Live scoreboard click http://www.ausopengolf.com/scores
Saturday morning in Sydney dawned with sunny blue skies but the wind in the forecast soon arrived getting worse as the afternoon arrived, swinging from the east to the north and scoring soared as a result. The scoring average was 73.6, more than two shots above par
Only 8 players are left under par, 3 of them are at -5, Greg Chalmers (E), Jordan Speith (69) and Brett Rumford (69). Another veteran Aussie Rod Pampling (69) and crowd favourite Adam Scott (69) are next at -4.
Long hitting amateur Todd Sinnott hung tough with 73 but is alone at -2, while Jake Higginbottom (72) and Aron Price (69) are at -1.
5 guys are at E, and the rest of the field is over par including one Rory McIlroy who had to fight all the way for his +5 76 to sit at +1 after 3 rounds..
Rory was playing well enough until he went triple, double at 9 and 10. Here was his explanation in the press tent. "The wind was up. I was doing okay, steady enough, until I got to the ninth. I hit a wayward tee-shot into what I thought was a decent enough lie that I could advance the ball. But I didn’t realise what I was standing on is not like dirt or earth. It was more like carpet. So the ball went underneath the carpet. Had it been a normal surface it would have been alright, but down there it was impossible.
“So that added up to a seven. Then I did what I did last week in Dubai and compounded that error with another just about as bad. I got a huge flier with a wedge. The ball pitched at 160-yards into the wind which is ridiculous. Over the last few holes I was just trying to hang on really"
Adam Scott had a tough day on the greens but fought hard for his -2 69. At -4 he is in great shape for Sunday and he asked the tournament officials not to put too much water on the ever quickening greens, too make them a tough test on Sunday.
Of the leaders Jordan Speith Spieth, 21, like so many Texans is a good wind player and will not mind if it blows tomorrow. "I almost prefer it, wind and a very difficult golf course''
But I can't help but cheer for the little lefty Chalmers, who hasn't used more than 26 putts a round so far, and after a poor year in the US, his air mile points are sky high having travelled to Turkey, Malaysia back to the States through the east coast, back to Dallas, then off to Cancun before flying down to Perth, then across Australia to Sydney, all in the last 2 months in search of world points and of course prize money. If he does win it will be his 3rd Australian Open and will cap off what has been a miserable year.
4th round tee times http://www.ausopengolf.com/news-display/final-round-tee-times-released/83982
Bryan Angus
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