The Open: Sunday shoot-out awaits at Royal St George’s

AS IT STANDS -12 Oosthuizen; -11 Morikawa; -9 Spieth; -8 Conners, Scheffler; -7 Rahm, Hughes, Frittelli. SELECTED OTHERS -6 Siem; -5 MacIntyre; -4 Johnson; -3 Koepka; -1 McIlroy; +3 DeChambeau

Louis Oosthuizen is just 18 holes from going wire-to-wire at Royal St George’s and winning The Open for the second time. 

On a low-scoring day in Sandwich, the South African didn’t particularly capitalise, carding a one-under 69, but it was still enough to maintain his lead at the top of the famous yellow Open leaderboard going into championship Sunday. 

Once again, he’ll have Collin Morikawa for company, the young American closing to within one shot of Oosthuizen courtesy of a two-under 68. The 2020 US PGA champion got off to a slow start in round three, dropping shots at the second and fifth, before mounting an impressive rally. 

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Jordan Spieth had almost the opposite experience. Starting the day at eight-under, the three-time major champ got to 12-under through ten but struggled on the way in, dropping shots at each of the last two holes to finish on nine-under, three shots back. 

Spieth’s fellow Texan Scottie Scheffler is a shot further back alongside Corey Conners, who is bidding to become the first Canadian to win the Claret Jug. 

Don’t count out Jon Rahm, either. After opening his championship with a one-over 71, he added a 68 to the 64 he carded yesterday to loiter ominously on seven-under alongside another Canadian – Mackenzie Hughes – and South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli.

The stage is set. A thrilling Open Sunday awaits. And Louis Oosthuizen – runner-up in each of the last two majors – is the man to beat. 

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“Finishing second isn’t great,” he admitted after his round. “So I will play my heart out tomorrow and see if I can lift the Claret Jug again.

“You need to believe that you can lift the trophy and if you think about it beforehand that you might win this championship, I think that’s great, and you have to believe you can do it.”

Nearest challenger Morikawa is making his Open debut this week. Needless to say, he’s hoping for the same outcome as his US PGA debut last year – victory.

“The biggest thing I can draw from the PGA is just knowing I can get it done,” he said. “I think confidence just comes from hitting good shots, quality shots, seeing putts go in. There is a lot to draw from, especially this week.

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“I don’t have much experience on links golf, and pretty much all the highlights in my head are from this week. Thankfully there is quite a few. Hopefully we can just use that momentum from the first three days and just bring it into the last 18. It’s going to be a gruelling 18, but I look forward to it.”

As do we all, Collin. As do we all.