Oosthuizen keeps his cool to retain Open lead

SANDWICH (UNITED KINGDOM): Louis Oosthuizen held off a charge from Collin Morikawa and Jordan Spieth to stay one shot in front at 12-under par heading into yesterday’s final round of the British Open at Royal St. George’s.

The South African carded a third-round of 69 on Saturday to stay a stroke ahead of tournament debutant Morikawa and three in front of 2017 Open champion Spieth.

Resuming on 11-under par in pristine conditions, the World No 13 birdie putts at the first two holes shave the cup in a run of six straight pars.

But he birdied the par-five seventh and then picked up another shot at the ninth.

However, after dropping just one shot in his opening two rounds, bogeys at 11 and 13 allowed Morikawa and Spieth to briefly take a share of the lead.

Oosthuizen regained his composure and his precise putting for birdie at the par-three 16th to retake the lead outright to huge cheers with 32,000 fans in attendance at Sandwich on England’s south-east coast.

World No 1 Dustin Johnson fell back to four under with four-time major champion Brooks Koepka on three under.

Earlier, Rory McIlroy’s hopes of a fifth major title faded on the back nine after an electrifying start from the Northern Irishman.

The biggest galleries of the tournament so far saw McIlroy make five birdies on the front nine.

But a combination of wild driving off the tee and sloppy putting saw McIlroy drop shots at the 11th, 13th and 15th to fall back to one under.