World Number One Scheffler Moves Four Clear At Open

Scottie Scheffler continued his imperious march towards a first Open Championship title successful a 3rd information which had contained each nan ingredients to group up a classic.

Instead, nan world number one, who has won nan past 9 times he has held nan 54-hole lead, will return a four-shot advantage complete China's Li Haotong into Sunday's last round.

Victory connected Sunday astatine Royal Portrush would complete nan 3rd limb of nan profession Grand Slam, having won May's US PGA Championship, to adhd to 2 Masters titles.

It was a typically solid, if unspectacular bogey-free information of 67, punctuated by an eagle and 2 birdies, to return him to 14 under.

Rory McIlroy had provided nan early fireworks successful his autochthonal Northern Ireland pinch 3 birdies successful his first 4 holes, while England's Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre of Scotland knocked successful eagle putts.

Tyrrell Hatton past holed his 3rd changeable connected nan seventh from 140 yards pinch large cheers reverberating crossed this celebrated aged links.

McIlroy, who was welcomed onto nan 18th greenish pinch hearty applause, posted a 66 but will commencement Sunday six back.

"If I tin make a awesome commencement again, thing tin happen, but it will beryllium a gangly order," he told BBC Sport.

But ultimately, cipher was capable to support gait pinch Scheffler, who is bidding to go conscionable nan 4th subordinate to triumph a Masters, US PGA Championship and Open earlier nan property of 30 – aft Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

Should he complete nan triumph connected Sunday, Scheffler would lucifer nan feat of Xander Schauffele, who won past year's US PGA and Open.

He would besides go only nan 2nd subordinate to triumph nan Claret Jug while topping nan world rankings, aft Tiger Woods, who did it 3 times.

After opening pinch six pars, Scheffler played nan par-five seventh successful 3 shots and past birdied nan eighth to move 2 clear of Fitzpatrick connected 13 under.

Two shots became 3 erstwhile playing partner Fitzpatrick bogeyed nan 11th to driblet alongside Li connected 10 under.

The Chinese, pinch only 1 bogey successful his opening 2 rounds, had softly moved up pinch 2 birdies and 10 pars successful his opening 12 holes, but past missed a tiddler for par connected nan 13th.

Hatton was lurking. Bogey-free for his round, a birdie connected nan par-five 12th took him to 9 under.

Another Fitzpatrick dropped shot, connected nan 13th, saw him subordinate Hatton, while Li birdied 14 to bump backmost to 10 nether and support Scheffler successful sight. Just.

Hatton bogeyed 16, Fitzpatrick birdied 15. Li did likewise connected 17 to get to 11 nether but past bogeyed nan last.

And while nan huddled together to make it into nan last group alongside Scheffler continued, he carried on. Aside from his eagle-birdie burst, 13 pars had kept him clear of nan chasing pack.

A 15-foot birdie putt connected nan 16th - a spread named Calamity Corner - took him to 14 nether and 2 closing pars cemented his lead.

McIlroy had deed nan fewest fairways of anyone to make nan halfway cut. His occurrence complaint of 32.1% complete nan first 2 days classed him 150th successful nan original section of 156.

He recovered nan first connected Saturday, though, and it group nan reside for an early complaint that sent thousands of already frenzied disciples into delirium.

A 30-foot birdie connected nan first was greeted pinch a thunderous cheer, reminiscent of a Sunday Tiger roar astatine Augusta.

A tap-in birdie connected 2 and six-footer connected nan 4th were received pinch moreover louder bellows of encouragement. McIlroy had gone from 7 down Scheffler astatine nan commencement of play to conscionable four.

But past it fell flat.

A missed birdie putt from a twelve feet connected nan 5th and 1 from akin region connected nan seventh killed nan momentum.

His first existent nonaccomplishment pinch nan driver down nan 11th led to a first bogey - aft a bizarre incident successful nan unsmooth wherever he unearthed a buried shot pinch his travel done aft striking his ain towards nan green.

All dream lost? Not quite.

More whooping turned heads crossed nan people arsenic McIlroy drained a 56-foot eagle putt connected nan 12th.

"It was large and cool," was Schauffele's return connected nan cacophony of sound pursuing McIlroy's each move astir this celebrated aged links.

"I was connected nan 17th tee erstwhile I heard immoderate happened. I assumed it was an eagle, immoderate benignant of hole-out. It was very loud, and he sewage a opinionated ovation stepping down 13.

"He looks for illustration he's enjoying it. It looks for illustration nan fans are enjoying it, which is awesome for this event."

But while nan fans celebrated, Scheffler was engaged birdieing nan eighth to move six clear connected 13 under.

It was a stark reminder that while nan attraction of nan mostly was firmly connected McIlroy, he was only 1 person than he had been astatine nan commencement of play.

Still McIlroy pushed, A wedge connected 15 into 3 feet yielded different birdie. Cue much bedlam successful nan stands.

But scrambling pars, first from nan valley connected nan agelong par-three 16th, and past aft a chaotic thrust connected 17, saw his information peter out.

Just 1 bogey successful a 66 would, connected astir days, beryllium raucously celebrated but astatine six backmost he has surely near himself excessively overmuch to do connected Sunday.