McIlroy makes Open charge, Scheffler stays ahead at Portrush

Straits Times

19-07-2025

Golf - The 153rd Open Championship - Royal Portrush Golf Club, Portrush, Northern Ireland, Britain - July 19, 2025 Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy hits his tee shot on the 1st hole during the third round REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland - Home favourite Rory McIlroy birdied three of his first four holes to mount a third-round charge as world number Scottie Scheffler maintained his British Open lead in perfect scoring conditions on Saturday.
The 36-year-old McIlroy began the day on three under par after two up-and-down rounds, seven strokes behind Scheffler, but roars resounded across the Dunluce Links as he made a dream start before reaching the turn at six under.
After his majestic round of 64 on Friday, world number Scheffler was becalmed at the start, three-putting for a par five at the second hole.
England's Matt Fitzpatrick, who began the day at nine under, missed a short par putt on the opening hole but responded with an eagle at the par-five second to join Scheffler on 10 under.
American Scheffler, bidding to lift the Claret Jug for the first time, sparked into life at the seventh with an eagle three.
China's Li Haotong was a shot back on nine under after a steady start.
With huge galleries swarming down the first fairway and massed around the green, McIlroy left himself a 36-foot putt for birdie and curled his effort into the cup.
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He was close to an eagle at the par-five second, settling for another birdie, and made up his third stroke of the day at the fourth after a superb approach left him a seven-foot putt.
MCILROY CHARGE
Northern Ireland's McIlroy, bidding to win the Open for the second time after his maiden title at Hoylake in 2014, made six successive pars to remain at six under after 10 holes.
He bogeyed the 11th but eagled the 12th with a snaking 56-foot putt to move to seven under, prompting wild celebrations in the crowd.
After two days of unpredictable conditions, the weather gods relented to spark a feast of birdies and eagles.
Early starter Russell Henley of the United States made five birdies and an eagle in a 65 to rocket up the leaderboard and take the clubhouse lead on six under.
No Englishman has won the Open since Nick Faldo in 1992 but Fitzpatrick was not the only player heading into the weekend hoping to end that drought.
Tyrrell Hatton, who this week said "three is the magic number" for pints of the local stout, roared into contention when his approach shot at the 607-yard par-five seventh landed on the green and curled towards the hole before wobbling in for an eagle three.
It was the second eagle at the seventh in successive groups after Scotland's Robert MacIntyre also made one.
American Brian Harman, Open champion two years ago at Royal Liverpool, started two shots off the lead, but made a terrible start as he double-bogeyed his opening hole to fall back to six under. He responded with a birdie at the next but made a bogey at the third.
Defending champion Xander Schauffele eagled the seventh and repeated the trick at the 12th before a birdie at the 15th lifted him within three shots of the lead. REUTERS