LYTHAM LOWDOWN

The highs and lows of the fourth round

2.30pm

Armed with a fourshot lead, the calmest man of the week has an early case of the jitters. Adam Scott bogeys the first hole, birdies the second but drops another shot on the third.

3.45pm

As Ernie Els misses three early birdie chances, Scott finds the bunker on the sixth hole and fails to get up and down for par. But the field are starting to slide backwards too.

4.01pm

After driving through the seventh green, Scott sees his ball roll away from him as he prepares his shot. He waits nervously but is not penalised. However, he fails to make his birdie.

4.38pm

Els hits a beautiful tee shot on the 12th to card his second birdie of the day and go into a tie for second. The South African is four off the lead with six holes to play. Surely he can’t win it . . .

5.05pm

As Scott misses a birdie opportunity at the 11th, Els nails his second straight at the flag on 14. The South African sinks the putt and the Australian’s lead is reduced to three shots.

5.20pm

Els drives into the rough on the 15th but the Big Easy hacks out of the nasty stuff. A superb up-and-down saves par and cranks up the pressure on Scott.

5.29pm

As Els finds a spectator path off the 16th tee, Scott sinks a birdie putt on 14. When the South African misses a birdie chance, the Australian’s lead is back to four. Scott’s 1-50 to win his first major, but the Claret Jug is all his to lose.

5.43pm

Scott stands on the 15th tee at 10 under par and the 32-year-old is just four holes from Open glory. He bogeys the hole. But Els gives him a temporary reprieve on the 17th when he misses another putt for a birdie.

5.53pm

With a three-shot lead, Scott still looks comfortable. He addresses his par putt on the 16th green, a simple-looking three-footer, but the ball refuses to go in and his second straight shot is dropped.

5.58pm

As Scott suffers in silence, Els erupts with a magnificent birdie putt on the 18th. He drops a 12-footer to shoot a two-under-par round of 68 and cut the lead to just one. The gauntlet has been laid down . . .

6.11pm

Scott finds the rough behind the 17th green with his second shot and can only hack out to 30 feet. Facing a putt to maintain his lead, the Aussie misses. The two friends are now all square as Scott prepares to play the last.

6.21pm

Needing a birdie to win and a par to force a four-hole play-off, Scott’s tee shot finds sand on 18. He can’t go for the green and chips out but lands his third shot eight feet from the pin. However, his putt finishes wide. Not so great, Scott.