Storms finally arrive: After baking under a sweltering sun the previous two days, Royal St. George's

Storms finally arrive: After baking under a sweltering sun the previous two days, Royal St. George's finally got a bit of stormy weather Wednesday. A rare afternoon thunderstorm halted practice for the British Open and sent fans scurrying for cover. "Have you ever seen lightning in England?" Brad Faxon asked. It didn't rain long enough to soften the rock-hard links -- "I can spit more than that," Niclas Fasth quipped -- but a shift in the wind left players scrambling to adjust their shots. "I've always liked to practice in calm conditions. It's not such a fright," defending champion Ernie Els said, grinning. "I'm sure the wind is going to blow 25 miles an hour." Just after sundown, another line of showers gave the course a more significant dousing, but the players weren't counting on much relief. Asked how much rain would change the course, Faxon replied, "About three days straight."
Ernie's caddie: Defending champion Ernie Els had some extra help as he finished up a practice round. His 4-year-old daughter, Samantha, joined the Big Easy for the final two holes, bounding down the fairways barefooted. "She was becoming bored at the house," Els said. "I wanted her to come out and see what it's like."
No drugs here: Golf doesn't have a drug problem and is unlikely to accept global anti-doping rules anytime soon, Royal & amp; Ancient Secretary Peter Dawson said. Dawson said the rule-making organization is willing to discuss mandatory drug testing but believes the issue would face significant opposition. The World Anti-Doping Agency is pressing all sports to fall in line with a global code setting out uniform drug-testing rules and sanctions. "I think it would take a long time," Dawson said. "I think there are a large number of people in golf -- and I can understand this -- who would say that there is no evidence of drug taking in golf, there's no evidence that drug taking can help you in golf, what's the problem, what on earth are you thinking about?" While golf isn't played in the Olympics, WADA is trying to get all sports to accept a universal code, which includes no-notice testing and two-year bans for serious violations. Dawson said there's no need to test golfers for drugs, though Greg Norman called for mandatory checks and Nick Price has warned that steroids could be tempting for players looking to keep up with ever-lengthening courses. "I'm personally pretty convinced that there's none of it going on," Dawson said. "I've never seen any sign of it." Acting on instructions from the national sports ministry, the French Golf Federation tested six players at the French Open last month. The results have not yet been announced.
No drugs here: Golf doesn't have a drug problem and is unlikely to accept global anti-doping rules anytime soon, Royal & amp; Ancient Secretary Peter Dawson said. Dawson said the rule-making organization is willing to discuss mandatory drug testing but believes the issue would face significant opposition. The World Anti-Doping Agency is pressing all sports to fall in line with a global code setting out uniform drug-testing rules and sanctions. "I think it would take a long time," Dawson said. "I think there are a large number of people in golf -- and I can understand this -- who would say that there is no evidence of drug taking in golf, there's no evidence that drug taking can help you in golf, what's the problem, what on earth are you thinking about?" While golf isn't played in the Olympics, WADA is trying to get all sports to accept a universal code, which includes no-notice testing and two-year bans for serious violations. Dawson said there's no need to test golfers for drugs, though Greg Norman called for mandatory checks and Nick Price has warned that steroids could be tempting for players looking to keep up with ever-lengthening courses. "I'm personally pretty convinced that there's none of it going on," Dawson said. "I've never seen any sign of it." Acting on instructions from the national sports ministry, the French Golf Federation tested six players at the French Open last month. The results have not yet been announced.
Long partnership: Bernhard Langer and caddie Pete Coleman, who have been together for 22 years, will part ways after this week. The 62-year-old Englishman will carry the clubs for Lee Westwood after deciding that Langer's schedule, with frequent long trips to the United States, had become too demanding. "Basically, he wants to be mostly in America and I don't want to be stationed there," Coleman said.
Betting game: Tiger Woods remained a solid favorite with the British bookmakers to win the Open, but money was pouring in for Els. Woods, winner of eight majors including the 2000 Open at St. Andrews, was a 3-1 pick by Ladbrokes. The odds on Els repeating last year's victory at Muirfield were cut from 8-1 to 7-1 after a series of big bets and his five-stroke Scottish Open triumph last weekend. Canada's Mike Weir, who won the Masters, was a 16-1 wager. U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk was 20-1.