Easy scoring leads to jam-packed British Open leaderboard
Under normal circumstances, Saturday is Moving Day. At this British Open, it was Sunday – and, wow, did the field move.
With the field reduced from 156 to 80, you'd expect the scoring average to improve. Combine the small, better-performing field with the best scoring conditions of the week, and the result is a Sunday scoring average of 69.71. That's 2.64 strokes less than the scoring average for the second round that took 38 hours to complete over two days. Thursday's average of 72.24 was slightly better than the windswept and rain-drenched second round.
The under-par scoring average indicates most of the field was well under the Old Course par of 72, but the sheer volume of par-or-better rounds is staggering. All told, 69 of 80 players were at par or better. Twenty-four percent of all holes played surrended birdie or better. Compare that to Round 2, when when 17 percent of all holes were birdied or eagled.
These figures start to tell the story of how poorly Dustin Johnson played relative to the field on Sunday. His 3-over 75 was the only over-par round among players who ended the day in the top 25. Johnson was just one of two players in the top 44 on the leaderboard to finish over par on the day. Luke Donald, who shot 1-over 73, was the other.
Perhaps worst of all, Johnson was the last player in the field to make a birdie on the day, finally breaking through on the 15th hole. However, the good feelings were short lived. Johnson made bogey on the final three holes to shoot the second-worst round of the day, only better than Aussie Ryan Fox, who is in a tie for last place among the weekend field.
The good vibes won't last into the Monday finish. While weather forecasts vary and the conditions can change quickly, the afternoon is expected to bring in windier conditions that should impact the final nine holes of the championship. Potential poor weather may be precisely what Johnson needs to have a chance at capturing his first major title.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
