Five days after describing his Open victory on the Old Course as golf’s Holy Grail, Rory McIlroy will take a share of the lead into the final round of his 150th Championship after a stunning Saturday at St Andrews. With a brilliant eagle from a bunker on the 10th, McIlroy produced a superb third-round 66 to boost his bid to end an eight-year drought and become the first European winner at St Andrews since Nick Faldo in 1990. Only a bogey at the famous Road Hole 17 prevented McIlroy from holding on to the outright lead, with teammate and Ryder Cup partner Viktor Hovland chasing his first major title, carding a bogey-free 66 to join the Northern Irishman on 16 under . McIlroy lifted the Claret Jug in 2014 and won his fourth US PGA title a month later, but he hasn’t won one of the game’s biggest titles since. Augusta National co-founder and three-time Open champion Bobby Jones famously said that a player’s career would not be complete without lifting the Claret Jug on the Old Course. And while McIlroy doesn’t think that’s entirely true, the world number two was well aware of the importance of winning the oldest major title at the Home of Golf. “I don’t know if a golfer’s career isn’t complete if you don’t do it, but I think it’s the Holy Grail of our sport,” McIlroy said at Tuesday’s pre-tournament news conference. Asked about the significance of the win on Sunday, McIlroy told Sky Sports: “It would mean everything because of what I’ve been through the last few years, trying to get fifth. “I have a lot of faith in myself, I know I can do it again. I just have to go out in my own little world and get a good score which I know I can do here.” Australia’s Cameron Smith was in pole position to achieve the feat after shooting a record halfway total of 13 under par, but the world number six three-putted and double bogeyed the 13th as he fell off the pace. Even an error-free front nine of 33 – with birdies at the fifth, sixth and ninth – had seen McIlroy hit behind an inspired Hovland, who had birdied four holes in a row from the third to take the lead from Smith to the top of the leaderboard. However, McIlroy then holed from a bunker near the 10th green for a stunning eagle to take the lead, before Hovland commendably held his nerve to birdie the same hole. McIlroy found the green in two at the 614-yard 14th to set up another birdie and move into the outright lead, only to launch his approach at the daunting 17th over the green and off the wall. The resulting bogey dropped McIlroy back to Hovland, who brilliantly saved par just over the green, with both players making birdie at the last. Smith and Young will start the final round four shots behind after rounds of 73 and 71 respectively, with world number one Scottie Scheffler and South Korea’s Si Woo Kim further back. Two-time major winner Dustin Johnson is six shots back after a 71, with Tommy Fleetwood and US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick on nine under with Australia’s Adam Scott. “Today, when I was having breakfast, it seemed like everybody was making birdies everywhere,” Fleetwood said after his 66. “I had a good start, the middle section was disappointing, but a good finish again. Putts on 16, 17 (both to save par) and 18 feel critical. I’d love to get the chance to come into the back nine tomorrow, but it’s pretty special to still be in and among them.”
The Open
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Viktor Hovland reacts to taking the lead at The Open
Hovland: “Yeah, it was really cool. I probably won’t forget it too soon. No, I played great, but it was also nice to trade a few holes with Rory as well. “I think obviously we both did our own thing. But as we saw, it was still pretty slow out there, and we had to wait for a lot of tee boxes. Yes, Rory and Harry are good guys and we talked about it a bit. So it was a good mix.” (EPA) Jack Rathborn July 16, 2022 9:15 pm 1658001900
Kevin Kisner on stunning Open round at St Andrews: ‘It was a good day’
Kevin Kisner took advantage of favorable conditions to climb the leaderboard on day three of the 150th Open Championship. The world number 25, who made it halfway to par, enjoyed the sunshine and lack of wind to make six birdies on a front nine of 30, one off the record for an Open at St Andrews designated by Tony Jacklin in 1970. His luck ran out on the 351-yard 12th as he left his chip near a badly placed front pin and rolled back into a hole from which he could not get up and down. But the American made amends with a two-shot birdie at the par-five 14th and picked up another shot at the 16th before launching his second bogey of the day at the road hole 17th. Kisner then three-putted for a disappointing par from the front end of the 18th green to card a seven-under 65 and move into the top 10, although he was likely to slip down the leaderboard as the low scoring continued. “The bogey on 12 and the even on 18 is going to eat at me a little bit, but it was a good day,” Kisner said.
Kevin Kisner on stunning Open round at St Andrews: ‘It was a good day’
The world number 25 enjoyed the sunshine and lack of wind to make six birdies on a front nine of 30. Jack Rathborn July 16, 2022 9:05 p.m 1658001332
Tommy Fleetwood hails ‘really cool’ day as momentum builds ahead of final round
Tommy Fleetwood feels he has good momentum after moving up the Open leaderboard with a third-round 66 at St Andrews on Saturday. The 2019 runner-up carded seven birdies as he moved to nine under par heading into the final day on the Old Course. The Southport player hit a level 72 on Thursday but followed it up with a 69 on Friday and is pleased with his improvement throughout the week. “I got off to a really fast start, which I didn’t necessarily need, but I wanted to, so it was great,” said the world number 35 after a round that started with four birdies in six holes and ended with three more in the last five.
Tommy Fleetwood hails ‘really cool’ day as momentum builds ahead of final round
The 2019 runner-up made seven birdies as he moved to nine under par overall in the final round of the Open Jack Rathborn July 16, 2022 8:55 p.m 1658000798
Shane Lowry annoyed and frustrated as he poses problems neutralizes open hopes
Even back-to-back eagles couldn’t lift former Open champion Shane Lowry’s spirits as he was furious with his putting which cost him the chance to win at St Andrews. The 35-year-old, a winner at Portrush three years ago, was one under for his round – five under for the tournament – when he holed a 43-yard wedge from the left fairway at the ninth. Proving that lightning can strike twice, he then sunk his short approach from 46 yards, this time from the fairway, on the next hole that runs parallel in the opposite direction.
Shane Lowry annoyed and frustrated as he poses problems neutralizes open hopes
Lowry birdied the ninth and 10th holes, only for three bogeys to drop him back on the leaderboard. Jack Rathborn July 16, 2022 8:46 p.m 1658000271
The Open 2022: Rory McIlroy reacts to the third round
Jack Rathborn July 16, 2022 8:37 p.m 1657999652
The Open 2022
Both Smith and Young can only be matched by the latter, and both will start tomorrow -12 and four of the two majors at the top. (PA) Jack Rathborn July 16, 2022 8:27 p.m 1657999415
Matt Fitzpatrick fires back round of 69 to sit seven shots off the lead at -9
Yes. Obviously six backs at the moment, which is plenty. But this golf course would go for seven apparently. Yes, this golf course is one of those that you can make low. Obviously the only problem is that most of the low scores tend to come in the morning when the greens are soft. Tomorrow will be more difficult. I’m going to need guys to come back to me. But if I start well, who knows? Yes. Obviously six backs at the moment, which is plenty. But this golf course would go for seven apparently. Yes, this golf course is one of those that you can make low. Obviously the only problem is that most of the low scores tend to come in the morning when the greens are soft. Tomorrow will be more difficult. I’m going to need guys to come back to me. But if I start well, who knows? Jack Rathborn July 16, 2022 8:23 p.m 1657999292
The Open 2022
Just Smith and Young to finish, if they both convert then Hovland and McIlroy could be looking over their shoulders tomorrow at the top of the leaderboard. (EPA) (Getty Images) Jack Rathborn 16 July 2022 20:21 1657998989
The Open 2022: Cameron Smith and Cameron Young look to close within three of the leaders
Cam Smith bogeys the 18th and will have a slim chip to get up and down for birdie to get to -13. Cameron Young is just short of the green and faces a big chip on the 18th to reach this point as well. (EPA) (Getty Images) Jack Rathborn July 16, 2022 8:16 p.m 1657998800
The Open 2022: Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland shoot -16 for share of lead
Hovland also birdied, joining McIlroy at -16 in a tie for the lead heading into Sunday. It’s 66 for Hovland and McIlroy, wild cheers and support at 18. Jack Rathborn July 16, 2022 8:13 p.m
