With an eagle on the meddlesome 17th last night, Padraig Harrington, down among the dead men or so it seemed just a few short days ago, soared back into contention in this Open that had seemed so closed to him because of damage to his wrist. That took him to three over – and just three shots off the pace – but he was not done there. He then birdied the last to set the tournament alight.

Open champion Padraig Harrington's much-anticipated fitness test on an injured wrist lasted just two shots at Royal Birkdale this morning.

The answer is usually blowing in the wind but this time it seems to be carried with greater momentum on the force that is "El Niño". In the absence of the Tiger, Sergio Garcia is being installed as a warm favourite for this year's Open.

Front-running in big-time golf is difficult enough whatever the conditions, but when the heavens have opened and the golfing gods have unleashed one of their most imposing talents to lead the pursuit, the cement tends to cling to the spikes. Credit to Ross Fisher, then, for emphatically prevailing in a torrid final day of the European Open here yesterday. The young Briton did not simply defy the storm that ripped through Kent; he fended off El Niño while he was at it.

A malevolent wind galloped across Kent yesterday but any suspicions it would carry away the lead of the young Englishman at the head of this European Open scoreboard were proven wickedly unfounded. In fact, it was Ross Fisher doing all the blowing away. Just as he has done all week. Graeme McDowell manfully attempted to stick his ground – matching Fisher's eagle on the 15th – but eventually succumbed and ended up three behind his inspired playing partner. There is another three back to David Frost in third and then another two to the best of the rest. It is Fisher's to lose and McDowell's to steal. The others should be competing merely for the incidentals.

Five bookings, no red cards and no penalties. It was a quiet day at the office for Howard Webb in an admittedly undemanding match. Whether Webb will now return home like Greece, or remain at Euro 2008, like Spain, may become clear with today's announcement of the officials for the third and fourth quarter-finals.

After one of the most thrilling back nines of his career - and therefore one of the most thrilling in the history of golf - Tiger Woods strode into a tie for second here at the US Open. So much for a sore knee scuppering his chances of a 14th major. With his putter this hot he could prevail on one leg.

No one was more surprised than Paul Goydos after the American journeyman claimed a 54-hole lead for the first time on the PGA Tour at the Players Championship here in Sawgrass, Florida, on Saturday.

For a few moments, Robert Karlsson thought he was minutes away from becoming the first player to shoot a 59 on the European Tour.

However many regular tournaments Tiger Woods wins, however many he wins in a row, the world No 1 does not consider a year "great" until he has won a major championship.

Colin Montgomerie, so many times Europe's Ryder Cup hero, produced a sizzling back nine to hold off American Charles Howell in the second round of the Accenture Match Play Championship yesterday.