British Open 2012 Pairings: Notable Matchups for Round 3

The 2012 British Open is halfway over, and there are some exciting groups to watch in Round 3.

Tiger Woods is once again in contention at a major championship at six-under par, and he's chasing Brendt Snedeker, who sits at 10-under par. 

Royal Lytham & St. Annes is a tough golf course that is littered with pot bunkers that can cause players to lose up to two strokes and tall, thick rough that can do the same. No score is safe, and every golfer will need to play with precision in order to stay in contention.

Let's take a look at the notable pairings we'll see in Round 3.

Tom Watson, Lee Westwood: 3:20 a.m. ET

Lee Westwood and Tom Watson barely made the cut at three-over par.

They don't have much of a chance of catching up to the leaders, but both men are among the most respected and well-liked players in the world.

Watson is one of golf's living legends, and any time he gets to play over the weekend at a major is a special event. Westwood is a local, and he'll receive strong support regardless of how close or far he is from victory.

That said, his best finish at the Open Championship was a second-place finish in 2010, and though he's been in contention a few times, this tournament continues to elude him.

Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy: 5:25 a.m. ET

A couple of the UK's finest, Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy, are far from the lead, at two-over par. They'll surely have fun while they're out on the course, but at this point, nobody expects either one to challenge the leaders.

Harrington is a two-time champion, having won the Open Championship in 2007 and 2008, and he's well-loved by the local crowds. 

McIlroy has struggled of late, ever since mid-March, and his struggles continued on Friday. After shooting an opening-round 67, he shot a five-over par round of 75 in Round 2.

Luke Donald, Steven Alker: 9:30 a.m. ET

Luke Donald—the No. 1 player in the world—is the main attraction in this group. Not only is he the top-ranked golfer, but Donald is from England and is one of the local favorites.

Steven Alker is a little-known 40-year-old golfer from New Zealand who's won four times on the PGA Tour of Australia but never in the States or in Europe. 

Donald and Alker are eight shots back of the leader at two-under par, but a couple of excellent rounds could find either one of them right in the thick of it on Sunday.

Graeme McDowell, Jason Dufner: 9:50 a.m. ET

Graeme McDowell is an Irishman who has already won the Open Championship once, back in 2010, and he's in good position to take a crack at another one this year. He and playing partner Jason Dufner—a two-time winner this year on the PGA Tour—both sit at four-under par heading into the weekend.

While six shots may seem like a long ways to go to catch up to Brandt Snedeker's 10-under mark, this golf course can cause players to lose strokes in a hurry. Both men have a realistic chance to challenge for the lead with two good rounds over the weekend.

Tiger Woods, Thorbjorn Olesen: 10:10 a.m. ET

Tiger Woods is right where he wants to be after two rounds. He's only four shots back from Brandt Snedeker's lead, and with two more rounds like the ones he put together over the last couple of days, he could finally win his 15th career major championship.

Thorbjorn Olesen, Woods' Round 3 playing partner, is a 22-year-old European golfer from Denmark who recently won the Sicilian Open on the European Tour. 

Both men are in prime position to challenge Snedeker, but I'll be surprised if Olesen manages to keep it cool playing with Mr. Woods on Saturday in Round 3.

Brandt Snedeker, Adam Scott: 10:20 a.m. ET

Brandt Snedeker hasn't made a single bogey so far through two rounds at the Open Championship. He's on fire to start the tournament, but he'll need to continue his hot play if he hopes to win.

Adam Scott is also hot, and his score of nine-under par through two rounds is only one off of the lead.

Both men are seeking their first major championship, and they'll be hard-pressed to do so with the aforementioned Mr. Woods nipping at their heels.

This weekend will be a huge test for both of them, and I look forward to watching them test their nerves and the golf course over the next couple of rounds. 

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