Twenty-nine seniors, or 2,898 days, have come and gone for Rory McIlroy since he lifted the U.S. PGA Championship trophy in Valhalla. Shortly after quarter-finals on the third day of this, the 150th Open Championship, McIlroy jumped to the top of the standings. The fourth round will begin tied in this position and, most significantly, 18 holes from the large number of victories of Seve Ballesteros.
The Spaniard would surely approve of McIlroy claiming number five in St Andrews. In the space of nearly eight occasionally painful years, McIlroy has never been so close to achieving a feat like this. He has never seemed more capable of achieving this. However, the 33-year-old will know, all too well, the hard yards ahead. In Viktor Hovland, who shares 16 below McIlroy, the Northern Irishman has a formidable opponent. The duo exchanged blows as superstar boxers on the third day here. The 66 equalizers felt perfectly adequate as McIlroy and Hovland separated from the field.
Not that it would be prudent to completely discount all suitors. Hovland and McIlroy’s brilliance scale only made an alternate champion difficult to predict. Cameron Young and Cameron Smith are closest to the leaders, with 12 fewer. Kim Si-woo is a shot further back, alongside world number 1 Scottie Scheffler. Kim’s 67 was the lowest score of day three of this group.
If McIlroy emerges victorious, thoughts will turn to the key moment of the third round. A bunker shot from about 30 yards is supposedly the hardest part of golf. What a mockery he made of that concept on the 10th, where he looked for an eagle. What about McIlroy and the sand traps of the major championships? He jumped happily into the Augusta National after finding the bottom of the cup in hole 72 from a bunker next to the green. In Fife, McIlroy hit the air with enthusiastic applause.
Hovland had flown from the traps. The Norwegian sounded four birds in a row from the 3rd. McIlroy, who had missed chances, was the man under pressure. His response, courtesy of the birdies on days 5, 6 and 9 before heroics on the 10th, was that of a champion. Hovland and McIlroy were now tied at 15 less.
McIlroy’s later lead, achieved in the 14th, was nullified in the penultimate hole. Hovland saved by experts from a path. McIlroy, whose second shot was long enough to leave just enough space for a backswing against the perimeter wall, couldn’t score better than five. Both players made birdies at the end, with the scale of mutual appreciation on what had happened during the previous four and a quarter hours.
Viktor Hovland weighs a putt during his impressive third round. Photography: Robert Perry / EPA
Dustin Johnson, the LIV rebel most likely to win the Open, came in 12th down after a dozen holes. He was three in the lead. Bogeys on the 13th, 14th and 16th stopped his charge. The former world number 1 did a birdie to the last after a top run, but at 10 less requires snookers.
Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick sit down again. Fleetwood gave a 66. Tyrrell Hatton started the day at eight minus, but fell to a 73. Hatton watched the slow play of his teammate, Talor Gooch, with murderous intent.
This could be a memorable weekend for Filippo Celli, the Italian fan, who is in pole position to pick up the silver medal. Celli has four less after a 71. He has his eyes set on a bigger prize, next September in his homeland. “I hope to be that Italian who will play the Ryder Cup in Rome,” Celli said. “It would be great.”
Shane Lowry replaced an eagle in the 9th before repeating the feat in the next hole. Such a scenario had not been played in an Open since 2001. Lowry had reached nine below parity at the time, which meant his position of minus seven at the close of the game was a frustration. The 2019 champion believes he “has no chance” of a second win at the Open.
“I felt like half of the nine forwards were doing well, doing nothing great,” Lowry explained. “Obviously 9 and 10 went by and I felt like I was in the tournament.
“I’m quite angry and quite angry, to be honest. I tell myself and keep saying all the time that you want to get to the last nine on a Saturday with the opportunity to do something fantastic. Today I got there and I didn’t act. “So it ‘s very disappointing.”
Jordan Spieth’s 68 moved him to minus eight. “I’ll probably take an ice bath tonight,” he said. “Ice baths are much harder in Scotland than in Memphis.” Spieth is lucky to only visit these coasts in the summer.
“I need some kind of crazy monsoon to arrive tomorrow to have a chance,” Spieth added. “Even though I throw eight below, I still think he loses by more than three. I’m in a position where throwing seven or eight below would mean a very strong end and would take a lot of push. There will be no ‘resignation’. It’s not like would be in the 45th “.
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Xander Schauffele made an eagle in the last, but two sixs behind nine had already given his chances a chance. Schauffele sits down at five o’clock. Jon Rahm and Will Zalatoris are in the same set. Justin Thomas ’bird three on the 17th at 3.15pm was the first of the day in that famous hole, which played more like a pair five. McIlroy and Hovland, Ryder Cup teammates, got to this point while they were still in the middle of an open war. It was the most attractive sports theater.