The Sunday News
Rory McIlroy will take a six-shot lead over American Rickie Fowler into the final round of the Open after an absorbing day at Hoylake.
McIlroy, bidding for a third major title and first Claret Jug, fired 68 to surge to 16 under after brushing off a short-lived back-nine challenge from fellow 25-year-old Fowler, who also shot 68.
Spain’s Sergio Garcia (69) and American Dustin Johnson (71) were tied third at nine under, with Frenchman Victor Dubuisson (68) eight under.
Three-time Open winner Tiger Woods shot 73 to end the day three over, defending champion Phil Mickelson (71) was one under and world number one Adam Scott (69) of Australia was six under.
McIlroy was tied with Fowler at 12 under after 13 holes but eagles at the 16th and 18th helped him to the biggest 54-hole advantage at the Open since Woods led by six in his 2000 victory at St Andrews.
Victory for McIlroy today would see him join Jack Nicklaus and Woods as the only players to win three majors by the age of 25.
The Northern Irishman broke a host of scoring records and won by eight shots when he landed his maiden major, the US Open, in 2011. And he also triumphed by a record margin of eight shots at the 2012 US PGA. Only five players have won all four majors in their career – Nicklaus, Woods, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen. McIlroy famously went close at the Masters in 2011 before blowing a four-shot lead on the final day.
While McIlroy finished in commanding fashion yesterday, his round got off to an ignominious opening after the Open’s first-ever two-tee start because of forecast thunderstorms.
A scrappy bogey via the greenside bunker – and a birdie from playing partner Johnson – saw his four-shot overnight lead halved in a flash. Up ahead, Fowler also made a fast start with two opening birdies to signal the chase was on, as the electrical activity held off and the rain-softened course offered perfect scoring conditions.
McIlroy steadied himself and got back to 12 under with a first birdie on the long fifth but as Johnson trod water, Fowler got to within two with a fourth birdie at the short sixth.
Standing on the ninth tee, McIlroy was three shots clear of Fowler and the advancing Garcia before the American birdied the 10th and dropped another birdie on the 11th to move within one.
McIlroy hit back, firing his approach to five feet on the 11th and sinking the putt to get back to two clear of the American, who he first encountered as an amateur in the 2007 Walker Cup at Royal County Down.
However, the pair were tied when McIlroy tangled with the rough and dropped a shot on the 12th after Fowler had earlier made a birdie.
But from then on, momentum swung in McIlroy’s favour. The 14th produced a two-shot swing as Fowler’s bogey to McIlroy’s 20ft birdie putt restored a two-shot lead.
Fowler dropped another shot on the 16th, and met Garcia coming back up the leaderboard, leaving McIlroy three ahead again.
The real hammer-blow came on the 17th when McIlroy’s eagle sent him five clear, which briefly became six when his two rivals bogeyed 17.
McIlroy dropped one of his own on the penultimate hole but another eagle to close sealed a spectacular finish.
Fowler is chasing his first major title after finishing as runner-up behind Martin Kaymer at the US Open last month, while the 34-year-old Garcia is also seeking a first major title at the 61st attempt.
The popular Spaniard played in the final group alongside Woods at Hoylake in 2006 but fell away to finish in a tie for fifth.
England’s Justin Rose, Scotland’s Marc Warren and Northern Ireland pair Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell ended in a group on five under. — BBC Sport
