Mickelson smacks the sand, blasting his ball out and screeching it to a halt, four feet from the flag. What moxie that took, given a flyer would have sent it through the green and O/B at the back. Stenson’s is a little less tricky, and he can ease a little chip to three feet, no fuss. Mickelson taps in for his par, and that’s a brilliant 70 under these pressurised circumstances. Stenson then rolls his home for an even more impressive 68. The pair embrace warmly at the end of a stunning day of to-and-fro golf. It’s going to be some duel tomorrow! You’ll not want to miss a shot. See you tomorrow, for what could be a classic. A repeat of 1977 at Turnberry? Yes please!
-12: Stenson
-11: Mickelson
-6: Haas
-5: Johnston Beef
-4: Holmes
-3: Stricker, Finau, Kjeldsen
-2: Reed, Garcia, Schwartzel, Bradley
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Mickelson’s up first. He whip-cracks his long iron towards the front of the green, but it’s short and bounces off to the left as it lands, and finds the bunker front left. Lefty blows up, bollocking the snappers behind him, one of whom clicked a little too early. “That’s so shitty. I can’t believe that. I get you have to cover it, but why do you have to interfere with it?” He is fuming. Stenson connects a little better, getting his distance right, but his shot’s away to the left of the green. It’s not in a terrible spot, but not perfect. Mickelson gathers himself to smile again as he responds to the wild reception afforded to both players by the Troon faithful as they walk to the green. Imagine the tension, the atmosphere, this time tomorrow!
A couple of fine drives down the last. Stenson on the fairway down the right, Mickelson just a step or two off the same side in the semi-rough. Up on the green, Bradley nearly goes out of bounds at the back, but his ball stops just short of the clubhouse. He chips up to five feet, but his fragile confidence isn’t quite repaired yet. He misses the putt, and it’s a bogey that sets the seal on a disappointing 76. But Bradley hasn’t been anywhere near the business end of a major since the 2014 US Open, so one step at a time. He should still take heart from they way this week is going. He ends the day at -2. His partner Soren Kjeldsen meanwhile knocks in a 20-footer to save his par. That’s an equally deflating 75, and he’s -3.
Mickelson’s in the thick stuff, and he thins his chip a little, the ball flying 12 feet past the hole. Par’s an uphill struggle now. Stenson meanwhile might actually be 20 feet away, but what’s five feet between friends? He rolls it straight towards the cup, and it always looks like dropping! What a putt! What a time to drain one like that! And for the second time in four holes, it’s a two-shot swing in favour of Stenson, because Mickelson’s attempt to save par is always staying out on the left! Wow! The drama is relentless!
-12: Stenson (17)
-11: Mickelson (17)
-6: Haas (F)
This is simply wonderful entertainment, a joyous slugfest, mano-a-mano brilliance. And it’s not even the end of Saturday yet! Phil pushes his tee shot at 17 into rather thick awfulness to the left of the green, while Stenson finds the heart, Keegan Country, and he’ll get a good look at birdie from 15 feet! Every single shot already feels vital. Excited about tomorrow? Over-excited? Ludicrously over-excited? Yep! Us too!
Stenson splashes out to six feet, a fine shot from the deep pot. But Mickelson turns up the pressure by curling in his right-to-left birdie putt, though he needed every bit of the cup as it toyed with lipping out. Stenson’s six-foot par putt suddenly looks twice the distance. But he knocks it in, nervelessly so. Mickelson takes a one-stroke lead at -12, though. Up on 17, Keegan Bradley hits a lovely tee shot pin high, and very nearly rolls in the 25-foot birdie chance. Par for Kjeldsen, too. And on 18, the defending champ Zach Johnson bogeys, and that’s a poor third-day 75. He’s -1, and won’t become the first man to retain the title since Padraig Harrington in 2008.
-12: Mickelson (16)
-11: Stenson (16)
-6: Haas (F)
Stenson lashes his second out of the thick rough, taking his medicine and just advancing his ball up the fairway. No heroics. Mickelson, on the prime track, whips a long iron further up the hole. Mickelson has a 50 or 60 yard advantage coming into the green. Stenson first, then, and he pulls one into the bunker guarding the front left of the green. Then Lefty sends a wedge bouncing straight at the flag, stopping ten feet short. Yep, advantage Mickelson. Stenson will need a good up and down here.
A pair of hard-fought pars by Mickelson and Stenson at 15. Phew, that was a grind. Suddenly a sense of how important every single stroke is, given they’re five clear of Bill Haas, who has just wrapped up on 18 with par for a 69: he’s -6. It’s taken on the dynamic of a match-play grapple. A Nicklaus/Watson-style duel tomorrow? Yes please! Stenson pulls his drive at 16 into thick rough down the left, while Mickelson finds the fairway. Up ahead, Bradley pars while Kjeldsen slides one in from the fringe on the right to make a desperately needed birdie; they’re both -3.
-11: Mickelson (15), Stenson (15)
-6: Haas (F)
-5: Beef (F)
-4: Holmes (F)
Andrew Johnston is so close to stroking in his birdie putt. He sends it serenely sailing across the 18th, but it stops a turn short. That’s a 70, and he’s -5 for the 2016 Open, only his second appearance in this famous old tournament. “Beeeeeeeeeeef!” The crowd love the man. He’s a star in the making all right. And he’s enjoying every minute. Smiles! Enjoyment! Fun! Hopefully Sergio, who went round with him in 73 and is -2 overall, has been taking notes. I miss fun-loving, risk-taking, swashbuckling Sergio. Can we have him back, please?
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A staunch two putts from the back of 17, and Bill Haas has saved his par. He remains at -6. Keegan Bradley begins to go backwards again. Bogeys at 14 and 15, and he slips down to -3. Andrew Johnston meanwhile creams his second into 18 pin high, leaving himself a 15-foot look across the green for birdie. He walks up the last to a tumultuous reception, the sort of thing that by rights should only happen on Sunday afternoon, and to the prospective champion. Rich cries of “Beeeeeeeeeeeeeef!” pouring down from the grandstand like rich gravy.
There are many reasons Phil Mickelson is so popular. Here’s just one: he stops off on his way to the 14th tee to hand his birdie ball to a young lad, whose face cracks into disbelieving glee. It’s not much, but it means everything. Stenson bounces back from the blow at 13 by landing his tee shot six feet away, then rolling in the birdie putt. He’s not won a major yet, but that’s a champion’s response. Mickelson, who had found the centre of the green and lagged up, should tap in for his par, but hits the tiddler too hard and it lips out on the right. Mickelson spooked Stenson on the last; now the boot’s on the other foot. That’s another reason Lefty is so popular: he’s not perfect, a flawed hero.
-11: Mickelson (14), Stenson (14)
-6: Haas (17)
-5: Beef (17)
A birdie putt sunk by Mickelson from the front of 13! That’s a spectacular 25-footer that’s rattled Stenson, who misses a much simpler effort from 15 feet. Mickelson leads by two! Haas curls one in from 15 feet on the par-five 16th to reclaim sole ownership of third spot, though Beef might not mind too much, having hit his tee shot at 17 in front of a bunker front right, lobbed to ten feet, and drained the par saver! He’s holding on at -5. But another bogey for Kjeldsen, who has fallen to bits since missing that short par putt on the Postage Stamp. Bogeys at 13 and 14 have swatted him down the leaderboard as low as -2. “Sergio is so creative!” trills Simon Farnaby. “It’s amazing how he invents new ways to [email redacted by Family Website Editor] everything up!”
-12: Mickelson (13)
-10: Stenson (13)
-6: Haas (16)
-5: Beef (17)
-4: Holmes (F), Bradley (14)
-3: Stricker (F), Finau (15)
Haas, from the grassy knoll to the left of 15, chips to 12 feet. That’s a fine shot from where he was, having taken the amount of shots he had. He guides home the right-to-left drifter, limiting the damage to a bogey. He moves back to -5 though. Johnston sends his ball into filthy bother down the right of 16, but punches into the middle of the green and two putts later is saving his par. He’s still -5, and has a share of third. Problem is, there’s a long way between third and the top two. There’s a new clubhouse leader, incidentally, JB Holmes having just signed for a 69 that was looking much better until those bogeys at 14 and 15.
-11: Mickelson (12)
-10: Stenson (12)
-5: Beef (16), Haas (15), Bradley (13)
-4: Holmes (F)
Mickelson’s genius knows no bounds. He sends what at first sight appears to be a woefully overhit chip to the back of the green. But his ball’s on that length of string, isn’t it. It spins back from 30 feet to five, and he tucks away the putt. What an absurd par! Just unbelievable! And it’s his ninth in a row! Phil Mickelson-Faldo. Stenson gets up and down for his par, and he’ll be wondering what Mickelson has to do to drop a shot.
And in its own way, this is equally brilliant by Phil Mickelson. He hooks a piss-poor tee shot straight at a gorse bush down the left of 12. The ball should be snaffled up by nature, but one branch, acting as bouncer, refuses entry. His ball’s right up against the tough bush. He’s hardly got any room for backswing, but he brings his club up and down like an axe murderer, and punches an astonishing effort 100 yards up the hole! That took nerves of steel as well as talent. What a player Mickelson is! And it kind of spooks Stenson who, from the middle of the fairway, leaves his second short of the green.
I had to mention Bill Haas’s run of pars, didn’t I. He drives into a bunker on 15, chips out, then sends his third into an appalling thicket on the left of the hole. He’ll be in a bit of bother there. Meanwhile up on 14, Finau tries to revive his slim chances by raking in a 60-foot monster right across the green for birdie. He’s unlikely to be winning from -3, but that’s a special putt worthy of a mention.
Trouble for Sergio and Beef down 15. Sergio takes two to get out of the fairway bunker he’s driven into; Beef sends his second, a wood, into a pot bunker front left of the green. Sergio arrows his fourth straight at the flag, but 40 feet short. Two putts, and that’s a double. He’s back to +2, and 2016 isn’t his year either. Gah! But never mind! Another folk hero is still in it! Calmness itself, Johnston lobs high out of the bunker to ten feet, then knocks in the par saver! He stays at -5. Meanwhile there’s a 25-foot birdie putt for Haas across the par-three 14th. He leaves it well short, but rolls in a very missable second putt, and that’s a Faldo-Strickeresque five pars since the turn.
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Mickelson steers his second at 11 down the left of the hole, but leaves himself short and snookered by a bunker. He lobs off a tight lie to 12 feet, and knocks a very tricky putt straight into the hole. He’ll have been fearing the worst the second his ball left the face of his driver; he’s got away with a stunning par there. Stenson meanwhile whistles his second from the fairway to the left of the green, and wedges his third up to a couple of feet. Another great par, though Stenson’s was a lot freer of fuss.
A huge break for Mickelson, who hits his drive at 11 towards the gorse bushes on the left. If the ball reaches, as it should, it’ll be lost. But the contact is so poor that it lands short of the trouble in the semi-rough. That could have been a game changer. Stenson has his heart in his mouth too, as his drive toys with the heather down the right. But his ball takes a kind bounce to the left and ends up on the fairway. Meanwhile up the hole it’s all beginning to go south for Kjeldsen, who follows double with a bogey, missing a disgraceful tiddler; he’s -4. His playing partner Bradley toughs out a par to remain at -5.
Beef dumps his tee shot at 14 into the bunker front right. His escape isn’t too great, and he’s left with a 20-footer for his par. He can’t make it. Back to -5. Sergio meanwhile creams a beaut to three feet, and taps in the birdie putt. He’s -4 again, and clinging onto hope by his fingernails. Meanwhile back on 10, a huge moment for Henrik Stenson, who leaves his second well short of the green, chunks the chip, and is left with a 40-footer for his par. And he sends a laser-guided missile straight into the cup! What a putt! That was so nearly a very miserable bogey for the Swede, but he escapes with par. No drama for Mickelson as he makes his, but that’ll feel like a small win for Stenson.
Beef, up a bank to the side of 13, sends a chip scampering straight into the cup for a birdie! He waves his club around in the air while laughing and grinning. He appears to be having fun. Fun, in professional sport? Whatever next? He’s in third place at the Open! He’s sharing it with Bill Haas, who has three straight pars since the turn, but not Keegan Bradley, whose short par putt at 10 flies off to the right and never comes back. Meanwhile a round of 73 for Rory McIlroy, who unlike the broadly smiling Andrew Johnston, unencumbered by the weight of his own expectation, doesn’t look as though he’s enjoying his golf right now at all. (See also Sergio, who cards his third birdie in four holes at 13 as Beef is waving his arms around in delight. Where did fun-loving Sergio and Rory go?)
-11: Mickelson (9)
-10: Stenson (9)
-6: Johnston (13), Haas (12)
-5: Bradley (10), Kjeldsen (10)
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Kjeldsen is in trouble down 10. He drove into filth down the right, then went hell for leather with his second. The ball flew out at a right angle, towards some similar nonsense on the other side of the hole. He can only hack out to the front-left fringe, and he’s got a long two putts for his bogey. He can’t get up and down, and the double drops him back to -5. Back up on the tee, Mickelson and Stenson, now well clear of the field, find the centre of the fairway.
A birdie putt from the fringe at the back of 9 for Stenson. It’s not a bad effort, but it takes a little bobble and, like Frank Costanza, stops short. He reaches the turn in 35, -10 overall. Mickelson’s birdie putt from just off the front is a little tentative, though these greens are getting slower and slower. He taps home from a couple of feet to turn in 35 too, a shot ahead of the Swede.
Beef fires a lovely second into 12, leaving himself an uphill birdie putt from 20 feet. He’s not far away from it, but par will have to do. His playing partner Sergio bogeys, however: it’s his second in two holes, after shedding one at 10, and he’s back where he started the day at -4.
Stenson can’t get both feet in the bunker, or his club behind the ball. So he’s got to play out sideways. He finds the front fringe, and knocks his long par saver to a couple of feet. A bogey. Mickelson has a look at birdie. He very nearly rolls in his 15-footer from the fringe, but it’s a snaky line and it kinks off to the left at the death. A par. Kjeldsen reaches the turn in level-par 36 after two careful putts from the centre of 9. Meanwhile after going so long without a bogey, it’s two on the bounce for JB Holmes, who misses a short putt at 15. He’s back to -4.
-11: Mickelson (8)
-10: Stenson (8)
-7: Kjeldsen (9)
-6: Haas (11), Bradley (9)
-5: Garcia (11), Johnston (11)
-4: Holmes (15)
Stenson and Mickelson both lag up well to save their pars. They’ll move to the Postage Stamp in good heart. Mickelson’s tee shot lands to the right of the flag front-right, and threatens to spin back into the bunker. It’s all a big tease: it stays out. Stenson however comes up short and his ball dribbles into the sand. That’s on the downslope and he might not have a great stance. God speed, Henrik. News meanwhile of Charl Schwartzel, who is experiencing quite a rollercoaster round after his magical 66 yesterday: double bogey at 2, followed by birdies at 4, 6 and 8. Now he’s bogeyed 10 to end up back where he started, at -4.
Mickelson drives into more trouble, down the right of 7. His second takes a bit of a flyer, and ends up at the back of a large green, a good way from the flag. Stenson finds the bunker to the right of the fairway, and can only find the front fringe with his splash out. Once again, pars are not a given here. Up on 8, both Bradley and Kjeldsen are unfortunate to see good tee shots end up in the front bunker, Haas-Finau style. Bradley gets up and down well to save his par; he’s -6, having responded to those bogeys at 1 and 4 with birdie at 6. Kjeldsen lips out, though, and drops back to -7. Still no par since 2. Holmes meanwhile drops his first shot of the day at 14: he’s -5.
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Tony Finau’s round is unravelling at double-quick speed. Having driven into thick rough down the right of 7, he double bogeys. For a second it looks as though he’s grabbed the shots back at 8 with a hole in one, but his backspinning ball, which for a second looks like ending up in the hole, finds the bunker instead. He takes two to get out, and that’s another bogey. All of a sudden, he’s down to -3. Haas meanwhile misses a par tiddler on 9, though he’s reached the turn in 34. But it’s back-to-back birdies for Kjeldsen, at 7. No par since 2 for the Dane. He’s in third spot, with clear distance either side of him.
-11: Stenson (6), Mickelson (6)
-8: Kjeldsen (7)
-6: Holmes (13), Haas (9), Bradley (7)
Trouble for the leading pair on 6. Out of position with their tee shots, Stenson and Mickelson send dismal second strokes into the thickest rubbish down the left of the hole. Neither looks to have any chance of reaching the green; there’s a chance shots could be shed here. But both make it to the fringe with almighty lashes, the former to the right, the latter quite a bit nearer at the back. Mickelson isn’t too far from draining an improbable birdie putt. Par. But Stenson leaves his long birdie putt six feet short, and prods a very uncertain par effort wide right. He drops back in a tie for the lead at -11.
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It’s Dustin Johnson Meltdown Time! Having made his way up the leaderboard to -5, he’s crashing back down it after getting into shrub-related nonsense off the 11th tee. A triple bogey, the result of an unplayable lie, and he’s out of it at -2. Meanwhile Beef rattles one in from the fringe to the back of 9, and he’s reached the turn in 34! The crowd are enjoying his presence. He’s -6. So from Beef to Mince, with Simon McMahon: “Ah, mince. The great Dundee delicacy. Forget Desperate Dan’s cow pie, give me a plate of mince with Oor Wullie anytime. If I ever won the Masters, mince and tatties would be served at the Champions Dinner. With mince rolls for pudding. Mince McMahon has a certain ring to it, no?”
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So this appears to be trouble for poor Bill Haas at the Postage Stamp. The flag is front right, and he lands his ball a few feet in front of it. But the ball screeches into reverse, then spins off to the right and into the bunker. The camber certainly wasn’t his friend there. He’s not got much space to work with. But he splashes out delicately, his ball landing on the small strip of green between sand and flag, then trundling into the hole! That’s delightful! Much deserved after a very unfortunate tee shot. Meanwhile back on 7, Kjeldsen’s up-and-down round continues with his second bounce-back birdie in four holes, thanks to a 15-footer from the back of the green. The pair are both back up to -7, four shy of Mickelson in second.
Back-to-back birdies for Sergio Garcia! He clips his tee shot at the Postage Stamp to six feet, his ball flying over the flag and biting immediately. It threatened to spin back super close, but no matter: he guides in the right-to-left curler for his birdie. Beef plays a similarly excellent tee shot, but somehow his putt lipped out. “Aw man!” he shouts with a frustrated smile, playing to the gallery. Finau is up and down from a bunker for birdie at 6, his second in three holes. He’s -6. And back on 5, Stenson is half the distance inside Mickelson at the par-three. Mickelson makes a long two-putt par, while Stenson doesn’t hit his birdie putt. He’s a turn short, and another chance to put two shots’ worth of distance between himself and Mickelson is gone.
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Mickelson can’t make his birdie putt on 4 - in fact, he was a couple of feet outside Stenson - and so is somewhat relieved when his rival hits a very meek eagle putt. It’s never going in, and while he’ll never complain at birdie, that’s a chance to put some serious scoreboard pressure on Mickelson passed up. Sergio, who has been quiet for a while, makes a birdie on 7 and moves up to -5. A birdie for Beef at 7 too; bully for him. Dustin gets up and down from the bank to the side of 10 to scramble a precious par: he’s still -5. And another three-putt bogey for Kjeldsen, this time at 5. He’s back to -6.
-12: Stenson (4)
-11: Mickelson (4)
-6: Holmes (11), Haas (6), Kjeldsen (5)
-5: D Johnson (10), Garcia (7), Johnston (7), Finau (5), Bradley (5)
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Steve Stricker pars the last, and he’s signed for a 68. He’s the early clubhouse leader. Martin Kaymer birdies 9, his third in four holes. After bogeys at 2 and 3, that’s a fine turnaround. He’s back to -4, and not out of this yet, despite his travails yesterday afternoon and early in this round. Bill Haas meanwhile gets up and down from a greenside bunker at 6 for his third birdie of the day, a fine response to that rush of blood on the previous green. He’s back to -6.
Mickelson drives into thick filth down the right of 4, and opts to take his medicine and chip out. He sends his wedge into the heart of the green, where he’ll have a 12-foot birdie putt. Stenson meanwhile crashes his drive straight down the middle, then whistles his second pin high to 20 feet. He’ll have a good look at eagle!
Soren Kjeldsen bounces straight back to -7 with birdie at 4. His playing partner Keegan Bradley cards his second bogey of the day, deciding not to go for the flag from one of the greenside bunkers, the steep face spooking him out. He looks fidgety and nervous today. He’s slipped down the leaderboard to -5. Meanwhile disaster for Zach Johnson on the par-three 5th. He puts his ball in a bunker front right, and hits the face coming out, leaving himself a long putt from the fringe for par. He lags up, then misses a tiddler, and that’s a costly double that drops him to -4.
Dustin Johnson looks to be in trouble down the right of 9, in thick rubbish, but powers his chip up the hole and onto the green to six feet. It’s as though that long grass wasn’t even there. A second birdie in three holes, and he’s reached the turn in 33. He’s -5, and quickly becoming a factor. Haas meanwhile nearly drains a long birdie putt across the par-three 5th - then horseshoes the tiddler he leaves himself for par! Dreadfully careless, and he’s back to -5.
JB Holmes birdies 9 to reach the turn in 32. The big-hitting American has done this without picking up a shot on either of the par-fives! He’s got a share of third. Open debutant Tony Finau meanwhile birdies 4 to move into the top ten. But there’s a bit of a gap that’s developed at the top now. Mickelson flops high over a bunker from the fairway to six feet, and makes his birdie. Stenson is an inch or two from chipping in from the bunker for eagle, a shot he had meticulously lined up. Birdie too. Is this Open about to turn into a two-man shootout?
-11: Mickelson (3), Stenson (3)
-6: Holmes (9), Haas (4), Z Johnson (3), Bradley (3), Kjeldsen (3)
-5: Cabrera-Bello (7), Finau (4)
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A three-putt bogey for Soren Kjeldsen on 3. He’s back to -6. Meanwhile the dependable Steve Stricker is going along very nicely indeed. He reached the turn in 34, then went on another long run of pars, before breaking it up with a birdie at 16. He’s -3, and will be cursing the wind-affected quadruple bogey on 15 yesterday that ruined an otherwise perfect card of pars. News meanwhile of Rafael Cabrera-Bello, who has added to his birdie at 3 with another at 7. He’s right in the mix at -5.
Is Rory out of this? The head would say yes, but if he manages to pull a few rabbits out of the hat over the back nine, you never know. He pushes his second to 10 down the swale to the right of the green, but he putts up the bank to six feet, and knocks in the par saver. That’s good work with the flat stick - at last! - and perhaps the scramble on a difficult hole will give him succour? We’ll see, we’ll see. Back on 3, Stenson and Mickelson get out the big Berthas. Stenson nearly drives the green, but his ball topples in the bunker front right. Mickelson is a little shorter and will have a short chip in. And up on 4, another birdie for Bill Haas, who moves within four of the lead at -6.
The US Open champ Dustin Johnson isn’t out of this yet. He’s been distinctly average all week, by his own high standards: 71 and 69 for his first two rounds. But he’s making a quiet move up the leaderboard this afternoon. A birdie at 4, and now he’s driven the green at 7. He doesn’t hit his 20-foot eagle putt, which is a terrible shame because it was very gettable, but in goes the birdie putt, and he’s -4 for the tournament suddenly. He’s just six off the lead, as Stenson gets up and down from the back of 2 for his par, while Mickelson prods at his short birdie effort with great timidity. Six behind is nothing. Mickelson himself won from six behind on the final day at Muirfield.
Reed can’t save his par on 8, but he limited the damage from a very tricky position in the Coffin. He’s back to -4. As is Sergio, who can’t get up and down from the sand at 5, leaving himself far too long a par putt. That’s grimly predictable after a birdie that could have been an eagle. Meanwhile on 2, Mickelson plays it safe from the tee with another iron, then smacks his second into the flag, the ball bouncing to the left and landing 12 feet from the pin as the gallery oohs, aahs, gasps and yelps. He’s a showman all right, and goes bounding up the fairway with his mouth open in his trademark eager-puppy style. Stenson’s second is just off the back left, but it’s puttable.
Reed has dunked his tee shot into the Coffin bunker at the Postage Stamp. He can only play out backwards, but does so delicately. He’s on the fringe at the front of the green, likely to be dropping one, but at least with a look at saving par from 25 feet. Also in trouble, Sergio, who drives into a bunker down 4, chips out, then whips a long iron into more sand front left of the green. He’ll have an up and down to save his par on a hole that’s been playing easy this week. Meanwhile a fairly nondescript par for Mickelson on the opening hole, but Stenson chips on to the front of the green, then rolls uphill and into the cup from 15 feet to join the US veteran in the lead!
-10: Stenson (1), Mickelson (1)
-7: Kjeldsen (1)
-6: Z Johnson (2), Bradley (2)
Zach Johnson could easily have dropped a stroke on the opening hole. Now he’s draining a 35-footer all the way up 2 to move to -6. By way of contrast, up on 9, McIlroy finds the heart of the green in two, but once again underhits a birdie putt. He reaches the turn in one-over 37, not what he was after at all. He’s -1, and he’ll not be winning this Open putting like he does. He needs to have a serious think about this, because he gets himself into so many good positions, yet converts relatively few of them into tangible reward.
A fourth birdie on the spin for Reed, this time at 7! It’s a powerful charge by the enigmatic young man. Several of the chasing pack are making their move, though there’s an exception proving the rule: Keegan Bradley, having found sand at 1, is immediately going backwards. It’ll be interesting to see how the leaders react. And on the 1st tee, it’s the final pairing. Henrik Stenson cracks one down the middle of the fairway, and Phil Mickelson follows. Gauntlet’s down!
-10: Mickelson
-9: Stenson
-7: Kjeldsen (1)
-6: Bradley (1)
-5: Reed (7), Holmes (6), Garcia (3), Haas (2), Z Johnson (1)
Zach Johnson seriously underhits his first putt on 1, but guides in a missable left-to-right six-footer for his par. That’s a decent outcome having played the hole quite poorly. A few players should take note of his determined scrambling skills. Sergio meanwhile drives the green at 3. He’s got a 25-foot eagle putt, and fails to hit it. But he knocks in the four-footer that remains, and he moves up the leaderboard to -5. Here’s Hubert O’Hearn: “As odd a nickname as Beef is, on further thought what other main course would ever do? I can’t imagine anyone really being flattered with the name Pork or Lamb, Chicken would start a bar fight, and heaven knows that’s to be done with a vegetarian. ‘On the tee, Tofu Johnson.’ No, that just wouldn’t do. Beef it is.” Chops would work. T-Bone, obviously, as suggested by George Costanza. Burger, at a push. Though we can probably strike Mince off the list.
Sergio’s approach at 2 is ball-on-string stuff, an exquisite wedge to five feet. But he can’t make the birdie putt. A par-par start, but it should have been a whole lot better. He’s still -4. Rory meanwhile misses a fairly short birdie chance at 7, then watches in impotent frustration as a long left-to-right curler down the 8th stops one turn short of the hole. He’s stuck at -1, going nowhere fast. But it’s not for the want of trying. His flat stick really has let him down this week.
Some gentle physical comedy on the first tee, as the starter announces Zach Johnson. The defending champion motions to acknowledge the crowd’s applause with a gentlemen’s tip of the peak of his cap. But he grasps at thin air, forgetting that he’s wearing a beanie. A broad smile as he plays it for laughs by grasping at thin air a few times in cod confusion. He’s not in such a good humour after taking an iron for position and sending it whistling into the bunker on the left of the fairway. He’s far enough back from the face to find the heart of the green with his escape, though. A long two putts and he’ll save his par. Meanwhile it’s another birdie for JB Holmes! This one at 5, and he’s -5. And it’s three in a row for erstwhile tournament leader Patrick Reed: having started with bogey at 2, he’s now reclaimed shots at 4, 5 and 6. He’s -4.
After bogeying the 2nd, Patrick Reed has recovered in fine style. Birdies at the par-five 4th and tricky par-three 5th have got him on somewhat of a mini-march. He’s -3 and brimming with optimism. Meanwhile, after sending a wonderful drive scorching through the air on the 1st, Bill Haas has chipped to within inches of an eagle. He taps in for birdie. What a wonderful start. He’s -5 and will hope to continue that kind of touch. McIlroy’s topsy-turvy round continues apace up ahead of him! He’s birdied 6. Oh, and Scott’s back. I’m off. Enjoy the golf.
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Neither Johnston nor García manage to capitalise on fine drives on the 1st. The Spaniard puts way too much juice on his chip, sending it arcing over the pin and bouncing towards the back of the green miles from the cup. Nerves? Enthusiasm? Very odd, whatever the cause. He could very easily cock this up but sends his third shot, a putt, careering up the green to within 5ft, from where he saves par. Johnston goes much closer with his birdie chance, missing by a foot, but his rueful expression suggests he believes he should have done better there.
Jason Day has had a slog of a back nine. Not a birdie in sight and three bogeys on 10, 12 and 15. A fine chip and run on 17 lands a foot shy of the cup to give him an easy tap in for par but one can’t help but think that he’ll be mightily disappointed to have let a fine start slip away so easily from 10 onwards.
It’s Sergio time! And what a drive on the 1st. He fair wallops it right down the middle, watching the ball hop up and trundle along to within chipping distance of the pin. His playing partner, Andrew Johnston of England, sends a shuddering drive just shy of a sand trap to the left of the green. Impressive. That was around 10 yards further than Sergio’s monster. Much is made of Johnston’s personality due to the fact he has a beard and likes to chat but he’s a very assured performer who appears unencumbered by pressure. Great birdie chances for both these players who begin round three on -4.
JB Holmes has gone out like a train. He’s birdied 1 and 2 to steam into the top six on -4. A 10-footer for birdie on the 3rd is just beyond him but he looks to be a man in the mood out there all right. Has he got the golf fever? It certainly looks that way. Kaymer and Cabrera-Bello make steady enough starts on the 1st, taking pars apiece after fine approach shots from tricky positions. But McIlroy has failed to get any momentum going after that birdie on 4. He’s three-putted on the par-three 5th and is having a skittish round.
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After rattling a huge drive down the par-five 4th, McIlroy sends his second shot into a sand trap front left of the green. He’s not having an ideal start is he? Delicate hands from the bunker give him an outside chance of a birdie, though, with the ball rolling past the pin to within 15ft. But this time McIlroy steadies himself and sends an aggressive stroke down the little hill, curling right and plop, into the hole. That’s better. Although he still has much to do to get into contention. Up ahead of him on the 6th, Fowler’s heady start stalls and then reverses a wee bit. He has a 15-footer to save par. But he sends it wide. He’s back to -2 for the tournament, -1 for the day.
The wind is near-howling out there on the South Ayrshire coast. Rafael Cabrera-Bello struggles to tame it as he sends his drive up into the air on the 1st and watches it fly out to the left, where it hops off the rough, clonks a spectator on the foot and rolls on to a path that will give him a decent lie. Martin Kaymer, who is one of those who will fancy his chances of jumping up to the leading contenders today, fires his drive into the semi-rough. He’ll be OK. Up ahead of them, Johnson has made a solid par after not putting enough into his birdie putt despite following the perfect line. Fowler, who has made a rapid unruffled start, has found trouble on the monstrous 6th. He’s in the sand and will require a bit of scrambling to avoid blemishing his third-round scorecard.
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Steve Stricker is having an interesting afternoon. He’s made four birdies and two bogeys to be out in a fine 34. Meanwhile, on the 3rd, McIlroy passes up another decent birdie chance, pushing his putt a couple of feet past the cup. He’ll make par though comfortably enough. Oh! He’s rattled his two-footer round the cup to gasps from the stands. That’s dire. That’s a bogey. He’s moving on moving day. The wrong way. He’s +2 today and evens for the tournament.
The US Open champion, Dustin Johnson, is one of the players lingering on the fringes of contention. He’s 8 shots behind Mickelson as he strolls up to the 1st tee box. He’ll want to drive a little more accurately than he just has done here if he’s going to go on a charge this afternoon. He sends his drive whistling out to the left into some whispy rough. His ability to find fairways is perhaps his biggest strength. Molinari is his partner today. He thrashes his tee shot on to the middle of the fairway and is in good shape to find the green.
If the leading contenders want to know what to expect today they should perhaps look to the round that Jason Day is having. He was out in -4 and looked to be heading into contention before the final round. But on the way in he has dropped two shots and found the course a much more difficult beast. He’s trying to get back into the groove and misses a birdie putt by an inch to the left of the 14th cup after a lovely tee shot. He still has time to pick up a couple of of shots and leap up. Back on the 3rd, McIlroy has got his driver singing again. He drains his tee shot on the 377-yard 3rd to within chipping distance of the green. That’s more like it.
Oh Rory! McIlroy catches the left lip of the 2nd cup to miss the chance to make a birdie and get back to -1. He’d left himself a 15-footer after a solid approach shot. “Ooh!” cry the gallery. Still, that was a much better 2nd hole. He’ll need more of that today if he’s to catch a ride back up towards the leaders.
Afternoon. Gregg here, just slipping into Dr Golf’s shoes for a wee while until he is suitably refreshed and ready to to go again. Who knows, he may even be on the Hamburger Helper. I haven’t quite got the full-on golf fever just yet but, as sure as a meltdown follows a Sergio García march up the leaderboard, I can feel it coming. Perhaps it’ll come flooding in when Sergio blasts off in 40 minutes’ time. I hope so.
Rickie Fowler has made the sort of start Rory was after. Pin high to eight feet at 2, he rolled in for birdie that takes him to -2. He’s since parred 3, and of the players out on the course so far, he’s the highest placed. Back on 18, Rose pars to sign for a round of 70; he’s +2. Meanwhile Steve Stricker, who made 17 pars and a quadruple-bogey 8 yesterday, a strange round albeit one for the ages, is all over the shop today by comparison: a run of two bogeys and three birdies between holes 2 and 6, and he’s -1 overall.
Anyway, with that I’m going to hand you over to Gregg Bakowski. See you in a bit.
Day on 12 gets a free drop from the pop-up hedonism shack he sent his ball flying into. A chip and two putts from there, and that’s a second bogey in three holes. Back on 1, Rory’s located his ball easily enough, but it’s in tangled filth. He hacks out well, reaching the fringe of the green. He lags up to three feet, which should be enough to get the job done. But he was let down by his short putting yesterday, and so it proves again today. A short one missed, and he’s going backwards when a fast start was necessary. He’s -1.
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Here comes Rory! A roar of encouragement from a partisan gallery. With an assault on the leaderboard in mind, he unsheathes his driver and skelps the cover off the ball. But he’s started it out way right, and it doesn’t come back. He peers after the ball anxiously, worried about the out-of-bounds running down that side of the hole. It drops short, but it’s in thick oomska. He’ll do well to find that, never mind hack it out. Another big name in trouble: Jason Day on 12. He’s sent his tee shot miles left, into thick rubbish, and his second flies across the fairway and into a hospitality stand. Oops!
Two putts from distance by Jason Day at the troublesome 11th. He leaves his long birdie effort six feet short, struggling with his distance on the slow greens at the moment, but he knocks in the saver and stays at -2. A bit of a disaster for Rose up on 16: a double that crashes him back down to +2. An early birdie for the big-hitting Gary Woodland on 3, to move into red figures for the tournament. And Matthew Southgate, who is finding some consistency this year after a period out successfully battling cancer, is a most welcome sight on the leaderboard: a birdie at 4 takes him up to -1. His joyful, tearful response to coming fourth at the Irish Open was one of the moments of the season so far. Another inspirational high finish this week would be just the ticket.
A word on Colin Montgomerie. Poor old Monty sounded knackered when he came into the Sky commentary box after his 75 yesterday, and therefore not particularly upset that he was missing the cut. But as the weather came in, the cut went out, and his weekend participation was guaranteed. He shot a fairly miserable 79 today, and is propping up the leaderboard at +12 overall. But he can still say he birdied the hardest hole on the course, the fearsome 11th. A little local knowledge goes a long way. Meanwhile here’s Hubert O’Hearn on the strange magnetism of Nick Faldo: “To compare individual sports, Faldo was the robotic Ivan Lendl to Seve’s swashbuckling and volcanic John McEnroe. So strange how we view some of our great champions, as though some, the ones we love, are flesh and romantic hearts, whereas others we almost suspect are androids made my some alien empire come to usurp our planet. I don’t think most of us realised Faldo could be kind of fun until he climbed that tree, late in his career at the US Open.”
Jason Day’s momentum comes to a juddering halt. His approach to 10 is a club short, his long putt up to the hole is six feet shy, and the par putt doesn’t drop. He’s back to -2. He can’t afford that sort of simple error if he’s to drag himself back into contention. Meanwhile a double bogey for his compatriot Adam Scott on the opening hole, and he’s already back to +2. Rose however continues to impress. He’s very close to stroking in a 40-footer across 15 for birdie, but his putt stops just short. He stays at level par. Meanwhile here’s Simon McMahon, and he appears to have stolen Dr Golf’s windcheater and waterproof breeks. “The only known cure for an acute case of golf fever,” he writes in a scrawl only legible to pharmacists, “is to watch the world’s best golfers compete in a classic Open for the ages, whilst following the Guardian live commentary, eating Hamburger Helper, drinking claret from a jug and dreaming about Sergio. Works every time!” All this sounds like quackery to me. But I’m prepared to give your miracle cure a go, even if I’m out of Helper and wine. Oh Sergio!
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Jason Day has reached the turn in 32, having steered his approach from the centre of 9 to a couple of feet, tapping in for his fourth birdie of the day. He could so easily have been out in 30 or better, he’s been that good. He’s deserved a little more luck on the greens, too. This is a magnificent performance from a player who knows never to give up. As Paul McGinley has just said in the Sky commentary box, you never know what the weather is going to do, or how the leaders are going to play. Another gem on Sky, incidentally, from the ever-fascinating Nick Faldo: playing in the Open “isn’t about yardages, it’s all about feel”. Listen to the man; he’s knows what he’s talking about. Three Opens. And three green jackets! But who’d have thought his guiding philosophy was closer to Seve than the number-crunchers and technocrats of this world? His slightly robotic image and relentless style concealed hidden depths. The most under-rated person in the entire history of British sport.
Justin Rose didn’t have much fun yesterday. No birdies, two bogeys and a couple of doubles on his way to a dismal 77 that saw him plummet out of contention after a fine opening-day 68. Weird thing was, he was out in the worst of the weather, but parred his way round when the wind and rain was up. All the damage came in relatively calm conditions. He’s doing his best to repair some of that damage today. Three birdies on the bounce at 5, 6 and 7 were slightly tarnished by a dropped shot at the Postage Stamp, but he’s just picked up another at 13 with a spectacular chip in from the back of the green. A high lob, a couple of skips, and an unerring roll. He’s level par again for the championship. His compatriot Lee Westwood has been a little steadier and less spectacular - 71 and 73 on the first two days - but after dropping a shot at the opening hole today, he’s motoring along nicely. Birdies at 4, 6 and now 8 have taken him up to level par again. He won’t be slaking that infamous major thirst this week, but a strong finish will stand him in good stead for another crack at Baltusrol in a fortnight’s time.
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Poor old Day, who is playing wonderfully but just not getting his rewards. He’s sent his tee shot at the Postage Stamp straight at the flag, but it spun back from surefire-birdie territory to decent-chance-but-no-more-than-that range. He deserved better, that was a delightful wedge. He looks to have made the putt, but it’s snaking right and left and back again, and the final kink takes it wide of the hole. An almost impossible read. He remains at -2. Richard Sterne of South Africa is the only other player out there in red figures for the tournament. His birdie at 3 has brought him to -1.
Day almost drives the 7th green, then clips a wedge up the bank to a couple of feet. That’s a delicious shot, and one that’ll bring him another birdie. He’s -2 now, and clearly not in the mood to die wondering. If only he’d hit that putt on 18 at St Andrews last year, huh. Meanwhile it’s been a dreadful summer for Belgian sport, thanks to Marc Wilmots and Hal Robson-Kanu, so it’s good to see Nicolas Colsaerts and Thomas Pieters making a dual charge up the leaderboard. Birdies at 4, 7 and 8 have seen Colsaerts out in 33 - he’s level par overall, through 12 - while young Pieters has birdied 4 and 7 and is even for the tournament too. Here, Colsaerts is 33! One of those sports stars who surely can’t be in their thirties, like Alastair Cook or James Milner.
Spieth signs for a very disappointing 72. He’s +5. Snedeker puts his name to a 68. He looks pretty pleased with his day’s work. Spieth smiles politely, with thin lips, then fidgets with his cap. The mentality of the top-class sports star right there: never settled unless they’re in the thick of it. A shame he’s not going to be a factor tomorrow. From a former world number one to the current incumbent: Jason Day is trying is level best to haul himself into contention. It’s a long shot, but a very low score today might do the trick, especially if the winds pick up later to cause the leaders problems. Problem is, he needs everything to drop. Birdies at 2 and 4 were most acceptable; a 15-foot birdie putt stopping short at the par-five 6th isn’t so welcome. He’s playing well - his 70 yesterday, out in the worst conditions, was in context one of the best rounds of the week - but he’ll fear he’s too far back to make a real difference. He’s -1 overall, nine off the lead, the best-placed player out on the course at the moment.
Bubba’s in the clubhouse already, gently seething after a 72 which should have been so much better. It was an eventful round. On 4, his ball was heading off to the left before taking a 90-degree turn right off a sprinkler head. He ended up on the green, and made a very acceptable birdie. Bubba’s a past master in gift-horse dentistry, though, and having creamed his drive down the middle of 11 - the hardest shot on the entire course - hoicked his next over the railway track. He was in prime position! I’m not sure there’s been such a rush of blood from the centre of the fairway in an Open since Dustin Johnson sliced one into a field while competing in 2011 at Sandwich. Bubba’s in good company there. He’s +5 overall going into the final day. Bubba went round with the Masters champ Danny Willett, incidentally. It’s not the Yorkshireman’s week: a 74 today, and he’s +7 overall. He’ll be out early tomorrow.
Spieth is going round with Brandt Snedeker, who is having a better day of it. The swashbuckling 2012 FedEx Cup winner enjoys the Open - he was a big factor at Lytham four years ago - and today he’s making a lie of the maxim that you’ve got to play Troon from the fairways or you’re totally buggered. (I paraphrase.) He’s hitting less than one in two today, but he’s three under par for his round with a hole to play. Like Spieth, he too enjoyed a fast start - birdies at 1, 3, 4 and 6 - before the wheels came off a bit with bogeys at 7, 9 and 10. But brilliant birdies at 11 and 12, two of the hardest holes on the course, set him right. He’s +1 for the tournament.
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Some big names were out early. Let’s start with Jordan Spieth, who came out of the blocks pronto this morning. An opening-hole birdie set up an early charge: further shots were picked up at 3, 6 and 7. But there were a couple of missed short putts thrown in along the way - his rather uncharacteristic Achilles heel all week - and that set the tone for a crumble round the turn. A par tiddler at 9 slipped by, then a shot went at 10, and a double at 11, where he sent his second up against a wall to the left, undid all the good work within 45 minutes. He’s bogeyed 15 since, too, and briefly considered smashing his ball across the 16th green having seen a long birdie effort slip by. Quickly seeing sense, he tapped in for his par, but he’s one over for his round and +5 overall. Not this year. It’s fair to say that, at 22 and with two majors already under his belt, he’s got time.
The big story of the morning: Haydn Porteous. The 22-year-old South African, making his Open Championship debut, led the Open for a while early on Thursday afternoon. He’d have gone out that day in 29 strokes, had he not let a fairly simple putt drift on the 9th. That appeared to be the sum total of his contribution to this year’s tournament, as he came back in 40, then shot 76 yesterday evening, very nearly missing the cut with a bogey/double bogey finish. But he scraped in, and going round first with a marker this morning, was soon up to his old tricks. Birdies at 2, 3 and 4 set the tone, and he was out in 33. When he birdied 16 and 17, he was five under for his round and -1 for the championship. But he drove into rough at 18, and his approach took a flyer through the back of the green. And it’s O/B just off the back. Another double-bogey finish, and he’s signing for a 68, a very fine round but in context rather anti-climactic. He’s +1 overall, disappointed, but clearly one hell of a prospect, and this experience will stand him in good stead.
A couple of millimetres here, a couple of millimetres there ... and Phil Mickelson could boast of a round of 62 in a major, a hole-in-one at the Postage Stamp, and a three-shot lead at the halfway stage of the 2016 Open. But his putt at 18 on Thursday somehow lipped out, his tee shot at 8 yesterday was a couple of joules short of backspin, and as things stand he’s just one in front. Small margins, huh.
He can’t bemoan his luck too much, though. He’s enjoyed the best of the weather, back in the clubhouse when some extreme wind and rain yesterday afternoon made life awfully difficult for some of the game’s biggest names. Still, having shot 63 and 69, it’s a slight surprise that he’s not in a slightly more dominant position. But that’s to the credit of Henrik Stenson, who shot a magnificent 65 yesterday; Soren Kjeldsen, who carded a flawless 68; Keegan Bradley, who looks to have rediscovered his mojo; defending champ Zach Johnson, who appears in no mood to give up the Claret Jug; Charl Schwartzel, who has 66 reasons to love his new set of clubs; and Sergio, who ... well, let’s not get too carried away, but if he can get his putter going, you never know.
You never know, all right. We’re only at the halfway stage, for a start, so most of the field will still think they’re in with a chance. Even the lads who just avoided the cut. All it takes is one stunning round. And if the wind picks up this afternoon - which it will, to the extent that the R&A have warned the players to be on their guard for balls moving on the greens - anything could happen. Hey, it is Moving Day, after all. Moving Day at the Open Championship. One of the most exciting days in the golfing calendar. Have you caught Open fever? Yes, us too. Someone, please: call Dr Golf!
Tee times (all BST):
8.25am: Haydn Porteous
8.35am: Patton Kizzire, Kodai Ichihara
8.45am: Bubba Watson, Danny Willett
8.55am: Jordan Spieth, Brandt Snedeker
9.05am: Paul Lawrie, Jim Furyk
9.15am: Kevin Chappell, Harris English
9.25am: Colin Montgomerie, Ryan Evans
9.35am: James Hahn, Graeme McDowell
9.45am: Nicolas Colsaerts, Lee Soomin
9.55am: Justin Rose, Thongchai Jaidee
10.10am: Ryan Palmer, Jon Rahm
10.20am: Luke Donald, Zander Lombard
10.30am: Marco Dawson, Scott Hend
10.40am: Branden Grace, Justin Thomas
10.50am: Daniel Summerhays, Thomas Pieters
11am: Lee Westwood, Charley Hoffman
11.10am: David Howell, Jason Day
11.20am: Darren Clarke, Marc Leishman
11.30am: Harold Varner III, Miguel Angel Jimenez
11.40am: Mark O’Meara, Ryan Moore
11.55am: Andy Sullivan, Greg Chalmers
12.05pm: Matt Jones, Richard Sterne
12.15pm: Gary Woodland, Steve Stricker
12.25pm: Jamie Donaldson, Padraig Harrington
12.35pm: Alex Noren, Matthew Southgate
12.45pm: Yuta Ikeda, Webb Simpson
12.55pm: Jason Dufner, Adam Scott
1.05pm: Russell Knox, Kevin Kisner
1.15pm: Rickie Fowler, Tyrrell Hatton
1.25pm: Anirban Lahiri, Emiliano Grillo
1.40pm: K.T. Kim, Rory McIlroy
1.50pm: Byeong Hun An, Patrick Reed
2pm: Jim Herman, J.B. Holmes
2.10pm: Dustin Johnson, Francesco Molinari
2.20pm: Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Martin Kaymer
2.30pm: Matt Kuchar, Kevin Na
2.40pm: Sergio Garcia, Andrew Johnston
2.50pm: Charl Schwartzel, Bill Haas
3pm: Tony Finau, Zach Johnson
3.10pm: Keegan Bradley, Soren Kjeldsen
3.20pm: Henrik Stenson, Phil Mickelson
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