BRITISH OPEN : The Course Gets Tougher, and the Field Gets Closer : Golf: Pavin catches Faldo for a share of third-round lead, but some of the best in the world--Norman, Langer, Price--are right there.

The local stuffed shirts watched bravely the looting of their golf course through two rounds of the 122nd British Open before deciding it high time the scoring got higher.

Desperate times require desperate actions.

So, it was off to the greens to stop the madness at Royal St. George’s, a course that was giving away 67s and not taking it well.

The lords set out Saturday to relocate the 18 pin positions to points on the greens where the sun doesn’t shine.

That, combined with a rainless day and afternoon winds, made “anyone’s guess” the favorite in today’s final round.

After Saturday, 11 players stood within five shots of the lead.

Nick Faldo followed his course-record 63 on Friday with par 70, but that was good enough to retain a share of the lead at 202, eight under par.

One of the few players able to slink up the board was Corey Pavin, the stick-thin shotmaker from UCLA who poked his way around the course for a 68 to saddle up next to Faldo.

This is rarefied air for Pavin, 33, who has won tons of money and respect through the years, but never a major.

Pavin dreams of the day he does.

“I’d have everyone stop asking me, ‘What’s it like to be the best player never to win a major?’ ” he said. “I’d get that off the roster of questions.”

For Faldo, who wears the crown of defending champion and world’s best player, nothing less than top-of-the-leader-board was expected.

So there it is: The Yank vs. the Bloke.

How often do you get these chances?

“All the cards are in place,” Pavin said.

But it’s more than a two-man match.

Perched closely behind the leaders are several future members of golf’s Hall of Fame.

Greg Norman, looking for his second major title and first since 1986, shot a 69 and is one back, tied with Masters champion Bernhard Langer, who shot 70.

“I wish I could go play right now,” Norman said after Saturday’s round. “That’s how good I feel.”

Three back at 205 are Australian Peter Senior and Nick Price.

Remember him?

After lurking in the shadows for two days with steady but unspectacular play, Price shot a 67 Saturday.

“I had to play aggressively,” Price said. “I had to shoot a score to get up the leader board somehow.”

The most remarkable jump of the day was made by Australian Wayne Grady, the 1990 PGA champion who has missed the cut in seven of 11 previous tournaments. He shot a 64 and suddenly found himself tied with Fred Couples and South African Ernie Els at 206.

Playing in the calm of the morning, before the leaders, Grady took advantage of the conditions.

“It was a fabulous score,” Norman said, “but he went out early, the pressure was not there.”

Grady’s rise further muddles the picture.

“Here’s a guy that can shoot 64-64 and win the tournament,” Norman said. “And he was 10 shots out. Now he can win it. I think that’s great.”

The course turned in the afternoon, as the leaders battled high winds on the fairways and stingy greens.

“There are so many bumps and hollows,” Faldo said, complaining of the pin placements. “So many double breakers. It’s very difficult to read when it moves both ways and is in a cross breeze. It shows you can set up any course where you can control what the score will be.”

Many thought the course best suited Pavin, 5 feet 9 and 140 pounds, who makes up for his lack of power with brainpower and clever shotmaking.

“He’s one of the finest, smartest players with what he has,” Price said. “Corey wasn’t given a lot, he doesn’t hit the ball far, but he’s the fiercest player I’ve played against. The links courses are tailor-made for him.”

Said Norman of Pavin: “He’s the best shotmaker in the world. He can make the ball talk more than anyone.”

Still, the average golf fan probably wouldn’t give Pavin much of a chance if the final round turns into a shootout against Faldo.

But that doesn’t seem to bother Pavin, who isn’t what you would call shy.

Unlike some, Pavin scours the leader board while he plays, measuring his position against the field.

“I like to know what’s going on,” he said. “If someone’s playing well, I want to know. If I get a lead, I want to know. Sometimes I’ll play accordingly. There’s no harm in looking at the leader board unless, when you look up and see your name, you get nervous.”

Faldo doesn’t scare Pavin.

“He’s the best in the world right now,” Pavin said. “He’s probably not going to make many mistakes. He’s been there before. He’s going to be tough. I’d like to think I’m going to be tough.”

Faldo is right where he wants to be. Right where he said he would be. He figures this is his tournament to lose.

An impending storm is supposed to turn today’s final round into a bath, which plays into another Faldo strength. Among other things, he is a great bad-weather player.

Some say he holds the psychological advantage.

“It’s more of a question for them,” Faldo said of his opponents. “Hopefully, I can draw upon my experience. If they see my name there and it makes it divert their attention from what they’re doing. . . . well, I hope that’s a secret up the sleeve.”

Faldo turns 36 today. He will spend a restful morning before his afternoon round.

“My darling wife will make me eggs, sausages, and lots of wonderful things,” he said. “I’ll just kill time.”

Then, he hopes, the field.