Rory McIlroy yet got the amended of par astatine the British Open, conscionable barely.
McIlroy ran disconnected 5 birdies connected the beforehand nine, lone to marque nary connected the backmost 9 astatine Royal St. George's. It added to a 69, his archetypal circular nether par this week, and lone his 2nd sub-70 people successful 13 rounds astatine the majors this year.
That means different Sunday with small significance, and having to hold until April astatine the Masters earlier his adjacent accidental to extremity his drought successful the majors that dates to 2014.
"The beforehand 9 was great. I support saying I'm close, and that was benignant of impervious that it is successful there," McIlroy said.
"It's a substance of turning that 9 holes into 18 holes and past hopefully turning 18 holes into an full tournament. There are signs it is going successful the close direction, I conscionable couldn't support it going for the remainder of the round."
The vexation showed connected the par-5 14th. McIlroy took robust disconnected the tee and inactive pulled into heavy writer connected the left. He held the nine toward the near to bespeak to the gallery, and past flung the club.
"It wasn't truly a nine throw, was it? It was conscionable a small toss," McIlroy said.
It surely wasn't fierce, not similar that three-iron helium erstwhile heaved into into the h2o near of the eighth fairway astatine Doral 1 year.
"I wasn't arsenic (ticked) disconnected arsenic Tyrrell Hatton was yesterday," McIlroy said, referring to Hatton snapping a wedge successful half.
McIlroy has a engaged docket going forward. He returns to his Florida location for a week earlier going to the Olympics successful Japan earlier a World Golf Championship successful Tennessee and the PGA Tour postseason of 3 consecutive events.
MOVING DAY
Dustin Johnson started the 3rd circular of the British Open conscionable 4 shots behind. Brooks Koepka, who thrives connected the majors, was different changeable backmost and had said earlier successful the week helium expected to beryllium adjacent the pb travel Sunday.
Saturday is moving time successful the majors, and they some moved successful the incorrect direction.
Johnson made a brace of superb par saves to commencement his round. Instead of settling into his game, it lone got worse. He didn't marque a birdie until the par-5 14h, and by past helium had fallen 10 shots behind. Johnson birdied 2 of the past 5 holes to salvage a 73 and finished 8 shots back.
Koepka had 3 bogeys successful 5 holes astatine the commencement and changeable a 72. He was 9 behind.
ONE BAD SHOT
No 1 has energised the assemblage rather similar Marcel Siem of Germany, who lone qualified for the British Open connected Sunday by winning a Challenge Tour event.
His celebrations were muted until helium picked up his archetypal birdie connected the 10th hole, putting him astatine seven-under par, precise overmuch successful scope of the lead.
One plaything changed everything.
Siem deed robust disconnected the par-5 14th and it sailed to the close and beyond the out-of-bounds obstruction that separates Royal St. George's from Prince's Golf Club. He deed his 3rd from the tee (into the rough). After laying up, his 5th went into a cookware bunker, and helium coiled up with a triple bogey.
"I'm not rather definite if I missed a fairway astatine each contiguous earlier that," Siem said. "I conscionable tried to compression a two-iron down there. Didn't adjacent deliberation astir out-of-bounds. Tried to purpose near of the bridge, deed a debased chaser down there. Hit it connected the heel, and it chopped it truthful overmuch I couldn't judge it. It's precise frustrating that that happened."
He rallied with a birdie connected the par-3 16th, and deed it to 3 feet connected the 18th for a closing birdie and a hard-earned 70, leaving him six behind.
Siem offered a slow-motion fist pump walking disconnected the 18th. It was a pugnacious day.
"I'm very, precise arrogant of myself that I was capable to hide astir it, and I'm coming successful with 2 birdies, I'm precise blessed with that," helium said.
SPIETH ON MUTE
Jordan Spieth was successful the mediate of the 17th fairway with a wedge successful hand, inactive tied for the lead. He walked disconnected the 18th greenish with a bogey-bogey decorativeness — helium missed a two-foot par putt connected the 18th spread — for a 69 and walked consecutive to the signifier green.
He stayed determination for much than 30 minutes with his caddie and plaything coach. The R&A said helium declined each media requests.
It's not antithetic for a subordinate to spell consecutive to the signifier area. It's uncommon for a subordinate not to talk astir his circular little an hr aft helium was tied for the pb connected Saturday successful a major.
According to Golf Digest, helium stopped for a fewer selfies with fans connected his mode out.
Spieth was 3 shots behind, the closest helium has been to the pb successful a large since helium was tied astatine Carnoustie 3 years ago.
For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!
English (US) ·