ST. Andrews, Scotland — Standing in one of the 112 old course bunkers on Saturday, Rory McIlroy wanted to be at the top of the British Open leaderboard.
The drive on the 10th hole was in trouble, but it wasn’t a serious problem and stopped in the middle of the sand trap that protected the front of the green.
McIlroy had room to swing freely, and his second shot jumped over the bunker’s lips, bounced three times, and then rolled a few more feet into the eagle’s cup.
With a 27-yard masterstroke, McIlroy led his play partner, Victor Hoblan, by one shot.
“It was a skill to bring it somewhere,” McIlroy said. “But I was lucky that it got into the hole. Especially in these big tournaments, sometimes I need a little luck. And that was a great bonus.”
It was a kind of pleasant surprise to be able to divide the victory and defeat of the major championship. Hovland got his own bonus when he holed out of the rough for an eagle from 139 yards on the 15th of par 4 on Friday.
However, Hovland, a 24-year-old Norwegian who was excellent at Oklahoma State University before turning professional in 2019, has not been able to let McIlroy enjoy the lead alone for a long time. He quickly involved McIlroy in a birdie, making both 15 under pars and then dueling on the back nine of major golf’s most historic course.
McIlroy from Northern Ireland was certainly a favorite of the crowd, but the dynamic Hovland did not shrink from the challenge.They finished with 66 matching rounds and a lead share of 16 under pars, clearing 4 shots. Chase pack It is led by Cameron Young of the United States and Cameron Smith of Australia. They are both under 12 years old towards Sunday.
Of the top four leaderboards, only 33-year-old McIlroy is already a major champion, but the latest of his four victories was the 2014 PGA Championship at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. is.
Since then, he has experienced many unfortunate Sundays.
“You haven’t been given anything. Just as you’ve won everything else in my career, I have to get out there and win it,” he said.
Other major champions are also within range. American Scottie Scheffler, who won the Masters in April and ranked number one in the world, is 11 under in South Korea’s Kim Si Woo and Thailand. Dustin Johnson, two major US winners who recently jumped into the Breakaway LIV Golf Series, is alone with a 10-under after a rocking 71 on Saturday.
British Matt Fitzpatrick, who won the US Open this year, is nine under with 2013 Masters champions Adam Scott and Tommy Fleetwood.
But if McIlroy and Hovland continue to shine under pressure like Saturday, they may not give the pack much opportunity to fill the gap.
“There are many things that can happen,” Hovland said. “With these conditions and pin placement, you can play well and shoot with an even par, and many others can participate.”
The weather on Sunday remains relatively mild, with mild winds and temperatures expected to continue in the mid-1970s. This could mean many of the low scores that have been dominated by St Andrews in this 150th edition of the British Open.
On Saturday, several players, including Shane Lowry, who won the Eagles in a row on the 9th and 10th, had a significant show. And Kevin Kizner had the best round of the day, though he made few cuts. With 7 under 65, he tied in 13th place.
“It’s just a fun place to take a walk or play golf. With a putt, it’s even more fun,” Kissner said.
It looked like a good summary of a good day on many golf courses, but even when the best golfers in the world are doing it, success on the old course continues to be particularly cashed.
McIlroy is well aware of what winning Sunday means to him and his masses — perhaps too aware.
“I love getting a lot of support,” he said. “But at the same time, tomorrow I have to stay in my little world and play golf well. I hope that’s enough.”
Shaking off Hovland in the third round was not enough. Both started the day with 10 unders and the penultimate group ahead of Smith, the leader of the second round, and Young, the leader of the first round.
Hovland set a fierce pace early on, starting with a 38-foot birdie putt at 3 and a 42-foot birdie putt at 4, creating four straight birdies. From the 10th sand and another 15th birdie, he regained a complete lead.
But he couldn’t hold it because Hovland made a par while Hovland defeated him on the 17th and McIlroy had to settle down on Bogey.
At the age of 18, they started a memorable round, tied up and finished vigorously.
“We were fed up with each other and navigated the last few holes well,” McIlroy said.
This was a pure competition, but there was no fierce face-to-face conflict. Most of the rounds had fists, smiles, and lots of chatter.
“I talked a lot about it,” McIlroy said. “We talked about footwear. We talked about what he did in the last few weeks. He returned to Norway. After this he returned to Norway. He just kept it nice and loose.”
McIlroy may be nine years older, but after playing (and losing) with the same Ryder Cup team in Europe last year, he and Hovland have a good relationship. But when they come back together on Sunday, they are no longer teammates.
McIlroy is trying to end the eight-year drought by winning at the ultimate open venue. Hovland is about to become the first Norwegian to win a major.
“It’s pretty crazy from where I grew up,” Hovland said. “I have to pinch myself, but that doesn’t mean I’m ahead of tomorrow.”
