StrokeAverage.com client Ross Fisher moved ominously up the leaderboard in the 137th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club as the scores went tumbling in the high 70s as 50mph winds battered the Lancashire golf links.

The Wentworth golfer is just five shots behind surprise leader Greg Norman, who has a two-shot lead over defending champion Padraig Harrington and K J Choi.

Ross Fisher, the winner of the European Open at The London Golf Club just two weeks ago, has overcome the fatigue of a month-long schedule of competing in some of the biggest PGA European Tour events of the season in the build-up to the third golf Major.

But the 27-year-old from Ascot, who recently moved across Surrey to Cheam, made light of his work load, and the immensely tough playing conditions, to card a one-over par 71 to climb up to a share of fifth.

Ross Fisher and playing partner Anthony Kim - the fastest-rising young star on the other side of the Atlantic - had to overcome a 20-minute delay on the 10th green after the American's ball kept rolling off the green as the winds whipped around the hole.

Fears that play would have to be suspended for the whole field surfaced as a log jam of golfers built up on the tee, before play was eventually resumed with Ross Fisher racking up a double bogey six.

The hold up didn't see to affect either golfer's concentration as Ross Fisher fought back with three birdies in the final seven holes, including a bounce back at the 11th, and on the par five 17th.

That 71 moved last year's Dutch Open champion from a share of 27th to fifth alongside Anthony Kim, a two-time winner in the States already this year, including the recent AT&T National at Congressional, and the Wachovia Championship at Hollow Quail Golf Course.

Last week's Scottish Open winner Graeme McDowell's hopes of becoming the first StrokeAverage.com client to win back-to-back on the PGA European Tour and make history as the first golfer to win at Loch Lomond Golf Club and then go on to claim the Claret Jug, had a rough day at Birkdale Golf Club.

Playing with 2003 US Open champion Jim Furyk in the penultimate group, both golfers toiled in the fiercest of the playing conditions.

Graeme McDowell, looking for his third win of the season, carded an 80, having reached the turn in four-over after taking six at the first, the former Walker Cup golfer carded two more doubles in his final three holes, for a 10-over par third round that left him in an 11-way share of 28th place on 14-over.

Golf article end.