NOTEBOOK

updated 7:27 p.m. ET July 20, 2008

SOUTHPORT, England - Take this as either a consolation prize or more torment. Greg Norman has an offer to return to the Masters, which invites the top four players and ties from the British Open.

“Time out,” Norman said Sunday, motioning with his hands. “I’ve got a lot of water to go over the dam to get to that.”

Norman last played the Masters in 2002 when he received a special foreign exemption and tied for 36th, and there was no guarantee he would show up next April. Despite his remarkable performance at Royal Birkdale, the 53-year-old Norman said it did not inspire him to start playing more golf.

He will be at Royal Troon next week for the Senior British Open, then the Broadmoor in Colorado for the U.S. Senior Open, and he has no plans anywhere else the rest of the year.

The coveted invitations might mean more to Ian Poulter, who finished second, and Henrik Stenson, who tied for third, although both are high enough in the top 50 that they might have gotten in, anyway.

Chris Wood, the 20-year-old amateur from England, bogeyed the final hole, and that cost him. A par would have given him a tie for third and a ticket to the Masters.

The top 10 are guaranteed a trip to Turnberry for the British Open, so at least Wood won’t have to go through qualifying.

The British Open exempts the top 10, although that didn’t affect too many players. David Howell of England, whose 67 was the best score of the final round, was exempt this year from winning the BMW PGA Championship in 2005. That exemption expires this year.

Choi's chance
For the second year in a row, K.J. Choi played in the final group on a weekend at the British Open.

That first major title will have to wait.

Choi was the 36-hole leader at the British Open, and the South Korean was still right in the thick of things going to Sunday’s final round two strokes off the lead.

But Choi had a miserable time on the greens, missing numerous short putts and closing with a quadruple-bogey 8 on the final hole for a closing-round 79 that dropped him all the way to 16th place.

“I had no feel for my putting,” said Choi, blaming his woes on the blustery conditions. “I learned a lot this week. I’m not disappointed.”

A year ago at Carnoustie, he also played in the final group on Saturday but faded to a tie for eighth. Choi is the winningest Asian player in PGA Tour history, and he’s not giving up on capturing one of golf’s biggest events.

“I feel I’m getting close to winning a major,” Choi said. “I’m not really that far away.”

Paddy's fashion
With a cool breeze gusting off the Irish Sea, most players went with a couple of layers of clothing — or at least a long-sleeve shirt.

Not Padraig Harrington.

The Open champion teed off in a navy sweater, but he shed it on the way to the second hole. Harrington played the rest of the round in short sleeves — even when the wind really started howling.

“I did think it was cold today, but I was comfortable swinging in a shirt and I did not want to change any feeling that I had,” he said. “I definitely did need to put a sweater on. It was cold at times, but you never change anything when it’s working OK. I was going to stick with what I had. It was going nicely.”

Ryder Cup update
Steve Stricker made the most out of narrowly making the cut.

Stricker, who was 11th in the Ryder Cup standings, went 71-73 on the weekend and tied for seventh. That was worth 387 points, and moved him up to No. 9. The top nine after the PGA Championship in two weeks qualify for the team because Tiger Woods is not playing.

Jim Furyk earned 719 points for his tie for fifth, moving him closer to clinching a spot at No. 5.

137th British Open At Royal Birkdale Golf Club Harrington wins second straight Open Opinion: Norman's honeymoon ends Vote: Did Norman choke again? Notebook: Shark headed back to Masters? Poulter's game finally matches his bravado Wood no longer novice at Royal Birkdale British Open final leaderboard Vote: Was the Open better without Tiger?   Slide show: Images from the Open Special feature: Past Open champions Tournament history and records  |  Courses

Lefty's lament
Phil Mickelson was merely an afterthought at Royal Birkdale, a strange sensation considering he is the No. 2 player in the world and the highest-ranked player at this major.

Then again, this is the British Open, where he rarely contends.

This week was no exception. Mickelson birdied two of his last four holes to close with a 71, putting him at 14-over for the week. His only success was a 68 in the second round to make the cut. He tied for 19th, one week after he tied for 38th in the Scottish Open.

“I didn’t play to the level I would have liked,” Mickelson said. “I thought I hit a lot of good shots, but I really struggled on the greens and consequently, my score wasn’t what I would have liked.”

Mickelson didn’t blame the wind, the strongest he has ever faced over four successive days. He felt this week was as good as he has hit the ball in such blustery conditions.

But all his comments were directed at the putting, which could put pressure on short-game coach Dave Pelz.

“When I had a couple of good putting weeks, like at Colonial and L.A., I ended up winning,” Mickelson said. “But I haven’t putted at that level week in and week out, and I’ll have to work on that.”

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