Key events:
Show key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this feature
Half a dozen holes to play in the 150th Open and how have the leaders played that final third of the course through the first three rounds? Viktor Hovland is six under, Cameron Smith three under, Rory McIlroy two under, Cameron Young one under. Oh crikey.
Cameron Smith joins the lead! As Dave and myself swap chairs (metaphorically) he drains yet another birdie putt. Four in a row. How’s your heart going?
This is getting tense. Very tense. Time to leap into a cold bath while Matt takes you through to the 16th hole. As I sign off, Rory has found the end of the fairway at 13.
Rory misses again! This is getting worrying now for McIlroy. Those putts just don’t look like falling. He’s one in front but for how long after Cam Smith launches an approach to about 12 feet at 13? Hovland gets his birdie at 12 and he’s just two behind McIlroy again. Keep an eye out on Cameron Young too as he has a seven foot putt for birdie coming up at 13 to get to 16 under.
Brilliant pitch by Viktor Hovland at 12 and surely he’ll now bank his first birdie of the day. McIlroy’s isn’t quite as crisp and he’s about 10 feet away, a distance from which he just hasn’t holed anything so far. Big putt coming up. Cam Smith made a mess of 13 yesterday but is on the short grass with his tee shot this time.
17.17pm BST leaderboardAs Rory blasts his drive at the par-4 12th just short of the green, let’s check the scores.
-18: McIlroy (11)
-17: Smith (12)
-15: Young (12), Hovland (11)
-13: D Johnson (13)
-12: Harman (16), Spieth (15), Fleetwood (13)
Cameron Smith is giving this everything. A huge danger to Rory now as the putts keep dropping. His 12 footer for birdie wriggles in the hole at 12 and he’s up to -17 and just one behind McIlroy. Cameron Young holds a testy par putt and is three adrift.
A middle-aged man in the crowd holds up a paper sign (felt pen on piece of nearby A4) saying: ‘This day belongs to Rory’. We shall see. Viktor Hovland not going away just yet and stays three back after an excellent up and down at 10. Rory shouts “sit” after his tee shot at 11 but it lands safely and a shriek of “go” would actually have been better. Hovland isn’t pleased with his effort to the par 3 but it’s just fine and he’ll have maybe 20-25 feet for birdie. At 14, Spieth makes bogey to signal the end of any outside challenge.
Cam Smith has a rolling eagle putt at 12 but he makes a frustrating grunt as it curls slowly up the hill and pulls up 12 feet short. Rory’s 40 footer at 11 never threatens so it’s another two-putt green. Hovland can’t convert his and he stays three behind his playing partner.
Scottie Scheffler as a Homer Simpson meme. Photograph: Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty ImagesJordan Spieth making a complete mess of the par-5 14th. He drives into a pot bunker, plays out backwards, hits his third up to near the green and then chunks his little pitch in the style of a twitching 18-handicapper. Looking at bogey there; possibly worse. It’s catching. Viktor Hovland fats his chip from rough at 10 and doesn’t make the green.
To 11 and here comes Cameron Smith! The Aussie’s putter is hot again today and he’s just poured in a birdie putt to move within a shot of McIlroy. But not for long though! Rory hits a majestic lag putt from well over 100 feet at 10 and he taps in for birdie to reach 18 under and regain his two-shot lead.
Lovely little pitch by Cam Smith at the 10th and he’s within two of McIlroy after rolling in the birdie putt, just. And Cameron Young is also just two adrift after a two-putt birdie from downtown at 10. It’s about the distance Rory has left himself after his drive bounds towards the right edge of that same massive double green, his ball ending nearer the 8th flag. Smith now looks a threat. He’s halved McIlroy’s lead and has hit a great tee shot at 11 to set up another birdie. Young is about 30 feet away.
First to putt at 9 is Viktor Hovland from about 20 feet. It’s a nice stroke but always looks to be heading right from halfway along its journey. Par. That’s an outward nine of +1, not good enough. Now for Rory from eight feet… and, no sir. It catches a piece of the right edge but is always missing. McIlroy has taken two putts on all nine greens. The good news is that he has two-shot lead.
Cameron Young drives the green at 10 but it bounds over 100 feet away. Cam Smith avoids the bunkers and his ball pulls up about 20 yards before the green. Two good chances to make birdie there.
Dustin Johnson holes a nice putt at 11 to move to -13 which is now solo fifth. Jordan Spieth hits a poor first putt but an excellent second from 12 feet to save par at 13 and is tied sixth alongside Tommy Fleetwood (11 holes) on -12. Rory now stood over a 57-yard pitch for his second at nine. He floats it up and leaves himself eight feet or so for birdie
Cameron Young is making his move. Photograph: Paul Childs/ReutersThe surprise of the day is Scottie Scheffler – and not in a good way. He’s missed putt after putt and was three over for the round until finally making birdie at 10. He drove the green but missed the putt, obvs. Another player going the wrong way is Adam Scott who makes double bogey at 12 – another driveable hole – after his unplanned visit to the gorse bushes. That drops him back from -13 to -11.
On nine, Cameron Young makes bogey after finding trouble while Cameron Smith misses a great birdie chance from nine feet. Both are now 14 under and three back from Rory. McIlroy pulls driver on that same 9th hole and blocks it right. No trouble over there though. “A perfect miss”, says Nick Faldo in commentary.
This is what Sergio Garcia has told Spanish newspaper Marca. Strong stuff.
I am clear about what I am going to do with the European Tour, probably leave it. I want to play where they want me, I like to feel loved and honestly on the European Tour I don’t feel loved now.
When Thomas Bjorn comes to the BMW International Open and tells us ‘We don’t want any of you and all the players say so’, well, I’m already old enough and suffering enough to be putting up with nonsense like that.
I have what I have and I am very happy with it and I want to enjoy it to the fullest. I will play less, I will be more at home.
But honestly, I don’t care much either. I feel sorry for the Ryder Cup, but because of how I’m playing, I wouldn’t be for the Ryder either. My resignation is not official, but I’m going to make it effective.
Cameron Young goes for it off the 9th tee and hoicks it way left. He may just have cleared a thick concentration of gorse bushes though. Someone who hasn’t is Adam Scott who has all sorts of helpers rummaging in the foliage for his ball at the 12th. Good luck with that. Cameron Smith finds the fairway at 9. Actually Young did fine the thick stuff so that’s a penalty drop. He’ll be playing his third so still a chance to save par.
Back at 8, McIlroy and Hovland secure two-putt pars. Rory stays two clear of the field.
Thanks Matt. Rory reminds me of an athlete in a 1500m race. He knows that, on this course, he’s the best runner in the field and can cover any breaks. He was up with the pace on lap one, kept Cameron Smith in his sights when the Aussie put in a spurt on lap two and went with Viktor Hovland on lap three when the Norwegian kicked early. They’ve taken the bell and now McIlroy is looking to ease away so he can wave, Steve Ovett style, coming down the final straight.
He’s just played safe shot into the heart of the par-3 8th green. Outside birdie chance.
16.27pm BST leaderboardCameron Young is hanging around. Remember that the top four have the short par-four 9th and 10th to come. And with that, back to Dave.
-17: McIlroy (7)
-15: Hovland (7), Young (8)
-14: Smith (8)
-13: Scott (11)
The unmade bed of the 7th green is no bother for Rory McIlroy. He negotiates the humps and hollows to set up a safe par. Ahead of him Cameron Smith did the same, as did Viktor Hovland, but Cameron Young’s aggressive approach from the tee reaps the reward of a birdie.
Wow! Sergio Garcia has said he will be leaving the DP World Tour and added to the Spanish press that Thomas Bjorn told him LIV Golfers weren’t wanted.
The unmade bed-look of the Old Course’s greens is very clear at the 7th. A spine of the messy duvet lies across the putting surface and will make life difficult for both Cameron Young and Cameron Smith when they putt for eagle and birdie respectively.
Short par-four drama! Rory McIlroy takes his putter for his second shot at the 414-yard 6th. It’s a rollercoaster effort that leaves him with a birdie look but not a close one – and it doesn’t drop. Then Cameron Young thrashes a drive onto the green at the 371-yard par-four 7th. Jordan Spieth makes birdie at the 10th to get back to 12-under for the week.
Rory McIlroy reacts after a missed putt on the 6th. Photograph: Phil Noble/ReutersSi Woo Kim adopted McIlroy’s patient route, but stuck with it a little longer than ideal. The Korean was becalmed through six holes, but a birdie at the 7th has him alongside Adam Scott, Tommy Fleetwood and Dustin Johnson on 12 under and sharing fifth. The Englishman very nearly pinched a shot against the head with a double breaking putt on the eighth, but par it is.
Here’s that wonderful blow from Rory McIlroy to the heart of the 5th green. The gameplan is working so far: patience from the 1st to 4th, then taking advantage of par breaking opportunities from the 5th to the 12th.
15.58pm BST leaderboardA two-putt birdie for Rory McIlroy at the 5th and Hovland misses out on his par breaker! It’s a two shot lead for Holywood’s finest.
-17: McIlroy (5)
-15: Hovland (5)
-14: Smith (5), Young (5)
-12: Scott (8), Fleetwood (7), Johnson (7)
Golfball wizard Tommy Fleetwood is heading in the right direction. A birdie at the 7th, his second of the day, gets him to 12 under for the week and tied fifth.
A 340-yard blow from the tee leaves Rory McIlroy with 256-yards to the par-five 5th green. Ahead of him both Cameron Young and Cameron Smith have made birdie to get within two of his lead. Viktor Hovland had to lay up. McIlroy is in fluffy rough, launches the ball high, finds the middle of the green … and he’s inside 30 feet. An eagle putt to come.
Jordan Spieth’s progress is halted by a bogey at the 8th. He falls out of the top five and passing him in the opposite direction is Adam Scott, now three under for the day, 12 under for the week, and sharing fifth with Dustin Johnson.
Rory McIlroy leads the 150th Open on his own after Viktor Hovland makes a bogey at the fourth. Remember the Northern Irishman’s words last night, when he said this is a good course for staying patient on through the first four holes, because you know the chances will come. That starts with the next hole – the par-five. Time to take advantage.
Jordan Spieth is making a late bid for glory. He’s four under through seven with the three short par-fours to come very soon. He’s 12 under for the week and tied fifth with Dustin Johnson.
Jordan Spieth is going strog. Photograph: Richard Sellers/PA15.31pm BST leaderboardThere is an 11-man peloton on 11-under. Ahead of them, it looks like this:
-16: McIlroy (3), Hovland (3)
-13: Smith (4), Young (4)
-12: Johnson (5)
McIlroy can’t convert his birdie opportunity at the 3rd. He had only six feet but the ball wouldn’t drop. Viktor Hovland’s effort slipped by before that and he displayed a little frustration. A second par breaker of the day for Dustin Johnson at the 5th sees him join Cameron Young in fourth.
Cameron Young has eased free of the peloton at 11-under. A first birdie of the day has him in alone in fourth. The leaders will both have good looks at birdie on 3rd in the next few minutes.
Cameron Young and his caddie. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/ReutersIt’s been a terrific month for Filippo Celli. The Italian amateur has signed for a 71 and a five under total which earns him the Silver Medal for ending the week as low amateur in the field. He’s the first Italian winner since Matteo Manassero in 2009 (who his coach Alberto Binaghi also worked with). Celli has said he hopes to play the Ryder Cup in Rome next year. He might need to get on his bike (or Vespa) to achieve that feat.
What is the significance of Viktor Hovland hitting golfing heights for Norway? When I chatted to Norwegian fans yesterday they said he is part of a golden generation of their nation’s stars, excelling in sports the country has little experience of doing well in. The likes of Erling Haaland (football), Casper Ruud (tennis) and Karsten Warholm (track and field).
Viktor Hovland tees off the 2nd. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianHere’s how Cameron Smith got to 13 under for the championship. Behind him, no less than eight men are currently tied for fourth on 11 under.
Tyrrell Hatton is on a tear. The Englishman has muttered his way through the majors this year, chuntering about Augusta National in the Masters, the greens at Southern Hills and slow pace earlier this week. He’s four under through the 7th today which has him tied fourth on the leaderboard (11 under). Jordan Spieth joins him with a third birdie of the day and Smith takes his opportunity to break par at the second to get within three of the leaders.