Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland separate themselves from the pack to lead by four at St Andrews
European pair both shoot 66 to end day on 16-under
Second-round leader Cam Smith has day to forget as he falls back to 12-under
Ian Poulter loses rag at reporters over fresh jeer questions
The Rory McIlroy miracle shot that turned the Open on its head
As much as Rory McIlroy craved to be back at his favourite course after such a long Open absence, he was yet more desperate to return to this position on a major leaderboard.
For the first time since the most recent of his four majors eight long years ago, the Northern Irishman holds the lead going into the final round of one of the Big Four. If the best things truly come to those that wait then McIlroy’s tortuous delay could soon appear more than worth it on Sunday.
And it is not any old major either. This happens to be the 150th Open Championship and between them, McIlroy and the Norwegian Viktor Hovland gifted St Andrews a Saturday duel that made some believe that, hey, maybe 54 holes is indeed the answer.
On 16-under after a pair of 66s, McIlroy and Hovland are four clear of overnight leader Cameron Smith (73) and first-round leader Cameron Young (71) with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler (69) and Si Woo Kim (67) one further back.
"We fed off each other really well," McIlroy said. "We put ourselves into great positions going into what should be an amazing final day.”
McIlroy has waited for this since he was 21 and conjured that opening 63 in the 2010 Open before that wind-strewn 80 crushed his dreams. Of course, he was meant to have another crack here in 2015 when he just happened to be the world No 1 and the defending champion, but two weekends before the Championship he ruptured his ankle ligaments in a game of footie with his pals.
That was a milestone in his career, the ending of innocence, but is this a new milestone, the beginning of new dominance?
"It would mean everything because of what I've been through trying to get that fifth one,” he said. "I know I am going to need one more day like the last three to get the job done."
The pressure will surely verge on the unbearable and not just because of his own history here… or the history of the Open here… or even the history of golf full stop.
McIlroy is the poster boy of the traditionalists in their battle against the Saudi rebel circuit and nothing would give the established Tours, and indeed the establishment, any more cheer, or any impetus to convince the waverers than a victory for the game’s most natural superstar.
Yes, McIlroy has all this on his back, but also an insatiable Scandinavian terrier at his heels.
Hovland, 24, was sensational, outrageously converting 30-footers on the third and fourth and not allowing his Ryder Cup team-mate any room to breathe thereafter. But McIlroy responded and did so in such magnificent style that his most ardent detractors must concede that this was his finest display in a major round since he collected the USPGA in 2014.
Yes, he shot a 64 on the Sunday of The Masters in April to record his best placing at Augusta and there have been other lower numbers in the years without No 5. However, this fearless display was under the gun, when he was in the mix and simply had to fire, and courtesy of a magical eagle on the 10th and some Road Hole drama on the 17th, he sent the fireworks soaring into the Fife sky.
Tiger’s tears on the Friday, Rory’s reaction on the Saturday. They say that the biggest names are exactly that because they create the biggest moments and nobody can deny that has been the case here at the 150th Open Championship.
McIlroy, of course, played a role in his friend’s breakdown in the second round as Woods’ tear ducts uncharacteristically burst forth. It was the Northern Irishman’s tip of the cap as he walked down the adjacent first that set off the 15-time major winner as he approached the 18th green and a missed cut that Woods believes meant the end of his competitive odyssey on the Old Course.
Yet after inspiring the waterworks on one day, on the very next, McIlroy conducted the euphoria as he made an eagle on the 10th that drew him level with playing partner Hovland.
No less than Scheffler was on the 11th tee sizing up his iron shot to the devilish par-three hole when McIroy conjured his instant from the heavens. And such was the roar in awe that even Scheffler paused his process, putting his club between his legs, so he could also applaud.
When Rory is in full flight he is irresistible and it genuinely makes one wonder how he has gone so long without adding to his major haul. Yet on the 10th at 6.07pm, everyone in earshot was handed the conviction that he is at last on the brink of arresting that damned barren run.
Going for the green on the 386-yarder, McIlroy drove into the bunker and was 50 yards from the pin, with Hovland almost booked in for a birdie in front on the putting surface. McIlroy landed his ball on the plateau and with three hops and a four-foot roll into the cup. For once the “in the hole” scream was not overly annoying. In fact, it was prescient.
McIlroy leapt out of the trap to watch and punched the air wildly in celebration, keeping his arm raised to the galleries - and to Scheffler - as he strode up to green. Game on, Open on.
Hovland made his own birdie and did not begin to crumble under the weight of the McIlroy support from the fans, but the crowd’s darling was inspired. On the par-five 14th, McIlroy hit his approach from 268 yards to 30ft and once again gave it the perfect lag - a noteworthy trait this week - for the birdie.
McIlroy grabbed the outright advantage for the first time this week and transported his admirers to those years in his early 20s when this was commonplace in the majors.
Except, it would not be McIlroy and it would not be St Andrews without a heart-clutcher, and when he flew the green with his second on the infamous penultimate hole it appeared grim as his ball shimmied across the shale towards the wall.
Yet it bounced back sufficiently to allow him a back swing and he was able to escape with a bogey, as Hovland gallantly made par, also from that notorious road behind the green.
The relentless protagonists both birdied the 18th and in the evening sunlight handed themselves some scoreboard daylight. It would be wrong to call it a two-horse race, but what thoroughbreds these two look, and McIlroy is clearly not the only contender intent on charging towards the finish line.
"Growing up in Norway I always watched The Open for way longer than I did for the Masters,” Hovland said. “So just to be here is very special, but to have a chance to win it? Well, yeah, I have to pinch myself. But that doesn't mean I'm going to hold back tomorrow."
The Open third round - as it happened
08:53 PM
Not a bad list to join
From Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf)
Eleven men have reached five major wins before age 34. Rory McIlroy can join them tomorrow: Vardon, Hagen, Jones, Sarazen, Nelson, Palmer, Nicklaus, Player, Tom Watson, Ballesteros, Woods
08:38 PM
Rory speaks to Sky Sports
On his round..
"I am really pleased. I missed some chances early on and had to stay patient. I made my first birdie of the day there at 5, the par 5 and then my round sort of got going from there."
On playing with Hovland...
"It was a great group to be part of as well. Viktor got off to a great start and I think we were just sort of feeding off one another and we’ll do it all again tomorrow."
On his eagle from the bunker on 12...
"It was really cool. I think it was the first bunker I’ve been in this week. I’ve practised a good bit out of them on the practice green. It landed perfectly and that’s a bonus. But to try and win these championships, things like that need to go your way at certain times."
On trying to break his eight-year major duck...
"I’m a better player now than I was then. I’m a better player now than I was 12 months ago. I’ve got a lot of belief in myself. I’ve done it before, I know I can do it again. I’ve just to go out there tomorrow, stay in my own little world, shoot another good score and hopefully that’s enough."
08:31 PM
Reasons to be cheerful if you're a Rory fan
The Northern Irishman has played seven rounds at the Old Course in an Open Championship. His scoring average is 68.5 with one of the rounds being an 80.
Also...
Most rounds of six-under or better at majors since 1995: Tiger Woods 18; Rory McIlroy 14 (three this week); Jordan Spieth 8
08:29 PM
So Rory and Hovland both enjoy a four-shot lead
Much can happen on the Old Course, especially if the wind blows, but you think, the way the pair are playing, that the winner of the Claret Jug will come from this duo.
08:26 PM
The final pair walk off the 18th with fours
It wasn't a round to remember for Cam Smith - he's the only one of the top 10 to end over-par for his round. But at 12-under he's still very much in contention, though, he cannot afford another round like today.
Cameron Young will also start tomorrow on 12-under after his one-under 71, a round that could have been so much better if not for the double on 16.
08:15 PM
The last group are on the 18th tee
Both Camerons, Young and Smith, parred the 17th but Young had a mare at the 16th walking off with a double bogey after putting off the green.
This pair are currently joint second on 12-under, four back of the leaders.
08:14 PM
Rory and Hovland both birdie the last
Rory with a great lag putt from the Valley of Sin leaves himself with a two-footer for a round of 66. He makes no mistake and ends the day on 16-under.
Hovland also walks off the green with a smile on his face - he two putts from the back of the green to also sign for a 66 to also end the round on 16-under.
This duo have been brilliant today and separated themselves from the field - a la Stenson and Mickleson at Troon in 20116 - and will be the last group out tomorrow for what promises to be an entertaining finish to this 150th Open.
08:08 PM
Oliver Brown with the Rory and Hovland group
While Rory McIlroy has been near-flawless all tournament, he delivers one last dose of Saturday drama by clattering into the wall at the Road Hole with his approach. Cue groans galore from the corporate hordes gathered in the gardens of the Old Course Hotel. Nudging the ball deftly across the shale path, he minimises the damage to a bogey. The brutal 508-yard 17th has played essentially as a par-five today. Of the 84 players left, only Justin Thomas has made birdie all day.
08:07 PM
Hovland gets a hot bounce on 18
His tee shot is on the green in one. Rory takes a driving iron and isn't so lucky with the bounce as he ends up in the Valley of Sin.
08:06 PM
Rory wasn't able to create magic on the 17th
But he was at the 10th.
READ: The Rory McIlroy miracle shot that turned the Open on its head
08:04 PM
Rory drops a shot at the Road Hole
It's his first bogey of the day as he cannot one-putt for par. Hovland completes a great up and down for a four.
The pair are now joint leaders on 15-under
08:01 PM
Rory can get enough club on the ball
The wall is impeding him slightly but his chip onto the green is well played - he aims left of the pin and the ball gets onto the green - that's a success.
Hovland plays an even better shot - he putts from off the green and the ball trundles up the slope and onto the green, leaving him with a six-footer for par.
07:59 PM
Rory's tee shot at 17
07:58 PM
Hovland flies his approach at 17
Over the green and onto the gravel just shy of the eponymous road.
Rory then sees his approach come out like a bullet out of the rough and he too goes long, the ball is virtually up against the wall.
Pars for both will be tricky from where they are. The Road Hole bites again.
07:55 PM
Cameron Young putts off the green at the 16th
It's been a long round...
07:54 PM
DJ thins his tee shot at 18!
He says: 'Oh no! Well, it's low...'
It was nearly a top, he did well not to hit the Swilcan Bridge...but it works its way up there and he'll have a chip to get on the famous green.
07:52 PM
Par for DJ, bogey for Scottie at 17
Scheffler's par putt shaves the hole from six-feet and he falls back to 10-under. DJ stays at nine-under.
07:50 PM
Rory's drive on 17
Finds the rough on the left of the fairway. Hovland's also ends in the left rough.
Rory's lie is probably the harder of the two - he now decides whether to go left of the pin, towards the 18th tee, or take the sensible play, short right of the green.
07:47 PM
Pars for Rory and Hovland at the 16th
They stay on 16-under and 15-under. And walk to the 17th tee - will the infamous hole chalk up another victim today?
07:45 PM
Si Woo Kim is the new clubhouse leader
He's putting his feet up after a 67 got him to 11-under.
07:43 PM
The Road Hole is playing more like a par five today
And the leading groups are about to negotiate the infamous hole. The pin is far left of the green meaning anyone going flag hunting will have to bring the Road Hole bunker into play...
07:42 PM
Scottie Scheffler plays a wonderful shot at the 16th
From the left rough the world No 1 bump and runs it to four feet BUT he misses the birdie putt and stays at 11-under.
Meanwhile, DJ drops another shot - his third in the past four holes - after he finds the pot bunker off the tee and walks off with a five, he's now at nine-under, level-par for the day. That's proof that for all the talk that the Old Course might be rendered obsolete by modern technology the vagaries - mounds, hollows, pot bunkers etc etc - of the fabled links can still bite back.
07:33 PM
Pars for Rory and Hovland at the 15th
Both hit two good long-range putts and they stay at 16-under and 15-under respectively.
07:32 PM
Some joy for Cam Smith
He bounces back from that double bogey at 13 with a birdie at 14 - he's back to 12-under. Cameron Young is still there as he also birdies the par-five to get to 14-under.
07:25 PM
Rory now leads...
...Hovland by one, Cameron Young by three and everyone else by at least five...dare we dream?
07:20 PM
Rory takes the sole lead!
That's all thanks to a birdie at the par-five 14th. He was on the green in two and safely two-putted. He's the first man to get to 16-under while playing partner Hovland stays at 15-under after his birdie putt from 10-feet lipped out - agony.
07:17 PM
Here's the shot that got Cam Smith in trouble at the 13th
07:15 PM
Double blow for Cam Smith
He couldn't go wrong yesterday but one bad shot can lead to others on the Old Course and Cam Smith walks off the 13th green with a double bogey after his visit into the heather and rough. He's now back to 11-under.
There's clearly something in the air as playing partner Cameron Young bogeys the long par-four, it's his second blemish of the day and he falls back to 13-under.
07:10 PM
Trouble for Cam Smith
It comes at the 13th. His tee shot ends up awkwardly to the right of a bunker forcing the Aussie to hit the shot standing in said hazard with the ball at knee level. He hits it fat but does stay out of a gorse bush, but makes it into some heather. He takes a swipe at it and finds the rough short of the green. He'll find it tough to make bogey from there.
Meanwhile, DJ is also tackling the problems the Old Course can throw at you. He putts, yes putts, into a bunker on the 14th. He doesn't have much of a stance and nearly then chips into another bunker. He eventually walks off with a bogey to fall back to 10-under. His playing partner Scottie Scheffler pars and he's stays on 11-under.
Elsewhere, Si Woo Kim drops a shot at 16 to fall back to 10-under.
06:59 PM
US Open champion
Matt Fitzpatrick is three-under for his round and at nine-under. He bogeyed the fourth but birdies at nine, 10, 11 and 14 have sent him up the leaderboard.
06:56 PM
Poor putt from Rory
He has 10-foot for birdie at the 13th but leaves his attempt short much to his disgust. He and Hovland both remain on 15-under with the Norwegian two-putting from 114-feet.
06:54 PM
Brilliant tee shot from Cameron Young
He's driven the green at the 12th but gets too greedy with his eagle putt and leaves himself with an seven-footer for birdie. He shows no nerves, however, and drains the putt to go to 14-under and sole second.
Cam Smith chalks up another par and stays at 13-under - level-par for the day.
06:49 PM
Dropped shot for DJ
He misses a knee-knocker at the 13th to fall to 11-under.
Meanwhile, Si Woo Kim is making a move up the field - the South Korean is five-under for the day and has just registered back-to-back birdies at the 14th and 15th. He's now at 11-under.
06:42 PM
Rory and Hovland par the 12th
Rory decides to fly his chip over the flag leaving him a downhill 30-footer for birdie. His attempt flirts with the hole but stays at ground level and he stays at 15-under.
Hovland, meanwhile, bump and runs his chip to within eight-feet he, too, misses his birdie putt and also walks off with a four.
They both have a two-shot lead over Camerons Smith and Young.
06:33 PM
The last two groups are waiting on the 12th tee
Finally when they can go Rory's drive on the 341-yard par four is slightly mishit - his ball ends shy of a bunker short of the green. Hovland's drive goes down the lefthand side and ends up in the rough, just shy of the green.
06:26 PM
If you're static you're going backwards
Only one player in the top 35 is over par for his round.
06:23 PM
Not seen much of Cameron Young
But the American has registered back-to-back birdies at nine and 10 and is alongside his playing partner Cam Smith on 13-under.
06:22 PM
Rory and Hovland par the 11th
Both had a bit of work to do for their threes - poor tee shots left tricky two-putts (Rory actually decides to chip the first one to take the mounds between his ball and the hole out of play) but they walk off the green with no damage done to their scorecards. They both remain on 15-under.
06:15 PM
Rory celebrates his eagle at the 10th
06:14 PM
Cam Smith has his first birdie of the round!
Things haven't got going for the second-round leader but he's cancelled that opening bogey with a birdie at the driveable ninth. He's back to 13-under.
06:12 PM
Scottie is looking calm and in control
He's just sunk his fourth birdie of the round at the 11th and he is lurking ominously at 12-under. DJ only walks off with a par three and stays on the same number.
06:09 PM
Eagle for Rory!!
He takes the lead with a brilliant chip in from the bunker at 10 - exquisite touch from McIlroy from the moment it left the trap it looked good, he had to land it on a sixpence and did exactly that - shot of the day so far. He's now had three birdies and an eagle in six holes and is at 15-under. The crowd go mental and we have a great ding-dong between him and Hovland at the moment. Hovland, meanwhile, birdies the same hole - he drained a nervy 10-footer - meaning Rory was sole leader for all of two minutes.
06:00 PM
Rory finds the front-right bunker at 10
Whether he can get up and down from there will depend on how close to the face he is. Rory's got an anxious walk to find out what lies in wait.
Hovland's drive just misses the same bunker and he's just off the green.
05:59 PM
Back-to-back birdies for DJ
He's added a birdie at the 10th the go with his birdie at the ninth. He's at 12-under now, two back of the lead. Scheffler is, as ever, quietly going about his work, he also birdies the 10th and is at 11-under.
05:57 PM
Rory within one of the lead!
It took time for him to get going but the world No 2 is now three-under for the day. He's just birdied the ninth to move to 13-under. He's one within Hovland thanks, in part, to his playing partner three-putting the same hole to stay at 14-under. As I said earlier, a par on the ninth will feel like a bogey.
05:46 PM
DJ birdies the ninth
He drove the green and two-putted to move to 11-under. There's no such joy for playing partner Scottie Scheffler who misses a six-foot birdie putt and he stays at 10-under - a four at the ninth will feel like a bogey today.
05:43 PM
Good lag putt from Rory
At the first par-three, the eighth, he had 52-feet to the hole and his attempt ends two-feet away. He'll stay at 12-under. Playing partner Hovland has four-foot for par and he drains it without any fuss, he stays at 14-under.
05:36 PM
The putts were dropping for Cam Smith on Friday
He holed over 250 feet of putts during the second round BUT they aren't falling for him today. He has a decent look at birdie on the seventh but the right-left breaker from 10 feet misses on the low side and he stays at 12-under.
05:31 PM
The pace of play
Has slowed somewhat...such a big talking point this week.
05:28 PM
Lowry birdies 18
With back-to-back eagles at the ninth and 10th it looked as though the 2019 Champion Golfer of the Year would be part of the conversation tomorrow. But bogeys at 12, 15 and 17 scuppered his move up the leaderboard and he ends the round at seven-under.
05:23 PM
Shock horror!
Hovland hasn't birdied a hole - his run of four birdies on the bounce comes to an end at the seventh. He walks off the green with a four, though, and stays at 14-under, still with a two-shot lead. Rory also two-putts and stays at 12-under.
05:20 PM
Good par-save from Cam Smith
It comes at the sixth - he's hanging in there at the moment and remains on 12-under.
05:12 PM
It's not happening for Cam Smith
He walks off the fifth green with a par. He stays at 12-under, one-over for his round. Meanwhile, a glorious up and down from him playing partner Cameron Young earns him a birdie and he's now at 12-under.
Cam Smith's approach at the sixth is out of the rough and he hooks it horribly - it looks as though he may be ok, though.
05:08 PM
Hovland is on fire
He's just pulled out his fourth bridie in a row to move to 14-under, two shots clear. It's been a dream start from the world No 9 who's playing great stuff - the iron play and putting have been perfect today.
Playing partner Rory McIlroy drains his four-footer to get to 12-under and keep Cam Smith and Cameron Young company in second.
05:05 PM
The birdie at the fifth
Seems to have sparked Rory - his drive on six leaves him with a short chip which he fires below the hole to within four-feet. He'll have a great chance to move to 12-under.
04:56 PM
We have a new sole leader
Who is it? Well, it's none other than Viktor Hovland! He's now birdied three in a row - the latest one at the par-five fifth. He was on in two and his long first putt left him with a short one to move to 13-under.
Playing partner Rory McIlroy also (finally) gets on the birdie train - on in two and then a good two-putt from 70 or so feet. He's reached 11-under.
04:52 PM
High-class leaderboard
This stat is courtesy of the No Laying Up crew...
Currently T-4 or better: World number 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 18, & 32.
04:48 PM
DJ and Scottie are both just short of the green at the fifth
But when Scheffler can get up and down for birdie - to move him to 10-under - Johnson cannot emulate him as his downhill six-footer slides by the hole. He stays at 10-under.
04:41 PM
Dropped shot from DJ
Having registered back-to-back birdies at two and three the American gives a shot back at the fourth thanks to a three-putt. He's back to 10-under.
Meanwhile, Cantlay joins him on that number thanks to back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth.
04:38 PM
Hovland is now joint leader!
That's thanks to a fine 40-foot putt at the fourth . He got it up and over a mound before breaking right-left into the cup - brilliant, and he's now at 12-under.
Meanwhile, Rory's putter is cold by contrast. His 15-foot birdie attempt stays at ground level and he stays at 10-under.
04:31 PM
Tommy Fleetwood ends his round on nine-under
The Englishman is the clubhouse leader after he birdies the last - he was pin high with his drive and got up and down from there. He's at tied-sixth now and very much part of the conversation BUT I think he'll be too far back by the end of the day.
04:28 PM
Cam Smith is the only man over-par at the top of the leaderboard
That's thanks to his opening bogey. He's parred the second but the field is coming back to the Aussie.
04:22 PM
Hovland drops one in from downtown
The birdie putt has come at the third and has moved him to 11-under.
Playing partner Rory cannot join him on the birdie train , he blocks his five-foot putt and it never looked like going in. He stays at 10-under.
04:20 PM
Rory plays a great pitch shot into the third hole
It's down breeze and McIlroy gets his chip to within four feet - he'll have that for birdie to move to 11-under.
04:16 PM
DJ is the main mover early on
He's made the perfect start thanks to back-to-back birdies at two and three. His drive at the par-four third left him with 57 yards to the pin and the American was able to get up and down from there. He's joined Cameron Young on 11-under, just one back of Cam Smith.
Playing partner Scottie Scheffler is one-under for the day thanks to another birdie on the third - that's got him to nine-under.
04:13 PM
McIlroy and Hovland start par-par
Both have a good look at birdies on the second but have to be content with fours.
04:12 PM
Pieters out of the running
He was looking good having got to nine-under through 14 - but three birdies on the bounce from 15 mean he ends his day on seven-under.
04:08 PM
Cam Smith is the best putter in the game
But the Aussie misses a five-foot par putt at the first - he pulled it - and having not registered a single bogey on Friday has one on his card first up on Saturday. He's back to 12-under.
Cameron Young has a decent look at an opening birdie but his 10-foot putt misses on the low side, he's now only a shot back of the world No 6.
04:03 PM
Spieth has had two great opportunities for eagles...
...at the seventh and ninth. He misses both putts for two but with two birdies now finds himself on seven-under.
04:01 PM
DJ moves to 10-under
A glorious second shot at the second left him with a three-foot birdie putt and he makes no mistake to move to tied-third.
03:58 PM
Rory's birdie attempt at one...
...flirts with the hole, from 15 or so feet, but refuses to drop. It's a good opening hole from the world No 2, though, he looks confident and there's a swagger about him. He stays at 10-under, as does playing partner Hovland.
03:56 PM
Cameron vs Cameron
For the rest of the weekend Cameron Smith (13-under) will be Cam Smith and Cameron Young (11-under) will remain Cameron Young - hope that clears it up...
Both Cam and Cameron find the widest fairway in golf with their opening tee shots.
03:50 PM
Hatton drops a shot at the second
He found Cheape's bunker with his drive and was forced to chip out - on the green in three the Englishman two-putts for a bogey. He's back to seven-under.
Meanwhile, fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood is at eight-under thanks to back-to-back birdies at 14 and 15. He's five-under for his round and making inroads into the lead.
03:46 PM
Rory and Hovland both find the first fairway
Both start the round on 10-under and they, apparently, enjoy playing with each other - both play quickly with a minimum of fuss. Can one of them really go low to lay down the gauntlet this afternoon?
Meanwhile, up on the green Scheffler and DJ walk off with opening pars to stay on eight-under and nine-under respectively.
03:43 PM
The best view of the home of golf
A seagull watches golfers putt on the 18th green of the Old Course.
03:36 PM
The alpha American pairing
Of Scottie Scheffler (eight-under) and Dustin Johnson (nine-under) have both found the first fairway. Can one of them make a dent into Cam Smith's lead?
03:32 PM
DeChambeau on the mysteries of the Old Course
"I don’t think you ever know how to play this golf course fully. Every day it’s different. It showcases a unique golf course each time the wind pops up or doesn’t pop up. It’s just different."
03:29 PM
Hatton and Gooch get their third rounds under way
That pairing is just one letter away from two iconic England batsmen...(work it out...). Both their balls end on the fairway safe and sound.
03:27 PM
Lowry is the first golfer to make back-to-back eagles at The Open...
...in 21 years, the last man to achieve the feat since Phil Mickelson at Royal Lytham and St Annes.
03:20 PM
Beware the Road Hole
Apparently only two of 29 golfers so far today have found the green in regulation...
03:19 PM
Adam Scott and Patrick Cantlay
Have got their third rounds underway - both enjoyed fine Fridays and start the day on seven-under - with both finding the widest fairway in golf.
03:16 PM
Shane Lowry has back-to-back eagles!!!
From nowhere the 2019 champion has served up two twos! He eagled the driveable ninth with a brilliant chip from the left rough, before chipping in again (this time from the fairway) at the 10th. There's a huge roar from the galleries for the popular Royal Portrush champion as he goes to nine-under.
03:11 PM
Thomas Pieters is making an impressive move
The Belgian is seven-under for his round, through 14. He was out in 32 (four-under) thanks, in part, to an eagle at the ninth. He backed that up with birdies at 10, 13 and 14 and is now tied-fifth on nine-under.
The score so far today have been low - so we could well see the leader on something like 17/18-under.
03:07 PM
Amateurs like Opens at St Andrews
Since 2014 there have been 13 amateurs to make the cut at The Open - nine of those have come on the Old Course. The best of the 2022 intake is Barclay Brown (great name and a great bucket hat...) and the Englishman is through two holes so far today - he's parred both the first and second (not sure how his birdie attempt stayed out on two) and stays on six-under.
03:02 PM
Ian Poulter is having an eventful championship
Having been booed at the first before holing a monster 162-foot eagle putt during the first round, this is certainly a major he won't forget.
He had got to six-under today, having gone out in a three-under 33, but he's now back to four-under after back-to-back bogeys at 10 and 11.
02:50 PM
DeChambeau ends on six-under
That's thanks to a five-under 67. He was going well but that double-bogey at the 16th wreaked any momentum he had. The 17th and 18th holes were eventful - he hit his drive miles left at the Road Hole, then hit his approach onto the eponymous road before getting up and down for par. At the last he hit his tee shot way left before getting relief from the fence/stands. He eventually walked off with a birdie.
02:47 PM
Oliver Brown is expecting some of the leaders to tear up the Old Course today
Our very own Chief Sports Writer has this to say about the third round
"The way the conditions are today - the faintest breeze, receptive greens - I think they're going to tear it up today...Cam Smith is playing well but it's hard to back up a score like 64, Adam Scott looks in brilliant form and likes the hard-running having grown up in Australia, and Rory McIlroy looks in great shape. I just wonder whether he can sustain it until Sunday night."
02:28 PM
The last four tee times
3.25pm Talor Gooch, Tyrrell Hatton
3.35pm Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson
3.45pm Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland
3.55pm Cameron Young, Cameron Smith
02:25 PM
Kisner has a word of warning about the Road Hole
The American says the infamous 17th is playing more like a par-5 today. The pin is far left meaning if you go flag searching you bring the Road Hole bunker into play. The scoring average today is 4.6...
02:20 PM
DeChambeau was going well
The big-hitting American had got to seven-under by the 16th tee but walked off the par-four's green on five-under having racked up a double bogey. He won't be the first to come a cropper on the classic risk-and-reward hole.
02:17 PM
So of those already out on the hallowed links
It's Kevin Kisner who has enjoyed his day the most. The American is already back in the clubhouse having fired a seven-under round of 65 to take him to seven-under for the week.
02:13 PM
Here's how the leaderboard is looking
13-under: Smith
11-under: Young
10-under: McIlroy, Hovland
9-under: D Johnson
8-under: Scheffler, Hatton
7-under: Kisner (65), DeChambeau (14), Fleetwood (7), Gooch, Scott, Cantlay , Theegala
02:07 PM
What cost of living crisis?
From Tom Morgan at St Andrews
No sign of the cost of living crisis putting spectators off opening their wallets at the souvenir shop, where hundreds are queuing outside.
Stewards are warning shoppers they face an hour-long wait to get inside.
Glorious clear blue skies for it at St Andrews today. The grandstand will be packed later as Rory McIlroy attempts to maintain the heat on Camerons Smith and Young for a third day.
02:04 PM
Get ready for an enthralling moving day at St Andrews
There were fears ahead of the first round that the fabled Old Course would be taken apart by a combination of modern technology and big hitters - that we could even see the first 59 in a major. Well, so far 59 has not looked likely, but Cameron Smith's 64 on Friday did illustrate that it will be a low score that wins this week, possibly as low as 20 or 21-under.
The Australian shot the blemish-free round with all the elan, insouciance and calm we have come to expect of the Players champion and Smith, who has a two-shot lead over Cameron Young on 13-under, is determined to take that relaxed approach that has served him so well in the first two round into the weekend.
"I feel like I've been in this spot a lot over the past couple of years, and things just haven't quite gone my way yet," said Smith, who is yet to win a major but has had four top-10 finishes in the past five Masters.
"I've just got to be really patient over the weekend. The golf course is going to get a lot harder and a lot faster. So just be patient and make good putts."
There are a host of big names lurking behind him Rory McIlroy is three shots back, Dustin Johnson is a shot further back and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler one behind him. It promises to be an exciting second half of a tournament that will be remembered, in part, for the emotional scenes on the 18th yesterday. Tiger Woods wiped away tears amid emotional scenes as he was cheered the full length of the 18th hole on Friday on what he says "feels like my last time" playing the Old Course in an Open Championship.
"As I walked further along the fairway, I saw Rory [McIlroy] right there," Woods said of the world No 2 who was playing the first hole. "He gave me the tip of the cap. JT [Justin Thomas] did the same. It was pretty cool. The nods I was getting from guys as they were going out and I was coming in, that was pretty neat.
"And then I got closer to the green and the ovation got louder and you could feel the warmth. Felt like the whole tournament was right there. They all appreciated what I've done here for the years I've played. I felt like it just came to a head right there as I was walking to my golf ball.
"I had a few tears," he added. "I'm not one who gets very teary-eyed very often about anything, but when it comes to the game and the transition… I was lucky enough in 1995 to watch Arnold hit his first tee shot in the second round [of his final Open]. And I could hear Jack playing his last one; I was probably about four holes behind him [10 years later] and could hear the ovations getting louder and louder and louder.
"I felt that as I was coming in. The people knew I wasn't going to make the cut. I put my heart and soul into this event over the years. It's very emotional for me. The ovation I got at 18 is something I'll always remember.
"I've been coming here since 1995 and I think the next [St Andrews Open] comes around in 2030 and I don't know if I will be physically able to play by then. I'm not retiring. I'll be able to play future Opens. But eight years' time... I doubt if I'll be competitive at this level."
If you've got a lump in your throat then you're not the only one. Stay here for all the action on what promises to be an enthralling moving day at the home of golf.
