LIVE GOLF COMMENTARY THE OPEN

THE OPEN LIVE COMMENTARY
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play for pride combination selection for next week. But the way the lines came out the blocks you mentioned top of the show Curry level slipper burn Burn gets over the ball. Those two flankers were on a different planet. Sheen’s everywhere. Genji is marauding around. Finn Russell’s got it on a string. Um and at times the the Lions played some outstanding rugby which is testament to their players and their coaching team. Yeah, I thought they looked really good. Uh I thought they looked really connected. They looked like they’d used the the three weeks that that they’ve been in Australia with all those games that were were mismatches now and again, but they’ve really used their time well. I think this last week they’ve trained obviously on point. And uh I was really impressed. Jameson Gibson Jameson Gibson Park was just brilliant. You know, he controls that so well. He doesn’t do anything flash. He just does everything very very well. And I So the big players stepped up. I thought uh I thought Sion Tupeloto I thought was excellent. Hugh Jones um had moments. Um Tommy Freeman had moments. James Low had moments. It just it wasn’t the full package and if it had been we’d have been talking about a bigger score line. There’s no doubt about that. Is this is where I start to do the Australian thing and and talk about my line in commentary where I said and here’s the line. An Australian has scored the first try for the Lions in 2025. And then we had uh on on our ABC broadcast, we had James Low with my sideline colleague doing an interview. And here’s this broad Kiwi accent talking about State of Origin Rugby League. It was almost like it was a a postgame to a Berseslow cup, not a bit surreal. Um but but in terms of some of the good rugby um and I really would love to get your perspective, Quenton, to sort of someone who doesn’t see these Lions players up close and person who really caught your eye. But you mentioned the Talot who try there were two touches from Russell, weren’t there? One to put Sheen through and then his ball over the top must have skipped three three players. So this was a game when Yes. It’s it’s kind of suited to Finn. It’s a quick Suncorp trap against a quick Suncorp track. It wasn’t kind of rainy and and and really really tight and attritional. But at times that first half, he was he was just beautiful. He was sublime. He just he was in complete control of his game and everything around him. And that’s what you want from a standoff. I tell him what he’ll be spewing about Jonesy was the the the try or the no try that Joe McCarthy he was on his own. It was a crossfield kick. And all day long Finn does that. He does that. He puts on a sixpence every time and it came off the side. You saw there was a good angle in the stadium. It came off the side of his foot. That could have gone high. It could have gone low. It was a walking for breakfast as you know. Absolutely. He he nails that and that his it’s a kick pass. That’s what he that’s what everyone calls it and he executes that better than anyone. So he’ll be he’ll be really angry about that cuz that’s normally bang on. And Quentyn, from an Aussie point of view, who were you thinking pre-our would be a handful and has kind of shown that this evening? Well, I think you you you hit the um the main point with Russell’s skill. It’s a simple word, but he’s a very skillful footballer either with his decision-m uh with his hand on boot with those kicks, even though he did miss that one out to the left corner, which which should have been a try. There was one pass at one point where he he he set one of your guys down the left wing with an ability to read where the tackle was coming, keep his arm free, and pass the ball. So if Finn Russell was excellent, Curry you mentioned and and Burn that was we thought as Australians that maybe at the back of the scrum that’s where we could match you guys with Wilson and Mcright. I mean get Rob Valentini in the Wabies team as quick as we possibly can because we need that. um we were we were beaten in that part of the field and there is the real possibility that if Valentini is fit for the MCG the captain of this test for Australia may not even play the second test of the series and I wonder if that was why there was a delay in confirming who was captain in the side we spoke with Steve War a few days ago and he said yeah it’ be nice to have had it had it nailed down by now and he he put Angus Bell’s name into mix didn’t even start because then if Alatini plays and you want to play um him at number eight then Barry Wilson misses out. So again, so much for for the Wallabies to um to ponder and just on on the kind of cuz I think Andy Farrell um just just hearing what what he’s been speaking about in the press around here, I think it’s had a had a moment to enjoy the back row selection because look, there was loads of noise and I think a lot of that noise was emotionally driven from Welsh fans because they didn’t have a Welshman in the team and look you you’re a proud Scott who has had to contend with that as a Scotland fan for for a few tours, haven’t you? But it’s a moment when um I think you you saw in one little little tiny bit of play why Tom Curry is such a a test match warrior. Len Katau gets a good carry. He crosses the game line. Curry stops him, holds him up, wrestles him to the ground, gets involved in the ruck and turns a good carry and good quick ball into slow unusable ball. And that is what Tom Curry does time and time again until he can’t stand any longer. He must be in your test match. Animal top 10. We might have to re-record the episode now. Yeah. No, cuz he was cuz Yeah, there was a huge debate. And listen, I I I agreed with it. I thought Curry was in, but it was a flip flip of the coin. Toss the coin. That could Morgan could easily have done a joint there. A job there. Vander Flair could have done a job there. Ben Earl could probably have done a job there. But what you saw there, test match animals really step up. And he was just I can’t I can’t overemphasate emphasize just how good he was watching him live cuz sometimes you don’t see the the impact he was going he was smashing players John and and you that that one yard that he was going out and his work he was getting around the park so it wasn’t just it wasn’t just close quarter play he was getting out wide he was smashing people he was reading there was a there was a really intricate back row move that Australia did and he just scanned it and then smashed the scrum hat I’d wonder Andy what your read was on the set piece because I think from an Australian perspective, that was one area where I was pleasantly surprised uh with the ball being thrown around in in general play, you guys are too big and too skillful. But I think if there’s a way for Australia to construct a way back into the series, it might be off astute set piece because there were times where we looked at home in the in the line out and the scrum. I think the scrum undoubtedly the referee whatever picture GE and was I think it was on Genj’s side was was portraying to the referee he didn’t like it. Um I didn’t say it’s it’s hard to see from the the stands exactly what’s going on there but terless scrums are not that dominant these days Quinton that’s you know you can’t really build it is a foundation of course set piece [Laughter] well done 10 out of 10 for two scrum penalties yeah there was a guy next to me it was more leaguey that I was sitting next to and he was saying oh scrum we can we can win it with a scrum I said it doesn’t really happen like that these days yeah I I think the there there’s it’s scraps, isn’t it, Quenton? It’s scraps. But the bit you said there is the lines are too big and too powerful. Now the one thing I will say, Chris, just sorry to interrupt. The scraps that you have given us though, which you shouldn’t have. You’ve given us a little bit of belief going to Melbourne. You could have shut us out. You could have crushed our confidence. The scraps we take to Melbourne is the last 20 to 25 minutes where we scored the last two tries in the test match. And you guys know in any kind of sport, you give your opponent belief. That’s the first doorway to them coming back at you. That’s the one thing the walabby gold will take to Melbourne. 20 minutes of belief that when we get it right, we can match it with them. So that’s really interesting because are you confident that that physical mismatch in the first half that could be down to conditioning, the walabes being underprepared, the walabes not having the right personnel, maybe the walabeees not quite having the the the right game plan or whatever. or do you just think that man for man the Lions are going to be too powerful in this test series? You guys are the combination of four test nations. And look, Australia’s only ever won one series against the Lions. We don’t win very often. So, let’s have a look now of of Australian test matches. Um the the numbers the numbers show that you should come here and win. So that’s 24 test matches played in Australia over the journey, 18 wins for the Lions. And the Australian public, the Australian players, they look at what the Lions bring. Part of the battle for Joe Schmidt and this team, which plays terribly one week, plays well the next is at least getting consistency above the shoulders. And that’s the one big thing that Waly fans will take to Melbourne. Uh, we know that on pure rugby ability, the Lions should win this test series 3-0. But you go to the MCG with 100,000 fans and the scraps of belief that they’ve picked up in the last 20 minutes. That’s why we keep turning up at Sport, Andy, isn’t it? Because sometimes the collective can be better than the individual, but only if they believe. And I think Joe Schmidt’s got a bit of belief to sew into them in the next seven days. Here’s an illustr. No. So, you know, there’s there’s there’s there’s shades of what happened in 2001, 24 years ago. The Lions dominated that first the first test in the GABA, but Australia came back in with a couple of late tries and got a bit confidence. The Lions dominated the first half, you remember, back in uh in in Melbourne and Johnny Wilkinson threw the interception and Jurroof scored and then and the the walls won it. Listen, I don’t think we’re at that stage. I really don’t. I think there’s there’s a lot lot to happen if that’s going to play out. But it’s it’s just really interesting how Melbourne’s I think I was always worried about Melbourne than Brisbane. I think MCG 98,000. I think that is the the was a bigger hurdle for the Lions to overcome. Well, the London are now 9 and0 at Brisbane and and yeah, we we’ll just we’ll finish with a look ahead to Melbourne. Um Quincy and seeing not just how the Walab is going to go about it, but the whole Aussie rugby public. There’s 100,000 seats to sell. A word on that in a moment, but the big names keep coming. John Barkley um is with us. Uh we’ve got our own Scottish partnership. You must have been chuffed with the way the Scots went out there. Yeah, I was. Yeah, I thought Finn was one of the best players on the pitch. Um, we were chatting post game and it’s funny you felt like the Lions had so much more in the tank and actually kind of left the stadium feeling almost like a bit flat and you felt flat as well. You sense off the players and the coaching staff is like they they won and they won pretty well if if you’re honest, but chatting to Finn Russell post game and he said they had one start to play they used so they just you know they didn’t really get going either. So, I thought there was enough touches of of class from from Finn and from some of the other Scottish guys, but the difference in class was at 9 and 10. The difference between what Gibson Park and Finn Russell was in and putting their team in the right area and putting all the pressure on Australia was just night and day. Who did you who really stuck out for you in the first half? We’ve already spoken about the the back row and Curry and Burn and and some of their involvements. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you took words out of my mouth. Um, I think there was a bit of pressure on those two guys and Ty Burn admitted that in his postmatch interview said he understood why some people that almost said, “Well, you’re not the form six on tour, but his the level he got to today along with Curry as well.” And you don’t sometimes you don’t quite appreciate it live in the moment, but seeing the quality of their involvement after the game and their kind of mini highlights really, they were the stars today. Yeah. As we chat about with Jamie Roberts, it kind of doesn’t matter as much as it maybe did on previous Lions tours where coaches would keep things really open. Whoever’s had the best game in the midweek might get the shirt, but there are certain players that Andy Farrell will look to and go, “Well, they’ve played so much test rugby at the highest level and I can rely on them to deliver.” I think Genj is probably one that’s played himself into the team. I think at the start of the tour, I think Far might have gone with Porter and uh but I think Genj did, you know, he was outstanding again that first half. really good. So, you’re right. I I don’t think I think that team was fairly set from the outset. Um, and even with all the the chat, Jack Morgan, uh, Ben Earl, you know, Chzum, Andy Farrell knew what he wanted and they delivered. So, he’s he’s vindicated. 100% vindicated. Second half, John, what you put that down to cuz the Wallab bees, I mean, um, Adam, our producer, soaked my notepad with mid-strength Aussie Laga. Um, 14-3 14-3 second half to Australia. Did you put that down to Australia getting into the game, turning up or the Lions turning off? A bit of both. And equally, it was interesting speaking to Warren Gall and he said, you know, they made changes early, you know, 56, 57 minutes, Sony Tupu comes off, Finn came off at 60 early 60s and the flow of the game went away a little bit and then you throw in Yeah. a bit of ill discipline, a bit of error. Despite that, I still felt like this is going to sound ridiculous. If if Australia had got close, I felt like the Lions would have just gone up a gear and put them away. So I felt like yeah, Australia came into it and they they had a bit of impact off them. Angus Bell came off, played well. Tate Mcder brought a bit of energy, but the Lions had so much in the tank. And did you want more of a contest? There’s been a Yeah. Yeah. And this is the thing nearly everyone I’ve actually I’ve had Lions fans text me going, I was wanting the walabeees to score. Yeah. It’s so weird, but that’s a Lions thing, isn’t it? alliance thing cuz if you’re watching Scotland England you’re not going no like England no but I found myself thinking God I hope they score after halftime Australia to just otherwise for the contest yeah cuz it was it was fairly comfortable and Australia will be better next week but again we chat to Michael Hooper and he was saying Rob Valentini and Skeleton are fit they’re fit this week and they just weren’t picked and they’re not they don’t fit the profile of player that Joe Schmidt wants with the way he’s trying to play the game but you look at how the game pans out and They lacked penetration. They lack impact at the game line. And those are two things that those two players in particular can give you in spades. Lions fans and great voice all around us in Brisbane. Sweet Caroline. We can hear up here on the balcony as we peer over the pubs of of of Brisbane next to the Sun Corp Stadium. Joe Schmidt that that point John made about how Valentinia Skelton might not fit the mold what he want. What are the Aussie public thinking about about Joe Schmidt? because we obviously rate him so highly cuz what he did with Ireland he helped almost turn New Zealand into World Cup winners at short notice in in 2023 but there have been some really informed people in Australian rugby Quentyn who have just gone I’m not sure that Joe Schmidt’s quite got it right in the buildup he’s not released players they looked undercooked his he brought James Okconor in late doesn’t play him in the 23 rookie at 10 I know Liso is injured skeleton Valentini a few just preparation and selection issues what you reckon and I I know he’s not in the job for the long haul as well. I just wonder how the Australian rugby public are feeling after today. Well, there’s a very blunt way to put it. Anything’s better than Eddie, right? With what he turned out because it was so kind of it was horrific. Yeah, it was like he put a a bomb underneath the confidence of Australian rugby and also the national sporting psyche around this team which let’s be frank with domestic rugby in our country, it it doesn’t have the week-to-eek following of the very legitimate challenges and rivals of the National Rugby League and the AFL. So week to week our domestic rugby isn’t very strongly followed. That’s why the wabby gold is so important because rugby in this country lives and dies off the national team. Quite can I ask this question because this is really bothered me. How did Eddie Jones get away with it? How did he get away with dragging Australian rugby so far down? Well, because we were desperate and he’s a very convincing man and he had friends in high places that basically gave him the keys to the castle and he ended up leaving like he was a rockstar in Vegas and there was smashed mirrors and bathrooms needing renovation and the whole place had to be redone. Astonishing. Is that a fair enough sort of Yeah. analy just so because when he got when he came back I remember thinking wow that’s going to light up the line series in terms just the noise and Eddie Jones with his history with England. Now you’ve got Joe Schmidt who’s just the polar opposite really. Well, and he’s been given a mandate to try and settle things down and win the the road back to the World Cup. As much as this is massive, this is with an eye to so Australian so Australian rugby fans accept that Joe Schmidt can’t work wonders in a year, 18 months and if they lose this Lions tour, but it develops players for a home world cup in two years, they take that. But what we need respect more than anything else and that’s why as much as everything you’ve said about the 80 minutes of rugby we’ve seen is right, it’s a great result for the Wallabies that the final score line was 2719 because the broader public will see oh okay there is some hope. We scored the last two tries in the test match and look it’s game one. There’s two to go. Let’s see what happens. And there’s a part of me because I’ve seen a lot of his career as well. I’ I’d love to ask you guys to to sort of if you were Lions fans and you saw James O’Connor in number 10 at the MCG, would that make you feel more or less comfortable? More more comfortable. More comfortable because we got to do something reaching here and that’s that’s where we’re at. But this is where we’re at. And that then that then does support what Eddie Jones was trying to do in terms of kind of ripping it up, trying to find some stars. And I know it went it went badly wrong, but as we’ve seen all the time we’ve been in Australia, the foundations are a little bit built on on sand with the competitive landscape with the things that have gone on. James O’Connor wasn’t a 10 12 years ago. He’s not a 10 now. He’s been closing more for the Crusaders. He’s a quality player, but if he was starting at 10 next week, then I don’t think that’s going to make the Lions feel that that the series is in jeopardy. I I was I was pleasantly surprised uh and impressed with Tom Liner because I didn’t think he I he looked small on the pitch but he went over it’s first time I’ve seen him known his dad for for years and uh I was really I love the story of him coming back to Queensland and being what cuz he felt Australian and his his grandfather Michael’s dad driving him the same route that his dad drove Michael to Balmore. I love that. I love that story. It’s a It’s a magic story, but I thought he looked I thought he looked small, but he’s stuck at it. He’s got He’s got grit. He’s got some really He looks like his dad as well. So I to me, James Aorn is not the future. It can’t be the future two years out from the World Cup. You can’t be going that down that route, Quenton. You have to stick with the the the younger players and just find who the best is. Not saying Tom Lina is the absolute answer, but I thought I was impressed with him today. He stuck at it when he could have gone into a shell. bounces a fire, isn’t it? Lion’s first test. Um, so just to finish off, John Barkley, in terms of the series now, um, and that game in isolation, did that give you more confidence that we’re going to have the the the epic test series that is befitting of the Lions or was it kind of a little bit of your your worst fears realized the Lions a little bit too strong? Aussie rugby not really knowing where it is and nothing hugely is going to change between now and next week. But I expected a lot more from Australia. I mean I I watching them in the autumn against you know beating England at home run ran Ireland very close put 57 points on Wales. So I expected more and I think that’s a fair uh thought to have. The thing we’re chatting about as well with Joe Schmidt, you know, played against a lot of teams that he’s coached and chatting again to the guys in student that have been involved with teams or played against his teams. He always brings a lot of detail to how he his players play the game. And actually chat to Brian just said the detail was almost was the end of his career in Ireland because he he had so much control. But when I watched the game tonight, it looked like all the detail was missing, which is a bit I I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing because the detail and the review is always great because you you see it in plain black and white. This is actually where we’re going wrong here. So, I think they’ll be much better next week. I mean, they have to be, but I still think I still think the Lions will have so many more levels to go up as well. I think if the Lions play for a full 80 minute next week in Melbourne, there’s there’s a 20 to 30 point gap between these two sides. I really do think so. The one thing you gave us is a little bit of belief in the last 20 minutes and that’s got to count for something and we hope that our collective can be better than your individual group of stars. We need our collective in Melbourne because we can’t beat you otherwise. Yeah. And a big big pressure on trying to get that stadium full. You know, when that came out 100,000 MCG, I think we all thought, “Wow, amazing.” But if the Australian rugby public went is going to go, “Ah, do you know what? I’ll go and watch the Melbourne will be awesome.” Melbourne’s the the center of the sporting world. Chris, you’ll have a great time. And it is it is going to be great. There’s a game on Tuesday as well, which will be fascinating. And and we will see through the week what kind of changes the Lions might make, what kind of changes Australia might make, might make. But the Lions are one nil up. They’ve beaten the Wallabies. And all roads now lead to Melbourne from Quentyn, Andy, John. Uh back to Chappers where Roy Macko was just getting underway, isn’t he Chappers? He is. Thank you very much, Chris. And the team success for the Lions then this morning in Australia. And we’re getting to the business end of the third round now when it comes to the players teeing off. And in an hour’s time, it will be the turn of the final group. The leader Scottish Sheffer on 10 under and Matt Fitzpatrick on nine under. At just 50 60 yards away to my left, just further up this first fairway here at Royal Port Rush, Rory Mroy in a rustcoled shirt and dark trousers is standing over his ball for his approach into the first. John Murray, I thought rust as well, sort of burnt orange and dark trousers. The shock news is Maroy found the fairway at the first. So from the left side of the fairway, Maroyy’s second shot on this third round afternoon at the Open Championship is back right of the green. Now the flag is down front left. It It’s coming back down. It’s rolling back down. Still a long way away from the hole. We’re talking probably 3540 ft. That’s exactly where playing partner Jordan Smith is as well. The 32year-old Englishman, the world number 89. But as for the world number two, Graeme Storm. Yeah, I mean uh he’s just played it conservatively. He’s hit it to the right hand side of the green. Used the ramp like back stop just on the right hand side of that green. It’s rolled up there. Come back down pin eye. The one thing he will get is a perfect read from Jordan Smith. His ball is directly on the same line. So eyes from Rory will definitely be on that one. So that is Graeme Storm who is going to be following this match with me. Graeme Storm, former French Open champion, former amateur champion, and also in an extraordinary twist, Graeme won the South African Open. And on that day, the final group was made up of Graeme, Jordan Smith, and Rory Mroy. And we’re watching those two today. I still can’t get my head around it, Mark. He’s kind of being disrespectful again, Grant. No, not at all. He’s uh he’s just pointing out a nice fact and it’s great to be able to stroll this links and walk up the first hole with these two great players. He had a very good first yesterday, did Rory? He birded the first yesterday, didn’t he? You know, Hbert has caused him problems in in the past, notably six years ago when he went out of bounds in the first round here and took an eight, but he birded it yesterday. Yes, he did. He he bogged it on the first day. Birded it yesterday. And also, you know, they are starting these two three underp. So that’s in a tie for 12th. That means they’re seven shots behind the leader Scotty Sheffller. And I wonder whether for Rory Mroy, first round 70, second round 69. Remember the second round back in 2019 when he got on a real charge and went round in 65 and actually just missed the cut by a shot. I think probably that’s the sort of number he’s thinking of. Graeme. Yeah, that’s the score that he’d be looking out to try and shoot today. The weather conditions are absolutely perfect. Little bit of breeze into the players faces as they climbed up to the first green, but perfect conditions to shoot that kind of score. Jordan Smith is going to put first. Mark, I was going to say they they started out tied 12th, but there are a lot of low scores out there at the moment. So, if you’re on three under at the moment, you are tied 17th. Justin Rose has just gone to three under by birdieing the third. But out there on the course, Cory Connors has actually finished five under for his round, four under for the championship. John Perry is out there on 17. He’s five under for his day, helped by a hole in one on the par 313. Uh Windham Clark, four under for the day and four under overall. Matt Wallace, friend of five Live, been part of our commentary team at the Ryder Cup. He’s four under for the day and four under for the championship through eight. So there are scores out there, Graeme Storm, as you wait for Rory. Absolutely, Chappers. There’s definitely scores there to be had. And hopefully Rory can get this roar coaster. Did Ali Bruce Ball say yesterday? Roller coaster. That’s what he called it. Well, Jordan Smith has already puted and um he’s actually raced that maybe six or seven feet past. And this is Jordan Smith who himself went round in 68 yesterday. And that was a bogey free round. In fact, Smith’s last bogey was the 17th on Thursday. And he’s got work to do here to avoid dropping a shot at the first. But he’s standing to one side. And now Rory Mroy from 3540 ft right across the the lower level at the front of this first screen. Up the slope it goes and then down. Seems to gather pace down towards the hole and in. What a putt from Rory Mroy. What a start at the first to his third round. That is dynamite. Absolutely amazing John. Unbelievable scenes around this first. Crowds have gathered in the tempo to get around this first screen and see that putt and witness that put drop into the front of the hole. I told you that you get a great line off Jordan Smith. He got the line and he did it to perfection. Listen to this. Listen to this buzz. I’m just looking behind me. People are people are laughing. looking at one another and I think the favorite phrase was I don’t believe it. So Jordan Smith now has to settle himself and as you heard there quite a number of people have just asked everyone else to shush and just but they can’t. They’re still the buzz is still there behind us just over the yellow rocks. Jordan Smith has to put that out of his mind though. Not a single bogey yesterday. He’s got to make this. This is a real tester on the first to stay at three under. On it goes. He’s dropped it in. Well played. Yeah, fantastic put there from Jordan Smith. But I was just looking at Rory Mroy while he was watching Jordan Smith put. And the one thing I could see, he was just trying to control his breathing. You could see the nervous energy after he hold that put and the excitement. He was just trying to control that excitement and energy that was going through his veins right there. I didn’t see that. So, how what was he doing? Yeah, he was just kind of just taking deep breaths and taking it all in and just trying to calm his heart rate down a little bit which was really interesting talking to his caddy Harry Diamond. Well, I don’t know about you, I can feel the adrenaline Graeme, never mind after that. And we’re walking through the walkway and again listen to this. Listen to that excited buzz from these spectators here at Royal Port Rush after seeing the local favorite Birdie the first and go to four under power. Great start for him. The the other thing with that, Graeme, if memory serves me right yesterday and we talked about him birdieing the first, he then got himself into trouble on the second yesterday. Very I think he very nearly went out of bounds on the second yesterday. So there is that kind of I would imagine there’s an element of that in him trying to keep calm as well. Yeah, he’ll have that in the back of his mind. Chappers definitely just thinking about what he can do. Get ready for the next T-shot. We know that he made a a big mistake yesterday even though he came out of the hole with a great par, but he’ll be looking to try and find the fairway and get this uh momentum keep going. The other thing as well, Greg, just from a Jordan Smith point of view, this is what he’s going to have to cope with on on the way round is waiting for the the crowd and the atmosphere to die down if Rory has done something special. Yeah, absolutely. Uh Jordan’s been in and around the the tour for so many years now. Played with so many great players along the way and no doubt he’ll be really looking forward to the day ahead. But these crowds are absolutely incredible. Absolutely tenfold down the left. Not so many down the right. Maybe they don’t want to see Rory hit it over there, but you know, they’re just looking for watching Rory Maroy have a great day. Uh so news of Rory as he goes down the second to come. Let’s go to Lords second women’s ODI between England and India. Melissa’s story. Well, we finally got some sunshine here at Lords England. They’ve won the toss and elected to bowl first. It’s going to be a 3:00 start provided there is no more rain. That means it’s 29 overs per team with a six over power play for England. Three changes for them with Lauren Filer, Safhia Dunley and Alice Davidson Richards out of the side. Maya Bush, M. Arreland and Lindsey Smith in for England and for India who are one up in the series so far. Aaron Datu ready comes in for Ammon Jaw. A big game for England here to keep the series alive going into that final game at Chester Street next week. Thank you very much uh Melissa. So Rory Maroy is up and running for his third round here at Royalport Rush and very shortly Nikolai Hoyard will get underway and then they’ll obviously build up all the way through until 3:35 and that is when Scottish Sheffller and Matt Fitzpatrick get underway as the final pair uh for the third round here. Let’s talk about the heavyweight fight tonight. undisputed heavyweight title. Usyk against Dubois 2. Steve Buns is with us. We have reached the day itself, Steve, with 100,000 people expected at Wembley. Yeah, we’re finally here, Chaplain. The rain has come and hopefully it’s gone. We’ve been on buses. We’ve been at Wembley. We’ve been in private rooms interviewing fighters that don’t want to be there. We’ve been at open workouts. We’ve been at weigh-ins. Now it’s all over. Two months of negotiations. It all comes down to, I don’t know, a five or six hour wait before we go live with the rematch. And it’s a big one, Chappers. And if people weren’t listening yesterday, what did you make of them both at the weigh- in? Well, I’m trying to understand why people wouldn’t be listening yesterday when I was giving you live and exclusive stuff on the way. And that’s the first my first response to that question. But no, I would have made it away in Japas. Very little to be honest with you. They were just about exactly where I I thought they’d be. Dubois was a few pounds heavier and Usyk was a couple of pounds heavier. But what once again, I think I talked to you after the after the press conference when they had a head-to-head there, one of three or four headto-heads this week. And when they came together again, there’s just a calm between the two of them. They can’t take their eyes off each other. These two don’t need to slap each other, throw bottles of water over each other, throw tables, and push and shove. No, you they could have been restrained by nobody. It’s standard to stick people in between them. These got these two the kind of season it’s not Daniel’s style to do to to to lower himself to stunts and it’s certainly not Usyk’s style, but you could sense it. I was about no no 12 ft away and you could really sense the intimacy. You could sense it. It was electric. Here is Daniel Dubois then on and what a win tonight would mean to him. Good, you know, good to do it on home owned earth and um yeah, go down as a legend. I’ve resurrected myself, resurrected my career and um now we’re on a roll. So I’m unstoppable. I’m feel like I’m can’t be beat right now. I’m in my prime of my life and I’m going to go through whatever I have to do. And in terms of Usyk, how good is it to get the opportunity to write the wrong that you felt happen in Ros? I remember when I sat with you in your room after the fight how disappointed you were and you said you wanted to do it again. How good does it feel to get We’re here now. So, no more excuses. That’s my main thing. No more excuses. And having shared the ring with him, what have you learned about him? That I got beaten this time. I’m going to win this time. You know, going to cause chaos, knockouts by any means necessary. That’s my whole approach. When you fought Anthony Joshua, I got to be honest, not many people thought you would do what you did to him right from the opening bell. How are you seeing this playing out? A win. That’s um a win and coming through, you know, putting it on him, just bringing my style, bringing what I got. Daniel Dubois there. Do you think the historical side of tonight, you know, an undisputed heavyweight title fight with all four belts on the line on British soil, do you think do you think that weighs on him? I think I probably know what the answer is. Yeah, I think it does weigh on him. I mean, I think he’ll he’ll try and say it’s just about me winning, but I think that is that sense of history. chapters. We’ve had an awful lot of British boxers in heavyweight title fights in in in the 60s for instance where Madam Ali make two defenses in the summer of 1966. One in Hybr and one at Core, but it was only for one of the two belts that were recognized at the time. Similarly, Lennox Lewis in world title fights, Frank Bruno in world title fights, even Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua in world title fights at Wembley outdoors, enormous events. But never in the four belt era, and even in the two belt or the three belt era did we have a man in the ring, a British man fighting for to become the undisputed heavyweight champion. And if if it doesn’t seem that important to people tonight, tomorrow it’s more important. Next week it’s incredible. And in 10 years time when people are looking back, this will be the night when the undisputed title was contested at Wembley and possibly a British man walked away with all four of the belts. That’s history. It genuinely is. Let’s hear from Alexander Usyk then speaking about his opponent. Listen, it’s a hard guy. It’s a it’s a young guy. It’s a good boxer. It’s a world champion. Free last fight. Daniel win. Great. When you met them in London for the first press conference, they talked a lot about lowb blow. They said Usyk was faking. Usyk was cheating. What do you What do you think about all that? I don’t think about this. For me, it’s just uh just blah blah blah. Empty words. I live uh in my bubble. I do just what I want. That low blown not low blow for me that doesn’t matter. Yo, everybody says if Usyk has one weakness is body punch. This is not true. Oh my god. Does it annoy you? Is it? No. No. It is very unusual to find someone who is not from England who can sell out a stadium in England. Why do you think you’re so popular? Uh I not think uh about popular. I very respect uh for UK and Ukraine UK fans. Liverpool 2008 a lot of people uh who was in competition am competition support me. Oh, sick. Oh, sick. It’s not Ukrainian people. It’s just UK people. Oh, sick. Oh, sick. I think what’s going on? I’m not I’m not UK guy. Listen, UK it’s my second home. He talks there then Steve Bonds about UK being his second home but this will have a very different feeling for him than say fighting Fury in Riyad which actually when we were there had a big Ukrainian contingent there. Yeah the massive following he had when he was in Saudi and of course when he fought in Poland it was quite close to the Ukraine border and there was it was the entire stadium was full of exiled Ukrainians. right now. Chappers, I think it might be split tonight. Even if there’s pantomime booze, this kid, people love him. He says the right things. He’s just something about Usyk. He’s adored by the global boxing market. And that’s why I think we get those fans in there tonight. Daniel Dubois can leave with the cheers, but I’m not necessarily convinced he’ll arrive with all the cheers. Steve, thank you. More from Steve later on. Full coverage of the fight later. We’re expecting the Ridden Walk at round 9:45. You can hear the fight in full with us here on Five Live. Let’s go to the London Diamond League meeting. Allison Kerish and Katherine Mary watching the women’s 800 meters. The rain has stopped here at the London Stadium. 60,000 fans are eagerly anticipating this women’s 800 meters. Olympic 1500 meter bronze medalist Georgia Hunter Bell goes in six. The gun goes. It’s a busy field. Laura Mules in this one, but she’s coming back from injury. Jemariki, the British athlete who won this event in 2023, starts out of lane number five, but Georgia Hunter Bell hasn’t decided yet, Allison Kerishley, what event to do in this World Championship year as she settled into the middle of the pack down the back straight. Yeah, she’s having a cracking season, Kath. And as you said, she’s really been mixing it up between the short to middle distance of 800 meters and her preferred distance of 15. She’s sixth all time on the world this year and uh and really looking impressive. Uh Jemariki too, she’s the one who’s wanting to go with the pacemaker here. Addy Wy is the one to watch. The young 21-year-old from America, she’s the quickest in the field and as you mentioned, Laura Mueller coming back from injury just testing out where she’s at. The Vic of the Netherlands lead as they come round the first 400 meters here in London. They wanted 56.5 seconds at the bell. Bang on by the pacemaker. Ricky leads the race proper. Maloney the fourth placer at the Olympic Games is a meter behind Ricky in third. Georgia Bell currently in fifth. They go down the back straight. The roar’s getting louder from the fans here in London. The pacemakers dropped out. Ricky leads by a meter. Yeah, and you’ve got Nikai there, world champion back in 2019. She’s sandwiched in between the two brides. Jeezi making the long run for home. Just up to the 200 meter mark to go. Georgia Hunter Bell. She’s got no racing room, but she’s pushing her way through. 150 m to go here in London. The crowd responds. Nikai of Uganda is on the shoulder of Jemariki. She won here two years ago. She’s set out here, but Nikkai the Ugandan has gone past. But here comes Georgia Hunter Bell on the shoulder of Nikkai. She’s taken the lead. The Olympic bronze medalist over 1500 meters is going to win here in London. Let’s keep an eye on the clock. 15674 for Georgia Hunter Bell just outside her lifetime best. She sat set here in London last year. WY of the USA was in second place. But a brilliant win for Hunterbell over the two lap distance. And I wonder whether that’s going to make her her decision for her. We’ve got a couple of weeks till the British child. Well, we will see Key Hodkinson, her training partner, back from injury. Does Georgia stick with this event? Georgia Hunter Bell sends the crowd wildark with a win here in the women’s 800 meters. Thank you very much both of you. The men’s 400 meters next up uh for us. That’s just after 3:00. So Rory Maroy birded the first a few moments ago to go to four under. He’s on the second. John Murray and Graeme Storm. Yes, I’m just crouching down at the back of the par five second. I’m peering between the two shoulders of spectators in front of me and I’m watching Jordan Smith who missed the green with his approach shot. His t-shot actually ended up against the the the lip of a fairway bunker. But Rory Mroy middle of the green and then there’s an eagle opportunity to come for Mroy from 25 ft or so. But first, it’s Jordan Smith who’s going to play from the long choppy grass at the back left of this second green. He gives it plenty of air and lands it over the top of the hole and it rolls on towards the the back right. So, he’s got that for his par five and that is a good 22 ft or so. Yeah, it was a very difficult shot below the putting surface for Jordan, especially coming out of the thick, heavy rough down the left hand side. But all eyes are on Maroy. He’s hit a wonderful iron shot into this second hole. I mean, just absolutely incredible. And not only that, he got the bounce just from the front right hand side off the knuckle of the bunker and it ran up to the middle of the green. 25 ft. Great chance of eagle. Yes. When we walked up past it, we were able to look right down the line of it and and even though there are many slopes and and undulations on this green, actually, there’s a like it’s almost like there’s a channel for it. Yeah, there is. It kind of breaks from right to left and then it’ll come back from left to right. So, the majority of the read will be quite a straight putt. It’ll be a slow put up the slope, but like I say, it’s just a great chance to get this round even better than it was when it started on the first. So, he’s already rolled in from 35 ft at the first for birdie. Rory Murray now in the middle of the second green just wipes the putt ahead. As we were discussing earlier in five live sport yet to have a an eagle at this open championship. Wouldn’t now be a good time. But this is from 25 ft or more rolling towards the hall. He’s given it enough, you know. Oh no, it just pulled up. Just pulled up. Sean, he leans forward. Listen to this. The support for Rory Maroy is so warm. Another huge Irish cheer for a birdie at the second. Maroy begins. Birdie birdie and has gone from three under to four under to now five under. Yeah, it was very much that very much nearly that first eagle for Rory for this week. Absolutely perfect line, but unfortunately just ran out of gas to get to the hole. So birdie birdie for Mroy but his English playing partner Jordan Smith born in Bath grew up in Wiltshire world number 89. He’s really got a a struggle on his hands here to make his par five and therefore avoid dropping a shot for the first time since the 17th in the first round. And again he’s got to contend with still a vibrant atmosphere up here on the slopes overlooking this green. So here he goes. 22 24 ft. No, not this time. Misses on the right hand side. He’ll walk around behind it and just knock it in for a bogey six. So back to two under goes Jordan Smith, but Rory Mroy. Well, the charge is on Graeme. Yeah, absolutely, John. He’s uh he’s set the gauntlet down here, hasn’t he? He’s set out his intentions to get this g this round going. Birdy By start could have quite easily been an eagle. We said that he should needed to be around about 300 after five to get to that par 57 and he’s well on his way to do it. So he’s now what Mark five shots behind the leader. Started off tied 12th. What what is he now? He’s tied fifth now by going to five under. Joining also on five under Chris Gotup who’s just got his third round underway. He’s bang in the middle of the first fairway. Just away to my left, he’s playing with Tony Fen now, who starts his round on four under, but also on five under, Harris English and Bob McIntyre, they get underway at 53. Rasmus Hoyard and Terrell Hatton who get underway at quarter 3. And the only men who are ahead of Rory Mroy now Lee and Brian Harmon both on 8. They get underway at 25 3. And then our final pair, Matt Fitzpatrick on nine under, Scottish Heffler on 10 under, and they get underway at 25-4. Just approaching 3:00. You’re listening to 5 Live. We’re at Royal Port Rush for day three at the 153rd Open Championship and we’ll take a break for Carl Hartley in the news. The Voice of the UK. This is BBC Radio 5 Live. Thanks, Mark. Dozens of people have been arrested for showing support for Palestine action during a protest in London. The group was declared a terror organization by the government a couple of weeks ago, meaning it’s illegal to publicly support them. Similar protests are being held up and down the country. At least 28 people have been injured after a car has been driven into a crowd of people in Los Angeles. It’s believed the driver lost consciousness with reports he may have been shot before his vehicle hit the crowd outside a music venue. The owner of the Wall Street Journal says it’ll defend its reporting vigorously in the face of a lawsuit from President Trump. He’s branded a story in the paper, saying he once sent a suggestive birthday message to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as fake news. And BBC News has discovered that the former Masteref presenter John Toro was sacked for allegedly directing the n-word towards a colleague on set. It’s understood a total of nine complaints were made against the TV presenter. One was upheld. He says he has no recollection of using the racist term. UA Women’s U 2025 on Five Lion and BBC Found and England three to the semifinals. And the lionesses have done it. how they have done it. On Tuesday at 8, don’t miss England against Italy in the semifinals. When I wear England, that you do anything to keep your country in the competition, and that’s exactly what we did. Come on, England. Just ask your smart speaker to play BBC Radio 5 Live, the 153rd Open, 2025 with Mark Chapman on Five Live Sport. We’ve got such a choice of listening for you throughout the course of the afternoon and into the evening with the golf and then the heavyweight boxing here on five Live. You’ve got the women’s ODI at Lords between England and India which is about to get underway and will be a 29 overside contest on Sports Extra. On Sports Extra 2 if you fancy a bit of Super League, it’s Wigan against Hull. Just got underway. Jack Conlin. We have just got underway. Yeah, really interesting contest on the way here. Two sides chasing different things at the minute really. Wigan still in the midst of that battle for top spot. The second to whole KR at the moment. They could go level on points for the win today, albeit until this evening when Rovers take on Catalans at least. LFC, meanwhile, one of the few teams involved in what’s becoming a really exciting race for the playoffs. Plenty on the line then for both sides. Thank you, Jack. So, Sports Extra 2, if you want to listen to that, we’re waiting for Bob McIntyre to get his third round underway in 3 minutes time. So, let’s head back to the London Stadium, the men’s 400 meters with Katherine Murray. They’ve been introduced to the crowd. The rain has stopped, the track is drying out, and being brought to their marks are the athletes in the men’s 400 meters. European record holder Olympic silver medalist Matt Hudson Smith goes in five. World leader Zack Net of South Africa goes in six. Charlie Dobson, the second fastest Britain of all time, goes in seven. One lap of the London Stadium. Hudson Smith in his favorite lane is settling down. Black shorts, purple top. One final look around the first bend. The crowd are expecting here. How fast can Hudson Smith go? Well, it’s a clean start and the bright orange spikes of Matt Hudson Smith are absolutely flying. And Nene the fastest in the world this year with 4376 is moving a little bit quicker than Hudson Smith at the moment. And Dory of Botswana moving well. Kevin Natsi of Botswana also on the inside line moving nicely at the 200 meter point. Charlie Dobson with the ginger hair is at about third place here. But here comes the battle with 120 m to go. Matt Hudson Smith has a very slim lead off Norwood of the USA in eight. The European record holders got a bit of work to do here. And Nene, the world leader is on the shoulder of Matt Hudson Smith. But look at Charlie Dobson. Charlie Dobson has finished like an absolute train out of lane number seven. Has got his hands in the air in total disbelief. 44.14 seconds. That is outstanding from Charlie Dobson. All eyes are on Hudson Smith. Allison Kerbishley who came second with 4427 but he’s shaking his head. Charlie Dobson. Wow. 4414. It’s also like that that that that picture the scream. He’s got his hand over his mouth. He can’t believe what he’s just done. He’s shaking his head. Charlie Dobson with 50 m to go. Kath, I was going to say to you, Matt Hudson Smith is in a race here. These guys are going to make him work. And then somebody gave Charlie Dobson another gear and he just found something and he sailed past three worldass quarter mileers and Matt Hudson Smith was just tying up. He didn’t have his fluidity. He really started to rock and roll and Norwood was rocking and rolling. N was rocking and rolling and Dobson just took that door was wide open and he just blew through. 4414 second all time on the British lift. It’s a one-two for Britain in the men’s 400 meters, but it’s Dobson that takes the win ahead of Hudson Smith, world leader NA of South Africa came in third. Men’s 100 meters will go just before 3 and we will bring that to you. And Noah Liles in that John Murray. Yes, just as we were listening to to Kath there, Rory Mroy went for a third consecutive birdie this time at the par 33rd, but it was a real outside chance. In fact, Graeme stormed next to me said he’ll do well to hold this in two. It was right at the front of the green and also the the hole at the back of the green. It really fell away after that, but he judged it perfectly across the 40 45 ft of the third green right to the whole side. He has marked it, so he’s not yet carries par three, but next Jordan Smith from somewhat closer range. This will be 25 between 25 and 30 ft. This for birdie for him to get back the shot that he dropped at the last. The ball comes up over the rise, then down towards the hole, but I think that’s a little short, Grim. Yeah, he just hasn’t quite got the pace right there, Jordan. Uh, he struggled with the pace on the first hole as well, didn’t he? Not for Mroy. Maroy hit a beautiful first putt. Rolled it up to around about a foot away from that such long distance. And like you said, if you hit it 3 or 4t by, it just runs off and then you can almost degree it. But the judgment was perfect. I’m just looking at Maroy standing to one side looking as calm and serene as possible in this sort of rust colored shirt maybe or perhaps burnt orange even leaning on his putter watching Jordan Smith who is just going to finish off now. Yes, he does. He rolls it in. So that is his par three to remain at two under par. this Englishman who’s never finished in the top 40 in the open in four previous attempts. So this is for him heady heights in the great championship. And now Rory Mroy just from close range just to make sure of his par three in it goes. So after a birdie birdie start that is a par three at the third and Mroy remains five under. He turns a little bit like Tiger Woods Mark. He had the ball in his hand, just tossed a little catch from one hand to the other. And that is very much the air of him. A man in control as Harry Diamond in his yellow bib, his caddy, chases after him, picks up the bag and Rory Maroy walks down to the fourth T. He is in control. Although the American Russell Henley is just nestled in ahead of him on this leaderboard. Six under. Russell Henley, he’s six under for the day as well. He’s through 12. And that six under help by him eagling that par five 12th. So he is flying as well. There are a lot of low scores out there. Billy Foster Caddy is alongside me. Caddy for Colin Morakawa the first two days here. I mean these conditions are perfect at the moment are they? Yeah it’s absolutely sweet. It’s uh probably only rolling about 10 miles an hour. Uh pin positions look fairly accessible. Couple of dodgy ones as always, but uh yeah, it looks like the course is there for the today and today for sure. There’s been so much discussion about the pin positions, particularly on the first day. Have you found them balanced in the main or have they have have has there been discussion amongst caddies and players that some of them are not in the best of positions? Uh well, I’m staying with Ricky Ella who carries for Brooks Copka who’s who’s a member here and he’s said he’s never seen some of the pins that he’s seen this week ever and he’s been a member here for 30 years. So yeah, a couple of them have been really close to the slopes. Severe to say the least, unfair possibly, but yeah, it’s it tests the best golfers and you know where they are and you need to leave it on the right side of the pins. Do you do you think they accept that that they have to be tested? Absolutely. You know, it’s the open championship. You know, they’re not going to uh make the pins accessible for Birdie. So, you have to you have to you have to think uh think on your feet and um know exactly where to hit the ball at the right time, you know, and put it in the right spots. And yeah, there’s there’s one or two that have been dodgy to say the least, but the players know what they’re dealing with and it’s it’s fine. Like Billy with us for a little while this afternoon here on five live up ahead on the first fairway. Bob McIntyre and Harris English who are playing at the moment, James Greg. What is known as sociable golf. Very sociable golf mark, isn’t it? Good afternoon to you. Yeah, just a few yards apart there. opening tea shots on the fairway and it’s going to be Bob McIntyre, the pride of Obin Scotland who’s first to hit out of the pair of them dressed in all black apart from the white cap today. And just talking about whole locations, this one tucked away right in the front lefthand corner of this first green today. Bob McIntyre tugging that approach shot. It might just sneak down onto that first green, but it was not what he was after. You can see he’s not overly thrilled with that one. Both of these players will feel like they are right in the thick of the action, won’t they? Despite the fact that Bob McIntyre starts the day five strokes back, he played beautifully yesterday, just one bogey in his opening round uh sorry, in his second round of 66 after an opening round of 71. Now, here is the 35year-old American from Georgia, a winner this season on the PGA Tour at the famous Tory Pines Golf Courses up there in San Diego. He has major pedigree. He had a runner-up finish just this season behind Scotty Sheffler at the PGA Championship. An unknown entity to many, but maybe that is the week that that changes. His approach shot on the way to the first and it’s just going to creep up there somewhere near pinh high and that ripple is that huge gallery around the back of the first up at top this first hill showing their appreciation for a nicely struck approach shot. So they’re off and running. Both of the players at five under par in this fourth from last group here on Open Championship Saturday. I’ll be with them all the way round. Mark, thank you James. Yeah, it is a decent gallery up there on the first, although it’s about half the size that it was a little bit earlier when Rory Maroy was on that first green. And in fact, his 36 ft birdie putt that he drained on that first, the longest putt that he has sunk this week. He is on the fourth uh and he is safely on the fairway over the first couple of days then Billy and particularly yesterday and you were caught in the thick of this when the rain comes down like it did yesterday. What are the biggest challenges for you as the caddy? Listen, it’s absolutely brutal. I mean when it when it first kicked off, we were on the first hole and when I got when I walked off the first green, my underpants were wet and it’s like this is going to be a long day. This is going to be a long day. But it it’s all like brightened up a bit in the middle and then again on 11 of the most challenging holes. It just it was an absolute monsoon. You know your drives from hitting it 300 probably went 250 and you’d get it in a wooden as as opposed to probably hitting a eight iron earlier in the day. So it was challenging to say the least but uh it’s listen it’s a good test and that’s the open championship for you right out there. Makes a massive difference that doesn’t it? You know, we uh you’ve obviously used to caddyy caddy for Matt Fitzpatrick. We’ll talk about Matt a little bit later on, but he was on the 14th when that downpour came and the group the commentary team that were following him had seen the previous group maybe be 30 yards, 40 yards ahead than where Matt ended up with his simply because of the amount of rain that came down in between. Yeah, I mean for sure. I mean to give you an idea, I mean Colin Morau had 188 yards to the front of 11 and uh it normally flies at 215 and um he absolutely nailed this for iron. It pitched a yard on the green and you know it pitched 189 yards which you know it’s 25 yards less because of the conditions of the rain and uh the ball dribbled off the front of the green ran down 20 yards short the green. Another good club that’s why I missed the cut. Let’s go up to the first screen where Bob McInty has a burying part. James Gray just feeling the line with his feet at the moment. Mark, his ball did nearly sneak down from a little hillock down into a swale just on the right hand side of this screen. I’m getting a few looks from the gallery. I think my fog horn voice needs just tempering down a couple of decibels or two. It’s been a long morning with no golf for us to feast our eyes on in terms of commentary. Here we are now with the man from Oben, Scotland, who was a freshfaced 23-year-old six years ago. Last time I went at Royal Port Rush, recorded what is still his best open championship finish. A tie for sixth there. But so much has changed in the last 6 years since the 2019 Open Championship. Bob McIntyre with a huge breaker from the fringe from around 30 ft up and over that same ridge that we heard Rory Mroy navigate so brilliantly well with John Murray a few moments ago. This is on a very good line. The speed looks good. Just going to leave himself a couple of feet left for his par. It was all about just cozing it down there. That one just completely uh just get off to a good start. Make sure that there’s no banana skins mark. Okay, up ahead on the fourth, Rory Maroy. John, it’s seen here Mark. So this is the fourth where there is the out of bounds down the right hand side but Rory Maroy has very safely negotiated that T-shot right side of the fairway maybe three strides in on the short grass but beyond the hedge is the rather plush Dunloose lodge hotel which has recently been renovated and is Graham where Mroy and his retinue are staying this week. And when we ca when we came across looked up above the hedge standing on the top of the drive the edge of the drive are all of the staff from the hotel who’ve clearly come out to give Mroy a cheer when he walks past. So there’s about 15 of them. So you’ve got the chefs I guess you’ve got the wine waiter as well I imagine up there as well. Probably the uh the the cleaning staff are up there and they’re all standing looking down on Maroy who’s on the right side of the fairway. Yeah. the chef, the sumeier, the the managing director of the hotel potentially. They’ve all come out to support the the man that’s staying in their hotel. It’s just a great sight for them to come out and witness these scenes as Maroyy’s hit a perfect T-shot down the right hand side on four. Couldn’t have walked up and put it in a better position to be able to get access to this cheeky little location on the fourth where the pin is just tucked in on the front left over that little hump. Yes, Jordan Smith is safely on the green in two. He’s at the back of the green. The flag is fluttering at the front. Mroy just staring at him back down the fairway. Beautiful afternoon now. A mixed sky, let’s say. There’s a couple of darker gray clouds, but blue sky as well. And Mroy five underpar, five shots off the lead. As Graeme said, if he could have put his ball down exactly where he wanted it on this fourth fairway, it wouldn’t be too far away from where he’s just played this second shot. walks after it, lands right towards the flag. It pulls up short. That’s probably 8 10 ft away, but it was bang on line. What a beautiful iron shot from Rory Mroy. High towering eight iron from 175 yds. Holding it into that breeze down to about 8 ft straight up the hill. Great chance for another birdie for Rory Mroy. Yep. So off he marches. Just going to keep it high mark just to see if he give if there is an acknowledgement. He might have done that already actually. He turns and gives his club. He just has a little look up there as well. They’re applauding. And he has got that perky walk about him, the white cap on his head, the peak slightly tilted up, and he’s got a determined look as he gets closer to us as well on his face. Yeah, we know that Rory likes to strut down the fairways. He always has a nice bounce in his step, and he’s definitely doing that as he walks down the fourth. Just an incredible shot that he’s just hit in here to the fourth with this crowded gallery. I mean, how that anybody’s getting any chance to see from the back is absolutely impossible. And listen to that crowd as he approaches the green. I think it’s closer than I thought, isn’t it? It’s probably 6 ft as we just come around the edge here. Rory Mroy will very soon be within sight cuz he has to walk through these two narrow helix. He’s just about to come within full view of everyone up here. Let’s just see as he as he walks up towards his ball. Yep, that’s six feet. That is that is 6 ft. 5 and 1/2 6 ft that he will have for his birdie. And now he just walks between the two little helix. And very soon he’ll be going for a thirdy of the day. Oh, was that for me to come in, John? Yes, because I’m standing next to the fifth tea. Okay. All right. Well, whilst whilst you wait for them to tee off on the fifth. The first thing I was thinking was if you’re having a late lunch at the Dunloose Lodge, you might be waiting a while to get your bottle of wine. And if the smellier has just gone out to watch Rory Maroy put on the fourth. Uh James Greg has watched Bon McIntyre complete the first. Um yes I have Mark. He made it solid par four. I’m just looking at the leaderboard because Harris English has moved up it courtesy of a birdie. He converted that lovely approach shot. So he’s moved himself to six under par alongside another American Russell Henley who’s going along rather nicely on his day. He’s through 12 holes and also six under for the championship show. So they’re sharing fifth spot at the moment. Still two back of that two-way tie of third with another American in Brian Harman, a fellow Georgian indeed to Harris English. But yeah, really nice birdie for him. Bob McIntyre, nice solid start for him really. It wasn’t the opening approach shot that he was after, but a brilliant, brilliant applause as he walked through that little spectator walkway towards this par five, second te. Um, everyone cheering, go on Bob. And he’s just ripped one down this second hole, the par five. So, in glorious sunshine, I’m going to have a little walk down here and see if uh he can set up an opening birdie of his own here. I wonder how attacking everybody’s going to have to be today, Billy, when when you said, you know, Mroy has gone birdie birdie p with a very good birdie chance on fourth on the fourth as well. It it means that quite a lot of players are going to have to play attacking aggressive golf, doesn’t it? Yeah, there’s there’s certainly, you know, there’s chances out there today. Obviously, the scoring is quite good. certain players uh but like this first just watching T Latin his second shot in there is probably got 170 yards uh but there’s a big false front where the pin is the green’s like you have you have to land it further than seven on the pin’s only nine on and five from the left so it’s paramount that you have to keep it past the flag and to the right so there’s certain flags that will be birdie chances where you will attack but the first roll is certainly one of those that you’d be quite happy 15 18 ft past the flag to the right so you need to be sensible in certain holes for sure. Have a couple of questions on that which I’ll come back to after news of Rory with John. Yeah, Maroy is ready now. He’s had a look at this put. He’s 5 and a half 6 ft. Grim. Yeah, it’s very close and like we said a great chance. I mean, this will not break an awful lot. Might break a fraction from left to right just off that slope that’s left of the green. Playing partner Jordan Smith has already put it up from 28 30 ft and he’s by the whole side. should remain at two under. But this to keep the momentum going early in this third round here at Royal Port Rush. You’re listening to it with us here on Five Live from the BBC. Listen as well via BBC sounds if you’re on the move or indeed if you’re on the course. Maroy steps forward. One hand on the top of the club. Then the second hand joins it. this for birdie number three. Never in doubt. And there it is again. Another birdie for Rory Maroy. Fantastic three at the fourth. One of the toughest holes on the golf course, but he’s made it look super easy. This is quite the charge now. It’s official, isn’t it? Three birdies in the first four holes. And Mroy is now six under in another shot closer to Scotty Sheffler. He does, John. and he’s going to be walking up to this fifth T where it’s very much drivable short par four and Mroy can quite easily reach this green from the T- box. Jordan Smith just to finish off for his par four from close range in it goes just a tap in to stay at two under and Mroy again just quietly acknowledges there’s the the the slightest nod of his head and up he now walks through the avenue of people onto the fourth grade there’s a little low five with somebody there some youngster and then they see him in the grand stand behind as well he’s wearing this a shirt mark but there are No signs of rustiness. Oh, very good. Very good. No matter where you are on this golf course, you will be aware that Maloy is on the charge because those cheers that are coming through your radio or your smart speaker are rolling across this links course on the causeway coast. Interestingly, up ahead, Tier Hatton and Raasmas Hoyard have both played their seconds into that green. And that’s exactly where Rory was when he sunk his 36 foot p for Birdie that started this charge some half an hour an hour ago here at Royal Port Rush. You’re a massive football fan, Billy. You often talk to managers at the start of the season. I I do. And they’ll have their fixture list and they’ll some of them will go three right three points there, maybe a point there. Won’t get anything there. When you get the pin positions at the start of a round, does your player and you go opportunity there, opportunity there? If we get if we just get off there with a par, we’re happy. Yeah, for sure. I mean, you you’ll go through the pin locations and um like I said, the first it looks like from here it looks like the both front edge, which obviously if it rolls off the front of this first green, it literally finishes 20 yards short of the green. So, it looks like they both hung on to the front edge and they’re going to have a difficult two put up a big slope right to left. looks like to be about 40 ft I guess. So, uh yeah, but you look at pin positions and you will definitely say you need to hit here, you need to hit there and and box clever on certain holes and there’s certain holes that you definitely want to attack and that’s going to be the case today because there’s a mentality that as well, isn’t there? When you’re trying to keep your player going, you go, you know, you pick one up there and at the start we didn’t think we were going to. So, Quan, absolutely. You know, you you if you nick a bird on a hole, it’s a real difficult pin position. It’s uh it’s all motivation and you know, it’s moving forwards. It’s uh you know it’s it’s it’s gives you a lot of confidence going to the the par fives or whatever’s coming up next. You can see yourself birding three or four holes in a row all of a sudden that if you nick one on a hole it’s tough. Yeah. It gives you that extra extra bounce. So speaking of football we’re standing here with you in your lead United C. You staying up. It’s a tough one. That is it. We’ll see. I mean I went to Illinois a lot last year and the atmosphere was incredible. So, it’s one of those old stadiums that really, you know, it it really gets the players up for it and, you know, makes the opposition fret a little bit. Um, so hopefully if they pick a lot of points at home, they can uh get more than 11 points or whatever Southampton got last year. But we’ll see. They’re playing Man United right now and it’s nil nil at Halime. It is nil nil at half. Um, uh, Sean Longstaff the latest to join Leads. They’ve had a decent transfer window so far. Let’s h head back to the London Stadium. Men’s 100 meters is next up, C. They’re being introduced to the crowd. A huge roar for Louis Hinchliff, the British athlete, the current British champion, starting in lane number one. The former golfer, the 23-y old. Not many races this year under his belt, but he starts on the inside line. Hakee Blake, the Jamaican, the Diamond League final winner in this event last year. It will start in lane number two. A huge roar from the crowd for the British record holder Zarnell Hughes who holds the fastest times ever over the 100 and 200 meter distance. The British star starts in lane number three. The sunshine is coming out on the center lane athletes here in London. In lane number four, Oblique Seville the Jamaican the second fastest man in the world this year. 9.83 seconds. The center lane of four outside Hughes. Noel Isles probably the loudest roar of the day surpassing the roar that Kathina Johnson Thompson got when she was introduced here in London. The Olympic champion, the American starts in five in his first 100 meter race of the season. Let’s see Tobogo of Botswana. The Olympic champion over 200 me starts in lane number six. Akani Samina of South Africa starts in seven. Fourth placer in the Olympics in Paris last year. And the third Brit in this men’s 100 meters. The world indoor champion Jeremiah Azoo goes in eight. The sun has burst through just as these athletes were introduced to the crowd here. There was a huge roar when the instadium announcer said next on track the men’s 100 meters. The Olympic 100 meter champion Lyles on his season opener over this distance goes in five. The Olympic 200 meter champion Tobogo in six. And Zarnell Hughes in his bright red strip settles into his blocks in lane number three. A pin could drop at the London Stadium. Who is going to take the London crown? It’s a clean start in a men’s 100 meters. Seville gets out well in lane number four. Blake of Jamaica going well in lane number two. Oblique Seville in lane number four has upset the party. The Jamaican has absolutely smashed it out the park. 9.85 seconds. The second fastest man in the world this year. The black green and gold of Jamaica and Oblique Seville 9.86 seconds. Noah LS in second at 10 seconds exactly just ahead of Zarnell Hughes in 10.02 seconds. Allison Kerishnney a men’s 100 m is a very very short race but that was dominant from the Jamaican. Yeah and I think Noah L is thinking what happened there because oblique Seville got out of the blocks he reacted and that gap that he got on Noah Liles never ever got smaller. If anything, it got larger. I asked Noah allars yesterday that good run that he had in Monaco over 200 m. Did that give him a a sense of where he was at with 100? And he said absolutely not. He said, “I don’t know why, but there’s never any correlation.” Well, there wasn’t today. He did not react. The only man breaking the 10-second barrier today was the Jamaican Well, I mean, what does that say? Come Tokyo. Well, Jamaica have waited for a 100 meter star mark since the retirement of Usain Bolt. Is this the year that Oblique Seville shocks the world and takes the world title? We’ll find out that in a couple of months, but a winner here today in 9.86 seconds in third. Thank you, uh, Katherine Murray and Allison Kerbishley. It is a glorious afternoon here at Royal Port Rush. The clouds are dispersing. There is plenty of blue sky. There is a real warmth in the air. What an afternoon to enjoy. Rory Maroy, John Murray, staring back up this winding fifth hole up towards the hotel that we were mentioning earlier, the slightly pale yellow and the gray slate roof through the pine trees. And just to the left as we look standing up there, can clearly pick him out with the white hat and the rustcoled shirt. Mroy with his t-shirt. Well, he says this is going left. He says it’s going left. And where’s it gone? It’s just just to our left. Landed in the uh on what one on the top of one of the humps and bumps in the longer grass. Yeah, it’s just gone into a little bit of a hollow on the top of this bump that’s about three or four yards just left of us. So, it was quite close on its way to us, but he did signal uh to say that it was going to go left and all the crowd started to hide because we know how far Rory can hit it. But it’s actually not that bad a location to be to be able to get to this pin that’s tucked in on the right hand side. Yeah. About 40 y 40 50 y mark to uh to pitch out from there onto the green up towards the flag for Maroy in due course. Okay. Uh all but the final pair are out on the course now. Rasmus Hygar Hatton, Bob McIntyre all parring the first. Justin Rose has had a very fast start as well. Not quite as fast as Rory Maroy but he is also three under for the day through six. and five under for the championship. Brian Harmon and Hong Lee are just playing their seconds into the uh first up ahead. And that just leaves us with Matt Fitzpatrick and Scotty Sheffler to go in 4 minutes time. Glorious afternoon here. Wasn’t a glorious morning at Lords. It’s taken a while for play to get underway in the second women’s ODI between England and India, but it has done so now. Dan Norcross, slow start from India. Initially 25 in the six over power play. It’s been reduced because we’ve only got 29 overs per side. But the weather’s cleared and India is starting to get motoring. They’re 36 for one now in the end of the seventh over. Sprey Mand has hit a few boundaries. She’s on 17. Dial has 10. Mlet with the wicket. A beautiful Yorker to get rid of. Proud to go well. Jack Conland next watching Super League Wick and Hull. It’s Hull who lead by 12 points to nil. A brace from Jed Cartright. His first coming from an Aiden Caesar kick. His second coming from an Aiden Aiden Caesar break. Both on the back of some beautiful attack from Hull FC. Jack Charles on target with both conversions. Wigan without any answers as of yet. We’re 13 minutes away from Halime. It’s Wigan nil. Hull FC 12. Seem to enjoy playing against Wigan this year. Deull FC knocked them out of the Challenge Cup a little bit earlier and they lead this afternoon. So, I just look back down this first fairway to that little horseshoe grandstand around the first tea. And we’re just a couple of minutes away from the final pair getting underway in the sunshine. Ian Carter. Yes, that final pair of Matt Fitzpatrick of Great Britain and the American Scotty Sheffller, the world number one, the undisputed world number one at that. The man who has dominated this game, won the USPGA. really looking forward to seeing how he goes today after Ollie Wilson with whom I’ll be walking all 18 holes with this group. Uh the man who won the US PGA already this year and must be hot favorite to add a second major here. Yeah, it’s pretty ominous with him being in the lead right now at 10 under par. I think all the other players have uh it kind of makes it awkward because they assume that he’s going to go out there and go low and it puts a little bit of extra pressure on those guys to go low too. So um it’s going to be interesting to see. It’s really important for Scotty to get off to a good start, but obviously as we’ve seen Rory out on the course, he’s making a charge. So maybe give him something to think about. Will these two feel a pressure to keep making progress on the leaderboard? Keep getting further and further under par because it is obvious that there are birdies out there as Mroy is proving. Yeah, I think given the weather, I mean obviously Scott is 10 under par right now. I don’t think or he certainly wouldn’t be thinking that 10 under is going to be the winning mark. Whether he actually has a number in mind, I’m not sure. But with the conditions right now, I imagine he’s trying to get to 14 or 15 under um after today’s round to give himself a great chance tomorrow. And how’s Matt Fitzpatrick feeling right now cuz he’s not been in one of these groups for a while. Yeah, it’s been a while, but he’s he’s feeling pretty good. Obviously, I walked with him earlier in the week. He looked like he was in great form, playing great golf, um swinging it well, and he knows how to win. He’s a major champion. He’s comfortable in these positions. Whilst it’s been a while, I think he’ll be loving the fact that he’s last out with a world number one. Absolutely. So, here we are. The top two on the leaderboard. They shade shared eight birdies a piece yesterday. Scottish Sheffller at 10 under par, one ahead of Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, beating Scottish Sheffller to that title. So Fitzpatrick a resurgent figure top eight in his last two events bouncing back from the worst spell of his career and he’s had brilliant rounds so far this week looking much more like the player of old the man who did win at Brookline that US Open title rounds so far this week of 67 and 66 and now here he is on the tea ready to get his third round at the open underway. This is game number 35. On the tea from England, Matt Fitzpatrick in a dark outfit with a white cap for the relatively dimminitive figure from Sheffield. He’s teed the ball up. Looks like he’s got a long iron, potentially a hybrid in hand here. This demanding first hole uphill for the second shot. Bunker down the left 290 yd away. bunker down the right 270 yards away and of course out of bounds left and right as well and there goes the T-shot of Matt Fitzpatrick and it comes to rest on the left side of the fairway. Absolutely spot on the USA Scotty Sheffller. Yes. Now the leader, the man on top here, who reigns supreme in the game in general round so far this week of 68 and 64, the lowest score of this open championship so far. And with light trousers and a dark top and a white cap, he comes up in that very familiar way of his, as if he’s not got a care in the world, and gets himself ready for his opening t-shot of this third round. There it goes on a lower trajectory and heading down towards the fairway just a little bit left and it just scampers into the left semi- rough and nestles down into that grass. So fairway for Fitzpatrick and left semi- rough for the leader Scotty Sheffller. Ollie Wilson. Yeah, both be pretty happy with that. I know Scotty has jumped into that first cut, but this first hole it’s certainly no problem from there. And so we’re underway, Mark. And we’re underway with the leaders glancing at their wing mirrors and seeing an everchasing Rory Mroy just coming into view. Well, there are a few chasing actually. Russell Henley six under for the day, six under for the championship through 14. And another man who’s really making a charge. Well, two two Englishmen actually, Justin Rose. Four under through seven today. six under for the championship and Matt Wallace five under for the uh day and five under for the championship through 12. So there are some players going low behind the leaders. What news of Rory? John Murray. Well, last you heard Rory Mroy off the tea on the par for fifth was at the top of a grassy bank. His ball was was in the roof but only about 50 yards short of the green. It is the drivable green this in the right conditions and he’s pitched it out grim. He’s got a chance 10 ft for another birdie. Yeah, he was very fortunate with the lie. The grass was lying with him. So when he was playing the shot, he was always going to be able to get a little bit of release up the slope, but he played it to absolute perfection. Landed it just short of the slope, let it release up to around about 10 ft. And another great opportunity for birdie. Yep. So another birdie chance coming. Mark Jordan Smith likewise, but from much further. Okay, thank you. Everybody underway now on the third round of the open. Back to the London Stadium. Women’s 200 meters is next in the Diamond League. Catherine, yeah, a couple of events left here. The weather has turned up at the back end of this London Diamond League meeting. The biggest one-day athletics meeting in the world. 60,000 fans roaring and cheering. Every single athlete that’s been introduced in the sunshine here in the women’s 200 meters. Tory Lewis of Australia will start in lane number one. The Shanty Moore, the Jamaican in good form this year. The national champion will start in two. Jesu of Spain will start in lane number three. Daryl Nita of Great Britain will go in for the third fastest ever in the UK. One of three Brits in this women’s 200 meters. Anita lines up inside Amy Hunt, the fourth fastest British athlete of all time and the fastest British woman in 2025. She’s got the center lane of five. The raw was big as you’d expect for one of Britain’s finest ever. Dena Asha Smith, the former world champion, the UK record holder goes in lane number six. One lane inside her training partner from St. Lucia, Julian Alfred, the Olympic champion over 100 m. The 24 year old is the world leader with 21.88 seconds. She starts in seven. and Rashida Adelei, the 400 meter specialist who was fourth of the Olympic Games in Paris. The Irish star starts in lane number eight. We’ve had three British winners so far here today in London. Hunterbell in the 800, Dobson in the 400, Morgan Lake won the high jump with a clearance of 196. Can anybody stop St. Lucia’s first ever Olympic gold medalist, Julian Alfred, in seven? The sun goes in. The spotlights are on here at the London Stadium. Not needed anymore now. The weather has got better. The women’s 200 meters, three Brits, and an Olympic champion. They settle into their blocks. The penultimate event of a brilliant one-day meeting. And it’s a clean start in the women’s 200 meters. Asher Smith out well as expected in lane number six. Alfred though in lane number seven is going to come into the straight in the lead. The yellow top of the Olympic champion. Alfred from Asher Smith. Amy Hunt coming up into second place. But Julian Alfred’s going to win by 4 meters. Here she goes. 21.71 seconds. Dina Asher Smith passing Amy Hunt in the final 30 m to finish second here in London. But Julian Alfred is continuing to be on a roll. It’s the fastest time in the world this year. 21.71 seconds, faster than her 21.88 clocking earlier in the season. Asha Smith in second and Amy Hunt in third. Let’s just tell you a few scores and we’ll get the details of some of these people in just a moment because we do have teams following them. Harris English has got a birdie in his opening two holes. He’s gone to six under. Perhaps the most astonishing score so far. Brian Harmon double bogeied the first. So we’ll get details on that. And he’s dropped from 8 under to six under. Mroy first though with John. So that means he is alongside Rory Mroy who was not able to convert that 10 ft birdie put on the fifth. It it was clearly a ticklish one because he spent a long time having a look at it from every conceivable angle, but it didn’t drop. He bent his knees, crouched right down. It’s a par four for him then on the fifth. So, three birdies, two pars in his first five holes. And Mroy is six under for the championship. Ian Carter watching the final pair. Yes. And they’re just making that steep climb up to this first green. Both have found the putting surface with their approaches which were both from around about 165 yards out from the rough. Sheffller the leader at 10 under par. Absolutely to the inch pin high but around about 30 ft to the right of the flag and Fitzpatrick going a little longer and he’s now found the upper tier of the green. So a very delicate puck coming for the Englishman. Yeah, it was a great shot in he was staring it down. Looked like that’s exactly where he was aiming which is a positive sign for early on in the round. just unfortunately got just missed that slope, but Scottish Sheffler pin high, which is something we expect to see quite a lot today. And missing on the right side, which is again just one of those sort of clues to the to the efficiency of this golf. Yeah, around this golf course as many um you’re not always aiming at the flags. You’re trying to pick out a target and it looked like Scotty hit his target and Matt almost hit his. Just flew a little bit further than he was planning, but two good shots into the first. What do we think? 30 ft for Sheffller, 35 ft for Fitzpatrick. Yeah, funny enough, uh Scotty’s putting pretty much identical to what Rory had um an hour and a half or so ago. So, uh quite a lot of break right to left, maybe 8 to 10 ft right to left, but relatively flat. Um so, just got to get the the line right and he should be uh in with a chance. Fitzpatrick just taking the flag from the hole. He always liked to or went through a long period of putting with the flag in the hole and he’s putting it back in. Just took it out there because he was lining up from behind the hole. Dan Parrot, his caddy, just gives him his ball and he trudges up that slope. And this is just a case of getting the ball moving, isn’t it? Yeah. The greens aren’t overly fast. They’re only running about 10 on the stint meter, but this is downhill, slightly downwind. And uh past the hole, it’s also downhill. runs off the front of the green. So, it’s got to be a little bit cautious here. Yeah. Anything bold here and it goes past the hole and there’s nothing to stop it and it would potentially run into the steep bunker at the front or even go beyond that. It could go sort of 50 yards behind. So, he’s he doesn’t need a putter here. He needs a a feather duster tickling stick. You can see him just trying to feel the putt with a couple of little rehearsals. And now it just sets the ball rolling very, very slowly. Now it gathers pace as it comes down the slope, swings from left to right towards the hole, towards the hole, and then misses to the right. And it’s gone on by about 4 ft. I think that’s as good as you could have hoped for. Yeah, that’s pretty good. On the first hole, you’re always a little bit unsure of what the pace is going to be. And when you’ve got to hit it so softly on the first hole, that’s not a bad effort. Four feet just passed him. By contrast, the world number one, this 29year-old born in New Jersey, lives in Dallas, moved there to Texas at the age of six, Scotty Sheffller. He can be he can be very positive with this p. Yeah, there’s from his angle, there’s probably a slight up slope behind the hole. So, like I said earlier, there’s just mainly a lot of right to left on him, but pace-wise, nothing really to worry about. Both of these players birded this hole yesterday. Fitzpatrick currently at nine under and after that 64 yesterday. Sheffller tall man, bearded figure, broad shoulders. He is at 10 underpar. Leading the open by one in brilliant afternoon sunshine. Packed grandstand behind this green. And they’re all watching now as he addresses the ball. Upright stance and a nice positive swing of the putter. The ball traveling towards the hole. Swinging from right to left. swinging from right to left and coming to rest. Well, not quite sure how far that is from the cup. Muted applause from those with the more elevated view from the grand stand. And just as Matt Fitzpatrick surveys his parut, let’s get the latest on Maroy with John. Just watching Rory Maroy marching towards us up towards the the green at the par 3 sixth and uh with the flag fluttering right at the back of the green today. He’s left himself 40 ft or so but he’s on the on the left side of the green and I can clearly see the undulations that he’s going to have to deal with but but with this sort of support Ian it makes you feel that almost anything is possible. What an atmosphere. What an atmosphere. We’ve managed to get a slightly better view here on the first now. And we know that that trundled on a bit more than Scottish Sheffller would have wanted. He’s actually outside Matt Fitzpatrick. Not lost his turn. Yeah, I think he’s got about 4 ft. It just moved a little bit more right to left than he allowed for. Now he’s could have put him back up slightly left to right into the wind, but can be quite aggressive with this one. Pressure on at the first for the leader to save par. Four feet. sends it forward and into the hole. Minimum of fuss just well that will now act as a settler, won’t it? But it could have could have gone badly the other way. You don’t really want to leave yourself too many of those early on in the round. But he dealt with it perfectly and it is calm and as you say, it’s nice to knock something in and feel like you’re stroking the ball well and move on to the second. And he just sort of lops off with a kind of bashful expression. The bearded world number one looks like he hasn’t got a care in the world. Just gets his notebook out. Consults his notes for the upcoming par five second. Looks back down the first fairway which is thinned out completely now in terms of spectators surrounding it. This the last pair on the course. And now Fitzpatrick needs to make sure he doesn’t make any mistake here. This will go down as an excellent two putt here for the 30-year-old from Sheffield. put a head behind the ball, sends it forward. Oh, and he’s missed it. It’s lipped out and it’s a three putt bogey at the first for Matt Fitzpatrick. And that is not what he wanted. No, that’s an unforced error. He had a pretty good first, but obviously ran a little bit past, but probably that’s more to do with nerves than anything else, especially given it was on a similar read to what Scotty had. So, very disappointing start mark for Matt Fitzpatrick. Three pup bogey. He slips back to eight under now two behind the leader. Scotty Sheffller. Yeah, he bogeied the first. Brian Harman, remember, double bogeied the first. We’ll get details on that shortly after John. So, a chance for Rory Mroy perhaps to go to seven under, mind you, Graeme, 40 ft and that lump that is there between his ball and the hole. Yeah, this is a really difficult putt, but he played the T-shot really conservative because the flag location right in the back tongue of this green is so impossible to get anywhere near. So, he’s looking to just make his three and get out. So, two poke would do him, says Graeme Storm behind on the other side of the green. People sitting cross-legged, row after row after row of them up to the top of the dune. It winds up and down and all of those heads looking down on Maroy whose ball goes up that slope and then heads down towards the hole, but we’ll roll by on the left and it is within a couple of feet. Yeah, that was a great put. Uh we know we’ve watched Rory play these first five holes, six holes. He’s been swinging the club beautifully. The one thing that’s been really good today is the touch on the greens. He’s going to mark it, but he should haul it from there. should haul it from there uh for his par three to stay at six under after six for the championship. Thank you. Talking earlier as part of our buildup this lunchtime about Brian Harmon looking unflapable in control of everything that he’s doing just going on and getting on with his job. Q Alistister Bruce B. Yeah, it was a very unharmonike hole playing the first here in his third round of the open championship. Found the fairway with the driver. So the first part of the job was done. 115 yards. That was all he had into the flag. Cut tight on the left hand side. He missed it into the bunker. Took two to get out of there and then couldn’t hold the 30-footer for bogey. Pretty much the same putt that Maroy hold for his birdie on the fur. So yes, Brian Harmon, our open champion two years ago has dropped back to six under par and a good par by his playing partner, the Chinese Haong Lee. Good two from the back of the green cuz the first one was quick down the slope and he held the return for a 4-footer. He remains at eight under. And let’s just go to the Super League. Halime between Wigan and Hull. Hull were leading last time we were with Jack Conway and they built that lead out to 20 points to nil. That Jed car right brace added on to by an sea try. He crashed over from close range. Jack Charles was again on target with the conversion before adding a penalty goal on the stroke of Halime. HFC upsetting the odds of it here. It’s Wigan nil. HFC 20 at the break. And to Lords for the second women’s ODI between England and India. Henry Moran reduced to 29 overs aside. India are batting first and England have picked up three important wickets. 57 for3 is the India total and their captain Harmon core is walking back to the pavilion having been bowled by Sophie Eckleston for just seven. 57 for three the India score in the 12th over. Sports Extra if you want to listen to the cricket. Sports Extra 2. If you want to listen to the rugby league and golf and boxing all the way here on five live until the end of Dubois Usyk 2 with the ring walk expected sometime around 9:45 in Carter. Both of our players in the final pairing have found the fairway off the tea here and it’s Sheffller who is probably 15 16 yards longer well over 300 yd into a stiff breeze. Brilliant T-shot well from both players but especially Sheffller and so they’ll be eyeing this par five green in two from the fairway remember a par at the first for the leader Sheffller remains at 10 under par a three put bogey for Matt Fitzpatrick so he slips back to eight under and let’s tidy up Rory’s par with John Murray yes he hauled out from two feet maybe a little bit more than that but no worries into the bottom of the hole and that means that Rory Maroy remains six under par. I’m walking right next to the the young man who’s carrying the sign with the scores on it. Red number six minus six for Mroy. Uh I’m afraid Jordan Smith dropped a another shot there. He’s back to one under, but Mroy three under for his round today and six under for the championship. And here he is walking now up towards the tea in amongst all of the dunes for the par 57th. Oh, I was told 20 seconds ago that the men’s 200 meters was underway, so I’m guessing it’s finished. Catherine, final event here in London is the men’s 1500 meters. The race proper is being led by George Mills, the British athlete in third at the moment with the shaven head. One stride ahead of the current world champion Josh Kerr with the shades on. This men’s 1500 meters could be one for the ages. Strong out Allison Kervishly in single file as they go round the first bend down the back straight in the sunshine. Yeah, they were asking for 55 seconds for that first 400 and pretty much even pace to take them to British record. Well, Josh Kerr has just a train in front of him leading the way. George Mills has decided to take this to the reigning world champion Josh Kerr, silver medalist from Paris Olympic Games last year. Jake Whiteitman, former world champion, is well down the field at the moment. But now the pacemakers step out path. George Mills has a long run for home as they come into the straight for the penultimate time with 500 meters to go. We are bang on British record pace. And that British record belongs to the current world champion Josh Kerr. Mills leads. Curr in second. The 18year-old co-ed of Kenya is in third. The bell goes in the men’s 1500 meters. George Mills took 7 seconds off Mo Farah’s 5,000 meters British record this year already. Josh Kerr trying to make a move. Addison coming onto the shoulder potentially of George Mills down the back straight. This is going to have to be a lap of his life. George Mills, but George Josh Kerr now passes George Mills with Coed coming inside. George Mills is now falling backwards. You’ve got Jake Whiteman only about 2 m down. 200 m and there’s a baller. Koich now takes the lead with Josh Kerr on his heels. It looks like George Mills has fallen. Koich, the 18year-old Kenyon, could upset the party here. But here comes Josh Kerr. Ward on by 60,000 in the sunshine at the London Stadium. He’s gritting his teeth. He’s throwing his head back, but he’s not going to catch Fel Co of Kenya. He’s throws his arms out wide. A new meet record of 328 for the Kenyon. Josh Kerr in second. Jake Whiteitman has come up to fourth place in this men’s 1500 meters, but there were fourers, Mark, and that includes George Mills, who’s coming around the track at 150 m to go. Well, I tell you what, he got a lot further than he got last year where he fell 20 m into the race. That was because I think George Mills was tiring. He definitely was tiring. And tired legs mean that you’ve just got nowhere to go. and bumping and barging as all of the guys were surging with 200 meters. Real shame as George Mills now jogs over the line. But right up front, we were promised an attack on the British record and I think these guys just got into each other’s heads. George Mills maybe just took it on too early for him. Josh Kerr just beaten by the world leader of Kenya Coet in the final stages. But great to see Jake Whiteitman back. A season’s best for him in 331. Josh Kerr confirmed sub 30 32937. The final winner then mark of the day. Well, it was Fenel Coach of Kenya. No British winner in the men’s 1500 meters, but three British winners in total as the crowd leave here in the sunshine on quite simply a brilliant day at the London Diamond League. Thank you very much. Men’s 1500, not 200. So, we did have plenty of time uh to get to it. Thank you to Katherine and to Alli just walking past the 14th fairway. Matt Wallace’s caddy just raking a bunker there. So I’m assuming his man has been in that bunker but he is five under for the day. Five under for the championship. There are plenty of low scores out there at the moment. Let’s go to Katherine DS. Who are you watching? C. Good afternoon Mark from the sunshine on the fourth fairway. We are out walking with Till Hatton and Raasmus Huygar. So, the daily reminder to listeners on Five Live and BBC Sounds that there’s been no English winner of the Open since Nick Faldo in 1992. But the start of play today, six Englishmen in the top 20. One of them, Tierrell Hatton, at five underpar. And if you think six Englishmen in the top 20 is a good return, how about two Hoyars in the top 10? There’s never been a Danish winner. And twins Nikolai and Raasmus are hoping to be the first. Nikolai already out on the course. Raasmus alongside Till Hatton with myself and Andrew Murray. And three straight pars for both of these players. Till Hatton has had some good chances. He had an eagle putt on the par five second which was a tricky one. It was a long and winding one, but he gave it such a crack, didn’t he, Andrew Murray, that he nearly let it fly off the green. It nearly degged it. Yeah, that was a slippy putt. It was a big break in the first quarter of it and he just hit it straight through the brake and up the hill and over the other side and it was gone. It was uh very very close to embarrassing but uh he missed the return to a straightforward par five and then on the par three third a 15 foot birdie chance went begging. Just slid by the hole on the low side actually but very slippy putt. These greens look like they’re getting a little bit more shiny. Um which will be interesting to see how the uh how everybody copes with all that. As Lynx greens dry out, they get a little bit slippy. So um not quite so easy as has been last two days to hold out. Two stunning T-shots from the pair of them though down the center of the fairway here on the fourth. And since 1970, 89% of open champions have been within four shots of the lead after round two. These two will be hoping to emulate the 11% who’ve come from just one further back at five under par. So standing in the middle of the fairway, both of them five under par, five shots of the lead. Tier Hatton and Rasmus Huygar with me and Andrew Murray for the day. Thank you very much. Just walking through all the crowd. We’ve gone from the first to just standing behind the 9th and the 11th green at the moment. What is noticeable when you walk through the crowds is a number of lion shirts that people are wearing today. British and Irish lion shirts and training tops. They of course beat Australia earlier this morning and what was quite a comfortable first test for them in Brisbane. All the reaction on the Rugby Union weekly pod with Chris Jones and the team. Alistister Bruce B. Yeah, there were some Scottish men who played a very important part in that Lions win and I’m walking uh with the penultimate pairing this afternoon with a Scottish golfer who has won the women’s British Open. I was there to report on it at Litham uh back in 2009. I have Katrina Matthew for company walking the links this afternoon. Katrina Brian Harmon double bogei the first. You almost knew he was immediately going to fight back and bounce back with a birdie on the second. Wasn’t the prettiest but he did it. No, it wasn’t the prettiest. kind of had a squirly 3-wood for second shot into the greenside bunker, but a great bunker shot holder, probably 12 footer for birdie. So nice to bounce back. Yeah, you knew the pup was heading right for the middle of the hole. So Brian Harmon is one over for the day mark. He is seven under half of the championship and his playing partner Howong Lee from China uh is level par for today. He’s part of the first two. He’s eight under. I’m going to hand it to Ian Carter. Wow. Wow. Wow. Matt Fitzpatrick has chipped in for Eagle at the second. That was the roar that you could hear. What a shot from him. He’d missed the green just to the left. He looked shortsided. He uses that left hand below right grip and he used it to brilliant effect. What a way to bounce back from the drop shot at the first. Yeah, phenomenal effort. He was slightly fortunate to not go down the second ridge, so it kept it right on the edge of the green, but he was definitely shortsided. Little hillock to come up and over and played it perfectly. It looked like it was in as soon as it landed on the green. So, as it stands at the moment, he’s into a share of the lead at 10 under par. But that is most likely going to change because Scotty Sheffller has found the green with his second shot on this par five second. It’s got about 45 ft and quite a few undulations to negotiate with this eagle putt. Well, I tried to stand behind it and read it and quite frankly, there’s about eight different brakes in it. It’s relatively straight overall, but it’s going to wiggle its way all the way up the hill over the top of the crest and uh flattens out on top at 45 ft slightly up the hill. and he sends the ball up that hill and it climbs towards the hole and it turns towards the hole and then it scoots past the hole and now he’s got around about four and a half 5 ft coming back for his birdie to reassume the outright lead. Yeah, a little aggressive but again early days just trying to get the pace of those greens which is always tricky when there’s so many little mounds in in the greens. But uh this has left him a relatively straight 4footer, pretty flat. Uh, I expect him to uh be feeling pretty good about it and roll it in. The D that accompanied that chip in from Matt Fitzpatrick. I mean, he just couldn’t hear anything else. It it’s incredible. Um, and it’s such a nice way for him to settle himself down. That three put on the first is now completely out of his memory and he’s moving forward feeling good again. Yeah, he’s you can see it in his body language. He’s moving nicely and briskly. was just applying some sunscreen to his bare arms now because he’s taken this sweater off. It’s a it’s a muggy afternoon here. Very, very pleasant for golf. It really is. Just a hint of breeze which was into their faces here. They were hitting from 277 yds out. Fitzpatrick was and for Sheffller probably around about 250 yards in found the green but that eagle putt was a little bold and that’s why he’s taking every every care over this putt. Yeah, he’s uh even though it’s a relatively simple putt out of these greens in these conditions this situation you have to go through your routine execute it as normal and try and uh put the situation out of your mind. this for Birdie to reassume the outright lead. And he’s missed it. He has missed it. It caught the left edge of the hole, spun round, and it’s three putts for Scotty Sheffller. And we now have joint leaders at the Open Championship because a chip in Eagle three for Matt Fitzpatrick has propelled him to 10 under par. And he joins Scotty Sheffller on that mark because the American World number one couldn’t make the birdie and he remains at 10 under. So joint leaders at the open. Goodness me, it changes with every shot, doesn’t it, John Murray? Yes. On the par 57th with Rory Mroy. He was in the first cut of rough off the tea down the left hand side on this long hole, the longest hole on the course here at Royal Port Rush. His second shot is short and left of the green, but he is chipping now up towards the flag, which flutters away. This for eagle bounces, rolls and rolls by on the left hand side. You had me going there, Graeme. You had a bend of the knees. I thought it was going in for a second, but it’s rolled by maybe maybe 5 ft or so, maybe more. Yeah, it was a great effort, though. He took the slope out of the out of the equation, lofted it high into the breeze, onto the green, onto the putting surface and it just skimmed the left hand side of the hole. I thought it was going to hit the flag as it was rolling towards there. But Mroyy’s reduced this par five, 600 yds to a drive and an ironing. John. So John, what what did we say yesterday when and regular listeners to Five Life Golf Coverage will know this, we often get sent out to a player who’s making a charge and then as soon as you get there, that charge seems to have faltered. I’ve just done that. I’ve jumped all the way to the ninth. Justin Rose had had five birdies in six holes. By the time I get here to the ninth, he’s boed the eighth and he’s just gone off the back of the green here on nine. That is that is one of the absolute certainties, absolute guarantees of our golf coverage. We’re like we’re like the harbingers of doom. Let me go to cat. And yeah, very similar here actually, Mark. Not that anyone has faulted, but no one has burst forward out of Trell Hatton and Raasmus Hygar. Four straight pars now for Tier Hatton. He had a good go at a 30footer on the green here at the fourth. just cozying up to the left side of the hole. But now Raasmas Hoyar has a chance for the first birdie of the day from this group. The 24year-old younger by just a couple of minutes than his twin brother Nikolai. Five-time DP world winner and on his first season on the PGA Tour hasn’t been the easiest of transitions for the tall Dne in his navy blue trousers, green striped t-shirt. He’s missed the cut on his last couple of starts, but has found some form here on the Emerald Isle. Eddie Park from 18 ft on its way towards the hole for the Dane. And ah that one tickles the left hand edge. Pause for Hoygar and a par for Hutton as well. John back to the seventh Rory Mroy now facing base. You reckon around about 10 ft Graeme? From the angle that we’re at, it’s beyond the the hole. So, the flag has been removed. Maroy, a couple of practice dogs from behind it. He’s parred the last two. He’ll be thinking at the par five. It’s time for Birdie again. But this is not straightforward. He gets over it, but backs away. Yeah, he’s backed away as the wind starts to whistle up this par five. And it’s just put him off for a slight second. So, he’s back over it now. just flapping the those gray trousers of his head over the ball. Mroy for birdie at the seventh. Big curl from left to right. No, he swishes the club head. He knew it wasn’t going to drop and there was a big break on that from left to right. Yeah, absolutely. He’ll be really disappointed not to make a birdie on this par five. That is probably the first mistake of the day, missing the green with an eight iron for his second shot. But you can’t do that when the course is so accessible, especially this par five. reachable into with that sort of club in your hand. You can’t afford not to make a birdie. So he still has to finish off for his par five mark. But that is well birdie the first, the second, and the fourth. But that as long as he holds this, that is now three pars in a row. However, at six under, three under for his round today, he is just four shots off the lead. Uh well, that is consistent. Brian Harmon has gone double bogey, birdie, bogey so far. So he’s gone back to six under has the former champion. Let’s go to our joint leaders. Fitzpatrick and Sheffer both on 10 under. Ian, we’re on the par three third which today measures 181 yds inch perfect for distance for Matt Fitzpatrick. Fresh from that eagle on the second. He’s got around about 20 22 feet for Birdie and Scotty Sheffler. where he just missed it to the right and there’s a gathering area immediately behind that flag which is located in the back right corner and he has dribbled off the green there went straight at it and uh just just cut it into that wind and misjudged it a little bit and it caught that runoff a little bit aggressive more aggressive than I thought he would be but fits perfect in position here our players arriving at the green John it’s safely in Ian from close range from Rory Mroy at the seventh so that is his part five so as I A Mroy six under for the championship. Fitzpatrick and Sheffller lead on 10 under. Hong Lee is on nine under. In fact, he’s had a very steady start. Ali, he had he has he’s playing really nicely. Uh actually, Mark, very solid. Well, really good two putt as I said to you on the first. You could you could argue three putted the the the second hole, the par five, but um he was putting right from the front of that green. Katrina Matthew was a long long putt up the slope towards the hole. Just didn’t quite give the first one enough which meant he couldn’t convert the birdie. Yeah, it was a tough putt. He had 60 ft up there. The pin was 30 yards on and big hump in the middle and then up another slope at the end and he just just crept up that slope and he just slid his birdie past the left edge. Yeah. But then a stunning uh iron shot into the par 3/3 knocked it into four feet made the birdie. He’s n under parked. Back to Ian watching Scotty Sheffler as he surveys this putt from just off the green. It’s sharply uphill for him from the swale that gathers any ball that tiptoes to the right of the hole off the tea. And that’s exactly what happened to him. And the breeze freshens here. You can really feel it starting to sweep across the green as he goes down low, crouches low, does that squat just to have one last look at the line here. Three putts on the second for a par after reaching the green in two. Here’s his second shot at the par three third. The ball climbs the hill, swings from right to left. Oh, and he’s misjudged that for pace by quite a way. That has gone six, seven, 8 ft by. Yeah, he only had about 15 to 18 ft, but the trickiness of it was that he was putting through the fringe onto the UPS slope and then as soon as it got up towards a hole, it runs away from him. So again, early on in the round, still trying to gauge his pace. I think at the moment and again Fitzpatrick has to be careful of the pace of this putt because there is the fall off beyond the hole but but he can have a look at birdie here. It was an excellent T-shot. Yeah, perfect T-shot. Great distance control. Giving himself a pretty flat putt. It is slightly back into the wind so he can be relatively aggressive with it. I don’t think he’ll be too worried about missing it long but uh there’s I guess as well there’s not a whole lot of break on it so it should be a good opportunity. a pale yellow shirt, navy blue trousers, white golf shoes, and a white cap for Matt Fitzpatrick, 30 years of age, from Sheffield. And he’s just having a chat with a much taller figure of his blondhaired, Caddy, who’s those blonde locks hidden somewhat by his white cap, Dan Parrot. He walks away and fits Patrick, who wastes no time over his shots once he’s decided he knows what he’s going to do. Just a couple of little wafts of the putter by way of practice swing. And now this for birdie. This for the outright lead of the open for Britain’s Matt Fitzpatrick. Delicately down the slope. He didn’t want to fall foul of going beyond it. And he’s come up a couple of feet short. Yeah, maybe that slope came more into his mind than you thought cuz that was relatively tentative for that chance. It was it was a good chance. An outside one, but still good offer. And he’s not a tentative putter, is he? He likes to be positive with the with the flat stick. Yeah, his pace is very much he likes to see the ball going in the hole, hitting that back lip and taking the the slope out of it, but that was not on that occasion. Still a chance that Matt Fitzpatrick will hold the outright lead heading to the fourth T because this is a tester for Scotty Sheffller. Currently at 10 under pars at the first two holes, but this is 8 9 ft for his par at the third over it now. got ahead behind the ball. One last glance at the hole. The rock of the shoulders, the ball traveling, looking good and disappearing and that was clutch. That was clutch from Scotty Sheffer, especially after off the back of three putting the second and he remains at 10 under. Yeah, it was a little low and it just hung on to that right hand side. I think he was convinced it was going to go in until it found the bottom of the hole, but a nice steady input after a little bit of a overaggressive T-shot I would say. And this is 2 and 1 half 3 ft for for Fitzpatrick who missed from a similar distance on the first. So his ticker might be just accelerated a little here. I would say it definitely feels longer than it actually is in reality. But this is really important for him to put a nice stroke on it. Feel the putter, feel the ball coming off the putter face nice and solidly. And he is dead center, dead weight. Nicely done. Yeah. Into the cup. Though we still have joint leaders here in the shape of Scotty Sheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick both at 10 under par after securing their pass here at the par 3/3 and it’s very early in this round Ollie Wilson but that that put from Sheffller there just highlights he very very rarely opens the door for someone else. Yeah, I think that’s what he does so well. Well, you know, he made a bit of a mistake. A little bit over agressive on the T-OT and found a really awkward position, but it’s not easy to just um tidy those up, but he seems to do so well. He’s so good at scoring and when he is slightly off it, he seems to just manage to get out of there with a par, kind of plot his way around and suddenly firing a few birdies and and then he’s up in the top of the leaderboard is fantastic at it. And I expect that to be the the case today. Um there’s a little bit of a gap between the top three and everybody else. So you have Fpatrick and Sheffller on 10 under and Hon Lee on nine under. But then listen to some of the names that are trying to chase these three down. Russell Henley, Rory Moy, Tony Feno, Chris Gotup, Harris English, Brian Harmon are all on six under. Get to five under, Windham Clark, a major winner of course, Matt Wallace, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Tierrell Hatton. And then on four under and these two have finished their rounds. Cory Connors and Dustin Johnson. But then you also have Sunjaim. You have the defending champion Xander Schoffé, Ludvig Oberg, Keegan Bradley, the US Rider Cup captain, Bob McIntyre, and Raasmus Hoygard. There are some names near the top of this leaderboard trying to chase down those three who just have that little bit of a gap between themselves and the rest. Our coverage of the third round continues after Carl in the news at 4:15. The voice of the UK. This is BBC Radio 5 Live. Thanks, Mark. Police have arrested 55 people in central London for allegedly carrying plaqueards in support of the ban group at Palestine Action. The arrest in Westminster took place during the first major pro Palestinian demonstration since the organization was banned by the government earlier this month. The Met say expressing support for the group is now an offense under the terrorism act. Meanwhile, eight people were arrested at a similar demonstration in Truro in Cornwall and 17 people were arrested at a protest in Bristol. Three people are in a critical condition and more than 20 have been injured after a car hit a crowd of people outside a nightclub in California. It’s believed the driver lost consciousness before his vehicle hit the crowd. Captain Adam Van Gerpin from the fire department says it appears the driver may have been shot. When the paramedics were loading up one of the patients that was considered immediate, they did find that there was a gunshot wound. Reports are that it’s the driver. We haven’t confirmed that yet. An investigation into a deadly building collapse in South Africa has found it was caused by a series of preventable safety failures. 34 construction workers were killed when the building came down in the town of George in May last year. The owner of the Wall Street Journal says it it will defend its reporting vigorously in the face of a lawsuit from President Trump. He’s branded a story in the paper saying he once sent a suggested birthday message to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as fake news. Joe Marino is a former prosecutor and Republican strategist. If this case proceeds, the Wall Street Journal will have to produce that letter and they’ll have to produce who allegedly gave it to them. If they cannot do that, Donald Trump can say, “Look, they can’t even produce what this document is, where it came from, and when they asked me about it, I told them it wasn’t from me.” And BBC News has discovered that the former Masteref presenter, John Toro, was sacked for allegedly directing the n-word towards a colleague on set. He says he has no recollection of using the racist term. The 153rd Open 2025 with Mark Chapman on Five Live Sports. And let’s go straight for a birdie opportunity for How Tong Lee. Alistister Bruce Ball Chinese golfer from 25 ft. Oh, I tell you what, the line is good. Left to right 25 footer on the fourth and that is desperately close to dropping in. It sidles up to the next of the hole. Inches to tap that in for a par. One under for his round having played four holes so far today. The birdie uh came at the par 33. We heard Cat DS reminding us that Matt Fitzpatrick today is trying to become the first Englishman, not today, this weekend, to win the Open Championship since Nick Faldo in 1992. Well, how Lee is trying to become the first Asian man to ever win uh the Open Championship. He’s been really impressive so far, Katrina Matthew. He has. He’s hit every fairway, every green given him. He looks very relaxed, very calm, and he’s just giving himself some nice chances. as you said that fantastic shot into the par 3/3 third. Yeah. So, we’re on our way uh down the beautiful stunning par 4 fifth. I’m really struck as well, Mark, by the physical difference between the two men in the group today. So, Brian Harmon stands at 5′ 7 in tall, the little punchy left-hander. How Lee, you know, much more sort of physically imposing on the tea. If you think Rocky four, it’s it’s sort of Howong Lee as Drago and Brian Harmon as as Rocky Balboa. Are you um do you tower over Brian Harmon? Do I tower over? I wouldn’t say tower edge edge creep. How Lee by the way um Katrina has got has had one bogey all week which is the fewest in the field and that is some some achievement. Yeah, that’s fantastic. I saw that bogi on 14 I think in the second round and I can see why watching him today. The first time I’ve seen him playing this week and he’s just very steady. He’s hitting a nice little cut off the tea. In fact, off the first, we thought it was going right out. We actually thought it was going out of bounds and then it cuts right back in. He said that same shot knows what the ball’s doing, hitting the same shot every time. So, he’s looking good. Mroy is on the John Murray. Yes, he is with another birdie chance here. But this one is again from from long distance 35 40 ft because he had to be careful with the approach shot. Graeme, he did this pin on the eighth hole is on the front left hand side. very devilish, massive slope short of the green, false front, but he did the right thing. He put it into the heart of the green, give himself an outside chance of a birdie. So, this is another one where you’d say take two puts and get off with your par. If it goes in for birdie, you’ll hear about it because this is the most boisterous spot that we’ve found so far. Full of Rory Mroy supporters and the ball rolling. Maroy looks after it and then a bend of the knee. So, we knew it was going to roll past, but he was interested there for a long while. He was, but he needs to be really interested in the next one because this one’s about four 4 and 1/2 ft. So, it did run on a bit too far for for Rory Mroy. He’s just gone round to market. Just walks away and and actually his body language kind of matches what you just said. Yeah, he’d be disappointed with uh how far it’s ran past, but we’ll come back to that one. Yep, we will. Uh so Ian, what have you got with the the leaders? Well, one of them, Scotty Sheffller, about to hit his second shot from the left side of the fairway on the difficult par 44th short iron into this flag which is located at the front of the green. And that one finding the putting surface but not threatening the hole. In fact, can’t quite see it. must be over to the right hand side of the of the green there which is obscured by a a sandune judging by the applause though it is on the green Matt Fitzpatrick just edged him in terms of the yardage here Ollie yeah both of them beautiful drives down here really tough par four without a bounce down the right he’s got about 160 yards in wind out the right a little bit of a slope feeding down to the flag here so it’s not as tough a hole as it normally is after this t-shirt and it’s got Nice angle here for his second shot. The breeze is dying down as well. The ball on its way heading towards the right side of the green. So distant birdie chances for the two leaders here. John watching Maroy now. This for his par four on the par 48. The Rory supporters. How twofaced. Grim. Suddenly there was a chorus of Rosie Rosie because Justin Rose has just walked past over our shoulder. They’ll change their tune if this goes in and you’ll hear it. But he’s got to be very careful here to stay at six under. He’s got it. He’s got it. No worry. Here we go. [Music] He stays six under after eight. Six under for the championship. Now, Cat, what have you got? Watching Tier Hatton putting from long range for an eagle on the par four fifth. This is this white knuckle ride of a hole that bumps and kicks down the slope towards the blue North Atlantic which is so clear today. It is a patchwork of different shades of blue. The turquoise near the shore, navy blue out to see in a vortex of seagulls chasing a little fishing boat back towards Port Rush. Tier Hatton’s eagle chance cozying up to the hole then borrowing away slightly to about three or four feet. Great effort from the English when he’s at five under par. a terrific T- shot and this obviously drivable par four and he got it right in the front left corner so he was at least 22 cricket pitch length away 22 yards and cos it up certainly within 3 ft I’d say and up the ramp it was a really good pace put and Raasmas Hoygar has a chance for a birdie here he’s made it a bit of a meal of this one though his T-shot finding the bunker which is short of the green here you’ve got to carry that bunker you’ve got to carry a massive kicker in the middle of the fairway a huge pudding pie bump in the middle of the fairway and then as Till Hatton’s ball did it rolls onto the green but Hygars was swallowed up by the gaping bunker on the right hand side. He’s hit it out and into the heart of the green. A really good effort from the sand. This one curving around from right to left heading up towards the hole but it is not going to drop for the Dane who three putted the par three third. So he’s dropped a four under par six shots of the lead. Legendary caddy Billy Foster has joined us. Don’t roll your eyes at me when I call you that, Billy. You’ve still got your pencil tucked into your cap. Tricks of the trade. Yeah, absolutely. Uh yeah, I mean Raasmos there’s left himself a really difficult second shot there. You know, there’s a dead elephant in between his bunker shot on the flag and he was quite fortunate that it stayed half up the slope somehow. He uh he beat Usain Bolt up there to mark his ball before it dribbled back down another 15 feet. But yeah, difficult put 25 ft with about 4T of break on it and has rolled up to about 3 ft. Yeah, he’s just going to tap it in for a par. Then Trell Hatton will have a little tickler from about 3 ft away for a birdie. But come back to me for that. Ian on the fourth green where Scotty Sheffer is just popping his ball down picking up the marker. He’s had a good look at this putt around about 30 ft for Birdie. Both players ingring on the side of caution missing the the hole to the right. Fitzpatrick’s about 20 feet away. These two locked at the top of the leaderboard at 10 under par. So this potentially momentarily for the outright lead down the hill. The ball on its way for Scotty Sheffllerless swinging. Oh, and he’s overcooked it and oh goodness gracious me. Half an inch more and that would have been rolling off the green. Birdie pup for Fitzpatrick to come. Tap first birdie of the day for Tier Hatton and it was an easy one. A beautiful stroke from the tea down the hill on the par for fifth. Finding the front of the green. Ace effort with the eagle putt to give him just three feet to tap it in. Easiest birdie he’ll have. He’s at six under par. Four shots off the lead. Thanks Cat. And uh my goodness me. Scotty Sheffller’s heart must have been in his mouth there. Yeah, I think it’s um it’s okay there. I don’t think it’s ran on too much further. And Matt Fitzpatrick here has got a 25 to 23 to 25 footer slightly down on a very similar line to Scotty. So he should be able to learn from Scotty’s P. And the breeze now just kicking up and tugging at the back of that yellow shirt that Fitzpatrick’s wearing as he makes this stroke and sends the ball towards the hole. Go on. It didn’t quite didn’t quite stays above ground, but it’s a stress-free par just a fraction short. Just a couple of revolutions and it would have disappeared. It’s a par four though on a tough hole and that is golden. He’ll remain at 10 under here on the par 4 ninth. The crowds are now five or six deep just away to my right because Lee Westward has gone through and they are now waiting for Rory Maroy which means that uh John Murray and Graeme Storm will be coming into view shortly as well as the sun continues to beat down on what is a glorious afternoon on the causeway coast. Back to Lords Henry Moran just losing the important wicket of Smitty Mard for 42. England on top. This match reduced to 29 overs aside. England 1 nil down in the series but on top in this game. India 98 for6 in the 21st out of 29 overs. Let’s take you to the super chap con Wigan have hit back in this game. They still trail FC by 20 points to six. It was a bit of magic from Christian Wade. Some quick hands put him away down the left wing. He turned Zach Hardaker inside and out to score. Harry Smith on target with his conversion. We’ve got around 18 and 12 minutes left. It’s Wigan 6 FC 20. Back to the leaders. Ian Scottish shuffler. This for his par save at the fourth to remain in a share of the lead at 10 under par over it now. Sends it forward. It’s a just a couple of feet and in it goes for the world number one. And he does make his par. And so we remain as you were at the top of the leaderboard with these two locked at 10 under. Close the door again. Ollie. Yeah, I tell you what, he uh that that ran a couple of feet past, but he’d take a lot of time over that. I don’t know if he was maybe just feeling a little unnerved after the the three put on the second, but definitely not as quick as he normally would have been on that. Uh here on the par 49th on the opposite side of the fairway, I can see John Murray with Graeme Storm striding ahead. Striding ahead of him. That’s unusual. You’re normally way ahead of him, John. Well, I was just inquiring as to whose ball it is that is in the bunker, and that was Jordan Smith’s ball in the bunker. So, we are just now Graeme’s just arriving at Rory Maroyy’s ball, which is way down the right, and it is in it is in just a light rough Graeme there. Yeah, he’s got a kind of a indifferent lie. It’s almost favorable because he can get the club behind the ball and get into the back of it, but it’s s kind of sat in a little bit of a cupped area. So, there is a little bit of grass to be careful of in front of the ball. But, he’s absolutely hit a monster down the right hand side here on nine. I can’t tell you how far he’s hit it. Got lob wedge to go. I think that’s the longest I’ve seen a T-shot on this hole. The ninth, the par 49. Yeah, it was almost like he put an extra bit of effort into that one having not made birdie at seven. had an outside chance at Aid and it looks like he’s just going to try and rip this course apart from this point on. I’ve been Sounds ominous. I’ve been here 45 minutes maybe something like that and that’s the longest drive that I’ve seen here. Westwood actually in the group up ahead wasn’t far off there. He just landed it on that spectator walkway but Maroy has gone past there John. Yeah. Yeah, he’s passed there by probably 15 yards. Yeah. I mean he’s absolutely miles past the crossway. I mean, it’s literally going to be only around about a 85 90 yard shot. I can just say one thing though, today, the pace of play is totally different. So, my strides are getting longer and I’m getting as fast as I possibly can to get near these long, long t-shirts of Rory’s. Do you know how many steps you’ve done this week, Graeme? Well, on Thursday, I think it was around about 20,000 steps. I mean, I’ve probably tripled that over the last couple of days, seeen as uh we did a couple of loops yesterday. Yeah. Show said to me yesterday he did 38,000 steps. That’s that’s like double what I’ve been doing. Well, he’s working a lot harder than Alistister Bruce B. My my legs are a lot longer. Yeah, I do. Yes. I think I’m two or three to every one of John’s. We’re back to the old Drago and Balboa analogy again. and Art Drago and Balboa have come into view. This is the penultimate pairing in the third round of the open championship. This bright, beautiful, sunny Saturday and you don’t get a hole more beautiful than the par four, fifth white rocks, the almost drivable par 4 uh today. Brilliantly described by Cat Downs 5 or 10 minutes ago. This huge hump hill right in the middle of the fairway just about 20 30 yards short of the green. All of our two players, Howong Lee and Brian Harmon, got here with their second shots. Yeah, how Tong’s got 62 yards to the hole. But the problem is there’s a huge ridge that runs across the middle of the screen and he’s got 57 y to the top of that and then he’s only got just 6 yd down and it’s hitting a down slope. So I think he might go in the high route and then Harmon who’s just that a little bit closer. I think he’ll probably go low, bounce it into the slope and let it run up. Digital leaderboard tells us howong Lee from China world ranking 111. Not even at the last two open championships and missed the cut in his previous three. It’s just one shot off the lead. Waiting to hit his second shot into the green of the fifth here trying to set up the birdie chance that would get him into a share of the lead with Matt Fitzpatrick and Scotty Sheffller. I’ll tell you how relaxed he is as well. I called him yawning ahead of his part on the fourth green. It’s a relatively low runner up into the slope. It’s not enough. It’s not going to get there. It’s going to trickle back down to the middle of the green on the right. Steep slope to come with the next part. Cut downs. Vivid black shadow cast by Trell Hatton in the center of the green here on the sixth. Looking for a birdie to add to the birdie that he just pocketed on the fifth. This one curving up left to right up the slope. just puts on the brakes slightly short, but he’ll be able to kick that in for a par. He’ll stay at six under John. So Rory Maroy then after that mammoth T-shot on the bar for ninth. He’s just over the other side of a the grassy mound from us and he is in the the longer grass here as Grim described to you. So, he’s looking to chop this out from 45 yd short of the green. And let’s see how close he can get. This lands on the green, bounces, and rolls up towards the back of the putting service. I think it’ll catch the slope and come back down a little. And it is. It’s rolling back down towards the hole. So, it is it is a birdie opportunity, but that’s probably I’m thinking 18 20 feet, maybe a little bit more. Yeah, that was a real smart play there. There’s a bit of a back stop at behind the green on nine and he managed to land it with great from great height and got it to come down quite quietly just trickled up the slope and came back down. It could have done with just gone a little bit higher and caught the ramp and come a little bit further back down towards the hole for another good chance for Birdie. Yeah, Birdie chance coming up again after after four pars in a row. You do get that feeling that that Mroy is keen to get on the birdie train again as I believe they call it. Mark, I tell you I tell you Graeme Storm as as you’re on this holding me. I’ll talk to you about it. I tell you who has just come into the mix on this leaderboard on six under the defending champion who has just sunk a monster eagle putt on the 12th. And in fact on two of the par fives on this course now on the seventh and on the 12th he has eagled them as Xander Schoffé and at six under four off the lead as the defending champion. You’re not going to rule him out. Well I’m super happy with that cuz he was my pick for the week. So I’m over the moon with that move onto the leaderboard chapter. So that’s absolutely fantastic to see. You can never rule out Sanders. is a fantastic golfer and if he can get himself in the mix going into tomorrow then he’s definitely a danger. Birdies and eagles flying in anywhere but I think it’s a little bit more well what would you say mundane with you James Greg? Yeah I’m actually up here on the seventh just discussing with one of my fellow commentators working for network how stunning that second shot of Bob McIntyre was into this par five. It’s one of my favorite holes on the golf course. huge tunes that basically mean it’s like a little toboggan run. I think Cat Downs described that so brilliantly well. And you can hear the reception for Scotland’s Bob McIntyre walking up towards this green. He has about six feet for an eagle. And you talk about getting on the birdie train. How about the eagle train? He’ll have six feet to get his round really going even par up to this stage at the moment. Uh and well, this will get him to uh seven under for the championship and back in things here on this Saturday afternoon. John Murray next. Back with Rory Makaroy on the ninth. He’s uh he’s standing up the slope, the green slopes quite dramatically up towards the the little stand at the back of the green. And now he takes a couple of strides down. So this is round about 25 ft for Birdie at the hole that has been renamed Darren Clark’s his inspiration. Will it drop for him? He walks away to his left, urges it on. It doesn’t take that final couple of rolls, but it is right up by the whole side. And I think he will. Yes, he will. He will put in. So, it’s a fifth consecutive par for Rory Mroy who is three under for his front nine, six under for the championship. Alli, real outside chance of a birdie for Howong Lee on the par four fifth up a really steep slope and the ball is turning right to left from 40 ft. And now it pulls to a halt and he’s left himself. Katrina Matthew almost about 10 ft there for the park. Yeah, I would say so. It was a poor chip he hit in and he just about had to go off the green there to get it high enough on the right hand side to then let it run down to the hole. Very difficult putt he left himself. Shadows of the clouds just drift over the fifth green here. Leaderboard away to the right. Fitzpatrick 10 under. Sheffller 10 under. Haong Lee in front of us. 10footer to come to keep himself at nine under par. Brian Harmon about to put for his birdie. He’s at six under par here. We had the Aurora coaster yesterday. I don’t think we can go with the Hama coaster, but this has been double. No, we won’t. This has been double bogey. Birdie bogey par. And this is for Birdie from Brian Harmon. One of eight left-handers that started this open championship. Rich blue waters of the North Atlantic Ocean rippling in the distance behind him. Just those thin little short black and white out of bounds post that are marked along the back edge of this green. Good 30 ft or so for Harmon here to try and find the birdie. Settles himself just rocking into the putting position. And the ball now is on its way from Harman to try and get himself back to seven under. That is not going to go in. James Greg. Yeah. and Bob McIntyre down there on his haunchers just lining up this eagle put from six feet. It looks very straight indeed for the Scott who’s had a very slow meandering start a bogey at the par three third hole and then a birdie a couple of holes after that at the fifth where you are right now Alistister Bruce B. here. Bob McIntyre to get himself two under on the day and with his name back on that leaderboard. The Sid moving to seven under partner. I should say that Harris English has just tapped him for his birdie to move to that same score. McIntyre on the way. In it goes. Bob McIntyre, magnificent eagle here at the seventh hole at Royal Port Rush. He’s right back in the thick of things now. Alistister, back to you. Count Lee needs this one on the fifth. stands alone right in the middle of this big smooth putting service. Just rocks his shoulders into position. Needs this for par to stay within one of the lead. Red shafted putter hits the ball towards the hole. Brilliant put from Howong Lee right into the heart turning right to left and keeps himself at at nine under par. Good up and down. Yeah, that was a very good up and down. Uh you know it’s a drivable par4, but it is there is problems on the hole and it ended up coming off with a good par to stay one behind the lead. Yeah, thank you. Pardon my definition of up and down there. Actually, Mark, it was it was second shot onto the green, but the first putt was so difficult from 40 ft up the steep slope. I’m counting it as an up and down. It will go down as two putts on the green. And how Tom Lee is very much in contention for this open championship, playing very nicely, one off the lead at nine under. I don’t think you can put coaster on the end of any golfer’s name and make it work like you do with gate in any crisis. You can’t do that, can you? I know. I’m giving up on that now. I’m giving up on that. Ian cut. Here comes Matt Fitzpatrick with his T-shot on the short par four fifth and he has dispatched that down towards us and we look for the ball to bounce down the right hand side of the fairway and that is not bad at all. The ball just teetering off towards the semi- rough there and just nestles in. It’s a really good T-shot but it’s left him a devilish attempt at getting that up and down. He’s going to have to deal with the same thing the group in front had to with a big swale short of the green feeding it right to left. He’ll do well to get it within 10 15 ft from there. Fitzpatrick one under par for his round courtesy of the Eagle two when he chipped in at the second after dropping a shot at the first. It’s been par so far for Scotty Sheffller. That’s why he remains at 10 underpar on this fifth T and the world number one tall figure ready to dispatch this one. Gives it a mighty swipe and the ball heading in our direction and we wait to see where it lands. There it is right next to Matt Fitzpatrick’s ball and likewise just nestles down into the semi- rough and actually even from this distance we can see it has settled down in there which will make it even more difficult for him. Yeah, it very similar to Matt. Um maybe a few feet to the right even slightly worse angle than Matt has. There’s just a giant mound in the middle of this fairway and you kind of got to get it going over the middle of it. It feeds off on both sides but the right hand side is almost dead from there. So they’ve been a little unlucky with a really good T- shot. So Mark, they had a good long wait on the fifth TE waiting for the green to clear. Neither of them had the firepower to actually reach the uh putting surface there. Both are just about I don’t know 10 15 yds short of this very long green and the hole located a good 32 paces on. So uh awkward chips coming for their second shots into this par for fifth. Sometimes funny how these things work out. Oliver Wilson, isn’t it? I was mentioning Sander Schoffler who’s eagled two of the par fives today and actually birded the other par five of the three that he’s played and he’s now in the mix on six under the defending champion. He only made the cut yesterday thanks to four birdies on the back nine that managed to get him from two over to two under. And now it means he’s playing the weekend at a major for the 15th consecutive time. But he could easily have not been here. It’s fine margins and a player like him that he knows that if he can just get to the weekend, the chances are he’s going to keep moving up the leaderboard because they’re so good in in each area of the game. They just need time. They just need holes. So, um it’s a great effort and uh he’s obviously drawing the leaders in and Scottish Heffler at the moment is the only person on the leaderboard that isn’t under parath and actually I mean obviously it’s not for Scottish Heffler but but if you were one of the others a few moments ago who who was level the round Tierrell Hatton springs to mind actually he was on his starting score of five under for quite a while. How how tempting is it to get even more aggressive when you see what everybody else is doing? It definitely plays a part. That’s why for me I don’t like looking at leaderboards because when uh you see everybody underpie, you kind of feel like you need to do a little bit more and add extra pressure instead of um just staying patient. This level if you just stay patient, keep doing your thing, you you will pick up birdies. You will climb that leaderboard. But uh it always feels when conditions are nice that everybody’s doing better than you, no matter how many under par you are. So it’s just important to have that perspective during the round. And as we mentioned earlier, I was sent out to find Justin Rose who’d had such a magnificent start. Well, he’s just bogeied the 11th. So, ever since I caught up with him on the 9th, it hasn’t really been going to plan for him. And the 11th hasn’t been a great hole for him. Bogeed it today. Triple bogeed it yesterday. John Murray with Maroy on the 10th where Rory Maroy is standing to the left of the fairway, but he is safely on the short grass. And actually that’s something we should point out. I think it was mentioned earlier on in the afternoon, but Cat DS was pointing out that in terms of the the uh driving accuracy statistics of those who made the cut, Rory Mroy was at the bottom of the list today. Much much better. Yeah, you wouldn’t quite believe that, would you? I mean, Rory Maroy is renowned for driving the ball superbly well and hitting fairways with humongous T- shots, but you know, these fairways, they kind of bend around corners and this that the other and you can run through the other side. And he also might have hit T-shots that have just ran into the semi-roof, but this T-shot is absolutely in prime position in the May’s office. Perfect angle into this pin on the 10th and a great opportunity to stick one in close. Maroy who has made five pars in a row. We’re up here on a grassy dune. We’ve not been up here this week, have we? It’s a new position for us down the right hand side of the 10th. Fantastic view. The sun just glinting off the rooftops of Port Brush in the distance. And what a mixed sky we’ve got above as well. Sun just disappears for a moment. Maroy white cap staring at the green. Then back to the ball. Now it’s on its way from the left side of the fairway. The flag is to the left. The front left of this green is over the top of it. Lands on the pudding surface. Super super approach shot right over the top of the flag and it’s landed 12 ft away. Yeah, he was eyeing that one up and down. He hit it high into the blue sky. Beautiful iron shot. Perfect control with the trajectory. Great landing area. Perfect little bit of spin and about 12 15 feet for his birdie. What a superb swing. Yeah. Six under for the championship. He is trying very hard to get back onto that birdie train. Mark and or indeed cat. I don’t know if you can hear these shouts. I can barely hear myself think. Terrell Hatton has just hauled out from down the fairway for an eagle on the par five seventh. That was a cracker. You know what? It’s an incredible golf shot because the pin is so tight to the front slope. You cannot miss it right. You’re dead. You’re going to be hitting it left. And as I said to Drew, if anybody can do it, it’s Till. He’s one of the best wedge players in the game. And then he goes and does that. It’s incredible. Eight under par. Tier Hatton. Two shots off the lead. A moment of magic on the seventh. Ian Matt Fitzpatrick’s second shot to the par for fifth. Just a little chip and he’s discretion the better part of valor. It was just such an inaccess accessible flag because of the undulations between him and his ball and it was only a 40yard pitch, but he’s just bunted it up there and he’s given himself a look at birdie from around about 25 ft. Yeah, they’re both in a real dilemma. It’s there’s only one way to get it close and that’s a big high explosion shot with a face wide open, but they’ve taken or Matt’s certainly taken the safe route playing out to the left, leaving himself a 30footer for birdie. Scotty looks like he’s trying to go a little bit tighter to this ridge, which is definitely uh risky, but looks like he’s playing away from it, too. Just a little bit more aggressive than Matt, I think. Yeah, he’s scooted it up the slope that is guarding the flag and that’s run on quite some distance and he’s probably put it 30 ft away. It’s not been It’s not been immaculate from Scotty Sheffller by any stretch of the imagination so far. It’s not what we’re accustomed to seeing, but to be honest, he had really had nothing left there. The wind’s coming down out the right. The pins tucked on the right half with this big swale short of the green. There’s really um in this situation to take on the uh hero shot would be kind of silly, especially as the out of bounds is so close to the back of the green. So, at this time, you just take your medicine, try and hold a long one and get out of there. But, it’s a shame because it’s such a great par4, short par4 drivable. It’s an opportunity, but they just hit the wrong side of that mound and such a short distance away, they had nothing. I’ve never been, Mark, more grateful for a pause in proceedings in the Gulf because the scene down here at the fifth, it takes your breath away. The cliffs glinting in this magnificent afternoon sunshine and the sea just the deepest blue. It really is absolutely magnificent. And also it does depend Ian doesn’t it on which group is passing through how much you get to appreciate the scenery. I’m not saying you don’t have a big gallery with with the leading group but certainly when Mackoy came through here I couldn’t see out to the coast by any means because they were far too deep on the opposite side on the little mound of the walkway across the ninth. But now and really with Tony Fen now and Chris Gotup actually gotup is seven under coming down nine and Tony Fen now is in the mix as well he’s on six under so maybe they deserve slightly bigger galleries but it is so peaceful and when the sun is shining in such a beautiful setting you can just enjoy that piece can’t you absolutely it’s just glorious Matt Fitzpatrick putting up for his birdie nicely judged the ball just turning to the left of the hole simple tap in par four for Fitzpatrick Patrick, he remains at 10 under par. So, it’s funny the optical illusion that you get. Fitzpatrick was actually the further away it looked for all the world that it would be Sheffller who would be putting first. So, he’s going to be surveying his birdie putt and if that drops for the American, he would take the outright lead. Far from peaceful with Cat. Well, the the clamor has died down. Raasmas Hygar has given his eagle attempt on the green here at the seventh a good effort. He’s got a about three or four feet though to go for his birdie. But what a moment that was for Tier Hatton. From about 120 yards down the fairway, the ball bounced on the front edge, caught the little downs slope, funneled towards the hole, and you know that moment where it just slows and it slows and it slows and then it drops. Absolute brilliance from Till Hatton. Ian Scotty Sheffler for birdie from around about 25 ft across the back of this fifth green and he watches as the swan scoots across the green up to the whole side and it’s going to be a fifth successive path for Scotty Sheffller and the leaders remain broad shot flighted it over the flag actually it’s about 18 ft he’s looking at it from behind at the moment down on his hornes but you reckon Graeme yeah I think this is a Great opportunity straight back up the hill slightly down the breeze, but that won’t affect the ball. It won’t affect Rory’s stroke in any way whatsoever. And this is a great chance standing just up the slope, shadow cast behind him. And beyond that, the grassy bank and dozens and dozens, hundreds of spectators staring down. Mroy steps forward for 18 feet to get back in amongst the birdies at the 10th. The ball is rolling on its way. No. No. A man in front of us puts his hands on his head in anguish. Maroy grips the the handle of his putter, walks around behind it. He gave it a goal. It rolled on by by a foot. Tacks it in. So that is one, two, three, four, five, six pars in a row since his last birdie at the fourth. Yeah. And uh he gave it a really good go. Just slip by down the right hand side. But the one thing that I did notice when he was walking to the green was he was striding up the green and the first thing that he looked for was the leaderboard. So it was interesting that Oliver Wilson was saying that he doesn’t look at leaderboards. Rory Mel Rory very much does. And we’ve got one over our shoulder here. Fitzpatrick and Sheffller 10 under sharing the lead. Rory Mroy is still back on six under, four shots behind, but he was seven shots behind Sheffller at the start of play today. Let’s just give you a few of those players who were in between. Fitzpatrick and Sheffller on 10 under. How Lee on nine under. Tier is on eight under. And then you have Gotup, Harris English, Bob McIntyre all on seven under. And then Russell Henley, Xander Schoffley, Rory Maroy, Tony Feno, and Brian Harmon are all on six under Ian Carter. The six the par three 190 yards today and Matt Fitzpatrick bending down just resting his ball on the tea, teeing it down low. What do you reckon he’ll have his hand here, Ollie? Well, wind straight out the left. So I imagine it’s going to be somewhere in the region of a seven iron. He’s going to have to try and fight this wind because the pins perch right on the back tier. Quite a narrow uh section and it falls off on both sides. So, he really has to hit a re a great shot in here to get it on the green. Just six paces either side of the hole before you reach the end of the green. The hole located 42 paces on this enormous green. And Fitzpatrick with his T-shot climbs high into the sky. And now it begins its descent. Now it lands on the green. It scoots up. It will take that borrow. It will come round and towards the hole. And that is a simply brilliant T- shot from Matt Fitzpatrick. Real chance of birdie here at six. That is a fantastic T-shot. He’s clung to that left side. And he’ll be absolutely delighted with the way that’s finished. So, what do you got? Scotty Sheffler. As we were saying before, it’s, you know, he’s played steady par golf, but just hasn’t fired in the way that you you kind of expect Sheffller, but he hasn’t done any damage to himself. Yeah, it’s typical Scottish Sheffller. He’s not been quite with it yet, but he’s just hanging in there, and his bad golf is level par, which is always a good sign. He’s just teeing it up on the left side of the teeing ground. Lower trajectory from the world number one. This one lands on the front portion of the green, skips forward. Now it climbs up the hill towards the flag and that is superb as well. Absolutely brilliant running up towards the back of the green. Both of these players with a real good look at birdie. That was awesome shot making there. The trajectory was so much lower than Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick tried to hold it against the wind. Scottish Sheffller’s hit one in low, pitched it well short of the tier and just skipped it up using the contours of the green. Fantastic shot making. What a treat to watch those two T- shots. And who knows, maybe these two are moving to 11 under par. Currently locked at the top of the leaderboard at 10 under. And actually, they could both do with it, couldn’t they, Ollie? I mean, I know they have they have a lead, but given the sort of mayhem behind them at the moment, they could both do with it. A little shot in the arm. I think uh you know that start is not easy and they’ve got through it relatively well. Fitzpatrick obviously picked some shots up there. Now they’re into a little bit of a scorable place after those T- shots. They’ve got chances here. Here they got a par five playing downwind. So this is where they’ll be looking to pick something up and get some momentum going. Let’s go back to Cat and Drew and Billy Foster who were all watching Tier Hatton. Rich pickings on the seventh for these two, Raasmas Hygar and Tier Hatton. Rasmus Hygar managing to tidy up for a birdie on the par five seventh but could not match the fireworks of Tier Hatton could he Andrew? Well that was an unbelievable noise wasn’t around that amphitheater of green. It was Ryder Cupesque wasn’t it? Yeah. Fantastic. The sand dunes 50 foot high on the right and the behind the green and the noise was absolutely fantastic. And Billy had just said to me, “Watch this fellow.” He was a great wedge player, 120 yards down the breeze. Flag was really tight to the bunker on the right hand side. And he pitched it right between the flag and the bunker. Checked up once, checked up twice, went sideways into the hole. But adrenaline flowing through both of their systems. And now Turl Hatton is in a bit of bother off the tea here on the eighth. Billy. Yeah, this is a a really tight pin. It’s only um four yards over the false front on the left side there and they’re both in the roof, so it’s going to be very difficult to get it within 20 30 ft really. So, anything short’s going to roll down a steep bank to the left and leave a n impossible chip. So, anywhere in the middle of the green will do here for T. He’s in the deep rough. Raasmus is in the semi- rough, but it’s going to be difficult to get it close from there. Yeah, Tier’s Caddy, Hugo Dobson, is knee deep in the bracken to the right hand side of the fairway here on the eighth. So, come back to us for an update of how Till manages to dig himself out of there. Mark news of a couple of other Englishmen. Matt Wallace has finished five under for the day, five under for the championship. Justin Rose five under playing the par 313. Tommy Fleetwood has just boged 14 and 16. So, he has dropped back to three under. Ian, our players have arrived to tumultuous applause from the crowds that are just packed on the sandunes that surround this long lengthy sixth green and the action all located in the very back eighth of that. It’s a vast area. It must be almost an acre this green one way or another. I’m not very good on the size of of of sort of landscapes, but feels enormous. And it’s going to be Scotty Shuffler who will be playing first here. A little bit downhill this one. Yeah, a little bit downhill. A little bit right to left, but relatively flat. Lovely attempt at a two here. 10 ft for Birdie to move to 11 under par for the world. Number one, USPGA champion over it now. putting through the head of his shadow, sends it forward, borrowing from right to left and missing and missing on the high side. Just let the ball go beyond the hole. Birdie putt for Fitzpatrick to come for the outright lead. John, we made a commentators curse style error of talking about Rory Mroyy’s uh driving. He’s missed the fairway on the right hand side, but the better news is Ian, he’s landed on the area where the spectators walk and it’s not too bad. Thanks, John. Keep us posted on Maroy. What a Saturday we’re enjoying here at the 153rd Open Championship in the sunshine of Royal Port Rush on the Causeway Coast in County Antrim. And here’s an Englishman from Sheffield. Matt Fitzpatrick. Little bit of life left to right on this. He can be aggressive with it. It’s up the hill and this for the outright lead for Fitzpatrick. Sends it forward heading towards the hole. turning towards the hole and then going across the face of the hole and staying above ground. Two good chances and both missed by the two leaders into the hole from Fitzpatrick to par three. Unfortunate two really good opportunities there, but there was probably a little bit more slope than I thought coming across the hole. A little bit more break and uh just didn’t quite match up the line and the pace, but threes to this back pin position is no harm. And for Sheffller, yeah, this is a little tester cuz there’s a bit of movement potentially on this. I would say there’s definitely a little bit, but I think it’ll be inside the hole from there. Slightly back up the hill. But I tell you what, he’s definitely taking his time over those shorter ones. I don’t know whether that one on the second is still ringing in his ears, but uh it should be pretty straightforward this. It should. It’s inside two feet. It should be very straightforward, but he’s taking every care. Here he is to retain a share of the lead. In it goes. No messing at all. So par threes then both players will feel a little disappointed with that as they walk to the seventh T. They remain at 10 under par at the top of the leader bar by a single stroke. We see this many times don’t we in golf it sort of the difference between chasing and and being chased. Yeah. It’s it’s always when you go out as a leader um it’s always tricky to uh get the the puts in and stretch it out because you know everyone’s coming after you and you know what position you’re in. But, uh, these guys are more than well, more than used to it, and, uh, they’ll be, uh, just trying to get a little bit of momentum, build a little bit of confidence, and, uh, they’ll be in good shape. But they’ll be pretty pleased walking to this 7th T, par five, downhill, downwind. They’re in decent shape after the first start, the first five holes, six holes of this round. So, they’ll be looking forward to start making a move. Just in a uh a lovely spot here at Royal Port Rush with the sun beating down, very few clouds in the sky. Now I’ve got Bob McIntyre coming down nine. If I just turn to my left, Rory Moy will be coming down 11. These two greens very close to each other, just separated by a pedestrian pathway. I can see John Murray and Graeme Storm on one side of the fairway. I can see James Greg on the other side of the fairway now. He’s looking very confused because he can’t see where I am. So whilst he tries to work that out, let’s go to the Super League Jack. Well, it’s finished 3212 in favor of Hull FC. The two sides exchanging tries in that second half. Christian Wade and Ethan Havad for Wigan. Jordan Rapana and Jack Ashworth for Hull FC. A big big win for the black and whites and one that moves them back into sixth place in Super League. But for Wigan, they could well finish the weekend as many as four points a drift of the leaders leaders Hulk KR fulltime here. It’s finished Wigan 12 FC 32. As I said earlier, they do have some record against Wigan this season. Do Hall FC having knocked them out of the Challenge Cup as well. It’s exactly five live. It’s exactly five live. It is exactly five live of course, but it’s exactly 5:00 and you’re listening to five live on a Saturday afternoon. We’re at Royal Port Rush at the moment and then later on full commentary of the undisputed heavyweight title fight between Alexander Usyk and Daniel Dubois. Ringw walk expected around 9:45. Here’s the latest news. The voice of the UK. This is BBC Radio 5 Live. Thanks Mark. With the headlines, I’m KL Hartley. At least 80 people have been arrested during protest against the decision to declare Palestine Action as a terror group. Arrests have been reported at demonstrations in London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, and Truro. The majority of those held were in central London. It’s illegal to show support in public for the organization. At least 34 people have died when a tourist board capsized in bad weather in Vietnam. Officials say 53 people were on board. Local media say most of those were Vietnamese families. Three people are in a critical condition after a vehicle drove into a crowd in Los Angeles. Police are investigating whether the driver was shot before the vehicle hit the crowd. And Singapore is fighting what’s being described as a serious cyber attack by hackers linked to China. Chinese officials have denied any link to it. [Applause] It’s the biggest fight in heavyweight boxing. 12 rounds to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. We should learn the right hand once again. Right, left, right out of the star. Four stands from Alexander Usi. Usyk V Dubois 2. The rematch. Two world class boxers each blessed with concussive KO power here. Inside commentary live from women tonight from 9:45 on Five Live and BBC Sounds. The 153rd Open 2025 with Mark Chapman on five live sports where Matt Fitzpatrick and Scotty Sheffller are the joint leaders on 10 under for now. Alistister Bruce B. How Lee is playing the par five seventh. He’s got the ball up to pin high into about 60 ft from a little swale to the left hand side of the green. This for eagle. If it drops in, he takes the lead on his own. But jumping from 9 under to 11 under. Big galleries masked on the dunes above the green. He sends this ball speeding across the green. It’s looking pretty good. It’s pacey and it nearly hits the flag stick and there’s a little back stop behind the flag there, but it’s rolled on a good six seven ft or so. So that for the birdie Katrina Matthew to get into a share of the lead at the open championship. Yeah, that was a really good try for Eagle. Just slid past that left edge, but as you say, it’s just run on that awkward kind of sixoot distance. I was just thinking this on the last hold the par 3 six both Harmon and Lee had really testing lengthy putts. They both got down in two putts but so much of Lynx golf of open championship golf is about judgment of distance and pace on these greens. It is indeed. I mean as we saw there Lee he was putting from off the green. That’s the beauty I think of Lynx golf. You can do that and it’s difficult to judge the pace when you’ve got to come over that bit of fairway and then onto the quicker green. Lee Birdie putt still to come. What news needs of Rory Maroy? John Murray. Well, Rory Maroy, there’s a tale to tell here, Alli, so if you need it back, just tell me. We mentioned the fact that Maroy missed the fairway down the right here at the par 411. It was on the spectator walkway area. Now, there was quite a delay before he played it and then he chopped it out. So, his ball has landed short of the green in two. So, he has got to get up and down here for his par four to remain at six under. And that’s a challenge in itself, but there was a twist and I’ll tell you that in a moment. But Maroy plays this up now. Needs this to roll on. Lands it on the front of the green and he’s left it short. That’s 25 ft away and he needs that. He needs to hold that to avoid his first bogey of the day. I’ll tell you more, Alli, in a moment. Oh, it’s an absolute cliffhanger. Thank you, John. And the sun is shining brightly on the glorious Dunloo Lynx on this causeway coastline in Northern Ireland. What about this putt then Katrina Matthew for howong Lee to get himself into a share of the lead at the open. Yeah, the one good thing is he’s he got his eagle putt past the whole sail. We’ve seen the line here in this one coming back, but it’s a tricky one down the hill. Just not much breaking either way, but you can see him. He’s down his hunch. He’s trying to line it up, get his line lined up to where I think it’s going to go. But he’s played, as we said, some really steady golf so far. Here we go then. Tall man. He was down on his horns there, and he was almost bundled up into a little ball like a a swimmer at the start of a race about to launch himself into the pool. Now he’s almost at his full height and he’s standing over the part of a birdie on the seventh to get himself to two under half of the round today. On its way. Tickles it wide. And I tell you what, that was a quick one. That’s rolled on by 3 ft or so. So, still some work to do for his pal Mark. Um, but the cliffhanger will have to will have to stay as a cliffhanger for now. Back to Ian. Here we are on the seventh and uh we’ve had a really good view of that uh putt missed by Haong Lee, but we also had a fantastic view of two magnificent T-shots. Excellent T-shot from Matt Fitzpatrick. But my goodness me, Ollie Wilson. What a shot off the tea from Scotty Sheffley. Well, Scotty’s just managed to move it 400 yd down the uh seventh downhill. Aliong Lee. Yep. Bobbles the ball into the hole from 3 ft away. So just up ahead of you on that big green, the par 57th. He’ll be disappointed though. He was pin high in two and it’s taken him three putts to get down from 60 ft. Still very much in contention though. Nine under parath of the championship. One shot off the lead in. Thanks, Allie. Sorry. Ollie, you were you were just describing Scotty Sheffller’s T-shot which has gone 400 yards. Yeah, I was watching it in the air and lost it and I was waiting for it to come down and it landed about 20 to 30 yards past where I expected and bounded on another 30 or 40 yards. 400 yd down the center of the fairway. Um, prime position into this front right flag on the par five. So, both of them looking at great opportunities to move forward. There was a group of spectators down the left hand side who’d clearly seen a number of T-shots on the seventh and the sound of their approval when they saw how far Shefflers had gone kind of told its own story. John, what’s the latest with you? Right, Rory Maroy is down crouching down behind the line of this put. It’s all of 25 ft and this is to avoid what would be his first bulge of the round. First backwards step. Grammy needs one of those RDER Cup style saving putts here, doesn’t he? He does. Yes. The first real big mistake hitting the T-shot down the right hand side and then coming up short and then a very poor chip for Mroy. Normally very good with a wedge, but didn’t get it to the hole at all. Got about 25 ft. Needs this on its way. He’s giving it a go, but it misses on the right. He walked. He almost ran after it and then Grips his putter. Looks to the heavens. It’s a bogey. Maroyy’s first bogey of this third round. And after the early birdie barrage, that is the first backward step. And Maroy slips back to five under now for the championship. Ian Fitzpatrick’s second shot into the par. 57th and he gets it up close to the green and the ball just tiptoeing back off the slope at the false front of the green and it just comes down. Still rolling. Stops now. Not bad though. No, that’s the right place to miss it. Anywhere right at this is absolutely dead. There’s a bunker and a big down slope all the way to the flag. That’s a pretty good leap. Sheffller’s been licking his chops at this approach. It’s only a mid iron in for him after that monstrous drive. The wind’s helping as well. There he is, framed by these giant dunes that border this seventh hole. Up it goes on a high trajectory. The ball landing just short of the green, skipping up. Oh, up to the hole side. And what a shot that is. He’s put it to within 10 ft for an eagle chance. There was no playing safe there. He cut that one in left to right using the slope and the wind to feed it in just under the hole. Absolutely perfect shot and that is where he is head and shoulders above the rest in this game. Well, he’s taken dead aim at quite a few flags and uh that was executed perfectly. He uh if you could draw a little spot on his yardage book where he was trying to hit it, that is it. Yeah, he is just so so reliable with those approach shots and he’s come up with another belter and he’s got a good look at Eagle to come here. Currently in a share of the lead at 10 under par with Matt Fitzpatrick M. Come on then John, you’ve built this story up. I would I would give it the East Enders drums if um if I didn’t think it might put Harris English off his putter on the ninth. It’s a it’s a question of sports style. What happened next? Because when Mroy chopped his ball out of the roof, what happened? Two balls came out. Maroyy’s ball and another ball that was hidden underneath it. I’m not sure if Grim, have you ever seen that happen before? I haven’t. No, not in person. I haven’t. I’ve heard it happen before, but I’ve never actually seen it. And it completely derailed the shot of Mroy. Obviously the clubs then caught something else. Slowed it down and the ball didn’t come out as as he desired it would cuz he had a really good lie in that rough but obviously with the trample down long grass from the spectators he just couldn’t see any of it. Luckily for him there’s just no penalty. That’s what I was do you just chalk that off as one of those things and there’s nothing you can do about it. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, he hasn’t hit what we call a wrong ball in any way. He couldn’t see the ball. It’s just something that’s come out of the grass that was totally invisible to him. But it’s just really unfortunate because it completely took away the the strike from the shot that he was in front of and and from off now on 12 mark the par five and he is staring after this staring after it. So I think he’s maybe concerned that this might have dropped into the bunker. But see go on. I was just going to say then from a rules officials perspective, Greg, because that is so unusual, are you still expected to know immediately what that rule is or could you scrable for your rule book? No, I mean that rule there, I mean it’s uh like I say, he hasn’t hit a wrong ball and such. He’s just it’s something that was underneath the ball, but it’s uh it’s something that he knew. He didn’t even have to speak to the referee about it. So Rory knows the rules as good as probably as good as me to be fair. Cart shot five. It’s just a little chip. It’s not that dissimilar although he’s got a bit more green to work with than the one that he hold for eagle at the second. That after three put bogey at the first and distinctively his left hand in its white glove below his right for this chipping action. Lofts it up onto the green. lets it release down towards the hole. Oh, lovely shot. Lovely shot. Just snuck by the right hand side. Three-footer for birdie to come. Yeah, lovely attempt. Like you said, he was three or four feet below the surface of the green. Played it lovely and he as soon as he landed, it knew it was going to be in good shape and it looked like it almost caught the edge of the hole, but he didn’t really react as if he thought it was going in. I uh I was more positive about it than he was. He’s He doesn’t do positivity though, does he? Well, and to be fair, neither do you. I mean, it’s a similar part of the world you come from, isn’t it? You’re you’re you’re from Mansfield and he’s from Sheffield. I really can’t say anything. I can’t I can only agree. You can’t argue, can you? I mean, you’re not far from that part of the world in yourself. I’m just for We’re a bit cheerier about 45 40 miles south. I usually are anyway. Right. What do you think about this part then? We’re We’re agreed on 10 ft. We’re agreeing on 10 ft. straight up the hill with maybe just a hint of right to left at the end. To be honest, you can’t give yourself a better look for Eagle. I think all he’s got to do is match the match the pace, but I think it’s probably about right edge. Just a confident stroke, and it’s a relatively simple tapping for Eagle. He has such a a routine, doesn’t he? He addresses an imaginary ball at various stages. He does he’s not one of these that does aim point that straddles the the the putt line, but he he he takes it from right angles as if he were going to be hitting the putt from 3 ft out, 6 feet out. And now he’s there looking at this putt from 10 ft out with that claw grip of his. Putting from the shadow of his left leg sends the ball forward towards the hole for Eagle. And in as easy as you like, he just makes the game look ridiculously easy. It’s an eagle that takes him to 12 under par. Too clear as it stands of Matt Fitzpatrick, but Fitzpatrick with a short birdie putt to come. But the separation that that gives Sheffller from the rest of the chasing pack really is significant. That was just world number one like a eagle down the par five. You couldn’t hit better shots at any stage. And uh after a slightly slow start, Eagle there just gets him going in the right direction. Well, that’s it. He’s covered the the the opening seven holes in two under par which is what you’d expect and we were saying oh he doesn’t look his best at the moment. Here’s Fitzpatrick in it goes birdie for the Englishman and so he takes second place outright at 11 under par. Sheffller has first place outright. He has moved to 12 under with that eagle at the seventh. And as that goes up on the yellow scoreboards around this beautiful, beautiful course, I wonder how much it will feel like the air going out of a balloon for some of the chasing pack. One of whom is Tier Hatton, who up there on the ninth green is just resting on his putter as he waits for his playing partner to play. And Katherine DS and Andrew Murray and Billy Foster are all following him. Yes, with a threesome after Tier Hatton and Raasmus Hygar. Hoyar who’s just seen his birdie chance. Teter on the edge of the cup not dropped. So Raasmas Hoygar who birdied the seventh to move to five under par will remain on that marker. But here’s a good chance for Till Hatton. Yeah, this is a really difficult hole even with a bit of a crosswind 432 yds. But it dog legs from right to left. So against the wind and Tur just let his drive go into that pot bunker at 300 yd but played the most majestic shot from there 120 yard wedge. I’m guessing 12 ft. You said 12. I’m going to go 12 or 13. I’m fine. Whichever. As long as it knocks it in. I think it’s a bit of left to right on the wind. I fancy him for this. Oh, he had made a massive uh putt on the uh the previous hole that just came up a couple of feet shy, but it was beautifully weighted. The putter is obviously working very well for Till Hatton so far today. Not so though on the ninth green and he gives his thigh three enormous slaps in frustration. He knew that was a great opportunity. Billy Foster. Yeah, it was a sensational shot. Uh, you know, I was stood right opposite him playing that second shot from the bunker. From the bunker. Ned, whatever it was, but it literally cleared the face by 2 in and uh was a great shot on to 15 ft or so. But he’s looking solid, too. I tell you what, I wouldn’t want to be Darren Clark later on today. This is the whole the night that’s been newly named after Darren Clark and one of his bunkers gobbled up Tibbles Tier’s T-shot and then it’s denied him the birdie. Yeah, I think there’s a few Guinness tents on the left here with it being Clark’s old. But Tier Hatton furious here on the ninth green mark. Scottish effler 12 under. Matt Fitzpatrick 11 under Howong Lee nine under. Tier Hatton 8 under. Xander Schoffé has now gone to 7 under. He’s through 15. He’s five under for the day. He’s just birded the par 415. He is on a roll, Andrew Murray, isn’t he? That’s incredible run, isn’t it? And I mean, just almost made the cut by the skin of his teeth yesterday. Didn’t look in particularly good form. I watched him a little bit yesterday afternoon in all that bad weather. And uh you just never know around Link’s golf courses. These guys are so good. If they just get the bit between the teeth and they hit a couple of good shots, all of a sudden they’re back on form and that’s how fickle the game is, Mark. And to get on a run like that, I mean, if you can finish 333, well, that’s some target to set. Harris English 7 under as well. Good news of him from James Greg shortly. But first of all to Howong Lee on nine under on the eighth. Alan currently in third place in this open championship Saturday afternoon. Five live and BBC sound. She chef with the eagle at the seventh is at 12 under. And Matt Fitzpatrick with the birdie is 11 under. And how Lee who couldn’t make the birdie on the seventh now does have another birdie chance at the par 48 called done loose. I reckon if you lay couple of John Murray’s down back to back. That is about the length of this part. 12 13 ft or so for the birdie to get to double figures to get two off the lead. Stands over the ball. The boards go up for quiet please. And Lee pauses before he strikes this putt up the hill towards the hole. It’s another one. This one just misses on the right hand side and he tosses the putter in the air in frustration. Marky remains at 9 under par. Uh thank you Alli. Um I have been told where we’re going next, but I’ve completely distracted as I was watching a bird just fly over the uh the coastline just away to our left. Anyhow, let’s go to Lords Melissa story. India they finished their innings 143 for8 off their 29 overs. Smitty man in the top scoring with 42 whilst Deept Sharma finished on 30 not out. Sophie Eckleston the pick of England’s bowlers with three wickets. Felt like there was more runs out there for India with six dropped catches from England but they have a score on the board and England need 144 of 174 balls to level the series. Just watching a couple of gulls as they swoop down and chase each other uh above the 10th fairway. And I think further down the tenth is where we do find James Greg. Fairly it’s been fairly quiet going there this afternoon. Mark for both Bob McIntyre and the American Harris English. Bob McIntyre has had a kind of up and down opening nine holes. He had an eagle that we heard about at the seventh. He had a brilliant bounce back birdie at the fifth but offset by a couple of bogeies. So he’s one under par. His name’s still on that leaderboard there at six under for the championship having just made the turn. He’s got a good look to try and get to seven under here on this 10th green. Harris English has played beautifully. A couple of birdies meaning that he played that front nine and two under. He’s at seven under. But if you just look like Bob McIntyre has done actually he’s just had a good study of the big electronic leaderboard just to the right of this 10th green. You’ll see that he is a long way back now and he’ll feel that way too. Your group is the very definition of steady, isn’t it, this afternoon? A little bit that way. Yeah, this it’s going to be a quiet afternoon, but I’m I’m happy with it. I’m happy listening to all the atmosphere and seeing the throngs of spectators following all our marquee groups. Santa has had an amazing time today on the par fives. Rory Mroy this week on the par fives, just three under. That currently ranks him 44th. Maybe he’s about to change that. John Murray. Yes, he’s he’s not had an eagle yet this week, but at this hole, this long straight hole, the 12th, he hit an absolutely massive T- shot. 370 yd. Second shot onto the back of the green. That means this now, even though it’s 40 45 ft, this is an eagle chance to get the shot back that he dropped at the last hole. Rolls it down. It catches the slope. It’s rolling down towards the hole. Still going. Still going. And it’s in. What a way to do it. First eagle of the week for Rory Mroy. He raises his putter. He waves to the crowd. Hands in the air. What a cheer. As he plucks the ball out. That’s the way to do it. Eagles the 12th goes back to seven under par now. So still five shots behind Sheffller. Going to try to get some order here. Order, ladies and gentlemen. Order. Order because Jordan Smith taps in for Birdie as well. The Englishman goes to three under. That was a great moment. Graeme Storm. Probably the greatest moment of the open championship so far. Absolutely sensational from Mroy. I mean, the second shot really didn’t deserve that put to be honest with you. He had a wedge into in his hand into this half 512, hit it to about 60 ft at the back of the green, but as he hit the pot, I mean, unbelievable. It got just over the ridge, and I’m thinking that’s never going to reach, but he judged it to absolute perfection. Well, for a large part of this third round afternoon, he was four shots behind Sheffller. Suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, it was back to seven. And now he’s five shots behind Sheffller after that amazing moment. Honestly, Mark, we’re right in amongst the throne of the spectators here. This This is the B. This is the sound of great sporting action. It is mixed with you veering between Punch and Judy and the Speaker of the House of Commons. Say that again. I said it’s great sporting action mixed with you veering between Punch and Judy and the Speaker of the House of Commons. And do you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to lead Grim Storm threw an a patch of thistles to celebrate. He’ll love that. Ian Carter. Second shots into the eighth for the leader at 12 under par. Scotty Sheffler who’s just seen his playing partner from around about 25 yds behind him. 150 yards out for Fitzpatrick find the heart of this eighth green. It’s just a flick with a wedge after another immaculate T-shot for the leader. Shefflu is still wearing his black jersey even though it’s the warmest it’s been throughout this entire championship. High trajectory in lands it pin high. The ball settles down what 18 ft to the right. 15 ft actually to the right of the hole. Just immaculate. You’re not going to mess with the left hand side of the hole. Just brilliant golf. I’d say that’s uh it’s pin high, but I wouldn’t say that was where he’s trying to hit that. I think that climbed up a little bit more, but it’s given him a great opportunity of a birdie. So, both players on the green. Birdie putts to come. Sheffer at 12 under Fitzpatrick at 11. After he birded the first, Rory Maroy just took himself to the side of the first green before he walked to the second te. And Graeme and John told us about how they just went through a few breathing techniques just to calm things after the euphoria of that start to his round. And I wonder if he’s doing something similar as he makes his way to the par 313. Rory Maroy, we can see him up on the tea away in the distance. The 13th T is right up on the top of the slope. There’s a little grand stand behind a very steeply banked grand stand that is absolutely packed, full of summer colors. And we can see that rust red shirt of Rory Mroy right up there just just hitches up his left shoulder. And he’s got this T-shot, this magnificent 13th hole, the par three down the hill. Grim. Yeah. I mean, he’s just going to be launching this one straight up into the high blue sky and try and get it land to land really softly. This pin is probably the most accessible one that we’ve seen here on this week. On its way. They’re urging it. They’re urging it on the flag in the middle of the green. Lands at the front. Rolls on. will roll by on the left and then catches the slope and rolls on beyond and further away from the flag and then comes to rest 22 ft I reckon. Being very precise there John maybe 20 ft but uh fantastic shot from Maroy just caught the slope which just fed it away a little bit further away than he would have liked but I mean he’s just absolutely turned it on right there. Yeah, that 20 ft 22 ft. That’s chicken feed compared to the one that he hold at the 12th a few moments ago. So, seven under now, Mroy. That’s four under for his round today. And uh and obviously five shots behind Scotty Sheffller’s lead mark. And that’s who we’re going to go to next with Ian and Ollie. And it’ll be Matt Fitzpatrick from this pair who will be putting first. He’s probably got about 35 to 40 ft. went well beyond the flag and he’s got a few undulations to deal with. Scottish chefller 12 feet something like that and it’s just one of those putts that I think anyone would want to take on. It looks just so inviting. Well, I was just crouching down trying to read the line and I can’t really see anything on here. I think it’s going to be relatively straight certainly inside the hole. And again, another great opportunity. Yeah, hitting the right spots on the green. Scottish cheflet 12 under par, six pars and an eagle so far. Just a brilliant eagle on that long par five seventh which he just ate up with that 400y drive. 595 yards that seventh today and this eighth he’s just had a drive and a wedge and he’s got a great look at birdie but this is a a chance here for Fitzpatrick. Yeah, down the hill. Pin cirched on the front with a little runoff behind it. But there’s a little ups slope. So although it’s downhill, he can be relatively aggressive with it. It’s on the way. He’s stood up sharply trying to see where it’s going to go. It’s feeding left, just short left, leaving himself about 3 ft. He’ll give him sort of self out of 10 for that. Yeah. Walks up and marks it. Never quite gave it enough to the right hand side. It was always falling to the low side. But the undulations there, difficult to judge the pace as much as the line. Yeah, it’s one of those it’s downhill and you can feel the wind just coming over your left shoulder. So, you’re never quite sure how much it’s going to play a part in the roll. Um, but again, it’s done a pretty good job from that distance. Genuine brilliant sunshine on the Coway Coast here, Eighth Green. And people standing on the dunes all around this green watching the best golfer in the world. and he’s been showing us why over the last couple of holes has Scotty Sheffller sitting proud at the top of the leaderboard. She chef 12 under, Fitzpatrick 11 under, Howong Lee of China nine under, Tier Hatton at 8 under, Xander Schae and Rory Maroy and Harish English all at seven underpar. Bob McIntyre in the group at six underpar having covered the opening 10 holes in one underpar. this to stretch his lead to two. 12 ft for Birdie, for Scotty Sheffller. Over it now. One last look at the hole. Now the putter ahead is drawn back. Goes through the ball. The ball traveling towards the hole, borrowing from left to right and in. Of course it’s in. Of course it’s in. He’s in the mood. Not a trace of emotion, but my goodness me, he’s in control of this open championship. Scotty Sheffller moves to 13 under. Well, the last couple of holes has been very much like PlayStation golf. Just plot it here, plot it here, and knock it in the hole. Very simple. Um, it’s quite ominous looking right now. Out of nowhere, three under par for his round. We were saying, “Oh, it’s a little bit mediocre from Scotty about half an hour ago.” Yeah, I mean, I referenced earlier when I watched him at the PGA, and this is kind of similar. There’s been some okay golf, nothing spectacular, and suddenly he’s uh leading the open by looking like two shots. It’s uh just phenomenal to watch to be honest. Yeah, we’re going to start sprinting as soon as this puck goes in because we’re going to go through the player tunnel to the ninth. And it goes for Matt Fitzpatrick. He makes his part. He remains at 11 underpar. And Scotty Sheffller’s lead now up to two. He moves to two under for his round and 13 three under for his round and 13 underpar overall. Yeah, he has a two-shot lead over Matt Fitzpatrick. He has a fourshot lead over Hong Lee and he has a six-shot lead over Rory Moy. John. Yes. So Mroy makes that move and then Sheffller just edges a little further in front. However, another birdie chance for Maroy here at the par 3th Feather Bed as they called it. and how well named it was the way that Maroy played his T-shot in and it landed on feather bed and then rolled on beautifully. But 20 22 ft past the the hole. Uh his playing partner Jordan Smith never been in this situation in the open before. You know, they’re all learning experiences, aren’t they, for uh for golfers, whatever their age of range and experience to be in the middle of all of this when you’ve you’ve never really experienced it before. And I think he’s got his par three. Did he Did he knock that in for his par three? No, he’s left it short around about 4 ft. Unfortunately, didn’t quite get into the hole. Didn’t help Mroy either cuz Maroyy’s on a very similar line. It’s just a shame for Jordan Smith. He’s just kind of plotting away, kind of making a few pass. Made the odd birdie a bogey here and there. He just feels like he’s the support act in everything that’s happening today. That means that the main event is Rory Maroy crouching down behind the line of this putt. This is the 13th. This is one of the great spots. If you come in tomorrow and you haven’t been here this week, make sure you get to the 13th. Backs onto the 17th green, so there’s action there at the moment as well. There’s a little stand either side, flags fluttering. There’s a hospitality pavilion as well. Two tiers of that. It’s absolutely packed. every single balcony and all around thousands of people inside the yellow robes urging Mroy to follow his eagle at 12 with a birdie at 13 and it’s all just by on the left. It was online and just at the moment it died away to the left. So it’s a par three for him at 13 to stay at seven under for the championship. Mroy cat Terrell Hatton is one shot ahead of Rory Mroy at eight under. Barber has a a shot from 25 ft here on the green at 10 to move to nine. This one just needs to curve around from left to right a little more. It won’t disobediently. Till clenches his fist, just clenches his teeth and gestures at the green. It’s not going to go in, but he’ll have a couple of fit feet to save his par. Stay at eight under par. Four shots off the lead. Third birdie chance in a row on the way for How Tong Lee who is trying to put a good fight up in this open championship. But Katrina Matthew and I have just been shaking our heads at the inevitability of the Scotty Sheffler putts rolling in. The noise of that Maroy roar as well that came thundering down the golf course towards us was something I’ll never forget. But how Lee has had birdie chances on the seventh and eighth decent ones not being able to convert this one from about 20 ft. Gives it a good firm wrap up the hole. It’s another one that just misses. You can tell that by the oo’s and the Rs. And he holds his head high to the skies. Another par stays at nine under. John Murray just to see if Rory Maroy makes absolutely sure of this very short put. Even though it is only a couple of inches, there’ll be a great noise. [Applause] And it goes. So a par three at the 13th and Maroy seven under just um just in the group that Alli and Katrina are are watching for for everything that how Tong Lee is doing. If there was one golfer bearing in mind what we said pre the round getting on the way. If there’s one golfer that you wouldn’t have thought would have just fallen off a cliff today it would be Brian Hmer but he’s he’s all over the place isn’t he? Yeah I mean we’ve seen it shot for shot. You haven’t marked but but the scorecard tells you that starting at the first with the double bogey couple of the errors really unusually Katrina with the wedge sort of 115 110 yards out missing greens and if you miss him in the wrong spots it’s really difficult. Yeah very unusual Harman and he’s shortsided himself and then on the trip back up the green he’s left them both short and they’ve come back down so it’s just not quite looking well sort of as you say odd mistakes for someone like Harmon. Yeah. And and he’s the man of course who won the open championship two years ago and did it in such impressive fashion. And how Lee nearly gave the game up two years ago and he’s the one who’s in total control. He just cannot get these putts to drop at the moment. Mark hanging in there. But also Katrina to put that into some kind of context. Out of all the players who are under par for the championship, there are only two of them who are over par for their rounds. Lee Westwood who’s won over playing 14 and Brian Harmon. Yeah, which I think is very surprising. As you say, the winner two years ago, you’d have expected him to come out third round. He’s not in one of the kind of big big groups playing with Hatong Lee. I thought he would have come out and been a lot steadier, given himself just some more birdie chances. His game is hitting fairways, hitting greens, and he’s just not quite managed to do that yet. As as Alli says, we’ve had plenty of cheers that have, to use his phrase, thundered down this golf course. Mroy, chef. So, let’s just bring things back to a little bit of calm and serenity with the very, very steady James Greg. It’s not me who’s being steady. It’s Bob McIntyre and Harris English. That said, the American, the 35year-old who we heard quite a lot about late into the evening on Friday as he played himself into a share of the lead at the Open Championship. We’re having a bit of fun, weren’t we? Colin Murray and I right until the very uh well the sun was going down basically on Thursday on Five Sports Extra. He’s uh seven under for the championship, but he’s going to be racking up a bit of a telephone number here at number 11. The hardest hole on the golf course here last time around and looking that way this time at this uh 2025 uh Open Championship. I’m just looking at the left-handed Bob McIntyre who will definitely be seeing as part of Luke Donald’s European Rider Cup team sending his second shot high into the sky here and just trying to claw himself back into this open championship. He’s got a really good look actually for a birdie there. It’ll be a 12-footer down the hill and that’ll be to go two under on the day and to get to seven under par. But like you say Mark, it’s not exactly been sparkling stuff. It’s just the sort of day for Bob McIntyre that he’ll be desperately trying to just cling on, get himself within three or four of the lead of Sheffler. But anytime he’ll look up and look at a leaderboard, you’ll see him do it in a minute as he walks past where you and I are stood here, he’ll look at one of these leaderboards and he’ll study it and he’ll be so disappointed with it because every time he sees it, the world number one is just moving further and further ahead. So, he’s got to try and find something, try and dig deep. And he’s got a decent look here to really get his round going with a birdie putt from 12 feet like I say to get to seven under on the hardest hole on the golf course, the 11th. The world number one is slap bang in the middle of the ninth fairway. We’ll get news of that with Ian after John with the world number two Rory Maroy who is seven under and he has hit at the 14th of par 4th. Another monster T-ot Graeme. Yeah, absolutely colossal just right over the right hand bunker. It’s 311 yards into the wind to carry that trap and he’s carried it by a good 30. I mean, it’s just unbelievable how far he can hit it. And James mentioned about the players looking at leaderboards about 20 minutes ago. You said Maroy was keeping an eye on the leaderboards. Sure. It’s not unconnected, is it? That he knows that Sheffller is stretching his lead and it feels like Mroy is having to force the issue. Yeah, that’s what it felt like, especially when he wasn’t making those birdies either. It looked like he was trying to force it a little bit. Wasn’t hitting it as close as he normally would with those shorter irions, but that eagle on 12 seems to have reignited him. And he’s just hit a massive T- shot like we’ve just said down the right here and a great opportunity to get at this flag on 14. Yep. So, I would suggest if that is the case, and it certainly looks to be, listeners, don’t go anywhere. Well, no, but but go to Ian because Matt Fitzpatrick’s approach on nine. Look at Look at you and Ollie. Look, short sleeve t-shirt, shorts. Perfect July Saturday afternoon out at the seaside. It’s just glorious, isn’t it? I’ve had shorts on all week to be fair, Mark. But um they feel much more appropriate today than they they did on the opening couple of days. So Fitzpatrick has had a long hard think about this. He’s one of the quickest players out there. He’s got 155 to the flag, which is located right at the back of the green. Ollie and I are just chatting about he’s hitting from the the semi- rough and it’s one of those where it’s very difficult to judge the spin and what this ball will do when it lands. Well, it’s up on its way pretty high trajectory going for the back left corner. Oh, and he’s just missed the green to the left. There’s a gathering area there and that will go way down into the swale. Yeah, it’s just a really awkward shot. The pin tucked on the right with a big swale that takes the ball away which is really not the miss. So, he’s just overdone it to stop that and uh left himself a really awkward chip across the green. Scotty Sheffler struggled with the driver on Thursday. Was better yesterday. Today, it’s just been a masterass. An absolute masterclass. He is absolutely in the middle of this fairway. He’s about 20 yards closer to the hole than Fitzpatrick was. So, around about 130 y. And here he goes. Lovely divot taken as he sends this up towards the elevated green and the ball lands smack in the middle then spins from left to right towards the flag. It’s another great shot. Yeah, he’s probably put that to 20 ft. Just a effortless masterass right now. Yeah, that was a nine iron and just hooded into the wind. A little bit easier shot than uh than what Fitzy had because of that first cut, but from the fairway hooded nine iron back back to the right flag. really good chance again. Watch some really immaculate golf from these two so far. And Fitzpatrick, I think the first not to hit a green in regulation because he has missed to the left here and is down in the swale. So, he’ll be chipping and it’ll be another birdie attempt for Scotty Sheffller. Let’s go back to James Greg. And a birdie attempt for Bob McIntyre. How about that? His been an up and down sort of day for Bob McIntyre. He’s barely moved up that leaderboard despite the good play. But that’s a nice little leap who is out at a one under 35. An eagle at the par five seventh helping him just feel like he’s part of this championship. But fritt a shot the very next hole. But how about that? The statement birdie at the most difficult hole on this golf course, the 11th for the Scottish lefthander. And well, as you heard, the noise was quite something. There’s a lot of support out here at Royal Port Rush for a man who says that this feels like a home open with it being so close just across the sea from where he grew up in Oben in Scotland. Bob McIntyre moves to seven under for this open championship. Massive cheer from the 11th green. As I was saying, the 11th green and the ninth and right next to each other’s just a pathway for the spectators in between them. And that cheer comes from 11. And everybody turns to look with the exception of Scottish Heffler who just continues to walk in his own little world down the ninth air fairway towards the ninth green. John, after that latest huge T-shot from Maroy, he was in the roof and he has thrashed it out. The huge clump of long grass came up with it. This is on the par 414th and from there he has landed it on the front portion of the green but the hole right at the back. Yeah, he’s done a really good job there. He was really unlucky with the T-shot. Must have got a kick off one of these undulating fairways just down the right hand side here on 14. And then he had to elevate this wedge into this tabletop green. Can’t miss it to either side. Absolutely dead either side. He’s got it perfectly into the heart of the green. Yep. So Michael will have long long put across the 14th which would be for birdie. Beautiful afternoon now. Mark, we’ve we’ve hardly seen the sea this color all week, have we? Proper blue sea. And there there are there are clouds, but there aren’t many that is properly broken through the blanket of cloud as the sun. And there’s plenty of blue sky. Matt Fitzpatrick already ready with his third here at the ninth here. Two practice swings for this chip from the left of the green. Now he bumps it forward onto the putting surface. Lets the ball release towards the hole. It’s tracking towards the hole, but not with enough puff. And it comes up 5 ft short. Yeah, quite awkward little chip across there down with the wind off the left slope off the left and down towards that swale that takes the ball off the green. There’s a slight ups slope just behind it, but kind of awkward to use it. So, it’s just a little tentative there. Left himself a little work to do. The rooting of this golf course is just wonderful. That 11th green is immediately to the left of this ninth green. Will be going back down the 10th and then you sort of come back almost on yourself. But the noise when Bob McIntyre just told out there with James was we heard it hit us absolutely smack in the face. Yeah. And then you’ve got the 14th green just to the right of us. It’s just a sea of color and people everywhere. It’s absolutely glorious out here right now. And those clouds overhead. There are black tinges on there, but it’s it’s like used cotton wool really. You know when you you look at the cotton wool, plenty of white on it, but you’ve you’ve managed to remove a little bit of dirt when you’ve used it. That’s the sort of clouds we have overhead, but big patches of blue sky and uninterrupted sunshine right now. And it’s really shining on this man, Scotty Sheffler, who’s got around about 20 ft here for a birdie putting up to the hole located in the back right corner of this tabletop ninth green. And he sends it forward and on it goes towards the hole. And he’s missed. It’s going to be a par for Scotty Sheffller. The grand stand behind him has forged by nature. The catchphrase for the RNA for this open. I was just thinking he’s a force of golfing nature, this guy. He absolutely is. I was just noticing there is it a few puts now that that ones that have actually missed, but there’s literally no reaction. He just watches it. He hits his putt and just waits and waits and waits and if it goes in, he goes gets it. If it misses, he just taps it in. There’s no uh no excitement, movement or anything. It’s just a natural this is it, this is what I do and move on. Just the sort of reaction of someone who says what’s the point of golf as he said to us in the buildup to this championship pop up for Fitzpatrick straight in from 6 feet. No messing from the Englishman. And that was really important to hang on to the coattails of the leader. So Fitzpatrick remains at 11 under par. He uh started his round at 9 under. So he’s covered the outward half in two under par. He remains 11 under. And Scotty Shefflu started the day at 10 under, now 13 under with that par at the ninth. And so he’s two shots clear at the open. That was actually going to be my question to you Ollie or my point to you. You know, watching him walk down the ninth airway, you wouldn’t know whether he was 13 under or 13 over. when when he if you can’t see where the cup is after he’s taken apart, you wouldn’t know whether it’s gone in or whether he’s missed it. I mean, I’m trying I’m trying to sort of wrap my brains of of the the least demonstrative sports men and women that I’ve seen over the years. He would be near the top. Yeah. Well, it’s a stark difference to watching Tier, I’ll tell you that. But he’s um he’s just very stoic, you know. He he reacts and performs exactly how you try to do. He executes the shots how you want to. His uh attitude is exactly the same. It’s great to watch. Wonder how much he’s worked at staying in that bubble. Uh we’ll talk more about that. Let’s go to John Murray. Another long long Maroy put there trying to urge it in up the slope. It goes towards the hole, but I think that’s pulled up short. Yeah. Didn’t quite give it enough. No, it was difficult obviously back up the hill. slower green this 14th as it goes up the hill and back into the wind, but looks like he’s left it around about 4 ft short. So, yeah, he’s going to need to do all his best to make a par here. Yes, he’ll mark that mark and uh we will have to wait to see him pop it in for his par four to remain at 7 under. Sheffllera 13 under, Fitzpatrick 11 under, how Lee nine under, Chris Gotup has gone to eight under, he’s three under for the day, the Scottish Open. uh champion and he is playing the par 313th which is where we’re going to head to or where I’m going to go and head to. Zander shuffle on seven under Maroy McIntyre on seven under as well. Ollie, do you think he works at being in that bubble then? She and the reason I ask that is because I mentioned you know that cheer comes from the 11th for Bob McIntyre that it’s very hard not to react when you hear a cheer and turn your head and he didn’t. Yeah, he absolutely has worked on that. I remember reading and and his uh long-term coach Randy Smith from Dallas. Um they’ve worked on that kind of stuff for many a year. There was somebody else who the name escapes me that he worked with it as well. And he’s he’s a exactly a model pro from every aspect of his game is exactly what you would aspire to to do and how you would execute it. And it’s very hard to do but he’s focused so hard on that. He’s uh he’s mastered it. I would say cat watching Trell Hat and Till Hat just watching his playing partner Ra Rasmus Huygar miss a birdie chance here on the 11th. The ball just petering out to the right hand side. Huygar who dropped a shot on the ninth is at four under paro. So his race falling away slightly but Hatton has a good chance here for a birdie. He’s blemish free so far. He’s got one birdie and an eagle on the card. So this would feel good for Till Hatton to get this back n going. This would be a terrific three as well, Cat, because this is uh probably played the most difficult hole. Certainly played the most difficult hole last time we were here and it’s no easier this year. It’s 475 yards. Big dog leg to the right, but the wind really whistling left to right. So, it’s a difficult T- shot. They both played brilliantly from the tea. And this is a glorious opportunity, although it’s is above the hole. So, it’s a slightly slippy and down the hill. Quite a swing off his right. So, we’re standing on the 12th T looking down at the 11th green. Beyond that, another step. There’s the ninth fairway. Stairs and layers of the golf course rippling out to sea. You can see those scaries, those little flat rocks poking out of the sea in the distance. Beautiful blue sky matching the trousers of Till Hatton. He’s about to send this birdie putt up across the first cut of rough and then onto the green. He’s looking after it now. Getting better. Getting better. Just sliding by on the left hand side. It’s going to be another path for Tier Hatton. He’ll stay at 8 under par. John, simultaneously, Rory Mroy was hauling that tidler for his par four on the 14. So, Mroy remains at seven under with four holes of his third round to play now. And off he goes away past us. Harry Diamond carrying the the black, green, and red golf bag with the maker’s name splashed up the side. and they go left and we go right a little bit like when I travel on airplanes with Mark Chapman. I could I could see that coming could see that coming uh a mile off. I I also would go right with you John purely for the company. Ian, we have seen the T-shots here at the 10th, which is a uphill dog leg left to right and both players missing the fairway down the left hand side. Both in decent shape. Matt Fitzpatrick will be hitting in from a little under 120 yards from the front of the green. Once again, the whole location is on a little slopey bit, which will mean that any putt that’s more than 18 in is going to demand quite a bit of attention. But as we walk down here, Mark, really interesting conversation with Ollie, just as a as a touring professional as you are, Ollie, you know, you you said to me, “Watching these guys is fascinating. It makes me want to go out there now and get playing.” It is. Yeah. I would definitely say I’m inspired. I’ve had the pleasure of watching uh couple of well, a few of the best players in the world right at the top and how they’re going about it. And I’ve got my notes from 2019 on some of these greens where I’m trying to play thinking back to the six on the par three especially and they, you know, Scotty um and Fitzy as well, they just go at every single flag and uh they back themselves. If it doesn’t come off, they back themselves to get it up and down and if it results in a bogey, it’s like, okay, let’s move on. We’ll make another birdie. Whereas certainly for myself, I’d be a little bit more cautious trying to hit the middle of the greens and maybe sell maybe leave myself a little longer putts, but trying to eliminate the bogeies. the the way they’re playing, they’re not really thinking about bogeies. It’s just about moving forward and getting the uh pedal down. So, it it excites you, does it? Rather than frustrates you that you’re not out there or is that element of frustration as well that you’re sort of stuck with us? Ju just before Ollie answers that question, Scotty Sheffer is going to be playing his second shot in here, Mark. And just as he was about to pull the trigger, he he thought about going with another another club, but he’s not far from hitting. Should we wait for Well, we’ve also got Bob McIntyre going for an eagle. So, shall I go to James Ian? Yeah, go for go for that if that’s imminent. All right, James. Yeah, Bob McIntyre just placing his ball down on the green. He will though be having a good look at this one. So, if you do need it back and you need to bring news of the world number one and the the leader of the opening championship, feel free because I tell you what, Bob McIntyre is taking good care over this one. Let’s go back to you and whilst Bob Wines is put up. Second shot from Sheffler. Here it comes. And once again, he’s gone straight at the flag. It’s a wonderful shot and he’s left it 10 ft 11 ft short of the cup. Yeah, exactly. Um, just what I’m saying. Uh, straight at it, not messing around. There’s no hit in the middle of the green and trying to put it. It’s just dead straight at and get let’s make some more verdies. So to James. Yeah. Well, Bob McIntyre is surveying this with the most amount of care. I’ve seen him give a put all day long and he obviously is right in the thick of things on this leaderboard. I can see his name. They’re up there in lights alongside Rory Mroy and Xander Cha in a share of fifth spot. Remember, he’s a couple under par on the day and seven underpar for the championship. Now, here’s Caddy tending the flag because it’s right at the very front right corner of this par five green and the man from Owen in Scotland with the black t-shirt, the black trousers, the white shoes, and the white cap with the logo of you know what on there very big and prominent. And this is going to be a snaker. He’s get barely getting to breathe on this one and it’ll be off there on the line. There is so much to think about in case he runs it by. He’s not thinking about that though. He’s thinking about knocking this in to get to nine under. And he’s on the way now. He’s begging it to go. It’s just going to try and catch this little slope. Is it going to catch the slope? Well, no. It’s going to be a real real knee knocker of a birdie putt that is to come for Bob McIntyre coming off the back of a birdie at the par 4 11th. He will have a putt to go to eight under par, but it won’t be easy, Mark. Okay, let’s go back to Ian. Our players have arrived at their balls. It was 122 yds out from the flag for Matt Fitzpatrick with his approach. He’s hit a good one as well. He went slightly longer. I think he might have the easier putt though from about 13 ft compared with what’s facing Scotty Sheffller because although it’s slightly shorter looks like there might be a bit more movement on the putt of Shefflers. Yeah, Sheffers has got to come up and over this little ridge so it’ll be hard to gauge the pace um and exactly how much it’s going to break. Fitzy here has got to put pretty much straight up the hill looking a little right to left. So he knows it’s definitely going to break right to left. Yeah. and he’s uh having a good little look at that. Just puts the the marker down. So the the point that Mark was making, it it doesn’t frustrate you, it inspires you when you see this kind of golf. No, it definitely frustrates me, too. Let’s let’s not get away from that. It’s um it’s inspiring, frustrating, interesting, um and and exciting. You know, I’m loving being out here. Um, but you know, it’s it’s as I describe that it is also easier to play that kind of golf when you find the middle of the club face nearly every single time you try and attempt a shot. So that’s when that’s what again what you aspire to do. And there’s all kinds of elements that go into allowing you to play like that. Fitzpatrick not far from his birdie putt, but as he gets down in his praying mantis position to read it quickly to James. A familiar sight. I know that one well. Here’s Bob McIntyre just surveying this little tidler that he’s left himself to try and get to eight under par here at this open championship. A great eagle try that he left two or 3 ft shy. But it’s not so much the distance that the issue concerning old McIntyre here. It’s more the slope, the break on it. I can see where the black line drawn on there with a marker pen on that little white golf ball of his is pointing two or three cups just to the right here. He’s going to have to take every single care over this one. Just shuffling the feet now. Bob McInty Ian Carter. Do you need it? Yes, I do. Because Scotty Sheffler is first to putt here and he’s over it right now. The leader at 13 under this to move to 14 under. He’ll putt through his shadow over its left shoulder. Turns from right to left. Just misses. Back to you James. Well, Bob McIntyre has missed it. He gesticulated in a very frustrated way. He did bomb McIntyre at a three put par and just as he felt like he probably had momentum on his side. Well, that’s not what he wanted. Ian, well, that was frustration for Sheffler because it was a good opportunity, but as we were saying, there was so much movement on that from left to right. Just undercooked it. And now Fitzpatrick is back down on his chest, right down his nose, almost touching the the turf as he peers underneath the brim of his white cap just to try and see what movement there’s going to be on this putt because if he makes it, he’s back to within a shot of the lead. Yeah, it’s like the weaker version of Chamilleia Vagus trying to read read a putt. But um he’s got a pretty straightforward attempt here and and he’s learned a little bit from Scotty’s put. That sounds like a Mroy style raw, John. Spot on, Ian. You know your onions. Brilliant shot. His second shot from the rough down the left side of the 15th fairway. He gave it some air and it hit the flag. It hit the flag. Bounced down and he’s got a nailed on certain birdie to come to take him to eight under. What a day. What a day on the links of Royal Port Rush. And here is Matt Fitzpatrick of Sheffield looking to have the Aras. He’s at 11 under par, two behind Scotty Sheffller who’s got a par in his pocket. And Fitzpatrick one of the quickest players out there. He’s taking every care over this part, isn’t he? Yeah, he is. He’s obviously not thinking it’s quite as simple as I thought it was from over here. Um, just taking a little time discussing it with his caddy Dan Parrot. Now he’s trying to line the ball up and make sure he’s got the correct uh setup for the ball. Now he’s going to give it a good go. Yeah, he’s really worked very very hard holding the putter out in front of him to give him that stick line to make sure he’s going to hit this on the line that he wants. This for birdie at the 10th on its way. Has he given it enough? No. Well, he has, but he didn’t borrow enough from the right. It misses just to the left and it’s a tap in par and frustration for Fitzpatrick who remains two behind at 11 under. looked like he overthought that one a little bit and and end of the day just gave it a little pull and it was never in and he walked straight after it as it left the butter. Back to you John. Yeah, the it’s another goosebumps moment on this third round afternoon at Royal Port Rush. Again, the buzz around here around the 15th. Mroy himself couldn’t see it because there was a huge hump between him and the green and he walks up now onto the green. There he goes. Applause from both sides. Some people are on their feet in the stand. And he walks under the pudding surface. What? He’s probably two feet, two two and a half feet for Birdie. Yeah. Absolutely incredible shot from Rory Mroy there. I mean, he was totally blind. Couldn’t see anything. He was just asking a few of the people that are walking around, did it hit the flag? What happened? He didn’t know. He just had the raw. It was just absolutely incredible. It could have easily gone in, but it just bounced, went up the flag, and dropped straight back down to 2 feet. Yeah, it was as it came down, it hit the flag and then bounced down and then rolled away. As I say, 2 and 1/2 ft. So, he’s got that for birdie to go to eight under Alli. Oy Maroy charging. Scotty Sheffller stretching Howon Lee, the Chinese golfer. He’s just trying to cling on to those Sheffller coattails. And I don’t know how many times I’ve said this this afternoon. Another birdie chance for Howon Lee. 11th green, 25 ft or so. And as Katrina Matthew and I have just been discussing, he’s playing really nicely. He’s one under for his round today, but the birdie chances he’s given himself. They’re just a little bit too far away. He’s putting nicely, too. He just needs to get that ball a little bit closer to the hole to give himself a better look for the birdie. Can he find this one? Brian Harmon, his playing partner has hold for par. Three over today, five under for the championship. How Lee looking for the birdie. I think it’s got the pace. It’s on its way and it’s in the hole and finally he finds one. Big roars around the 11th green and Howong Lee gets into double figures today. 10 under path for the championship. He’s chasing Sheffller. He’s chasing Fitzpatrick and he’s on his way to the par 512 and he’s one off Fitzpatrick and he is three off Sheffller. If you watch the um or if you download the open app, the open app is well worth um following. You can plot any golfer and their shots and see their record over the course as well. And there’s little biographies on there. When you get to the third round of the open, what they do on the app is any player that’s contending at the top of their yellow leaderboard, they put a little pen pick next to that golfer. And at the start of the third round, there were four. It had Brian Harmon and Howong Lee and Matt Fitzpatrick and Scottish Heffler. Well, the penic from Brian Harmon disappeared very quickly. The pen pick from Haong Lee then disappeared as well. And once Scottish Heffler started to put his foot to the pedal, the pen pick for Matt Fitzpatrick has gone as well. So if you look at the leaderboard on the open championship app, there is just the picture of Scottish Sheffller next to his name. He has a twoshot lead. Rory Maroy is about to go five behind him. John. Yes. And he doesn’t want to he doesn’t want any little mishaps here. I mean this is this is 95% this goes in but he is taking all the time that he should 2 and 1/2 ft. Yeah. I mean just a straight putt. Nothing in it. He just got to knock it straight in the back of the hole which I’m sure he will do. You’ll hear the roar as he stood over it and knocks it in. Here we go. There it goes. Eagle the 12th now. Birdies the 15th. Rory Mroy has three more holes to play. He’s eight under par. What does he need, Graeme? You know, realistically, what does he need to be right in this at the end of the day? I think he still needs to pick up two shots. I think he’s got to pick a shot up either here at 16 or 17 and 18. They’re more accessible than the the the hole here at 16. We know how difficult and how treacherous that can be, but he definitely needs to pick two up because Scott is on the march. There we are. That’s what Graeme Storm thinks, Mark. Three holes to play. Mroy must get two birdies from those three holes. He’s eight under uh as he walks up to Calamity Corner and that takes him into a group with Chris Gotup and Turrell Hatton. The clubhouse leader by the way is the defending champion Xander Schaeoff. 7 under for the championship after a 665 under par third round for him today. Uh one of those men on eight under is Terrell Hatton. Katherine DS is with him. Very nearly got it to nine under. Those big shouts from Rory Maroy echoing from elsewhere on the course. Big shouts here for Tier Hatton as he chipped up onto the 12th green. The ball getting closer and closer and closer to the hole. Didn’t drop. So, it’s going to be five straight pars now for Hatton since that incredible eagle when he hauled out from the fairway on the seventh. He could do with getting something going here, couldn’t he? I thought he’d made eagle there. I really did. I thought that that eagle chip was going to go in and it just stayed up a foot short. He was a bit frustrated cuz he thought his second shot was perfect and it didn’t quite get the bounce up to this par 51 12th. And uh well he’s playing brilliant. It’s golf here by the way. He’s almost flawless. So great birdie. Great birdie for Tier Hatton. So he moves to nine under par. Going to go back to the leader Scottish Sheffller with Ian and Ollie who are watching his T-shot. But I just want to mention his putting. He’s had 38 putts inside 10 ft this week and he’s made 36 of them. I know. It’s uh it’s just the hallmark of of greatness, isn’t it? and and that’s the that’s the area of his game supposed to be a little bit of a relative weakness which is slightly concerning isn’t it? Uh of concern to Matt Fitzpatrick fans is the fact that the Englishman has found the rough down the left hand side the ball severely below his feet in the thick stuff and a good 80 odd yards short of where Scotty Sheffller’s ball has gone. That’s just run into the semi- rough. But another huge piece of ball striking from the world number one. We are on the par 313. And when I say we, I mean myself and James Greg. And if you get just the right spot on this hole, you get a beautiful view of this green and the 17th green in the distance. But on the 13th, McIntyre has a birdie opportunity. He does to try and get to eight under. Remember, he squandered one just on the previous hole. The par five is from 25 ft up and over a ridge. And he’s done this a few times today. Not giving it enough juice. You see a big swipe almost like a hockey or lacrosse shot with the putter to an imaginary ball to say, for goodness sake, Bob, can I just try and get one to the hole? He’s not done it all day long. Still seven under par for the championship. Two under par for the day. He’s not flashy. He’s usually very cool and calm and he’s got a steel in his eyes that says champion about it, but today it just says frustration. So that was a uh that was a Ben Stokes swipe that was going to go over mid wicket for six. That would have gone out the ground. I think it would. He’s done he’s just done another one as well, hasn’t he? You know, he was up as soon as he hit it, wasn’t he? Yeah, it’s always a telltale sign, isn’t it? The golfer always stays down on it when they like the look of it. We might as well just stay here on this wonderful, wonderful view. I’ve got the best view here, Mark, haven’t we? Of uh Harris English just looking down on his birdie try to get to eight under par. This one a similar line to Bob McIntyre. Has he given this enough juice? No, not quite. Ian Carter, Matt Fitzpatrick from the rough at the 11th. He’s made very good contact out of a very awkward lie. The ball coming up just short of the green coming to rest in the semi- rough. That’s not bad from there. I would say that’s a really good um result. It was a high tariff shot. Could have gone straight left if the club had got wrapped up in the rough, but it came out well. Ran up the slope slightly on the ups slope, first cut of rough and get a nice strike on it. Best result he could have asked for. And by contrast, the leader, Scotty Sheffler, really has the most straightforward of shots from the semi- rough down the right hand side here from 80 yards closer in. And he launches it very, very high into the sky. It’s to the left of the green. Oh, and that I think may have gone into the rough. Yeah, deep into the thick rough down the left hand side. Wow. That was on a slight ups slope and he buried the club into the ground behind the ball. big divot came out, finished with one hand on the club, thinking he was trying to slide it in on the wind and it just never turned. It kind of held its shape and gone straight into this big mound. Now there’s five, six marshals trying to find it. Somebody’s taken his hat off. He’s found it, he thinks. Yeah, the the crowd cheering as he points to the location of the ball, but that is really thick. That is almost knee high grass. Yeah, it’s pin high, but um definitely not in a good position on a deep uh or steep down slope downwind all the way back to the flag. Drama at the 11th with the leader mark. He’s in trouble for the first time in this round in the thick rough to the left of the green in the main over the course of the summer in the white ball cricket that they’ve been playing. India’s women have dominated England’s women, but judging by the score at Lords, this is a good chance for England’s women to take this second ODI. Henry Moran. Yeah. And in doing so, level the series. 11 overs gone out of the 29 in this rain reduced match. And England chasing 144 of 57 for one. They’ve just lost their first wicket. Tammy Bowmont at the opener gone on review for LBW for 34, but Amy Jones is playing nicely on 19. And England well set at the moment. 57 for one after 11 out of 29 overs. The target 144. Scottish efflers 13 under here at the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Port Rush. But he’s just got himself in a little bit of trouble on the 11th. Matt Fitzpatrick playing with him is on 11 under. Hong Lee 10 under. Tier Hatter nine under and Rory Mackoy is about to take his T-shot at Calamity Corner on eight under. John, yes, we’ve been standing here, Graeme Storm and I waiting for Sam Burns and Lee Westward to finish off on 16 just listening to Scotty Sheffller. perhaps perhaps might take a backwards step. Maroy is on eight under. We’ve also got the these are the best conditions weatherwise of the championship now. And this is a brilliant spot here. Port Rush away in the distance to my left all of the dunes and actually out to sea. We can see the aisle of Isa. We can see Scotland today. And underneath in the near ground on the tea, Rory Maroy in that rust red shirt. T-shot on the 16th looking to avoid the calamities looking to get another birdie. He’s leaning to his left, so this may have gone rightish. Oh, and it’s Mr. Green. He’s missed the green on the right. And the marshall there holds his arms in the air. You can see the ball, but he’s in the long grass to the right of the green. Mroy Ian, well, we’ve just seen Matt Fitzpatrick play his third shot to the par 4 11th, and it wasn’t a good one. He was chipping from way down below the front of the green, and he didn’t get all of it. Went up more vertically than towards the hole, and it did well to cling on to the putting surface, but he’s going to have around 40 ft to save par. And as for the leader, well, Scotty Sheffley, he’s in really thick rough. It’s almost knee high. He’s got the most enormously wide stance for this. He’s just got to chop at the ball. And he does. And it pops out delicately. And then it releases. And then it comes down. And again, it doesn’t matter what obstacles you put in its way. He comes up, trumps, and he’s given himself a really, really good look at saving his par. He’s put it to seven, eight ft. That was majestic. Um the the way the steepness that he came down and stabbed the ball out with with like really delicate hands and he’s just flown it out the rough onto the down slope. There’s a pair of hillocks behind the hole that I thought he was maybe having to use, but never even messed with that. Just played it perfectly and uh like Ian says, he’s got a really good chance at a par save. So a big par save putt coming up for Matt Fitzpatrick here, Mark, and a shorter one for Scotty Sheffller. Okay, back to you shortly. Applause here on 13th for Terrell Hatton as he makes his way towards the green. And I think we’re going to go to Alli with Howong Lee who’s been incredibly impressive today. He’s played 11 holes so far. He birded the third. We’ve just seen him birdied the 11th. He’s on the par 51 12th. He’s come up just short to the left hand side as with so many of these greens here at Royal Port Rush. That means a steep slope, a contoured green. He’s up there with his caddy at the moment. Katrina Matthew uh surveying the chip and without putting sort of too much expectation on him were he to hold it for Regal and get to 12 under par. Yeah, he’d just be one behind Scotty Sheffller. He’s played a really nice round of golf. I think just very controlled as we said two birdies and this is a relatively as straightforward as they can be in these circumstances. Playing shortly, John Murray. Right. Rory Maroyy’s T-shot on 16 is down in the roof front right of the green. Graham Storm’s just got back from having a look. Yeah, I’ve just been over to assess the lie. The lie is absolutely perfect. Not a problem with that whatsoever, but he’s that far down the bank. He can’t see the putting surface or the flag. Okay, so more on Maroy here on 16 to come. All shout if you need it. John, howong Lee is now brushing a rhythmical practice putting stroke beside the ball. So he’s putting from off the front of the 12th green. Ian Carter will need to shout if he wanted to. He’s with Scotty Sheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick. Mike’s alive all around the course. Howong Lee for Eagle worried to hold this big one. Good 50 ft across the 12th green. Starts climbing up the slope and making its way towards the hole. That’s not going to have the legs. Well over 10 ft left to go for the birdie. Ian on the 11th with Scotty Sheffller for his par save here. Currently leading by two, but Matt Fitzpatrick has missed his par putt. He’s got a little tester for his bogey as well. of Fitz Patrick at the 11 under this to stay at 13 under for the Americans. 6′ 3 in tall. Sheffller sends this pup forward. Well, wouldn’t you know it. I mean, as easy as you like. He was in deep, deep trouble in deep, deep rough to the left of the green. He gets it up and down and he stays at 13 under. Tell you what, that’s a monumental moment in this group because moments before Scotty played that, Matt was stood over that looking like a real good opportunity to pick up a shot. It was not that hard an up and down and he swiped across it. The ball came off the top of the club face and went no distance at all. And I think he would have been thinking, get this up and down. Scott is going to make five, maybe six. And now the tables have turned and he’s lost a shot on this hole. Yeah, at least one shot. And this is no gimme here for Matt Fitzpatrick because it’s 4 and 1/2 ft. Sends it forward and in. So it’s a bogey five for Fitzpatrick. He slips back to 10 under alongside Haong Lee for the moment and it’s Sheffller who remains at the top at 13 under. I would also say as well that that uh Turrell Hatton is in with a chance of going to 10 under as well. I can see him down on the 13th green in front of me. The reverse view because Katherine DS and Andrew Murray the other side of this green in front of the grandstand they’ve got their view from there. We have a good view of this 20footer for Tier Hatton’s going to bend from left to right as he sends it towards the little double-decker hospitality stand to the left edge on this screen. The pin cut towards that left hand side. Little bit of an ups slope on this one as Till Hatton sends it on his way. This to get to 10 under par. Looking good. Looking good. Just tricked out by that ups slope. Comes up slightly shy. He’ll stay at nine under par. Four shots off the lead and in fourth at the open championship. John at the 16th. Brilliant shot from Mroy from down the slope. A really awkward stance. Chopped it up under the green. It rolled down. Actually, at one stage I thought it was going to drop in for another birdie instead just by the whole side. And Michael Roy should tap that in for his par three at the 16th to remain at 8 under, five under for his round today. All things chopping and changing all the time. Perfect timing uh as well for the latest installment in this open championship drama. Sheffllera 13 under with the par save just now. How Lee and Matt Fitzpatrick both 10 under but now a 10-footer or so on the 12th for birdie for howong Lee to get into second place on his own. And again it’s quick rhythmical practice putting strokes beside the ball. Tall man in the gunmetal gray shirt shakes the shoulders to get himself loose. white baseball cap on his head looking down at the ball. Sends it on its way. It’s got enough pace but it’s beyond the hole. It grazes the left edge of the hole and he’s got another three-footer coming back for par. You just made the point to me as well, Katrina. Matthew, he’s played the par fives in terms of getting to the green really well with the putter. He’s not done it. No, he’s I mean, he’s just missed them all, but they’ve had relatively easy up and down switch. used the putter with and let he’s raced one past on uh seven, left him wolffully short on two and 12 here and he’s going to have three puttered them both all three sorry needs to borrow Scottish chef’s putter needs to borrow Scottish Sheffller’s putting stroke the breeze is getting up on the 12th this is an important one still right in this though Tom Lee to keep himself at 10 under par two under for the round today three-footer taking every care long shadow of the big man stretching out behind behind him standing as still as a statue and then gets disturbed by something going on behind him. So backs off. Smooth contoured slopes all around. Wide rectangular dark blue grandstand behind the 12th green flags fluttering above it. Here we are then. 3 ft and he makes it. But it’s not the eagle. It’s not the birdie. It’s just the par for Howong Lee. It keeps him at 10 underpar mark and that is three shots off the lead held by you know who. Still though just the one bogey all week for hat on Lee here at Royal Port Rush. John M on the 16th just waiting for Jordan Smith to roll his put in the Englishman to remain at three under which is level far for his round today which he does in good style from 4 feet or so. Light applause for him. Lori Mroy just has to finish off for what would be a very good up and down for his three here at the 16th grator. It certainly would be. Uh magical touch from down the bank here. A calamity. Played it really well. Landed it in the middle of the green and ran it up to the horn. Like you said, it almost looked like it had a chance, but he’s got it within 2 ft and it should be just a simple tap in for his par and get onto the 17th T. Yes. But after our conversation on the uh 16th T, that means he needs birdies really at the last two holes, 30, 17, and 18. I would describe that as a tall order. However, is there anything that this man cannot do? Rory Mroy, first of all, has to make sure of this par three at 16, which he does. So there we are. Two holes to play. He’s eight under. As I say, five under for his round today. So he’s on for a 66, but he wants more. He wants to be closer to Sheffller. And it’s the 17th next. And a quick one on Sheffler from Ian. Yes, he is making his way down the 12th just as we are on the par five. And he has leaked his drive into one of the fairway bunkers here on the 12th. Good T-shot though from Matt Fitzpatrick, but I’m standing right next to Sheffller’s ball in the bunker and I think it’s highly unlikely he can be entertaining thoughts of going for this par five in two from there. 80 minutes past 6 as we reach the closing stages of the third round here at Raw Port Rush. And we’ll just take a pause for the latest BBC news. The voice of the UK. This is BBC Radio 5 Live. Thanks Mark. With the headlines, I’m Carl Hartley. At least 96 people have been arrested across the UK at protests against the decision to declare Palestine Action as a terror group. The government banned the organization earlier this month. The majority of those detained were in central London where the Metropolitan Police made more than 60 arrests. At least 34 people have been killed after a tourist boat capsized off the coast of Vietnam during bad weather. Local media say most of those on board were Vietnamese families. Syria says it’s deploying security forces to the southern province of Sweda to try and end deadly clashes between different local factions. The country’s president has announced an immediate ceasefire, but the fighting has continued. There’s fears the fighting could escalate into a regional crisis after Israel became involved earlier in the week. And seven people are in a critical condition in hospital after a car drove into a crowd in Los Angeles. At least 30 people were injured outside a nightclub on the city’s famous Santa Monica Boulevard. UA Women’s U 2025 on Five Live and BBC Found England three to the semifinals and the Lionesses have done it. Somehow they have done it on Tuesday at 8. Stone missed England against Italy in the semifinals. When I wear England bad, you do anything to keep your country in the competition. And that’s exactly what we did. Come on, England. Just ask your smart speaker to play BBC Radio 5 Live. The 153rd Open 2025 with Mark Chapman on Five Live Sport. Then the world number one has a three-shot lead over the field. Scottish Effler 13 under. How Tong Lee and Matt Fitzpatrick 10 under. Tierrell Hatton nine under. Rory Maroy and Chris Gotup are on eight under. All those players still out on the course. Xander Schoffley the defending champion in the clubhouse on seven under. Harris English and Bob McIntyre are playing 14 and they are also seven under. Ian Carter, Matt Fitzpatrick second shot into the par 512. It’s gone all the way to the back of the green. It’s now trundling back down the bank at the back of the green. He was unlucky. If that had just landed a fraction earlier, it would have caught the bank at the front of the green and would have cushioned the bounce. But nonetheless, he’s up there and could well be putting from where he is now for Eagle at the 12th. Here’s Scotty Sheffller as he launches into his bunker shot. Really high trajectory. Lands it in the middle of the fairway. Oh my goodness me. It landed right next to us and it has spun back about 10 yards there and uh he’s given himself a nice yardage to come in and control whichever wedge he wants to use for his third shot to the par five. It’s a devilish pin on this par five 12th perched right on the front with a down slope short of it down slope to the right and both players are going to have to fend with that right now because Fitzpatrick’s at the back of the green putting all the way down towards those down slopes and Scott is coming from the fairway the other way and going to have to contend with them. So, it’s no straightforward shots from here. Terrifying stuff for the final pair here. Matt Fitzpatrick at 10 under par, two under for his round and Scotty Sheffler at 13 under, three under for the 11 holes that he’s played so far. And the sun has just gone behind a cloud. So, that has just brought a little dip in the temperature. The flags on the grand stands above the 13th and the 17th greens are fluttering quite viciferously at the moment. And I’m way in the distance in the middle of the 14th fairway, I can see Tierrell Hatton with his back to me in deep conversation with his caddy and he’s being watched by Kendrew. Yeah, he’s going okay, isn’t he? Tier Hatton blemish free today. He birdied the fifth, then he got that incredible eagle on the seventh, birdied the 12th, couldn’t quite sink that 20footer on the 13th. But finding fairways Till Hatton today, that’s what he didn’t do so well yesterday. That’s what he said he wanted to focus on today. He’s done that really well and he’s four four shots off the lead. Yeah, he’s he’s driven the ball brilliantly well from what I’ve seen all day. I mean, he’s hardly missed a shot and he’s played some really terrific iron shots. And you know, these pin positions are difficult to get close to. He’s given himself opportunities. Not quite hold any at this stage, but you know, there’s a lot of golf still to play. Obviously, it’s an obvious cliche, but uh brilliant, brilliant T- shot. It’s going in from here, though, from very long way back. It’s going in with the five iron or thereabouts. 466 yd par four. Truffle hole. Drama all over these fairways. Mark. Drama as well for me on the 13th green and got stung by a bee. Alli. Oh ouch. That’s where we’re standing right now. Watch out for that 40footer for Howong Lee on the way for birdie. What’s happening with Ian Carter? Third shot of Scotty Sheffller into the par 512 from just under 100 yards to that devilish pin to the right. He’s played conservatively. Spinning the ball back to pin high. Beautifully judged. He’s going to have a 20-footer for birdie. I know what the deal is. Howong Lee then has hit that 40ft birdie putt. And like the one on the last up the slope, the eagle attempt Katrina Matthew just didn’t quite give it enough. And and this 13th green feather bed, the par three, it slopes steeply from front to back. So coming from the back, you’re coming up that hill, aren’t you? Yeah, he was coming up that hill but just judged the pace poorly again. And that can sometimes be the first thing that feel in your fingers and your hands that goes up and you’re getting a little bit nervous. 13th green is a cauldron of golf. It’s a cauldron of excitement surrounded by devilish pot bunkers. Brian Harmon is putting right now. Three-footer mark for Howong Lee to come. He’s at 10 under par. He’s three shots off the lead. We’ll hand it back to Ian who’s watching the leader. Yes, Scotty Sheffller. And he’s just loping up as if he’s just out for a Sunday morning stroll. Maybe go and buy the paper. So I might need a carton of milk. Something like that. Put my hand in my pocket now. Oh, forgot my wallet. Never mind. I used my phone. Nothing’s going to disturb him. And he walks up and he’s going to mark his ball. Gets warm applause from the pack grand stand behind up ahead of him. Always moves very smartly, very quickly. Matt Fitzpatrick. And he draws the putter from the bag. And this is a this is a nasty one. As you were saying before, Ollie Wilson, former RDER Cup player, DP World Tour player, he’s going to be putting from that swale from just off the green in the back right hand corner. Anything that goes beyond the flag runs the risk of tumbling off the green. Yeah, it’s going to be very hard to get the pace right on this. He’s got about 60 ft. Just got to get it a little bit of pace from off the green. Then it’s downhill to another ridge, then downhill again. and it’s got to stop it on that little tier probably 6 ft past it drops off 10 ft below the green and anything that gets wrong to the left which is the way the wind’s blowing also does the same. So it’ be really hard to judge it just as it comes over this tier and uh if he does any if he gets it within 6 ft from here I think he’s done a pretty good job. He’s putting from right underneath the camera tower that brandishes the number 12 to denote the hole. This uh par five here and one of the the very few chances really to profit on the back nine here. You have to hit great shots on any hole to make a birdie at Royal Port Rush. And this needs to be a great shot from Matt Fitzpatrick. And a little insect dances around his ball. So he backs off and wafts at it with his right hand. But now he’s ready to go. One practice swing, two, three. Just feeling this putt. He’s aiming well out to the right of the hole. Sends it on its way down the slope. Heading towards the hole. Needs to turn to the left. Starts to turn to the left, but he’s not given it enough. It’s got to keep going and it doesn’t and it stops maybe 10 ft short. John on the 17th with Rory Maroy Ian who is eight under path of the championship on the 17th. Obviously the potentially drivable green, but he went for it and went way right into the crowd. I have to say, I thought it must have hit someone, but the spectators there tell me that everyone’s okay. And the ball is on one of those areas where it is all trampled down by the spectators, so I think he does have a shot. while the sun was obscured by one of those puffy clouds overhead, but that’s moved in the freshening breeze here. And now it’s brilliant evening sunshine once again. Really vivid and lengthening shadows being cast on this 12th green. And Scotty Sheffller looking for a birdie here, having driven into the bunker. And Matt Fitzpatrick, he’s going to have a 10-footer. Devilishly difficult one as well to make his birdie here. This is around about 20 ft. Bit of left to right. Little bit of left to right, but it’s straight downwind. A little downhill. Certainly not one that he can give a good go at. He’s got to be a little tentative, little cautious. On its way now, now ready to turn down the slope towards the hole, but he borrowed a fraction too much. And that’s run on. And so he’s got a couple of feet for his par. ABB. Well, one of Scotty Schiffller’s closest challengers has dropped a shot. Howong Lee for only the second time this championship a three putt on the par three 13th 40 foot beyond the flag left the par put three foot short and then looked a little nervy over that one it’s a bogey he is back to nine under par in so this is huge now for Matt Fitzpatrick if he can make this 10-footer he’s back to within two shots of the lead it’s at 13 under Fitzpatrick at 10 under Hatton at nine under houseong Lee now at nine under Mroy at 8 under as is Chris Gotup the recent winner at the Scottish Open. So this to get back to 11 under bit of right to left. Yeah, but he’s lining up here quite a way to the right. He’s coming down the tier. Wind off the right. Kind of an awkward put to judge with both, but he’s done. Oh, he’s just left it a little high. It looked like it was going to turn in hard at the end, but it whipped over the top side of the hole and left himself a foot putt. That’s backto-back opportunities gone to draw in the leader. Yeah. Yeah, that’s uh that’s a blow, but it was a good-looking putt. It it I I think he hit it as he wanted to. I think he was pretty pleased with it. And halfway there, I thought it was in and I think he did. It just didn’t quite turn. Maybe just a hair too fast coming down that slope. It’s uh it’s been a very good 20 minutes or so for Scottish Heffler without him having to do a great deal really at the moment. over the 13th and the 17th green. There’s corporate hospitality to the left in the Champions Pavilion and they are hanging over the balconies to try and get a shot of Mroy into the 17 because as John said, he has gone way right and there is a corridor that has been created in amongst the spectators who were probably 20 deep now back up the hill to try and create that space for Mroy. But as I say, they are virtually hanging over that railing on the top floor of the Champions Pavilion to crane their necks to get a view of this second shot when it comes. Whilst we wait for that news of Terrell Hatton up on the 14th with Cat. Yeah, long birdie putt for Trell Hatton. Didn’t drop. He’s just standing over the par now. He gestured down the fairway in frustration because he’d hit a good T-shot into the fairway. Then he did an absolute monster five iron, didn’t he? curving in on the wind into this tabletop green and he was hoping to capitalize on that. Yeah, it’s a it’s a hard holders but if you can make four and run that’s absolutely about 2 ft. He’s just about to tidy up for his par. He’s currently at nine under four shots off the lead and in it goes for Till Hatton Ian and in it goes for Scotty Sheffller. Knocks it into the middle of the cup. So both Sheffller and Fitzpatrick in the final pairing make power fives on the 12th. They don’t take advantage of the opportunity to potentially pick up a birdie on the par five and as a result they remain as they were 13 under for Sheffler out in front with Fitzpatrick at 10 under par. Well um Rory had to rescue himself on 16 to par that. Remember he’s eight under. He’s going to have to rescue himself here on 17 as well. This is taking some time John Murray. It is because people on this part of the course on the 17th it’s one of the places to come. So, so people have parked themselves here for the day. So, I mean, you’ve got all sorts picnic blankets, hampers, the whole lot. Therefore, people have got to move all of their paraphernalia before Rory Mroy can play this shot. But he is on that area where all of the spectators have have stamped it down. Yeah. Where they’ve all been sat down, laid down, you know, walked along that area. The the ball looks like it’s lying absolutely fine. The one good thing in his favor, he’s on a bit of a launch pad. So, he will be able to launch it in the air and get it to come down softly as long as he gets the perfect strike. And he needs to do that because this pin location is just over that big pop bunker on the right hand side. Yes. So, the proverbial red sea has been parted. All of those spectators. He’s played it down and he’s landed it just over the hole and it rolls on and it rolls on towards the back of the green but he’s there in two Mroy and therefore this is another birdie opportunity on the 17th but it’s a 25footer it is you know but he’s given himself a chance and that’s all he could do really I mean it was a high tariff shot we thought he may be able to pull it off with his uh expertise and his skills but it was just a little bit more difficult than Maybe I explained it could be, but you know, it’s Rory Mroy. Why can’t he go and knock this one in? And what it does mean, Mark, is that as he walks through all of those spectators, you know, he cannot he cannot not know the feeling and the warmth there is for him and the and the will there is for him to to roll this in. It’s like a like a ring walk, isn’t it? That the way the way he’s come down that hill. We’ll see that with Daniel Dubo Usyk later on when they are Wembley for their ring walk which we’re expecting sometime around 945. Ian, what an incredible atmosphere here because the 13th green backs onto the 17th and we can just hear those roars for Mroy as he walks onto the 17th green. But we turn our attention all the way up to the top of the hill, the pack grandstand that is situated behind it and the figure of the leader and that is Scotty Sheffller. This hole measuring 192 yds today and Sheffller launching his T-shot to a flag that’s located in the front left third of the green and the ball coming to rest on the green. That’s a lovely shot from the leader. Really, really good stuff. comes to the very tip of the shadow cast by the flag and he’s put it to 16 ft. Just immaculate ball striking yet again as we switch over to the green adjacent and John Murray. Absolutely drenched in sunshine now on this third afternoon stroke evening here on the Antrim coast with one of Northern Ireland’s finest Rory Mroy straining every senue to force himself into the picture with a birdie chance on 17 which would take him in theory to nine and a par. Yeah, it would. I mean obviously percentage wise it’s very low for from this distance to hold a put from 30 ft but we saw the one that he hold on 12 for par five for eagle and I mean the crowd the noise will the decibels of the noise from the crowd will be unbelievable if he rolls this one in remember for those who don’t know Maroy was brought up what an hour and a half’s drive from here at Hollywood came here for the first time on his 10th birthday with his dad as a present. Played the course, met Darren Clark that day and then later came back and shot a 65 here as a 16y old as a 36y old. He would quite fancy a 65 today, but he needs this to go in from 25 30 ft. Watches it. Watches it. No. Rolls by on the right. No. He hangs his head as he walks after it. And it is as he taps it in now a par four on the 17th. And the crowd are doing their bit. And he reacts as well. He holds up his club and and waves. And people have got their hands together over their heads in the stand on the far side of the 17th green. So eight under with one to play. Is it enough Mark? Probably not. Meanwhile, almost unnoticed because of the Fiori on the 17th, the leader, Ian Carter, arrives on the 13th with his ball within 15 ft of the hole to very little fanfare. Yeah. And no one’s noticing, are they? He’s just he’s just wandering along. He’s looking across at the throngs that have made their way down the 17th. He knows exactly what’s going on here. Everybody does. Those sounds, they’re just unique in a golfing context, probably in a sporting context. Just the the Olter roars, if you like, for Rory Mroy. It’s We heard it with Shane Lowry, of course, back in 2019 when he had his brilliant victory, but just the atmosphere that is sweeping across this golf course really is something else. Now Matt Fitzpatrick on this par 313 13th with his T-shot has trundled through the back of the green just down in that depression where we’ve seen so many shots played. But just a word about Scotty Sheffller because that was just another immaculately judged shot from him as he fired that in to the 13. Yeah, the only way you could get this pin high is by carrying that front bunker perfectly by maybe two or three yards and that’s exactly what he did. Matt Fitzpatrick hit a lovely looking shot. He was staring it down, but it carried at least 10 to 15 yards past that and because of that has ran off the back of the green and that’s what Scott has been doing so well this week as most weeks. His distance control is just unbelievable. This hole is known as feather bed and the way that it it dropped for for Sheffller was in keeping with the name, but it was a very very hard mattress as far as Fitzpatrick was concerned and that’s why he’s chipping from off the back of the green here and he’s ready to go now and bumps it forward up towards the hole. This looks very good actually. Keep going. Keep going. And yeah, lovely shot that from Matt Fitzpatrick as we take you to Alistister Bruce Ball. Another birdie chance for how Tom Lee looking for a bounce back birdie after a bogey at the hole that you’re on with a three pad on the par 330. Fabulous iron shot from the rough 163 yds. He’s knocked it in pin high on the left hand side of a narrow green with danger left and right. Not too many of the putts have dropped today. He could really do with this one to get himself back to 10 under par. Chasing Sheffller Lee into the heart of the hole. Fabulous putt. Drills it right into the middle. He’s back to 10 under. Ian, thanks Sally. Well, here we go for a 15-footer for a birdie for Scottish Sheffller. What a scene this is because those grand stands that are absolutely packed either side of these two greens. They were all concentrating on the 17th with Mroy and Jordan Smith and now they’re all looking across at the 13th green. So the eyes are trained on the world number one. He’ll fancy this putt surely. Well, absolutely. The record he’s got going so far this week, he’ll be very confident. It’s a relatively flat put. He can be aggressive with it. He’s just trying to decide which way it’s going to move. I don’t think there’s a whole lot on it. So, he’s just got to commit to the line and give it a good run. Just a quick glance up the hill from where Rory Mackoy will be teeing off from Sheffller. Just gauging whether or not there’s going to be roars that might potentially put him off this putt. But he’s decided to keep going. Still wearing that black sweater that he started his round with the quarter zip. Maybe he’s superstitious. Doesn’t take it off unless something goes wrong cuz it’s a warm evening as he sends this pup forward. Oh, and he’s missed it just to the left edge. Good chance has gone to begging. I think that was actually a slight push. He came out of that putt looking as if uh he just didn’t quite start it on the line he wanted, which is unusual certainly today anyway. And this is the tester now coming for Matt Fitzpatrick. It was a lovely chip. You were nodding with professional approval. Yeah, it was a brilliant shot. It was very aggressive back up the hill. When it landed, I thought it might go long, but it dug in and it was quite slow. And as it approached the hole, it actually whipped really hard to the left and I thought it was going to be stone dead, but it’s probably got five feet now with a little bit of left to right on it. So, it’s not a straightforward tapping, but it is uphill. It is uphill. It can be aggressive, and he’ll have learned a little bit from Scotties. It’s on a very similar line. Well, this was the hole that he birdied yesterday to have four birdies in a row. It’s been a bit stickier through this period for Fitzpatrick. Must make for him, you feel for Par. Oh, and he’s missed. Caught the left edge, horseshoe round, and it’s a bogey for Fitzpatrick. That is a savage blow for the Englishman. and he slips back to level par for his round. Nine under par for the championship and now four shots behind Scotty Sheffller who missed his chance for a birdie but sits proud at the top of the leaderboard at 13 under par. I’m just going to go on to the 18th and John Murray and Graeme Storm are on 18 to to watch Rory Mroy. They followed Rory Mroy all the way through his round but I don’t know if you’ve seen up in the distance John I don’t actually know where are you halfway down 18. Are you near the green? Where are you? We are we’re just walking so up towards the green. Yes. Lee Westward has just closed out his round and on on the outward nine he shot a four overpar 40. There were one, two, three, four bogeies on his outward nine. He has come back Graeme Storm in 29. And if he had birded the 18th, he barred the 18th. If he birded it, he’d have got 28 on the back nine, which would be the first time in open history that anybody has done 28, but he birded 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, and 17. Yeah, we uh we saw his scoreboard as he was going down 18 and me and John were just chatting about that actually. But just a little thing just to add to that for the people on the DP World Tour who set who do course setup and I’m one of those. If somebody breaks 30, then the scorer always asks that player to sign a golf ball. Now, I wonder if the RNA are going to get Lee Westward to sign a golf ball for Connor, who’s here doing if they set up for the RNA. Well, they should, shouldn’t they? Be incredibly petty if they didn’t. Yeah, I think they should uh stick with tradition. I think it’s quite a nice thing. And to get one signed off Lee Westwood, you’d want to keep it. We had quite an amusing exchange with him as well, didn’t we? on the 14th T. I’ll tell you about it later. But Maroy, by the way, is safely on the fairway on 18. Is that’s an all fair story? Is that what you’re saying? So, possibly. Right. Possibly. It’s quite funny though. Cat watching Tur. Yeah, Terrell Hatton’s ball has just bounced through the back of the 15th. Another glorious T-shot from the Englishman, but just a little heavy-handed as he was coming in. The wind is howling down this 15th hole. scaries out towards the sea, out towards the slabs of rock, after which this hole is named. So his ball skipped through the green and is just teetering on the edge of a bunker. That shout you can hear is for his Danish playing partner Raasmus Huygar who has just birdied this hole from long range. That drops in to take him to six underpar and a timely birdie for the day. And he’s not had the best of days, has he? It’s been a bit up and down. It has been a bit up and down, but I’m pleased for him because he’s really dug in. He’s hit some terrific shots and he’s just hold absolutely nothing until then. Lovely touch from Terrell Hatton there. Sort of semi-fist pump with him and uh just to give him a bit of encouragement. Turo was a little bit unlucky