R&A : the 152nd Open at Royal Birkdale..Tee Times
Billy Horschel will take a one-shot lead into the final round of The 152nd Open Championship after battling torrential rain all the way round Royal Troon to card a -2 69.
The American started the day five shots off the lead but found himself in a share as he turned in 32, with many of the leading players moving backwards in treacherous conditions on the Scottish coast.
Despite some brilliant par saves on the back nine, he dropped two shots on the way home but still led the way at -4 as he goes in search of a first Major Championship.
English pair Dan Brown and Justin Rose, American trio Sam Burns, Russell Henley and Xander Schauffele, and South African Thriston Lawrence were then at -3, a shot clear of World Number One Scottie Scheffler,-2 with overnight leader Shane Lowry the only other player under par77 -1
Burns and Lawrence carded rounds of -6 65 in the favourable early conditions, with Henley also taking advantage with a -5 66.
Schauffele matched Horschel with a brilliant -2 69 in the rain, while Rose and Brown both carded rounds of +2 73, with the Major debutant seeing the gloss taken off an excellent effort with a bogey, double-bogey finish.
American Scheffler carded a level par 71 and Irish 2019 champion Lowry is still in contention for a second Claret Jug despite a 77.
Horschel is the man in the box seat, however, as he looks to add another of golf's biggest prizes to his glittering CV.
He has won a Rolex Series title, a World Golf Championships title and the FedEx Cup on the PGA TOUR but claiming a maiden Major in the United Kingdom which he loves so much would top the lot.
"I've worked my entire life to be in this position," he said. "I've been in the lead many times going into a final round. Obviously this is a Major. It means a little bit more. We all know that. We know what this means to everyone. I know what it means to my legacy in the game of golf and what I want to do and accomplish.
"But I'm excited to be here. I've wanted to be here my entire life. I'm finally here. I'm embracing it.
"I've won a lot of really good events on the PGA Tour. I've won some great events on DP World Tour. There's a couple of things that are missing on my CV: a Ryder Cup, being part of a Ryder Cup, hopefully a victorious Ryder Cup; then a Major. I want to win more than one Major.
"I'm also content that if a Major doesn't happen in my career, I can be satisfied with what I've done in the game of golf, that I've given it everything I've had. And if it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be."
Rose gave a gutsy performance with a single birdie and three bogeys, while Lawrence did not have the wind and the rain to contend with as he turned in 30 with six birdies, added another at the 11th but gave the shot back at the 13th.
Schauffele already has a Major to his name this season and carded four birdies and two bogeys, with Burns also dropping two shots with eight birdies and Henley making six birdies alongside a single dropped shot.
Masters champion Scheffler carded two birdies and two bogeys and Lowry dropped another shot on the last to finish at-1, one ahead of England's Matthew Jordan, Australian Adam Scott and American Justin Thomas.
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Bryan Angus (edit)
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