Ewan Murray's report
Read Andy Bull on Tiger’s charge …
Mark Tallentire on Spieth’s heroics …
And Kevin Mitchell on Fleetwood Mac …
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A mesmerising Moving Day sets up a super Sunday at Carnoustie! Jordan Spieth could become only the second player to win back-to-back Opens under the age of 25, after Young Tom Morris in 1868! Xander Schauffele, Kevin Kisner, Kevin Chappell, Francesco Molinari, Webb Simpson, Tommy Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy, Alex Noren, Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar will have other ideas. Oh, so will a certain Tiger Woods, very much in the hunt for his 15th major title, a decade after his 14th at the 2008 US Open. Tomorrow promises to be something very special indeed. You’ll join us, won’t you? Great news! Until then, nighty night, and sweet dreams!
-9: Spieth, Schauffele, Kisner
-7: Chappell
-6: Molinari
-5: Woods, Simpson, Noren, Kuchar, McIlroy, Fleetwood, Z Johnson
-4: Rose, Cook, Scott, Hoffman, Lombard, Finau, van Rooyen
-3: Miyazato, Wood, An, Li, Stanley, Moore, Willett, Olesen
Kisner rolls a perfectly weighted putt to the side of the hole. It was never dropping, always staying up on the left, but he’ll take that happily. It’s a par, and a 68. At -9, he’s got a share of the 54-hole lead with Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele, but having come home last he’ll be in the penultimate group with Kevin Chappell. Zach Johnson takes two putts for a par of his own and a disappointing 72.
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Johnson first. He’s coming in from 200 yards. And he swishes a lovely shot to 20 feet, a very decent result from there. Kisner is in prime position, but sends his 9-iron through the back. A slightly nervy one. He takes a deep breath as he sizes up a putt from the bottom of a shallow bank.
Kevin Kisner needs to birdie the last if he wants to be in the final pairing tomorrow. He’s going the right way about it, creaming a 3-wood down the middle of the fairway. He’ll have a short iron in. That was brave considering he found the Barry Burn on the way to double-bogeying this hole yesterday. Zach Johnson also finds the fairway. He could do with something to make his tea taste better.
Kevin Kisner, deep in the rough to the right of 17, takes his medicine and lays up. It’s the correct decision, because he then spins a chip to four feet, from where he saves his par. He remains at -9, and it’s been a bogey-free day for him so far. His partner Zach Johnson flies his second through the green, but chips back to six feet. Problem is, he’s left with a snaky downhill one, and it slips by the hole. The 2015 champion is -5 again.
Up on 18, Tommy Fleetwood has a look at birdie from 15 feet, but his putt always stays high on the left. It’s a level-par 71. It hasn’t been his day, but he’s battled hard and done enough to stay in contention. He’s just four off the lead at -5, and with the wind likely to blow a bit tomorrow, anything could happen. His partner Pat Perez fell apart on the back nine: bogeys at 12 and 16, plus a double at 17. But he’s birdied the last to end the day with a three-over 74. He’s -2 for the championship.
McIlroy’s chip up from the cabbage to the right of 18 just about reaches the green, but then his ball topples back down the bank. His putt up isn’t all that, leaving a squeaky four-footer to limit the damage to a bogey. He shows his grit, making the putt. That’s a 70, and he’ll be taking a run at this championship tomorrow from the chasing pack. Xander Schauffele will be right up there, though; he rolls home a gentle right-to-left slider from the fringe at the back of the green for a feelgood birdie! That’s a 67 to go with yesterday’s 66, and the absurdly talented - and level-headed - 24-year-old from San Diego could well be in the final group tomorrow as he chases his maiden major!
Tommy Fleetwood simply refuses to give up. He curls in his birdie putt on 17, and rises to -5 again. Since parring 10, he’s carded four birdies, two bogeys and a double. He’s an entertainer, and no mistake. Back on the tee, the co-leader Kevin Kisner flays an awful drive into deep nonsense down the right. He’ll have trouble reaching the green from there.
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Kevin Kisner finds the heart of 16, then leaves a long putt a good six feet short. But he strokes the par saver into the middle of the cup. Par for Zach Johnson too. Up on 18, Rory McIlroy goes for the green from the deep bunker. He pushes his shot further up the right of the hole, and sends his ball into a thick patch of rough. That’ll be a test to get up and down to save his par. Xander Schauffele’s wedge in, meanwhile, isn’t all that: it takes a hot bounce and topples off the back of the green. It’s not a million miles from the flag, but he should be having a really good look at birdie.
Tommy Fleetwood responds to his latest setback by firing his second at 17 straight at the stick. He’ll have a look at birdie. On the 18th tee, Rory McIlroy drives into sand on the right, while Xander Schauffele bangs one up the middle. Up on the green, a birdie for Erik van Rooyen, and a level-par 71: he’s -4. Par for his playing partner Matt Kuchar: he signs for a 70 and ends the day at -5.
Neither Xander Schauffele nor Rory McIlroy can find the 17th green in regulation. It costs the former, whose chip comes up eight feet short; it doesn’t cost the latter, who bumps his six feet past the hole but makes the putt coming back. McIlroy stays at -6; Schauffele falls out of the lead and drops to -8. Back on 16, Tommy Fleetwood misses another short putt and slips to -4. Momentum is not his friend today.
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It’s been an up-and-down day for Tony Finau. He started off at -4, and that’s where he’s finished, having shot 71. But he’s made three bogeys, three birdies, a double bogey and an eagle along the way. Plus, having smacked his second at the last to four feet, he missed the short one. The mild-mannered Utah saint won’t win this Open, but another top-ten finish in the majors, after high finishes at the Masters and US Open, isn’t out of the question.
Here’s a lovely stat: Zander Lombard’s eagle at 18 was the first-ever at that hole in Open Championship competition. He’s thrown his ball into the stand; that’ll make a lovely souvenir for someone, a little piece of Carnoustie history.
Here’s someone who will always go down swinging: Tommy Fleetwood. His Open bid looked to be heading south after that double on 12 and bogey at 13. But here’s his response: birdies at 14 and 15! He’s back in the mix at -5!
-9: Spieth (F), Schauffele (16), Kisner (14)
-7: Chappell (F)
-6: Molinari (F), McIlroy (16), Z Johnson (14)
-5: Woods (F), Simpson (F), Noren (F), Kuchar (17), Fleetwood (15)
Golf: a study in frustration and exhilaration. Zander Lombard has just bogeyed 17. So from the centre of the 18th fairway, the 23-year-old South African sends his second scampering towards the flag ... and into the cup for a closing eagle! It’s been a difficult day for the young man, who will chalk it up to experience, but he allows himself a huge smile as he raises both arms in triumph and soaks up the applause from the elated gallery. He’s signing for a level-par 71; he’s -4.
Schauffele’s tee shot at the long par-three 16th nearly finds the greenside bunker front right ... but teeters on the top. He clips a delicate chip to four feet, setting up a brilliant par save. McIlroy’s tee shot dribbles down the swale to the right. He putts up, but weakly, and the six-footer he leaves himself dies off to the right. He drops back to -6. Momentum’s a slippery bugger. Birdies meanwhile for Kisner and Johnson on 14: the former joins the leaders at -9, while the latter starts the climb back up the leaderboard at -6.
Two putts from distance for Jordan Spieth, and the defending champion posts a 65! He sits atop the pile at -9, alongside Xander Schauffele. His playing partner Kevin Chappell isn’t to be totally outdone: he birdies, the reward for a splendid approach to five feet. He cards 67. He’s -7, having come home in 32 strokes.
Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele make their birdie putts on 15. That’s given the leaderboard a good old shoogle! As for the Kuuuuuuuuuch thing ... Matt Kuchar’s just bumped in a chip from the bottom of a swale to the side of 16. It’s his third birdie since the turn! He’s on this leader board too!
-9: Spieth (17), Schauffele (15)
-8: Kisner (13)
-7: McIlroy (15)
-6: Molinari (F), Chappell (17)
-5: Woods (F), Simpson (F), Noren (F), Kuchar (16), Z Johnson (13)
McIlroy sends his second at 15 pin high to ten feet. It’s a marvellous shot ... though Schauffele betters it by landing one four feet behind the flag. Up on 18, Spieth sends his drive into thick rough down the left. He’s about to take his second when bedlam erupts elsewhere, and there’s a chorus of Kuuuuuuuch. We’ll see what that’s all about soon enough. Spieth steps back, goes again, and lashes his second onto the green. What a shot that was! We’ve seen players hoick balls out of bounds and into the Barry Burn from there. But the reigning champion lands his ball bang slap in the middle of the green!
Schauffele’s eagle putt stops one turn short of the cup. Rory’s misses on the left. Both tap in for slightly disappointing birdies, but you take what you can around Carnoustie, even on a benign day like this. Schauffele is a shot off the lead at -8; McIlroy rises to -6. Par meanwhile for Spieth on 17. And a word on his partner Kevin Chappell, who has responded well after dropping those shots at 6 and 9: birdies at 12 and 14 ensures the 32-year-old Californian - who has just the one PGA Tour victory to his name, last year’s Valero Texas Open - is still very much in the mix.
-9: Spieth (17)
-8: Schauffele (14), Kisner (12)
-6: Molinari (F), Chappell (17), McIlroy (14)
A birdie at the last for Danny Willett. The 2016 Masters champion isn’t going to win this Open Championship, but after a couple of lean years he’s on his way back, which is wonderful to see. His round of 70 today goes with two other solid rounds of 69 and 71, and he’s -3 for the tournament.
Zach Johnson doesn’t take advantage of his break. Two putts would have limited the damage to bogey ... but he misses a short one, and the double means that’s three shots gone in two holes. He’s -5. Kevin Kisner pars calmly, and he’s now three ahead of his playing partner at -8, but one behind the leader Spieth.
A huge break for Zach Johnson. His ball has landed the other side of a gorse bush, and there’s a route to the green! He can lash his ball into the heart of the putting surface ... and that’s exactly what he does. Some good fortune for Xander Schauffele too: a drive at 14 that looked like dropping into a bunker stays out, and he can go for the green. He nearly hits the flag with his second! His partner McIlroy sends a drive over 400 yards down the track, and lifts a gentle wedge to eight feet. Meanwhile another bogey for Tommy Fleetwood: a second short putt missed in two holes, this time at 13, and he’s falling out of contention quicksmart. He’s -3.
Jordan Spieth makes his birdie putt on 16! He takes sole ownership of the lead, no more than that stunning tee shot deserved! Meanwhile back on the par-five 14th, Matt Kuchar and Erik van Rooyen pepper the flag with their second shots, but the hole repels both eagle putts. Not sure how Kuchar’s in particular stayed out; half of it disappeared at one point! They move to -4 and -5 respectively.
-9: Spieth (16)
-8: Kisner (11)
-7: Schauffele (13), Z Johnson (11)
From the rough down the left of 12, Zach Johnson snap-hooks his ball into terrible trouble. It smacks into the big video screen - I hope the R&A have a good accidental breakage clause in their contents policy - and away towards some gorse. God speed, little ball. Meanwhile up on 18, Alex Noren wedges from the dropzone to five feet, and escapes with an outrageous bogey, having found the Barry Burn twice, but bounced out of it once. He’s earned that luck, though, Gary Player style, because despite the final-hole bogey he’s round in 67. He’s -5 and right in the mix!
Jordan Spieth is a sensational player. Like that’s breaking news! Still, his tee shot on the lengthy par-three 16th is nothing short of outrageous, a long iron whipped straight at the flag, holding the small portion of the green near the flag and stopping softly. He’ll have a ten-footer for a birdie, on a hole most players struggle to make par. To illustrate its difficulty: Tom Watson had five goes when he won here in 1975, failing every time. Even if he misses his birdie putt, he’ll be gaining on plenty in the field with par!
Jordan Spieth misreads his short birdie effort at 15. The ball was always going off to the right. He remains at -8, tied with Kevin Kisner. A double bogey for Tommy Fleetwood on 12, and the European number one really is out of sorts today. He’s -4.
Spieth lags his long eagle effort at 14 holeside, then knocks in what’s left for birdie. He joins Kevin Kisner at -8 ... but Zach Johnson’s no longer there, because he lets a short one slip by at 11. Then at 15 he fires his second straight at the flag. He’ll have a 12-footer for the outright lead! Meanwhile the komik kutz kontinue for Alex Noren on 18: having taken his drop, he carves his third towards the Barry Burn further up the hole. The ball twangs off the far face of the creek, rebounds backwards, onto the grandstand on the right, and back into filth. Strong shades of Jean van de Velde.
Alex Noren had stormed up the leader board ... but he’s sent his tee shot at 18 to the right and into the Barry Burn. More European pain in 12, where Rory yips a tiddler for par and drops back to -5. And trouble for Erik van Rooyen at the par-three 13th. He sends his tee shot into sand - the pin’s tucked behind a bunker, and it was a very aggressive line. Nearly, but not quite. He’s right up against the face without much green to play with. He quits on the splash, and he’s left in the trap. He nearly holes the second effort, but that’s another shot gone. Twenty holes without a bogey, then two come along at once. It’s not often you can use the old London Buses quip about bogeys at Carnoustie, but there you go, fill your boots.
A huge break for Jordan Spieth on the par-five 14th. His drive looks like it’s going to be swallowed by a big bunker down the left. If it goes in, he’ll have to chip out sideways. But it somehow stays up on the left, allowing him to smash his second into the heart of the green. He’ll have a look at eagle from 30 feet or so. Meanwhile birdie for Tommy Fleetwood on 11, and after a frustrating run of pars, it’s finally happening again for Southport’s finest! He’s -6.
Thorbjorn Olesen has been thoroughly refreshed by that eagle on 14. He fires an iron from 200 yards straight at the flag. It looks for all the world like it’s going to trundle slowly into the hole, but somehow lips out. He’ll knock what’s left in for birdie that takes him to -4. Suddenly, he’s back in contention! Up on 17, Alex Noren rolls in a birdie putt from off the green, and he’s -6. But it’s Erik van Rooyen’s first bogey in 20 holes, the punishment for failing to hit a ten-foot putt on 12 by one inch. Harsh. He’s -5.
Rickie Fowler’s day started to turn sour with that out-of-bounds triple-bogey on 6. Another dropped shot at 8. Another bogey at 12. But he’s rekindled his now-much-slimmer chances with eagle at 14. He’s -2. Eagle for his playing partner Thorbjorn Olesen, as well. He’d been heading in the wrong direction also, so that keeps his hopes alive: -3. Meanwhile Xander Schauffele passes up a golden chance for birdie at 11, but his partner Rory McIlroy makes no mistake from 12 feet. A third birdie of the day, and after a terribly sluggish start, the 2014 champion is beginning to regain some momentum.
-8: Kisner (9), Z Johnson (9)
-7: Spieth (13), Schauffele (11)
-6: Molinari (F), van Rooyen (11), McIlroy (11)
-5: Woods (F), Simpson (F), Noren (16), Chappell (13), Lombard (12), Perez (10), Fleetwood (10)
-4: Rose (F), Cook (F), Scott (17), Hoffman (16)
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Kevin Kisner sends a delightful second into 9. He’s left with an eight footer for another birdie, but his putt lips out on the right. He turns in 34 and smacks the head of his putter in frustration. Don’t be too hard on yourself: you’re still co-leader of this famous old tournament. Par for Zach Johnson too. They’re -8. Adam Scott rattles a long birdie putt across 16 and into the cup. He’s -4.
Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele both set up good birdie chances on 10 with big drives and gentle wedges. Both give them up with distinctly average putts. They remain at -5 and -7 respectively. On 18, Webb Simpson nearly holes out from a greenside bunker, but the up and down saves his par, and he signs for a 67. He ends the day at -5, and his impressive 2018 continues apace.
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Two poor shots by Jordan Spieth up 12, and he’s in a deep bunker well short of the green. He’s faced with a long sand shot ... and caresses a stunning effort to five feet. He tidies up to remain at -7. That’s a superb save. His partner Kevin Chappell, having done much to negate that triple-birdie start with bogeys at 6 and 9, races in a long one to move back to -5. And Pat Perez nearly salvages a par on 9 with a 25-foot left-to-right slider, but it horseshoes out: he drops back to -5.
Matt Kuchar, vanquished last year at Birkdale by the absurd brilliance of Jordan Spieth, will be dreaming of another tilt at the title. It wasn’t looking great for a while: bogeys at 4, 5 and 8 sent him clattering down the leaderboard, but a birdie at 10 brings him back to -3. And yes, of course he’s been smiling all the way through, whatever. Another birdie for his partner Erik van Rooyen, too, his second of the day. He’s -6.
A smidgen of disappointment at the end of Francesco Molinari’s round. He whip-cracks his second at 18 straight at the flag, the ball stopping six feet short. But he tugs the birdie putt. Still, he’s tapping in for a sensational 65: out in 33, back in 32. He’s -6, and the runner-up in last year’s PGA will be hoping to go one better in this particular major tomorrow. He’s in a seriously rich vein of form, and he’s got a chance!
Zach Johnson rattles in another biggie with the flat stick. Just 30 feet or so this time, but the birdie at 7 brings him level with Kevin Kisner, who pars, at the top: -8. Back-to-back birdies for Alex Noren at 13 and 14. He’s -5. And a birdie for Jordan Spieth at 11, the reward for knocking his second to six feet: he’s a shot off Johnson and Kisner at -7.
Tiger talks to Sky! “It seemed like everybody was shooting six, seven under par. I figured I needed to do the same. There were quite a few guys five or six under par after 12 holes. The pins were definitely gettable, they were quite friendly to us, so I had to attack. The up and down at 18 kept me in the fight. Some guys will get to -10 today, and five shots are achievable. I didn’t want to drop that last shot. Today’s was one of the better rounds I’ve played, I had control of my ball, which is not easy to do on a links course.”
You may have noticed Pat Perez creeping further up the standings. That’s because he’s just drained a 50-footer across 7 for his third birdie in four holes! Brilliant from the late-bloomer from Phoenix, Arizona. The 42-year-old won the CIMB Classic this year, only his third Tour title in a long career, but his second in the last two years. Don’t rule him out, because he’s playing as though he doesn’t give a solitary flying one. Just for the love of the game. He’s freewheeling around Carnousite and it’s great to watch!
MONSTER PUTT ALERT! Scrub that leader board! Stop the clocks! Nothing’s happened for Zach Johnson today yet. Apart from that bogey on 4. And he’s only on the front of the huge green at the par-five 6th. The best part of 100 feet from the hole, uphill, over a couple of mounds, with a right-to-left swing thrown in. And in it rattles! The crowd go wild! The 2015 champ doesn’t know what to do, so just pulls his hat over his eyes and smiles in disbelief. Did that really happen?! He’s the new co-leader ... for about a minute, because his partner Kisner takes a more realistic two putts from distance for his birdie, and he’s now top on his own.
-8: Kisner (6)
-7: Schauffele (7), Z Johnson (6)
-6: Molinari (17), Spieth (10), Perez (7)
-5: Woods (F), Simpson (16), Lombard (9), van Rooyen (8), McIlroy (8), Fleetwood (7)
Xander Schauffele’s win at the Tour Championship last year announced the 24-year-old Californian’s talent. And his big-event mindset. He’s already finished in a tie for fifth and a tie for sixth at consecutive US Opens. Now he’s making his mark on the British version too. He’s now joint leader of the Open after following Rory in for birdie at 7. This is shaping up to be an Open for the ages. Old favourites and young gunslingers alike are involved in one hell of a scrum. And we’re only halfway through the third round!
-7: Schauffele (7), Kisner (5)
-6: Molinari (16), Spieth (9)
-5: Woods (F), Simpson (16), Lombard (9), van Rooyen (8), McIroy (7), Perez (6), Fleetwood (6), Z Johnson (5)
Tiger sends a glorious wedge to five feet at 18. A great chance to scramble his par. And in it goes! A 66 for the living legend, and a huge smile spreads across his face! A spring in his step, too. He’s -5, and will be heavily involved during the final day in a major for the first time in a good while. It’s so good he’s back, huh? Meanwhile it’s back-to-back birdies for Rory, who curls in a left-to-right 15-footer on 7. He’s -5. But a dropped shot for Tommy Fleetwood on 6, his first bogey in 25 holes.
A second birdie in three holes at 16, and the in-form Francesco Molinari closes in on the leader! He’s -6. Patrick Cantlay’s eagle attempt from 15 feet on 14 shaves the hole. Birdie, and he’s nicely placed at -4. And Webb Simpson follows birdie at 14 by seriously bothering the flagstick at 15. He tidies up, picking up another shot. The 2012 US Open winner and current Players champion is -5, right in the mix! New leaderboard in a minute or two.
A huge break for Tiger on 18. He pulls his iron from the tee way left, and it only carries the Barry Burn by a matter of inches. On another day it might have toppled back into the drink, too, but it snags in some rough. He’s forced to lay up with his second, but that could have been a whole lot worse. Up on the green, Lefty follows a bogey at 17 with a par, and he’s signing for a 70. He’s -1 for the championship. Meanwhile finally some positive news for Rory, who finds a pot bunker to the side of the par-five 6th with his second shot, leaves his escape 12 feet short, but makes the birdie putt anyway. He’s back at -4. Birdie for his partner Xander Schauffele too, and the young Californian moves to -6.
Bogey for Zach Johnson at 4; he drops two behind his playing partner Kevin Kisner. Another birdie for Pat Perez, this time at 5: he’s just one back at -6. And another birdie chance for Tiger at 17, but his uphill right-to-left curler from 15 feet is always staying on the high side. The 14-time major winner remains at -5 on a very congested leaderboard. I wonder how the wind will scatter them all tomorrow?
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It’s lucky we made a big song and dance about Tiger reaching the toppermost of the poppermost when he did. Because not only has Kisner reclaimed the lead for himself, but Tiger’s also dropped his first stroke of the day. All of a sudden he’s two off the top. There’s an element of bad luck: a fine tee shot at the long par-three 16th only just toppled off the right of the green. But his putt back up was severely underhit, and he pushed his short par saver. Meanwhile birdies for Xander Schauffele on 5, and Charley Hoffman at 11.
-7: Kisner (3)
-6: Spieth (7), Fleetwood (4), Z Johnson (3)
-5: Woods (16), Molinari (14), Hoffman (11), Chappell (7), Lombard (6), van Rooyen (5), Schauffele (5), Perez (4)
Kevin Kisner taps in his birdie putt, and claims sole ownership of the Open for the first time since his double bogey at 18 yesterday. Alex Noren had bogeyed 9, but reclaims his shot immediately at 10, the result of stopping his second 18 inches from the flag. He’s -4 again. Birdie for Pat Perez at 4: he’s -5. And birdie for Francesco Molinari at 14: he’s -5. Meanwhile here’s hot water crust pastry’s Simon McMahon (last heard ordering lunch at 12.18pm): “I can confirm that there has been some absolutely sensational golf today from my vantage point between the 3rd and 15th greens, where Tiger has just missed a 15 footer for birdie to take the tournament lead. I can also confirm that Mrs McMahon turned down the offer of a gourmet pie for lunch in favour of fish and chips. Some people just have no taste, eh?”
Phil Mickelson’s not out of this yet, you know. He turned in 37, one over, but he’s just registered three birdies on the bounce, the latest a monster rake across 16! That puts the 2013 champion up to -2, and there’s a huge grin on the 48-year-old superstar’s boat! The sorry nonsense at Shinnecock suddenly seems a lifetime ago! Meanwhile a sensational approach into 3 by Kevin Kisner, who utilises the shoulder of a bunker on the right to guide his ball back to the flag. It’s going to be a kick-in birdie that’ll move him to -7.
Tiger’s birdie putt up 15 sails off to the right. He taps in for his par. No sole ownership of the lead for Woods. Yet. But that wasn’t too far away. The first stumble of the day by Kevin Chappell, who makes bogey at the par-five 6th after an errant drive. He’s -5 again. And Rory pushes a short par putt wide of the cup on 4, and he’s heading the wrong way at -3.
Here’s someone else going very well: the 2012 nearly man Adam Scott. He’s birdied 2, 6 and now 10 to move to -4; the former Masters champion seems to be getting on with his putter for once. It’d be lovely to see the cheerful Aussie lift the Claret Jug, given the way his dreams crumbled over the last four holes at Lytham. There wouldn’t be a dry eye in the house.
Disaster for Rickie Fowler on the par-five 6th. He hoicks his tee shot out of bounds, and the result is a triple-bogey eight. He clatters down the leaderboard to -2, a painful fall given that pretty much everyone else is climbing the other way at pace. For example: Tiger, who creams his second at 15 straight at the stick. He’s left with an uphill 15-footer for another birdie. “I hesitate to say it, but I’m going to say it anyway,” says his former coach Butch Harmon on Sky. “Tiger Woods is back!”
Rory McIlroy can’t make his birdie putt on 3. He remains at -4. Bogey for Pat Perez at 2; he’s -4. And another birdie for Zander Lombard, at 5: he’s one off the lead at -5. The wind is picking up a little bit, so let’s see if the players can maintain this birdie-fest.
TIGER WOODS IS CO-LEADER OF THE OPEN! It’s been a long time, old friend. But here we are again! The 2000, 2005 and 2006 winner finds the par-five 14th in two, nearly drains a 30-foot eagle effort, then tidies up for the birdie that means this ...
-6: Woods (14), Spieth (5), Chappell (5), Fleetwood (2), Kisner (1), Z Johnson (1)
-5: Fowler (5), Lombard (5), van Rooyen (4)
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Alex Noren is going along very nicely. Birdies at 1, 6 and now 8, and he joins the group at -4. Rory takes driver at 3, but sends it out to the left and nearly clatters Matt Kuchar, making his way down 5. Kuchar, ever cheery, waves back and smiles. Rory then bumps his second from the 5th to 12 feet back on the 3rd. He’ll have a look at birdie. It’s pars for the overnight leaders Kisner and Johnson on the opening hole. And on 2, Tommy Fleetwood’s approach is distinctly average, but he then rakes in a monster to join the leading group! New leaderboard in a minute, because ...
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Rory dumps his second at 2 into a greenside bunker. He’s plugged, up against a low face. He splashes out delicately ... too delicately. Only onto the fringe. But he makes the par saver. That could be a momentum changer, after a slightly stodgy start. His partner Xander Schauffele bogeys, after getting a flyer out of rough and missing the green. He slips to -4 alongside McIlroy. Spieth misses a grand birdie chance at 5, pushing one right from six feet. Zander Lombard bounces back from bogey at 2 with birdie at 4. He’s -4. And birdie for Erik van Rooyen at 3: he’s -5.
The final group is out! Kevin Kisner knocks one down the middle, while Zach Johnson finds a bunker down the right. Whether or not their efforts from here on in are futile is moot: no Open winner at Carnoustie has led the tournament after two rounds. Tommy Armour, Henry Cotton, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Paul Lawrie and Padraig Harrington have all come from behind after 36 holes.
Kevin Chappell’s run of birdies comes to an end. But only just. He’d sent his second at 4 to 12 feet, and his putt only just slid past the left side of the cup. He remains at -6. Also missing on the left: Tiger Woods, whose slider across the par-three 13th from 30 feet is one dimple away from dropping. He stays at -5. As do Pat Perez and Tommy Fleetwood, who par the opening hole.
The birdies continue to fly all around Carnoustie. Last year’s runner-up Matt Kuchar on 2: he’s -5. Last year’s third-place finisher Haotong Li at 5, 9, 11 and 14: he’s -3. And there’ll be one coming for Jordan Spieth on 4, as he screeches a wedge to 18 inches. He’ll join the leaders at -6.
It’s three birdies in a row for Charley Hoffman, the latest at 6. He’s -4. Francesco Molinari birdies 10 to move to -4 as well. Rickie Fowler makes his second birdie of the day, following the one he fashioned at 2 with another on 4. He’s -5, one off the lead. And on 1, Rory McIlroy crashes a drive down the middle and nearly follows Jordan Spieth onto the green. Not quite, and then a heavy chip costs him a birdie. Just the par, which will feel like a shot given up to the field.
It’s three birdies in the first three holes for Kevin Chappell! And finally the overnight leaders have been caught. It was only a matter of time. His second at 3 landed 15 feet to the left of the flag, and the putt was dead straight. What a start by the 32-year-old Californian, who has done nothing at the Open before, but tied for third at Congressional in the 2011 US Open won at a canter by Rory McIlroy. He’s got a top-ten finish at the Masters to his name as well, so a good showing in the oldest championship shouldn’t be too much of a shock. His partner Spieth leaves his birdie effort on 3 short. He was dead on line, too. That happened on 2 as well. But for a few joules of energy, split over two putts, he’d be leading on his own. The small margins.
-6: Chappell (3), Z Johnson, Kisner
-5: Woods (11), Cantlay (8), Spieth (3), Fleetwood, Perez, Schauffele
It’s three birdies in a row for Tiger Woods! Another approach right at the flag, at 11, and a five-foot putt. He’s -5, and my goodness didn’t the Open miss him when he was away. He missed the Open too, of course. It’s back-to-back birdies for Kevin Chappell, at 2, and he’s just one shot off the lead as well. The birdies are flying in all over the shop. And here’s a report on the player who started today’s low-scoring trend, from our man on the course Mark Tallentire:
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Patrick Cantlay has long been touted as a potential major winner. But his career took a tragic downturn in 2016 when his friend and caddy Chris Roth was hit by a car and killed; Cantlay witnessed the sickening event. After a long period dealing with the shock and grief, he returned to the game and won his first PGA event this season at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. The 26-year-old Californian is finally putting something together in a major: birdies at 2, 3, 4 and now 7, and he’s just a shot off the lead at -5.
Up on 18, Byeong Hun An pars to complete a marvellous 66. The 26-year-old South Korean hasn’t done much at the Open before: three missed cuts in five appearances, and nothing much to speak of when he did make it. But this is a most welcome raising of the game by the 2015 BMW PGA champion. Out in 33, he then birdied 10 and 11 before parring his way home. Nothing to be sniffed at there, especially when you consider the nature of Carnoustie’s closing stretch. He’s in the spike bar at -3, alongside Yusaku Miyazato and Chris Wood, and a shot behind clubhouse leader Justin Rose.
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Birdie for Spieth’s partner Kevin Chappell, too. But mentioning it back there seemed wrong somehow after the champion’s eagle. Meanwhile back-to-back birdies for the current Players champion Webb Simpson at 6 and 7: he’s -3. Birdie for Rickie Fowler on 2, and he’s -4. And on 10, Tiger sends his wedge to kick-in distance! The ball lands inches from the cup, spins and sticks. If Carnoustie had a roof, it would be landing somewhere near Wick right now. The great man’s -4. He cracks a smile, betraying his usually steely gameface. He’s feeling the old magic right now!
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Spieth sizes up his eagle putt. There’s plenty of left to right break in it, even though there’s only ten feet or so to travel. He strokes it carefully. It looks like it’s going to die off to the right, but the edge of the cup grabs it. The ball performs a 360-degree wall of death spin before finally disappearing into the cup. No more than that sensational drive deserved! His first eagle of the week, and he’s taken no time whatsoever to send shockwaves up and down the leaderboard!
-6: Z Johnson, Kisner
-5: Spieth (1), Fleetwood, Perez, Schauffele
-4: Rose (F), Crocker (11), Cantlay (6), Chappell (1), McIlroy, van Rooyen, Kuchar, Finau, Lombard
What an opening statement by Jordan Spieth! The defending champion tees it up high on the first tee, and creams a monster drive down the middle. The fairways are hardening again under the Scottish sun, and his ball bounds down the track and makes its way onto the front of the green. He’ll have a look at an opening eagle from ten feet or so! That is a sensational start from a player who never ceases to amaze. The referee going around with his match today is the same guy who ruled on the 13th during his final-round shenanigans at Birkdale last year. A good omen?
Tiger reaches the turn in 33! He birdies 9, sending a tramliner up the green and into the cup. He was celebrating before it dropped. A punch of the air, and could this week be the end of his decade-long search for number 15? A long time to go, but he’s -3 now, just three off the lead. Back-to-back birdies for Francesco Molinari meanwhile, at 6 and 7. Throw in his opening-hole birdie, and he’s -3 too. Neither Fowler nor Olesen can make their birdie chances on 1.
Par for Danny Willett at 1. Coming behind, Rickie Fowler, who splits the fairway and eases his second to eight feet. His partner Thorbjorn Olesen follows Fowler shot for stylish shot. Eagle for Satoshi Kodaira on 14, more than making up for his bogey at 12. He’s four under for his round again, and -3 overall. And it’s three birdies in five holes for the 21-year-old Zimbabwean debutant Sean Crocker, the latest the result of driving the green at 11.
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Thanks to Gregg. Back just in time to see Tiger’s tee shot at the par-three 8th topple back off the front of the green. He very nearly drains his Texas Wedge, but the ball stops one turn short. He stays at -2. His partner Shaun Norris makes birdie, though, the reward for a tee shot clapped to 12 feet. The 36-year-old South African is playing in only his second Open; he debuted last year at Birkdale, shooting 65 in round three and ending up tied for 62nd. Another stunning Saturday on the cards? He’s -3 for his round and for the tournament.
The 2016 Masters champions, Danny Willett, has rediscovered a bit of form at this year’s Open. He gets his third round under way with a solid wallop to the centre of the 1st fairway and sets off after it like a man in a hurry to catch a bus. Oh, and who’s this I spot in the distance? It’s Dr Golf, refreshed and ready to guide you through to closing time at Carnoustie. Enjoy the golf one and all. Bye.
On the 7th, Tiger Woods’s playing partner, Shaun Norris, has nailed a 15-footer to take a birdie and join Tiger on -2 for the championship. Woods has a putt from similar range for birdie but there’s a big break from left to right that he has to judge as well as little downhill slope. It’s decent effort but his ball pulls up short by about a foot. Safe par though.
I’m going to insert David Bowie into your head now. The young American Patrick Cantlay has gone off like a drag car. Having parred the 1st, he’s birdied the 2nd, 3rd and 4th to move to -4 for the tournament and put himself right in the mix. His second into the 4th was a punchy bit of brilliance, taking a chunk of turf from around 100 yards out to land the ball just past the pin and spin it back like a yo-yo to a couple of feet for an easy tap-in. Lovely stuff.
Tiger Woods might be up for this. A more aggressive approach shot into the 6th leaves him an 8-footer for his second birdie of the day. He hurries up to the green to get behind it and steadies himself. It looks pretty straight with just a little left-to-right break on it. This could give him the fuel to really mount a challenge if it goes in. He sends it on its way and it drops right into the centre of the cup. There’s a huge roar. He’s up to -2 for the day and tournament. Mickelson bogeyed this hole before Woods got to it. Tiger’s old sparring partner is back to level par.
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Lee Westwood has had a mixed day, with two bogeys and a pair of birdies cancelling each other out – but it’s just got a whole lot better on the 14th. A monster putt, from one side of the green to the other, makes its way into the cup with a pleasing plop to bring him back to level par.
Tiger two-putts comfortably on the 5th to make his par and move on to Carnoustie’s other challenges. Having seen a 64, 65 and 66 posted in the groups who went out this morning, perhaps the multiple-major winner will decide it’s time to cut loose and create some new memories to match some of those he holds dear from past feats. He’s not the only former major winner enjoying himself out there. Bernhard Langer is winding back the clocks out there and having loads of fun. He’s birdied the 17th and parred the 18th to card a round of 68 and move -1 for the tournament. A fine day’s work for the 60-year-old.
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What an incredible putt by Wood to scramble par on the 18th! He dragged his second into the 18th green and it landed this close to going out of bounds. His third, a putt, was undercooked and failed to traverse the little hillock and make it on to the putting surface. It looks for all the world like he’s going to drop another shot but he strides up to the ball and refuses to ruin his good work, draining a 40-footer – one of the shots of the tournament – to record a 66 and stay -3 for the tournament. He’s in contention for Sunday’s finale. What a shot. What a round!
Chris Wood will be kicking himself. After ripping up Carnoustie with seven birdies in 13 holes, the old course has sunk her teeth into him over the closing holes. He’s dropped shots on the 14th and 17th to fall back to -3 for the championship. If he can par the 18th, it will still be a handy round all right. But an hour ago he was on for a special one. His tee-shot on the last is on the fairway, though. So he could still claw one back. Tiger, meanwhile, is on the 5th green in two after a solid six-iron 190 yards into the breeze.
Thanks Scott. And I join you just as Tiger nails a 12-footer on the 4th to record his first birdie of the day to take him five off the lead. And in what feels like a throwback to 2006, Phil Mickelson plops a birdie in ahead of him on the 5th. There’s life in the old dogs yet. They’re both -1 for the championship and have a spring in their step.
Four birdies in a row for Satoshi Kodaira! The 28-year-old from Tokyo won his first title on the PGA Tour earlier this year, beating Si Woo Kim in a play-off at the RBC Heritage. He’s also got a top-30 finish at the Masters on his 2018 CV. Now he’s racing up the leaderboard thanks to shots picked up at 5, 6, 7 and 8. He’s -2 for the tournament.
And with that, I’m stepping aside for your friend and mine, Gregg Bakowski. He’ll see you through the next hour, and by the time I return many more players will be causing birdie bedlam, I’ll be bound. What a day we have stretching out in front of us!
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It’s been a good day for Ross Fisher. The 37-year-old from Ascot has given himself half a chance tomorrow of getting somewhere near his Open best, a tie for 13th at Turnberry in 2009. Birdies at 14 and 15 were the bedrock of a strong finish: he signs for a 68 and ends the third round at level par. See also: Jason Dufner, whose 68 today gets him to level par as well. A sensational finish as he nearly sent his second at 18 out of bounds down the left, then raked in a long putt from off the green for birdie! The 2013 PGA champ’s best finish at the Open was his tie for 14th at Birkdale last year. A low round tomorrow and, like Fisher, he’s got half a chance of making a personal mark. Meanwhile maybe a Louis Oosthuizen blitz is on: birdie at 4 follows the one he made at the opening hole: he’s -2.
Great scenes at the par-five 14th where Bernhard Langer, 60 going on 25, sets up an eagle chance by whipping his second to five feet. He strokes it in, and the living legend, who won the Masters twice and suffered near misses at the Open in 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1993, 2001 and 2005, is level par. He grins warmly as the Carnoustie punters shower him with the love the great man deserves!
While all that was going on, Tiger made his way out onto the course. For a second, it looked like a disastrous start for the three-time Open champion, as he pulled his second into rough to the left of the 1st green. But a fine up and down saved his par. He then set up a good birdie chance at 2, but his putt lipped out from ten feet. Phil Mickelson meanwhile is level par for the day - and the championship - through 3.
-6: Z Johnson, Kisner
-5: Fleetwood, Perez, Schauffele
-4: Rose (F), Wood (14), McIlroy, van Rooyen, Kuchar, Finau, Lombard
-3: Miyazato (F), Chappell, Spieth, Fowler
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Chris Wood is able to thrash his ball out of the rough down the left of 14. But he only sends it into the bunker front right of the green. Facing a steep bank, he tries to get too close instead of splashing out high and taking his medicine. His ball hits the face, and he needs another, more conservative, splash to get out. Two putts later, and that’s the first blemish on a wonder card. He’s back to -4. Meanwhile up on 18, Yusaku Miyazato pars and signs his name at the bottom of a glorious 65! He’s in the clubhouse at -3, a shot behind the early mark set by Justin Rose.
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Justin Rose had to make a pressure putt on the 18th last night to stay in this tournament. Having sunk it, and survived the cut, he’s grasped the opportunity to compete with both hands. In goes the one he’s just set up for himself, and he’s come back in 30 strokes! That equals the all-time Open record for the back nine, jointly held by Eric Brown (Lytham 1958), Tommy Nakajima (Turnberry 1986), Ross Drummond (Muirfield 1987), Phil MIckelson (St Andrews 2000), Stuart Appelby (Muirfield 2002), Kenichi Kuboya (Turnberry 2009) and Rory McIlroy (St Andrews 2010). But Rose has done it on the hardest course on the rota. And his round of 64 equals the Open record here at Carnoustie. At -4 for the tournament, he’s tied for seventh, and allows himself a little smile as he soaks up the love from the gallery. He deserves it. What a round!
It’s a 68 for Patrick Reed, who pars the last. That’s a fine round, though he understandably looks a bit miffed after dropping a couple of strokes over the closing stretch. He’s the new clubhouse leader - sorry, Gavin Green - at level par for the tournament. With Justin Rose and Yusaku Miyazato heading up the 18th, both at -6, that won’t last. Especially as Rose has just slashed a long iron from the centre of the fairway to five feet!
Chris Wood’s tee shot at the par-three 13th lands pin high, ten feet from the flag. His red-hot putter continues to glow molten. In goes the birdie putt. It’s his seventh of the day. He’s now just one shot off the lead! And with the par-five 14th coming up too. Though he sprays his tee shot deep into rough down the left. All is not lost, depending on the lie. But for the first time today, the big man’s brow furrows a little. Meanwhile Yusaku Miyazato sends his second at 17 to eight feet, and that’s his sixth birdie of the day. This is glorious entertainment! And the leading bunch are still a couple of hours away from teeing it up!
-6: Z Johnson, Kisner
-5: Wood (13), Fleetwood, Perez, Schauffele
-4: McIlroy, van Rooyen, Kuchar, Finau, Lombard
-3: Rose (17), Miyazato (17), Chappell, Spieth, Fowler
Justin Rose keeps on keepin’ on! He rattles in a 20-footer on 17 for his sixth birdie of the day! He’s -3. If he birdies the 18th - and why not, because he’s managed it twice already this week - he’ll be signing for a 64. That’d equal the Open record set here in 2007 by Steve Stricker and Richard Green.
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Patrick Reed’s putter is undoing a lot of good work. After missing a short-ish par putt on 16, he does it again on 17, and those back-to-back bogeys see him plummet back down the standings to level par for the championship. Chris Wood isn’t in the mood to give anything up yet, though: his second at 12 is a little shy of the green, but he gets up and down in a very calm and considered fashion. He stays at -6. Meanwhile back on 1, the 2010 champion Louis Oosthuizen makes birdie to move instantly to -1. Now there’s a man who knows how to launch a birdie blitz from the middle of the pack. Here’s hoping he’s in that sort of mood!
Positive Thinking with Dr Golf (No1 in a series of 1): If you go out first with a marker, you’re guaranteed to be the clubhouse leader for ten minutes or so at the very least. Best look at it that way. Hats off then to Gavin Green of Malaysia, who finished in the top 20 at Gullane last week and is continuing his decent form here by making the cut on his Open debut. He’s shot a level-par 71 today, and therefore posts an early third-round mark at +3. It almost certainly ensures he won’t be out first on his own tomorrow: Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Keegan Bradley are currently propping up the leaderboard at +5, with just five holes of notoriously difficult golf to play between them.
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The par-three 16th is a monster: 248 yards! On the Sky commentary yesterday, the five-time Open champion Tom Watson repeatedly referred to it, tongue in cheek, as a par-four. No wonder: when he won here in 1975, he played the hole five times, and not once did he manage to make par. Justin Rose looks like becoming its latest victim, like Patrick Reed before him, as his long iron disappears down the swale to the left of the green. But he bumps a wedge through the depression, up onto the higher land, and to kick-in distance. That’s wonderfully judged. He moves on, still at -2.
Patrick Reed takes his first misstep of the day. He finds a bunker front right of the long par-three 16th, and though he whips his ball over the tall face to six feet, the par saver slips by the hole. Shame, because that was a wonderful sand shot. He sends his putter spinning high into the air in frustration, catching it gracefully as it falls. The best display of celebrity baton-twirling since Stevie Nicks showcased her skills in the video for Tusk.
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Yusaku Miyazato has experienced pretty much everything on the par-five 14th this week ... except par. A double-bogey seven on Thursday, an eagle yesterday, and now he’s birdied the hole to move to -2. That’s his fifth birdie of the day. His compatriot Masahiro Kawamura is following his lead: birdies at 1, 3 and now 7 have hauled the 25-year-old Open debutant to -1.
News of the young amateur Sam Locke. He began his round spectacularly, with birdies at 1, 3 and 4. Bogeys at 6 and 9 have since sandwiched another birdie at 8, but he turned in 34, two under for his round. The 19-year-old Aberdonian is now +1 for the championship through 11.
When you’re hot, you’re hot ... and it’s another birdie for Chris Wood! He sends a delightful, ice-cool wedge over the two bunkers guarding the front of the green at 10, the pin hiding just behind. The ball bites ten feet from the flag, and he tucks away the putt with minimum fuss. This is a quite stunning performance, and a lot of players yet to tee it up today will be licking their lips in anticipation. There’s a score out there all right! It may just be that Wood is in the process of making it.
-6: Z Johnson, Kisner
-5: Fleetwood, Perez, Schauffele
-4: Wood (10), McIlroy, van Rooyen, Kuchar, Finau, Lombard
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Justin Rose needed a birdie up the notoriously difficult 18th last night to save himself from missing the cut. One big drive, heat-seeking iron, and nerveless putt later, weekend participation was his. What steel! And now he’s cutting loose, with nothing to lose. Birdies at 1, 6, 10, 13 and 14 have catapulted him up the standings to -2. Meanwhile Reed couldn’t make that aforementioned eagle putt at 14 from 25 feet, but birdie will suffice: he’s -2 as well. And Chris Wood reaches the turn in 31 strokes. Just three off Denis Durnian’s front-nine record of 28, set at Birkdale back in 1983.
-6: Z Johnson, Kisner
-5: Fleetwood, Perez, Schauffele
-4: McIlroy, van Rooyen, Kuchar, Finau, Lombard
-3: Wood (9), Chappell, Spieth, Fowler
-2: Reed (14), Rose (14), Olesen, Willett, List, Stone
-1: Miyazato (13), Moore, Noren, Hoffman, Scott, Stanley, Koepka, Southgate, Pepperell, Cantlay, Simpson, Kang
Also zipping along very nicely this morning: Patrick Reed. The brilliant and ever-entertaining Masters champ put on a good show in the Scottish Open last week at Gullane. He was expected to do much more than just scrape under the cut line. But having done so, he’s making a statement now. Birdies at 5, 6, 7 and 13, and he’s just fired a long iron into the heart of the par-five 14th to set up a good chance for eagle. He’s -1 but won’t be hanging around there for long. Meanwhile here’s our first on-course dispatch of the day, courtesy not of the Guardian and Observer’s team - more from them anon - but our old live-blog pal Simon McMahon: “Made it to Carnoustie early this morning for Moving Day. The course looks magnificent, still some cloud around but warm and hardly any breeze. Highlight so far seeing Sam Locke roll in a 25 footer for birdie on 3, then splitting the fairway with his drive at 4. Not a care in the world it seemed. Crowds building up nicely, sun ready to come out, fantastic day ahead. I might even treat Mrs McMahon to a gourmet pie for lunch.”
Chris Wood is burning like a forest fire. Don’t it make you smile? His second into 7 was decent, straight at the flag, but he couldn’t get any spin and the ball trundled towards the back of the green. No worries! He races in a 30-footer, and that’s three birdies in a row, and his fifth of the day! He moves to -3 for the tournament, and already you have to start wondering ... is somebody going to take serious advantage of these conditions and match (or even better) Branden Grace’s major-busting 62 of 12 months ago? OK, let’s not get too carried away with ourselves. But let’s get carried away with ourselves! It’s OK to dream. It’s free.
Also out of the blocks like a whippet riding a greyhound on wheels: Yusaku Miyazato. The 38-year-old from Japan hasn’t got much of a record at the Open - three appearances, three cuts missed - but he’s made it this time, and looks to be very much enjoying the experience. He’s reached the turn in 32, having birdied 2, 4, 6 and 8. That’s whisked him all the way up the leaderboard to -1, currently tied for 19th place. His best finish in a major is a tie for 23rd at the 2016 US Open: that tournament was held at Oakmont, a course that’s as notoriously difficult as Carnoustie. He likes a test, that man Miyazato.
Here we go, then: it’s Moving Day! And there will be plenty of movement. It’s a calm, warm, breeze-free day at Carnoustie: the conditions couldn’t be more benign. Also, the greens are a little more receptive after their much-needed watering yesterday. Expect some low scores, because the wind’s not expected to raise Cain until tomorrow. Would you like some early evidence? Here’s some early evidence, courtesy of 2016 BMW PGA champion Chris Wood! You might remember the towering Wood from Birkdale in 2008, when he tied for fifth place as low amateur. Or perhaps Turnberry the year after, when as a pro he finished one shot outside the play-off eventually won by Tom Watson BLOODY HELL IT STILL HURTS Stewart Cink. He finished in a tie for 14th last year too. The man knows his way around a links. And what a start he’s made this morning: birdies at 1, 3, 5 and 6 to whizz up the standings to -2! He’ll already be ruing that tiddler he yipped on the final hole last night. But this more than makes up for it.
Preamble
At the halfway stage, here’s what we know already about the 147th Open Championship. Some of the biggest names in golf won’t be winning it. Carnoustie has already seen off world number one Dustin Johnson, and world number two Justin Thomas. And world number five Jon Rahm. Also on their way home: Sergio Garcia, Hideki Matsuyama, Martin Kaymer, Bubba Watson, Charl Schwartzel, Daniel Berger, Matt Fitzpatrick and Ian Poulter.
And these lads just survived the cut by the skin of their teeth: Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau, Ryan Fox, Jason Dufner, Kiradech Aphibarnrat and the Masters champion Patrick Reed. Phew.
We also know that 19-year-old Sam Locke from Aberdeen will win the silver medal. That’s because he’s the only amateur to survive the cut! He just needs to complete the final two rounds to dot the Is and cross the Ts. No bother. Then back to the day job, working in the cafe at 1999 Carnoustie conqueror Paul Lawrie’s golf academy to earn enough cash to play. It’s a lovely story.
What we’re not so sure about is the likely identity of the 2018 champion golfer. Zach Johnson and Kevin Kisner are in the box seat right now. Tommy Fleetwood shot a best-of-week 65 yesterday, holds the course record here, and came second at the US Open last month. The reigning champion Jordan Spieth has regained his form at exactly the right time. Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka are within striking distance. But so, quite frankly, is everyone else. With 36 holes still to play, a mere nine shots cover the entire field. Consider: Paul Lawrie was ten strokes behind here in 1999 with just 18 holes left. So kick off your Stylos and enjoy! Moving Day promises to be quite the dance. We’ll be off at midday! It’s on!
Here’s the top of the leaderboard after three rounds ...
-6: Z Johnson, Kisner
-5: Fleetwood, Perez, Schauffele
-4: McIlroy, van Rooyen, Kuchar, Finau, Lombard
-3: Chappell, Spieth, Fowler
-2: Olesen, Willett, List, Stone
-1: Moore, Noren, Hoffman, Scott, Stanley, Koepka, Southgate, Pepperell, Cantlay, Simpson, Kang
E: Molinari, Day, Kim, Herbert, Woods, Norris, Cook, Mickelson, Cink, Oosthuizen, Crocker
... and these are the tee times for Moving Day.
9.15am BST Gavin Green (Mal)
9.25am Rhys Enoch (Wal), Patrick Reed (US)
9.35am Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha), Justin Rose (Eng)
9.45am Yusaku Miyazato (Jpn), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)
9.55am Ross Fisher (Eng), Keegan Bradley (US)
10.05am Ryan Fox (NZ), Jason Dufner (US)
10.15am Bryson DeChambeau (US), Henrik Stenson (Swe)
10.25am Tom Lewis (Eng), Sam Locke [a] (Sco)
10.35am Paul Casey (Eng), Chris Wood (Eng)
10.45am Bernhard Langer (Ger), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Sp)
11am Paul Dunne (Ire), Brett Rumford (Aus)
11.10am Masahiro Kawamura (Jpn), Shubhankar Sharma (Ind)
11.20am Cameron Smith (Aus), Brendan Steele (USA)
11.30am Marc Leishman (Aus), Lee Westwood (Eng)
11.40am An Byeong-hun (Kor), Kevin Na (US)
11.50am Julian Suri (US), Adam Hadwin (Can)
Midday Gary Woodland (US), Kim Si-woo (Kor)
12.10pm Yuta Ikeda (Jpn), Satoshi Kodaira (Jpn)
12.20pm Marcus Kinhult (Swe), Thomas Pieters (Bel)
12.30pm Beau Hossler (US), Li Haotong (Chn)
12.45pm Cameron Davis (Aus), Sean Crocker (US)
12.55pm Louis Oosthuizen (SA), Stewart Cink (US)
1.05pm Phil Mickelson (US), Austin Cook (US)
1.15pm Shaun Norris (SA), Tiger Woods (US)
1.25pm Lucas Herbert (Aus), Michael Kim (US)
1.35pm Jason Day (Aus), Francesco Molinari (It)
1.45pm Kang Sung-hoon (Kor), Webb Simpson (US)
1.55pm Patrick Cantlay (US), Eddie Pepperell (Eng)
2.05pm Matthew Southgate (Eng), Brooks Koepka (US)
2.15pm Kyle Stanley (US), Adam Scott (Aus)
2.30pm Charley Hoffman (US), Alex Norén (Swe)
2.40pm Ryan Moore (US), Brandon Stone (SA)
2.50pm Luke List (US), Danny Willett (Eng)
3pm Thorbjørn Olesen (Den), Rickie Fowler (US)
3.10pm Jordan Spieth (US), Kevin Chappell (US)
3.20pm Zander Lombard (SA), Tony Finau (US)
3.30pm Matt Kuchar (US), Erik Van Rooyen (SA)
3.40pm Rory McIlroy (NI), Xander Schauffele (US)
3.50pm Pat Perez (US), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)
4pm Kevin Kisner (US), Zach Johnson (US)
The fever’s on. Somebody, please, call Dr Golf!
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