By Tim Dahlberg
The Associated Press

SANDWICH, England - Greg Norman wasn't expected to contend in the British Open to begin with. On Friday, reality and a brutal Royal St. George's links caught up to the former champion.

Norman's brief flurry with the lead ended on the front nine, on his way to an 8-over 79 that effectively ended his hopes of winning on the same course where he won his last Open 10 years ago.

Norman shot 69 in the opening round and was only a stroke off the lead when he teed off Friday. But he made four bogeys and a double bogey for a front nine 42 that left him complaining about tough pin placements.

"They were right on the verge of being a bit ridiculous," Norman said. " They were putting them all on little knobs and down slopes and if you got on the wrong side of the hole there was no way."

Norman hadn't played much this year and at the age of 48 is effectively finished as a major championship challenger. For one round he managed to bring back some good memories, but they evaporated on the front nine of his second round.

"It is a major championship but they are going to have to be very careful with how they set up the golf course," Norman said.

The two-time Open winner wasn't about to give up all hope, though. He managed to make the cut by two shots and will be playing on a weekend where strange things can happen.

"Anyone who made the cut right now has a chance to win this golf tournament," Norman said. "All you have to do is shoot a pair of 67s and that puts you at even par and even par is a shoe-in to win this golf tournament given the way conditions are."

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TOO EARLY

Ian Woosnam has a reputation as a guy who doesn't like to go to bed too early at night.

He also doesn't like to get up too early in the morning.

That was a problem Friday when Woosnam was in the second group off the tee at Royal St. George's at 6:41 a.m.

Woosnam promptly went out the bogeyed the first three holes before waking up and making four birdies on the next six. He ended up shooting a 75 that put him at 149.

"I had a good time but who wants to get up at 4:30 and play golf," Woosnam said. "I've never done that in my life before."

Woosnam said he actually slept well but was dreaming of a birdie-birdie-birdie start instead of the three bogeys. His biggest problem after the round was trying to figure out to do the rest of the day.

"I didn't even have a drink last night but I'm going to have one now, though," Woosnam said. "I'm going to have something to eat and laze around and watch TV. It's too windy to go and practice really."

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STREAKING

Despite firm and gusty conditions at Royal St. George's, Fredrik Jacobson played the first 29 holes without a bogey.

Once the streak ended, he started another.

The Swede's bogey on No. 12 was the first of six in a row. He ended with a par to shoot 41 on the back nine, and his 76 left him at 4-over 146.

"I managed to make a four at the last or maybe I would go 29 holes without a par," Jacobson said.

Jacobson might have had an excuse, though. He missed the last of the on-course toilets and was trying to find a place to go when confronted on the 14th by a television camera.

"I would really recommend, if anything, more toilets for the players on the course," Jacobson said.

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RIGHT AT HOME

Some of the locals have been giving Ben Curtis the hometown treatment until he starts to speak and they realize he's from Kent, Ohio - not Kent, the home county of Royal St. George's.

"I've been bumping into so many people who live in Kent and they've been asking me where I come from," Curtis said. "I've been saying, 'I'm from Kent, too.' Everyone I've met has been great."

His first trip to the British Open has been memorable for other reasons.

Curtis qualified with a tie for 13th in the Western Open, his best finish of his rookie season on the PGA Tour. He opened with back-to-back rounds of 72 and was in contention going into the weekend.

"I've always dreamed of coming over here and playing," said Curtis, a three-time Ohio Amateur champion. "Hopefully, I can finish top 15 and get myself back."

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TURNING PRO

Ricky Barnes, who held his own playing with Tiger Woods as an amateur at the Masters, is turning pro.

Barnes will make his pro debut at The International in August, and has received invitations to play in three other tournaments.

Barnes, who was 21st at the Masters and 59th at the U.S. Open, also played at the Chrysler Classic of Tucson, where he finished 18th.

Barnes can play up to seven tournaments on sponsors exemptions to try and win enough money to earn his tour card next year.

Barnes, who played at the University of Arizona, was the 2002 U.S. Amateur champion and co-winner of the Ben Hogan award for best college player.

He shot 79-74 to miss the cut in the British Open in his last appearance as an amateur.

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WHAT'S IN A NAME

Ernie Els was asked if he knew anything about S.K. Ho, who was leading the tournament about the time Els finished.

"Just that he has a shorter surname than me," Els said.

Els, the defending champion, followed his first round 78 with a 68 that he said was helped by a pep talk from his 4-year-old daughter, Samantha.

Els said she gave him a pat on the back and told him to make some birdies. He did just that, making four of them a day after he made none.

"I guess it worked. We had a good day," he said.

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UNLIKELY CONTENDER

Of all the names on the leaderboard, the most unlikely might be Marco Ruiz.

That doesn't mean the 28-year-old South American tour player thinks he's overmatched.

"I've been a pro for 10 years. I've played in a lot of good tournaments," Ruiz said. "Not the Open but a lot of good tournaments. I feel confident in my game."

Ruiz was only three shots off the lead after two rounds of a tournament he qualified for earlier this week. It would have been even better but he bogeyed the last hole despite the sparse crowd calling out "Bravo Marco, bravo."

Ruiz, from Paraguay, finished with a second round 71 that left him looking forward to the weekend.

"I'm sure every player out here is nervous but I want to enjoy the next two days," Ruiz said. "I want to play my best game."

Ruiz said the hardest part of the whole week was playing in the local qualifying tournament.

"Qualifying was tougher. You have no one to find your ball, just you and the guys you're playing with. Here, there's a lot of people. It helps you a lot."