Rory McIlroy aiming to 'make dream come true' by winning Open at St Andrews
The 2014 winner shares the lead with Norwegian Viktor Hovland heading into the final round after the pair treated the huge galleries to a thrilling head-to-head battle on the Old Course.
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Hide AdThey sit four shots clear of the chasing pack, with the winner in all the previous 22 editions at the Fife venue having been within four of the lead entering the final round.
McIlroy, who is bidding to end an eight-year drought in majors, was cheered from start to finish by the fans in the third round and is soaking up the occasion in just his second Open at the home of golf.
“I think all week I've been trying to do that,” he said. “The galleries have been massive. The support that I've gotten this week has been absolutely incredible. The ovations coming on the greens, with the big grandstands. I appreciate it and I feel it out there.
“Walking up 18 and that whole scene and trying to look for my parents and (wife) Erica and (daughter) Poppy in the windows of the Rusacks, because I know what rooms we're staying in.
“I think it's appreciating the moment as well and appreciating the fact that it's unbelievably cool to have a chance to win The Open at St Andrews. It's what dreams are made of. And I'm going to try to make a dream come true tomorrow.”
McIlroy, a four-time major winner, tied for third behind Louis Oosthizen here in 2010 before missing out five years later because of an injury sustained in a football kickabout when he was due to be the defending champion.
On the evidence so far, he’s a man on a mission this week. “The support that I've gotten this week has been absolutely incredible,” said McIlroy
“I try to acknowledge as much as I can, but I'm just trying to stay in my process, stay in my own little bubble and I just have to do that for one more day.
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Hide Ad“I'm trying my hardest just to stay in my own little world because that's the best way for me to get the best out of myself.
“I just have to just stick to my game plan, stick to the process and my game plan. I've done that well for the last three days. And it's put me in this position. I just need to do it for one more day.
“I'm playing a golf tournament and I've got myself in a great position after three days. I finished off enough golf tournaments in my time to feel like I know what to do tomorrow.”
Hovland is making only his second appearance in the Claret Jug event, having tied for 12th behind Collin Morikawa at Royal St George’s a year ago. That’s his best effort so far in one of the majors, but he’s already won three times on the PGA Tour and twice on the DP World Tour.
“Yeah, that was pretty cool,” said the 24-year-old of going toe-to-toe with McIlroy. “Probably not going to forget that one too quickly.”
The world No 9 is bidding to become the first Norwegian to win a men’s major, with Suzann Pettersen having landed two of the premier titles in the women’s game.
“I don't think there's any other place that would top it,” said Hovland of his chance to create history and the venue for that opportunity. “Growing up in Norway and I always watched The Open Championship for way longer than I ever did, for example, the Masters. Yeah, to win a major that's closest to home, that would be really cool.”
Scottie Scheffler, the world No 1 and Masters champion, sits five shots back after seeing lots of good putts go unrewarded then feeling he got a bad break on the back nine.
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Hide Ad“I was rolling it pretty good today and I could have taken it really low,” he said. “The putts weren't going in.
I got a really bad break there on 12, which probably cost me two shots. Instead of the ball running out in the green, it ends up in the lip of a pot bunker.
“That's what happens on this golf course. At the end of the day, you hate seeing that happen to yourself.”
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