome hat-trick of missed Open cuts yesterday when he finished on ten over par for the tournament.