US Open runner-up Sam Burns takes a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Open Championship on a day when Ryan Fox became the third player in 24 hours to post a record-equalling 62 in a men’s major championship.
The New Zealander capitalised on the best of the conditions when he teed off at 10.30am and posted the eight-under clubhouse lead, which was only surpassed by Burns in the third-last group of the day.
Burns, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, has a highest Open finish of joint 31st, with two other places in the 40s, one in the 70s and one missed cut.
However, he finished second at last month’s US Open and tied seventh at the Masters and has finally transformed that form to links golf with a round of 65 to get to 10 under, having become the second man this week to shoot 62 the day before.
It was an impressive performance after teeing off at 3.30pm amid the Bryson DeChambeau circus in the wake of his compatriot’s two-shot penalty controversy of Friday night and he out-scored his playing partner by six.
“It’s obviously a difficult golf course and it’s still a work in progress, (I’m) trying to execute and accept whatever happens,” said Burns, who only decided to travel on Friday after wife Caroline gave birth early to their second child, Belle, a fortnight ago.
“All I can do tomorrow is go out and play my best and see where it puts me. Whatever happens tomorrow it doesn’t define who I am.”
Sam Burns playing his approach to the 18th
DeChambeau, who was roared on by an encouraging crowd, could advance his total by only one to sit six under but still in contention.
By the time that group had finished just before 8pm Fox was comfortably ensconced at home after the round of his life.
“Being picky, I’d want a couple of drives back today maybe, but outside of that, I feel like I didn’t really miss a shot. I would have taken 62 on a Saturday, that’s for sure,” said Fox, who played alongside Xander Schauffele, the only man to post two 62s in majors.
After two record-equalling 62s on Friday the R&A tried to protect the course – running fast with no wind and relatively defenceless – with their pin positions.
“I kind of said to him (Schauffele) the R&A have got it in for us after the two 62s yesterday. Then I go and do it today.
“I think they’re going to find a few slopes and put them on top of bunkers tomorrow for us.”
FULL LEADERBOARD
Shane Lowry still leads the Irish challenge at Royal Birkdale, though he is six strokes adrift after an often frustrating day on the greens.
The 2019 Open champion did hole an 11ft birdie putt on the third to get to four under par. However, despite some excellent approach play, that was the sole birdie on his outward nine, with missed opportunities at the second, fifth and eighth.
He dropped his first stroke on the 10th after finding a pot bunker off the tee and then fell back to two under for the tournament after missing the green left at the short 12th hole.
Shane Lowry is six off the lead heading into Sunday
This was his cue to rally, sinking a 20-footer for birdie on the 13th and then following it up with his first birdie of the week at the par-5 14th.
His putter was now coming to the rescue and he drained his longest of the day – a 23 footer for par after missing the green at 15. But an eight footer for birdie on the 17th subsequently slipped by.
Not even an chip-in eagle on the par-4 ninth could properly ignite Rory McIlroy’s challenge and he lies two strokes further back than his compatriot on two under par.
The 2014 champion – who took aim at Bryson DeChambeau’s threats to withdraw from the tournament with some highly barbed comments – continued to struggle on the greens en route to a round of 69.
“It was a little scrappy in areas. I feel like I could have probably shot 67 or 66 and if I’m three back of Foxy (clubhouse leader Ryan Fox on eight under) going into tomorrow I feel like I have a legitimate chance,” said McIlroy.
“But I’m three back of that. I probably feel like I’m a little too far behind.
“Never say never. If I go out tomorrow and get to double digits, you never know, but I certainly am not going out tomorrow thinking like I’ve got a great chance to win.
“I feel like my speed (on the greens) has just never quite been right for the entire week, and when your speed’s not right, it’s obviously hard to hole putts.”
Rory McIlroy was another player to card a 69 on Saturday
DeChambeau’s crowd was undoubtedly boosted by the drama of the previous evening, when it looked like he was staging a one-man protest with a late-night range which ended at 10.30pm after being penalised for improving the area of his backswing by standing on a clump of grass.
Arriving on the first tee to a rapturous welcome, he gave a thumbs-up to all sides of the horseshoe-shaped grandstand, but he struggled to deliver on the faith the thousands had in him.
He bogeyed the second after missing the green but reclaimed the shot at the sixth to turn in a level-par 34.
An approach inside seven feet brought a birdie at the long par-three 15th and he took advantage of the par-five 17th to get to seven under but bogeyed the last after going over the back of the green.
After a short but unexplained trip to the championship office DeChambeau headed to the practice ground again, with the media following his every move.
Ryder Cup winner Ludvig Aberg shot a 67 to also get to six under, with his European team-mate and hometown favourite Tommy Fleetwood a shot further back after a 69.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler struggled on the greens again and a level-par 70 left him four under but still in contention.
With additional material: PA