The Open Day 3: Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland share lead after thrilling St Andrews duel

Rory McIlroy watches his tee shot at the second during the third round of the 150th Open at St Andrews. Picture: Ian Rutherford.Rory McIlroy watches his tee shot at the second during the third round of the 150th Open at St Andrews. Picture: Ian Rutherford.
Rory McIlroy watches his tee shot at the second during the third round of the 150th Open at St Andrews. Picture: Ian Rutherford.
He called it golf’s ‘Holy Grail’ and now Rory McIlroy is tantalisingly close to finding it. Eight years after his last major win, the 33-year-old shares the lead with Viktor Hovland heading into the final round of the 150th Open at St Andrews.

McIlroy, who missed the last Claret Jug joust on the Old Course seven years ago because of an injury sustained in a football kickabout when he was due to be the defending champion, has barely put a foot wrong so far in the milestone event.

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In a thrilling third round, the four-time major winner was cheered every step of the way on the Fife coast as he set up a great opportunity to end his drought in game’s showpiece occasions in style.

Illuminated by a holed bunker shot for an eagle at the tenth, McIlroy carded a second successive 66, which Hovland matched as the pair moved to 16-under – one short of Nick Faldo’s record 54-hole total here in 1990.

Victor Hovland tee’soff at the sixth on the Old Course. Picture: Ian Rutherford.Victor Hovland tee’soff at the sixth on the Old Course. Picture: Ian Rutherford.
Victor Hovland tee’soff at the sixth on the Old Course. Picture: Ian Rutherford.

Playing together, the duo are four shots clear of the overnight leader, Australian Cameron Smith (73), and American Cameron Young (71). World No 1 Scottie Scheffler (69) is one further back, with two-time major winner Dustin Johnson (71) and US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick (69) trailing by six and seven shots respectively.

McIlroy, who easily received the biggest cheer of the day as his name was announced on the first tee, squandered a couple of decent early chances before picking up his first gain at the par-5 fifth then making it back-to-back birdies from six feet at the next.

Another birdie at the ninth took him out in 33 before the Northern Irishman sent one of the loudest roars of the week into the Fife air by holing from out of a bunker at the front of the green for an eagle-2 at the tenth.

He wasn’t far away from another eagle after finding the heart of the 14th with a majestic second short, but a birdie there gave him the outright lead for the first time. That was relinquished following his only dropped shot at the 17th, but that wasn’t a disaster and a fifth birdie of the day to finish repaired the damage.

Shane Lowry made his move in the 150th Open with back-to-back eagle-2s around the turn on the Old Course at St Andrews. Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images.Shane Lowry made his move in the 150th Open with back-to-back eagle-2s around the turn on the Old Course at St Andrews. Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images.
Shane Lowry made his move in the 150th Open with back-to-back eagle-2s around the turn on the Old Course at St Andrews. Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images.

Hovland’s putter turned hot in the early exchanges among the players in the final few groups, He holed a 38-footer at the third, followed that with one from 42 feet at the next, wasn’t too far away with a 52-foot eagle attempt at the fifth then converted one from 19 feet at the sixth. All that resulted in a burst of four straight birdies before adding another gain at the tenth.

Seven straight pars, including a great save from close to the road at the 17th, followed before he matched McIlroy’s closing birdie to set the stage for the pair to go head-to-head again in the final round.

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Smith, who held a two-shot lead overnight, started shakily with a three-putt bogey – it was just his second blip of the week – and, thereafter, it was one of those days when nothing really happened for the Australian. As he tried to hang in, an awkward stance on the edge of a bunker led to a double-bogey 6 at the 13th. His day was summed up by a birdie attempt at the last ducking left of the hole.

Johnson, who led here at the halfway stage in 2015 before having a weekend to forget, had his wedge game dialled in early on and was still going along nicely until he three-putted the 13th then putted into a bunker at the 14th, costing him shots on each occasion. He then topped his tee shot at the last but still birdied it.

Kevin Kisner putts on the 18th in the third round of the 150th Open at St Andrews. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.Kevin Kisner putts on the 18th in the third round of the 150th Open at St Andrews. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.
Kevin Kisner putts on the 18th in the third round of the 150th Open at St Andrews. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.

Tommy Fleetwood, the 2019 runner-up, finished strongly, picking up three birdies in the last five holes, as he signed for a 66 to give himself an outside chance of a first major win. “Today was great,” said the Englishman. “Just getting something going in an Open on a Saturday is really, really cool when you do that and you have the support.”

Kevin Kisner leapt up the leaderboard with a best-of-the-day 65, having gone out in 30 when there was no wind. “It's just a fun place to stroll around and play golf and, when the putts are going in, it makes it even more enjoyable,” he said of an effort that contained nine birdies.

Shane Lowry, the winner at Royal Portrush three years ago, also sits on seven-under after a round that included back-to-back eagle-2s, having displayed his magical touch around the greens by holing a chip from 43 yards at the ninth repeating the trick from three yards further away at the tenth.

“It was a very emotional day,” said Lowry of a rollercoaster round, having come home in two-under. “Obviously 9 and 10 happened and I felt like I was in the tournament. And did well to play my way out of the tournament from there. Pretty annoyed and pretty pissed off, to be honest.”

Halfway leader Cameron Smith in action during the third round of the 150th Open in Fife. Picture: Ian Rutherford.Halfway leader Cameron Smith in action during the third round of the 150th Open in Fife. Picture: Ian Rutherford.
Halfway leader Cameron Smith in action during the third round of the 150th Open in Fife. Picture: Ian Rutherford.

Ian Poulter, one of the LIV Golf players in the field, hit out at the press over claims that he’d been the target of an occasional boo this week from outside the ropes for being part of the Saudi-backed breakaway circuit. “Write the truth, that we're getting quite a lot of support out there on the golf course because it would just be nice,” he said.

Filippo Celli, a 21-year-old Italian, holds a three-shot lead over bucket-hat Englishman Barclay Brown in the battle for the Silver Medal, the prize for leading amateur, with Cayman Islander Aaron Jarvis one further back.

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