Mcilroy brilliance par for the course ROR & VIK... MAJOR FUN IN THE SUN
Euro pair leading St Andrews charge
THE last time the Open was staged at St Andrews, Rory Mcilroy was out injured and the third round was suspended due to high winds. Yesterday, on another glorious day on the Fife coast, the red-hot Ulsterman made up for lost time by blowing away the Old Course to share the lead on 16 under par going into today’s final round.
And the world No.2 faces a potential final round duel in the sun with Viktor Hovland as more history awaits in the 150th Open.
At one stage during the high quality third round yesterday, the top-four places on the leaderboard were occupied by stars all ranked in the top nine in the world.
But overnight leader Cam
Smith (73) and world No.1
Scottie Scheffler (69) could not keep pace with the two
Europeans playing in the penultimate group. Their first bogey came on the 17th when
Mcilroy went over the green and bounced off the wall on the
Road Hole.
American world No.32 Cam Young (above) and Cam Smith are the nearest challengers on joint 12 under par.
The record Open score here of 19-under par was set here by Tiger Woods in 2000 and there could be a finale as thrilling as Tom Watson holding off Jack Nicklaus at Turnberry in 1977.
Days of Scottish sun have baked the fairways into runways to allow the world’s best players to fly their tee shots to the shorter greens of par-4s. And with generous pin placements, there was no defence from a gentle breeze.
The Hovland charge started on Friday evening when he holed out for eagle from 139 yards on the 15th as he played the last five holes in four-under par.
Yesterday, starting three shots behind Smith, he took the outright lead after four consecutive birdies on the front nine.
Mcilroy started slowly and made his first birdie on No.6. But he hit the front in stunning style on No.10 when he holed a 27-yard bunker shot for eagle. The deafening roar were followed by chants of “Rory, Rory” – and he will enjoy more home support today.
His bogey at 17 – when he went over the green from 168 yards – ensured the final group will start on 15-under today.
Aussie world No.6 Smith set a 36-hole scoring record here and took a three-shot lead into the third round.
But his play was a lot less vibrant than his multi-coloured shirt.
Starting with a three-putt bogey on the first hole, he went out in level par and then took a double bogey six on 13 after finding heather with his second shot.
Dustin Johnson, the last LIV player in contention, will be glad this Major is not staged over 54 holes. After climbing into contention on the front nine, a hat-trick of bogeys coming home saw him shoot a 71.
The British challenge is too far away. US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick was inspired to a 66 playing with Woods in the second round and shot a 69 with Aussie Min Woo Lee.
He sits on nine-under par with Tommy Fleetwood after his 66.
Tyrrell Hatton started the day only five shots off the lead, but faded with a 73.
AHEAD of Europe’s ill-fated defence of the Ryder Cup in the United States last year, the possible combination of Rory Mcilroy and Viktor Hovland was seen as a dream pairing.
Alas, skipper Padraig Harrington never put them together in a contest that turned out to be emphatically one-sided.
But on a sun-kissed St Andrews Saturday, they walked side-byside, flying the European flag at the top of a leaderboard dominated by Americans and an Australian when play began.
And they will be flying it again in what promises to be an enthralling final round.
Mcilroy is very much the present of European golf, Hovland is very much its future.
Compelling
In fact, there are some good judges who fancied the 24-yearold Norwegian to win a Major before now.
And, of course, there are many good judges who simply cannot believe Mcilroy has not won a Major in eight years.
Watching them in tandem in a compelling third round, it was hard to think of two better strikers of a golf ball.
It was, though, easy to think of a better putter than Mcilroy as he missed good chances on the first four holes.
But patience is the key in links golf. Well, let’s face it, in any golf, and that is what these two seem to have in some considerable measure.
Maybe it’s his settled family life, maybe it’s simply that he is a bit older, but that is a new thing for Mcilroy.
Not only did he have to deal with the pressure and the expectation of the galleries – and the expectation of the home nations and beyond – but there was also the slightly discomforting sight of police officers and security men chaperoning the group. Apparently, there were fears of protesters making some sort of incursion.
Relaxed
It seems, though, that nothing fazes this latest version of Rory Mcilroy, 33.
So when the birdie opportunities slipped by, Mcilroy kept the same rhythm, had the same relaxed demeanour, enjoyed the same chit-chats with young Viktor. There was not just brilliance in the European group, there was bromance, the pair fist-bumping on the 11th tee.
Why? Because on the 10th hole, Mcilroy had holed out from a bunker for an eagle and Hovland had drained a 15-footer for another birdie and their names were twinned at the very top of the leaderboard.
For good measure, the world No.1 Scottie Scheffler (above, left) had been standing – waiting to tee off – and watching and acknowledging Mcilroy’s excellence with a knowing smile.
Too much can be made of the significance of pairings but there is no doubt Mcilroy and Hovland fed off each other’s sparkling play.
And there is no doubt Mcilroy likes to be in relaxing company as he swaggers his way around the golf course. Whether or not
he will be quite as relaxed on Sunday afternoon is another matter.
For a player of his breathtaking ability, to go eight years without a Major is remarkable.
Debate
When he won The Open in 2014 and followed it up a month later with a victory at the US PGA Championship at Valhalla, the only debate was about how many more he would add to his collection of four.
Yet to this point, none. If that changes on Sunday night, it could lead to another flurry over the
next couple of years but that will not be in Mcilroy’s mind.
To lift the Claret Jug, he will have to see off a group of truly elite players, including his pal Hovland.
In the closing holes, the bonhomie, understandably, took a backseat and the game faces were well and truly on.
But if either Mcilroy or Hovland do eventually triumph, they will surely acknowledge the companionship of the other.
Because on a lovely day, they did not so much as have a duel in the sun as fun in the sun.
And it was beautiful to watch.