The Open 2023 LIVE RESULTS: McIlroy way adrift as Fleetwood aims to reduce Harman's lead at Hoylake
THE OPEN is back on the big screens once again and American golfer Brian Harman is currently leading the way on day three.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler has some work to do following his poor start to the tournament.
However, even further behind is Rory McIlroy who is still in contention, but can be considered part of the chasing pack.
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Rahm's remarkable run
He's done it again!
Jon Rahm sinks a 33 foot putt at 16 for another birdie, and is now seven-under for the day.
It's moves him level with Tommy Fleetwood in second place on -5.
"We are in the midst of something special right now," purrs the commentator and he's not wrong.
Hojgaard at home at Hoylake
Danish whizzkid Nicolai Hojgaard has continued his excellent start to the third round.
The 22-year-old has made alternate birdies at holes one, three and five while remaining on par at two, four and six.
We're seeing more birdies at Hoylake than at an aviary.
Rahm has Royal record in sight
Rahm birdies again on 15, and is T3 on -4 for the championship.
Incredibly, the Spaniard is six-under-par for the day, and if he manages to go one-under across the final three holes then he will set a new record for an Open round at Royal Liverpool.
Fitz finishes in fine form
Matt Fitzpatrick has signed off on the 18th with another birdie.
It means the 2022 US Open winner has ended with four birdies from the final five holes.
He finishes four-under on 67 and goes to -2 for the tournament.
Something to keep an eye on now is his brother Alex.
Currently on -1 through 12, if the younger Fitzpatrick becomes the next player to finish on -2 then the brothers will go out together tomorrow.
On the final day of a major, what a story that would be.
Man on a mission
What a turnaround from Jon Rahm.
McIlroy begins with a birdie
Could it be one of those dream days for Rory?
The 2014 Open champion has certainly made a confident start, sinking a ten foot putt at the 1st for a birdie three.
There's barely a flicker of emotion from McIlroy as he retrieves his ball. He's got a job to do.
Matt back on track
The 17th hole was a horrorshow for Matthew Fitzpatrick yesterday, ending in a triple bogey six.
But the Englishman has his redemption, scoring a beautiful birdie after landing his tee shot within six feet of the hole.
He moves to the last just a single shot behind his brother Alex.
Rory given rousing reception
If the reaction to Matthew Jordan arriving on the first tee was impressive, it's nothing compared to the noise when Rory McIlroy rocks up 20 minutes later.
And the Northern Irishman makes the most of it, sending his opening drive dazzling down the fairway.
In contrast, Jordan found a bunker, leading to him beginning with a bogey five.
Hojgaard off to a flyer
Nicolai Hojgaard has made a lightning start to his third round at The Open.
The Dane has birdied two of the first three holes to leave him on -3 for the championship, and tied for fourth place with Jon Rahm.
The young star is out to make a name for himself in only his third major.
Rahm-tastic! Jon's birdie brilliance
It's now FOUR birdies in a row for Jon Rahm!
After signing off on the 9th with two shots at the par three, the Masters winner has gone birdie, birdie, birdie to begin the back nine.
From nowhere, Rahm is five-under for the day, and T4 on -3 for the tournament.
If he can keep this form up, the Spaniard will be in contention when play starts tomorrow.
Under-pars get underway
The chasing pack are starting out at Hoylake for round three.
Starting with Laurie Canter and Richard Bland in Game 27, the players who ended round two as under-par are beginning to take to the fairway.
Antoine Rozner, Nicolai Hojgaard, Wyndham Clark and Henrik Stenson have followed them out, and the likes of Matthew Jordan, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Speith, Jason Day, Min Woo Lee and Sepp Straka are still to come.
Game 38 featuring Tommy Fleetwood (-5) and runaway leader Brian Harman (-10) is due to tee off at 3.30pm.
Champ denied on the 14th
Last year's Open champion Cam Smith has been going up through the gears this afternoon.
The Australian birdied at the 3rd, 6th, 11th and 13th with his only bogey today coming on a troublesome hole four.
He has another opportunity to go under par at 14 with a six foot putt, but his effort kisses the lip of the hole and shoots off to the right.
Smith is one-under for the tournament.
Back-to-back birdies for Rahm
After needing just two shots at the par-three 9th, Jon Rahm begins the back nine at Hoylake with another birdie.
His lovely putt at the 10th - an eight-footer that moves from left to right - sees the Spaniard go three-under for the day, and into the red on the overall leaderboard.
He's one-under for the championship, and tied for 11th place.
Rory gets ready on the range
Rory McIlroy's third round is due to get underway in just under an hour at 2.25pm.
The 2014 Open champion - the last occasion in which the major was held at Royal Liverpool - will begin at one-under for the tournament.
He played expertly through the final nine holes yesterday, and will be hoping to continue that form into today's round.
Marcel's marvellous beginning
Game 25 featuring Alex Noren and Marcel Siem has teed off, and the latter has started with a birdie three.
And with that, the German moves into the red on -1 for the championship.
Seventeen more of those would be nice.
Fowler finds his form
It's been a round five years in the making from the 2018 Open runner-up.
Four-under for Xander
It's been a sensational day so far so Xander Schauffele.
The American landed three birdies on the front nine, and has just registered his fourth of the day at the 11th.
A booming 330-yard drive down the fairway is followed by a precise chip on to the green and a cool putt to finish.
He's four-under for the day, and tied-seventh for the championship.
Fowler finishes four-under
Rickie Fowler wraps up his third round with a par-five on the 18th hole.
It's been a bogie-free round for the American, who finishes four-under for the day.
He's currently tied for 12th place on the leaderboard, a 50-spot move up from his position when he went out as the first game of the day.
Americans blitz up the board
It's those golfers from the United States that have settled amid the wet weather at Hoylake on round three.
Rickie Fowler, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele are now four-under for the day while JT Poston is two-under.
Thank heavens it isn't the Ryder Cup.
Test-ing conditions in the north-west
Many sport lovers have taken advantage of the rain at Old Trafford as an opportunity to switch over from the Ashes Test match to The Open Championship.
And that includes Sky Sports commentators Ricky Ponting and Mark Butcher, who have made their way from Manchester for a close-up taste of the action at Hoylake.
That perhaps doesn't bode well for any play in the cricket today, although the weather is clearing here at Royal Liverpool, and we're led to believe that the blue-ish skies are heading in the direction of Manchester.
Fingers crossed.
Birdies flying in at Hoylake
Xander Shauffele bounces back from missing that difficult putt on hole eight to birdie again at nine.
The 29-year-old steams in a 47-footer that has the Royal Liverpool crowd whooping with delight.
He's three-under for this third round and joins Rickie Fowler at -1 for the championship.
These two are showing those still to come that a low score is possible at Hoylake in these wet conditions.
Fowler flying up the board
Rickie Fowler unleashes a sensational approach shot at the par-four 16th, and leaves himself with a routine putt for a fourth birdie of the day.
The American duly converts and moves to -4 for the round, and now finds himself -1 for the championship.
He sits at T11 as he heads to the 17th.
Schauf luck! Xander misses opportunity
After a birdie at the 7th, Xander Shauffele has a 20 foot putt opportunity at the 8th to repeat the feat.
The American will become the first player today to move under par in the championship if he sinks this.
He knows it too, but his gentle shot moves right and drops a foot short of the hole.
Schauffele remains two under for the day.
Rickie Fowler chasing
Rickie Fowler has shown that a low score is possible out on the wet course today.
He's yet to make a bogey this round and made a third birdie on the 12th to move to -3.
He's now back to level par for the championship.
He's up to T25 with the big boys teeing off later.
Rahm tees off
John Rahm has just endured a disappointing drive as he teed off on the first hole at Hoylake.
He's played his drive into the rough as he gets things going.
Sungjae Im followed him with a decent drive.
