I was completely confused by the whole golf scene with the Italian guy and Sayid.... until... I started wondering (and talking with a friend at lunch) about if that "opening" scene was out of order! Wonder if all the stuff with Elsa took place FIRST, and then the scene at the end of the show with Ben saying he had another name for Sayid and Sayid replying that they will know he is after them now and Ben saying, "good' happened SECOND. When the Italian man on the golf course seemed so upset on learning who Sayid was - wonder if the golf scene really occurs THIRD. And that makes it reasonable that the Italian man knows who Sayid is and tries to get away from him. He knows Sayid is trying to kill him.

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`Dear, dear! How queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual. I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is, Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle!'

-- Alice, from “Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland”

seems very possible to me

Yes, I do believe that the writers could be very tricky on how they have ordered stuff so far on the show.

I think it could be very possible that some flashbacks we have seen in this series, could be flash forwards and we don't know it. Yeah it is outlandish but hey, DL and CC are some tricky guys

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"How stupid are you Miles?" - Jack

Well if that is the case, we might need to look at it that way for all previous and next flashforwards.

It is possible that the golf scene was played in the proper order. Sayid was able to kill the Italian without any witnesses and without leaving any clues that it was him. The man looked terrified when he found himself with one of the Oceanic 6, because of his own involvement in the Oceanic cover up. He may have known someone was killing those involved. Casually running into one of the six would be more than a coincidence.... so he showed proper fear.

I think Sayid said "now they know I am after them" after he shot Ilsa because she had knowledge of who he was and what his mission was and she had been reporting it to the economist. Now the identity of the assassin is common knowledge amongst those he is hunting. Before they may have suspected it was one of the six, but were not for sure which one.

Maybe...But it would be a little unsettling.

AKA

Doubt it.

I agree with the frogmeister. I think they played them in the correct order. Why Ben would say 'good', he's either just being Dirty Harry-like or he thinks maybe they will come after Sayid thus becoming easier targets...

Sayyid's not the golf-playing type. Seemed to me that he was in the golf club all morning that specific day for a specific reason, rather than exploring new ways of enjoying life and spending his "settlement money". Sayyid and weapons seems to be a usual coupling under the circumstances hinted, but it's still curious how "prepared" he was, for a day at the club! I'm not sure about who the Italian guy might be but considering that Sayyid's Oceanic reference scared him, he seemed to be related to the Economist. I think the golf-murder scene could be the 3rd in the linear temporality of flash forwards.

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"Bear...? Is that you?"-- Hurley S03E4

I agree with you, but he seemed to play quite well, didn't he? So maybe he really plays Golf more often. When I saw the scene, I was like "OMG, Sayid has become a snob!" ^^

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- Does anyone know how to use a gun?
- I think you just pull the trigger.

- Hey kid, what's eating you?
- Nothing, he's at the top of the food chain!
(The Lion King^^)

I have thought this for awhile now... they lead us to believe that everything is running in linear time, but I don't think that time is exactly running linear on the show.

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`Dear, dear! How queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual. I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is, Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle!'

-- Alice, from “Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland”