Mcilroy sets sights on Open ‘holy grail’

going into tomorrow.’’

Australia’s Cameron Smith had been in pole position at halfway after posting a record two-round total of 13-under but the world No 6 three-putted the opening hole and made a double bogey on the 13th as he slipped off the pace.

Smith and American Cameron Young will start the final round on 12-under, four shots behind, after rounds of 73 and 71 respectively, with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler and South Korea’s Si Woo Kim a stroke further back.

Two-time major winner Dustin Johnson is six shots back following a 71, with Tommy Fleetwood and US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick on nine-under, alongside Australia’s Adam Scott.

Mcilroy lifted the Claret Jug in 2014 and claimed his fourth major in the US PGA a month later, but has not won one of the game’s biggest titles since.

The world No2 is well aware of the significance of winning the oldest major title at the home of golf.

‘‘It’s the Holy Grail of our sport,’’ Mcilroy said in his pretournament press conference.

Asked about the significance of winning today (NZT), he added: ‘‘It would mean everything because of what I have been through the last few years, trying to get the fifth one.’’

Even an error-free front nine of 33 had Mcilroy a shot behind an inspired Hovland, who had birdied four holes in a row from the third to take over from Smith at the top of the leaderboard.

However, Mcilroy then holed out from a bunker short of the 10th green for a stunning eagle to vault into the lead, before Hovland commendably held his nerve to birdie the same hole.

Mcilroy found the green in two on the 614-yard 14th to set up another birdie and move into the outright lead, only to then fire his approach to the daunting 17th over the green and off the wall.

The resulting bogey dropped Mcilroy back alongside Hovland, who brilliantly saved par from just over the green, with both players then making a birdie on the last.

Dame Noeline Taurua admits she might sound crazy.

But she feels the Silver Ferns are in a better place two weeks out from the Commonwealth Games than they were when they flew off to England and won the Netball World Cup three years ago.

Her team will make the long trip north again this Thursday seeking glory at the Games in Birmingham after failing to win a medal of any colour on the Gold Coast four years ago.

And while they might have finished the Cadbury Netball Series with their heaviest defeat in nine meetings against the New Zealand Men, losing 67-48 in the final at Pulman Arena in Auckland on Saturday, their coach believes they’re in a good place.

‘‘I know it might feel crazy to people, but I actually feel we’re ahead of ourselves in comparison to where we were in 2019,’’ Taurua said after Saturday’s match.

‘‘It’s about how much more we have to grow within the next couple of weeks and the planning that we’ve done, our openness to learn, where the players are at, the leadership that these guys have put together for the programme and just the sheer communication.

‘‘There’s a lot of love in the team and they’re there to serve each other.

‘‘There are little bits and pieces that we have to be better at, but our numbers indicate that we are actually better, so let’s see what that brings.’’

Current men’s captain Kruze Tangira was part of the team that beat the Silver Ferns twice on the eve of their World Cup win in 2019 and said Taurua ‘‘doesn’t sound crazy at all’’.

‘‘My eyes lit up when she said that because Noeline doesn’t say things just to say things. She says