There was lots of movement on Moving Day as Billy Horschel takes a one shot lead into the final round at Royal Troon
Well, if we and the players had thought that we'd seen the worst of the conditions at Royal Troon, Friday had just been a matinee to the main performance.
Whilst early starters enjoyed a relatively calm and dry start to the day (the sun even made a brief appearance), with the course giving up the birdies it was meant to on the front nine, all things changed as the leaders prepared for their third rounds.
All the tricks of a links course were served on a plate to challenge the players looking for Open Championship glory. The rain was relentless, the wind calmer than Friday but still playing its part and the lucky breaks proving hard to find.
The best way to judge the weather conditions was by watching the penultimate group of Billy Horschel and Justin Rose. The rotations of their caps showed just how wet the conditions were - cap back to stop the drips getting in their putting line, cap forward, rain had abated enough to focus on their next drive. Even World Number one Scottie Scheffler got in on the cap swivelling action.
Grim, miserable, relentless - all words to describe the conditions facing the players out on the course for the final four hours of the day. Three words that us fans relished as we (almost morbidly) wanted to see who would stand the test and creep to the top of the leaderboard.
Keeping hands dry, shielding behind caddies and negotiating damp think rough, damp slow fairways, damp bunkers and slow damp greens - where the order of the afternoon.
Billy Horschel holds a one shot lead
So who did creep to the top? A little surprisingly, it wasn't Open Master Shane Lowry holding the lead heading into Sunday, the Postage Stamp was the starting point of his downfall. Maybe even a little surprisingly to him, it was cap swivelling Billy Horschel, a two-under-par 69 sees the American take a one shot lead into the final round. How does he feel about doing this for the first time at 37-years-old?
"I love it. I've worked my entire life to be in this position. Listen, I've been in the lead many times going into a final round. Obviously this is a major. It means a little bit more. We all know that. We know what this means to everyone. I know what it means to my legacy in the game of golf and what I want to do and accomplish. But I'm excited to be here. I've wanted to be here my entire life. I'm finally here. I'm embracing it.
"As I told Todd Lewis, something I've done this year, and I've done a better job this week of it, or tried to do a better job, is sort of manifest seeing myself holding the trophy before I go to sleep every night, envisioning myself holding that trophy on 18, walking out to the crowd and being congratulated as Open champion. That's what I'm going to do again tonight, and hopefully that comes true tomorrow. If it doesn't, then I'll get back on the grind and work harder to get back in a position like this again."
Playing alongside Justin Rose who had to settle for a two-over-par 73 and is one shot back at three-under-par was clearly a motivating factor for both players on moving day.
"When you've got another guy like Justin Rose who loves conditions like this, who grinds out shots, who works hard, it does make it a little bit easier when you're playing with someone like that. Listen, I've looked up to Justin for many years now, I've told him that. The way he goes about his business, the way he checks every box, I've emulated that a little bit in what I've done.
"Justin is a great friend. Foochy obviously caddied for me for a few years. He's a great friend. So we had a great group out there. Even though there wasn't a lot of chatter going on because we were grinding out our score, we know we both are pulling for each other."
Justin Rose looking for Open Championship glory
With Justin Rose adding: "It's a comfortable pairing. Billy was able to make those easy birdies early and then build on it and obviously hang in great on the back nine. His short game was unbelievable, and it was a fun round to watch."
Rose is tied for second with five other players, how does he feel heading into the final round chasing his maiden Open dream?
"It's still my dream. In a few years, it'll be someone else's dream. But yeah, still my dream right now. Great opportunity to go live it out tomorrow."
Thriston Lawrence and Sam Burns had the rounds of the day coming in with a pair of 65s. Lawrence gets the nod for the final group pairing whilst Burns has a little bit of pressure taken off in the penultimate group with fellow American Russell Henley.
The game plan for South African Lawrence hasn't changed:
"We teed it up on Thursday trying to win. Whatever happens in between up until Sunday is out of my control, but the game plan doesn't change and the mentality doesn't change."
Whilst Burns, who was seven-over-par after 11 holes of the Championship, has flipped the script and will now contend for his first Major victory on Sunday.
Henley only had one bogey on his card as he went on to shoot a 66 and also be in the group one shot back. After 10 attempts, the 35-year-old finally feels like he's got a handle of links golf:
"Links golf has really humbled me as this is my 10th Open and never really feel like I've known what I was doing exactly. So today was a great round for me, and I'm just really excited about it."
2024 Major Champions in the mix
There is just the small matter of PGA Champion Xander Schauffele also at three-under-par, plus Masters Champion and World Number one Scottie Scheffler a further shot back at two-under-par. Current proven Major Champions lurking in the shadows but ready to rise to the top and take the glory...
Schaufelle may use his experience on Sunday: "I'd have to take a guess, but I imagine it's not going to hurt me. If I'm in that spot with a few holes to play, I think I can maybe lean on that. It's just such a different style of golf. It's such a different tournament. That's the great thing about these majors is they're very different, and it's an honour to try to win them." Whilst Scheffler will be recovering from the back nine for getting out to tackle it all one last time on Sunday: "Overall the back nine, I think that was probably the hardest nine holes that I'll ever play. I shouldn't say ever, but it's definitely the hardest that I've played to this point."
Scheffler is likely to be teeing it up with someone he hasn't played with before as Englishman Daniel Brown navigated the harsh playing conditions to limit the damage to a two-over-par 73. The final player at three-under-par, he has the chance to make the story of the week if he can keep his cool, calm and casual demeanour for one last day.
"If you'd have told me I was going to go into the final round of the Open one or two shots back, I would have ripped your hand off."
Bet he didn't have teeing it up with the World Number one on his goals of the week either!
Shane Lowry will come out fighting
As for third round leader Shane Lowry, the Irishman probably had the most disappointing day on the Royal Troon links which all started with a double bogey on the formidable Postage Stamp 8th hole, another four bogeys followed on 11, 12, 14, 15 with the final nail in the coffin on 18. A six-over-par 77 is not not quite the complete disaster it may seem as he is only three shots back heading into the final round.
"There's no doubt I'm going to go out there tomorrow thinking I can win the tournament, but it's just hard right now. You have to give me a bit of leeway. Ten minutes ago I had to putt for par on the 18th green, and I'm here talking to you guys now trying to figure out how I shot 77 in my own head. Like, yeah, this game is just hard, and now you feel how hard it was for playing well the first two days in those conditions."
We have a perfect Sunday line-up with all to play for. The day should mainly be dry with winds not as serve as Friday. With more of a level playing field, a winner may find it more difficult to emerge as we watch to see who can finally tame Royal Troon and place their hands on the coveted Claret Jug.
