Key occasions
Billy Horschel comes up brief on the par-four fifteenth. Regardless of! He sends the crispest of wedges from 36 yards to two-and-a-half ft. Par. In the meantime Justin Rose’s up-and-down is arguably even higher, a pitch in from the highest of a financial institution to the left of the inexperienced, 45 yards out. He leaves himself an eight-foot putt with loads of right-to-left curl. He judges it completely, and as soon as once more this pair go away the scene having made staunch par saves. They’re -5 and -4 respectively.
Shane Lowry’s putter has gone stone chilly. He can’t tidy up the seven-foot par putt he’s left with, and that’s his fourth bogey in seven holes. Dan Brown faucets in for maybe the second most outrageous three of the day. The primary? Brown’s birdie on 7, having hoicked his drive over Scottie Scheffler’s startled head whereas the world primary was enjoying the eighth.
Dan Brown hooks hysterically miles left of 14. Hassle there. Shane Lowry is relatively joyful having despatched his tee shot over the again. However then it seems Brown has benefitted from an enormous stroke of luck: as a substitute of his ball disappearing into thick gorse, it sits properly on a trodden-down spectator walkway, from the place he chips deliciously to kick-in distance. Lowry, maybe spooked a little bit by his enjoying companion’s tenacity, leaves his putt from the perimeter six ft brief. In the meantime up on 18, Matthew Jordan will get tight on a brief par putt, and the closing bogey means he’s signing for a 71. Degree par right now, stage par for the championship.
Daniel Brown can’t make his mid-range par putt on 13 and slips again right into a share of the lead. In the meantime up on 15, Dean Burmester yips yet one more brief putt for bogey, and it’s catching, as a result of Scottie Scheffler horseshoes out from 4 ft, and it’s starting to go south for the world primary, with two pictures gone within the final three holes.
-5: Horschel (14), Brown (13)
-4: Schauffele (16), Rose (14), Lowry (13)
-3: Lawrence (F), Burns (F), Henley (F)
-1: Jordan (17), Scheffler (15)
E: A Scott (F), Thomas (F), Burmester (15)
One of many pictures of the week – maybe the shot of the week – by Billy Horschel on the par-three 14th. His tee shot trickles into the bunker to the left of the inexperienced. He’s left in an terrible place, the ball tucked up in opposition to the left facet of the lure. He’s short-sided, with barely sufficient room to face subsequent to his ball, however squeezes himself in, opens the face up broad, and splats out delicately to a few ft. He stays at -5. That was pleasant.
It’s been a depressing day for the five-time main champion Brooks Koepka. Having by no means recovered from a double-bogey seven at 4, he finally ends up with a birdie-free 78. Par for Dustin Johnson, who ends the day at +2, not fairly out of issues, alongside different massive names in Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa.
A beautiful scramble by Matthew Jordan on the par-three seventeenth. His tee shot is a correct broad, to this point off beam it misses the bunkers to proper. He lobs to 12 ft, then rattles his par saver. Hoylake’s native hero final yr is making himself very talked-about right here at Troon too. He stays at -1.
Two massive up-and-downs from the facet of 13 by Billy Horschel and Justin Rose. Each males rejoice as if they’d made birdies. You’ll be able to’t blame them; Troon’s again 9 is a beast at the most effective of occasions, however particularly in these circumstances. In the meantime again down the outlet, it seems Shane Lowry’s drive discovered the green, regardless of flirting with a financial institution to the suitable of the outlet. He smashes his second into the entrance of the inexperienced. Dan Brown has to hack again out onto the green, although, so is hitting three into the inexperienced. He arrows his shot straight on the flag, but it surely’s 15 ft brief. Work to do if he’s to carry onto sole possession of the lead.
Matthew Jordan, having dropped pictures at 13 and 15, fights his approach again into pink figures by rolling in a 20-footer throughout 16. He’s -1. In the meantime Dean Burmester misses his third egregiously brief putt of the day, this time at 14, to drop again to -1. The small margins between success and failure at a significant championship.
Dustin Johnson’s look on the perimeter of occasions didn’t final lengthy. He carves his tee shot on the par-three seventeenth broad proper, and might solely duff his second from tough right into a greenside bunker. He finally ends up with double bogey, and he’s again to +2. In the meantime Daniel Brown’s back-and-forth spherical continues apace, as he follows that birdie by flaying his drive at 13 into deep oomska down the suitable. Shane Lowry, on a rolling boil, follows him there.
Shane Lowry opts to take putter from the underside of the swale. He’s not obtained a lot inexperienced to work with up prime. He races his putt six ft previous. That’ll be a tester, particularly as he’s dropped two strokes within the final 4 holes. Earlier than he can do this, Daniel Brown strokes in his birdie putt. A reminder that that is his first look at a significant! Solely Ben Curtis (2003) has gained the Open on main debut. Now Brown is one away from Billy Horschel … and two away from Lowry, who shoves his brief par putt to the suitable. A darkish cloud above Lowry’s head as he stomps off.
-6: Brown (12)
-5: Horschel (12)
-4: Schauffele (15), Rose (12), Lowry (12)
-3: Lawrence (F), Burns (F), Henley (F)
-2: Scheffler (13), Burmester (13)
Dan Brown and Shane Lowry ship their tee pictures at 12 down the center. Brown wastes no time, as is his wont, in wedging pin excessive to 6 ft. Lowry tries to comply with him in, however catches the slope to the left of the inexperienced and his ball disappears off down it. One other massive scramble try developing. In the meantime Scottie Scheffler comes up brief together with his second at 13, and might’t rise up and down from off the inexperienced. His first bogey of the day, and he’s again the place he began it at -2.
Billy Horschel is this near draining an uphill 25-footer for birdie at 12. A delicate right-to-left roller, it solely stopped drifting in on the final flip. Par for Justin Rose too, a outcome he’d have fortunately taken when watching his iron in flirting dangerously with the bunker guarding the entrance proper of the inexperienced. They’re -5 and -4 respectively. It’s going to be a brilliant Sunday.
In contrast to his enjoying companion, Dan Brown has stored his cool. The choice to put up from 263 yards to a beneficial chipping distance is vindicated: he wedges to 10 ft, then walks in a assured par saver. That’s elegant course administration amid the warmth of battle. Shane Lowry then limits the injury to bogey, cooling down earlier than steering in a left-to-right downhill slider and punching the air in celebration. He’s not sole chief, however at the very least he nonetheless has a share of it.
-5: Horschel (11), Brown (11), Lowry (11)
-4: Schauffele (14), Rose (11)
Shane Lowry doesn’t benefit from his fortunate break. He will get proper underneath his chip, which solely simply makes it to the inexperienced. Earlier than he walks as much as assess the lengthy par putt he’s left himself, he factors at some close by punters and berates them for “standing in the course of the [word redacted by Family Website Editor] fairway after we’re making an attempt to hit”. The pink mist down, he races his 40-foot par putt seven ft previous the outlet, leaving himself loads of work to do.
Dan Brown opts to put up with an iron. It is a par 4. But it surely’s 504 yards lengthy and the wind is howling. In the meantime a stroke of luck for Shane Lowry, who virtually tops his second, pulling it broad left. The ball’s heading for a gorse bush, however hits some dude who’s wanting the fallacious approach on his ankle, and stops within the tough as a substitute. Each gamers with loads of work to do for his or her pars.
Shane Lowry and Dan Brown, having hit dismal tee pictures at 10, make up for it by firing their blind drives at 11 over the financial institution and straight down the green. A good distance again, however that’s not the purpose. Additional up the outlet, Billy Horschel wedges in from 80 yards, however not significantly intently. He’s left with a 20-foot uphill putt to avoid wasting his par … and he can’t do it. Bogey. His enjoying companion Justin Rose, taking Texas Wedge from the perimeter on the entrance, rolls his ball pin excessive, 5 ft to the left, then rolls within the putt. He celebrates strongly. He appears to be having fun with this battle. He stays two off Lowry’s lead at -4.
Shane Lowry almost shortens his odds, however his birdie try on 10 slips by. Dan Brown, at all times out of place after his wild drive, drops his second shot in three holes. And Billy Horschel takes his drugs on 11, chipping again out into the green, hoping he can rise up and down from distance to salvage his par. With the rain persevering with to fall, and the temperature dropping as well, the main pack appear extra more likely to transfer again in direction of the clubhouse leaders than advance. Consolidation is their most life like aim proper now.
-6: Horschel (10), Lowry (10)
-5: Brown (10)
-4: Schauffele (12), Rose (10)
-3: Lawrence (F), Burns (F), Henley (F), Scheffler (11)
-2: Burmester (11)
-1: Jordan (14)
Dustin Johnson ends a run of 13 straight pars by raking in a 50-foot birdie putt from the perimeter at 14. He’s stage par. Bogey for Matthew Jordan at 13; the miss from six ft sends him again to -1. Scottie Scheffler races an excitable 55-foot putt seven ft previous on 11, however makes the one coming again; he’s hanging on in there at -3, nonetheless to find his A-game, however nonetheless proper within the combine. Regardless of all of it, he’s nonetheless second favorite with the bookies proper now, behind Shane Lowry.
Billy Horschel carves his tee shot on the lengthy, lengthy, lengthy par-four eleventh – 504 yards! – in direction of a gorse bush down the suitable. He might have gotten away with that, the ball stopping simply brief. But it surely’s not going to be an incredible lie. Justin Rose batters his drive down the center. Again on 10, Dan Brown can solely squirt his second from tough on the suitable to extra tough on the left. However Shane Lowry will get a flyer out of the thick stuff and his ball finds the dancefloor. He’ll have a bonus 15-foot have a look at birdie.
The leaders drive wild at 10. Dan Brown into the thick tough down the suitable. Shane Lowry out to the left. Seems of concern. It may very well be an extended journey again, as a result of they’ll be coping with cross-winds for the following three holes, after which the wind might be of their faces, making for some lengthy holes on the homeward stretch.
Shane Lowry wasn’t in the most effective of moods after that double bogey on the Postage Stamp. Now he growls in frustration as he performs the ninth just about completely – tee shot down the center, second wedged pin excessive – just for a combination of backspin and the ridge working throughout the inexperienced to carry his ball again to 18 ft. His birdie effort then stops stubbornly on the lip. Only a par. Dan Brown might be happier together with his, having despatched his tee shot into thick tough. The pair stay at -6.
Matthew Jordan appears to be like within the temper to enhance on final yr’s top-ten efficiency at his residence course of Hoylake. He wedges from 160 yards to a few ft, and tidies up for his third birdie of the day. That’s a effective response to dropping a stroke at 11. In the meantime Dean Burmester misses his second brief putt of the day, this time at 10, and it’s bogey. Each gamers at the moment are -2.
66 for Russell Henley
Par for Russell Henley up the final. He places his title to a 66 and he’s effectively set for Sunday. He joins Thriston Lawrence and Sam Burns within the clubhouse lead.
-6: Horschel (9), Brown (8), Lowry (8)
-4: Schauffele (11), Rose (9)
-3: Lawrence (F), Burns (F), Henley (F), Scheffler (9)
Apologies to Xander Schauffele for that final entry. The {Golfing} Gods will need to have learn it, as a result of the Californian’s tee shot on the monster par-four eleventh finds deep trouble down the suitable. Compelled to gouge out, he’s at all times out of place, and the inevitable final result is a bogey that knocks him again to -4. These subsequent few holes are going to be a battle of attrition for these late starters.
Billy Horschel joins the co-leaders at -6! One other effective strategy, this time from 180 yards to 10 ft at 9, is transformed for his fourth birdie of the day. He turns in 32. Horschel and Xander Schauffele are at present the one gamers on the market not letting the driving rain get them down.
Dan Brown’s par putt from the again of 8 is at all times lacking the cup to the left. It sails three ft previous. He makes his bogey. Shane Lowry tickles his downhill effort broad left, and that’ll be a double bogey. The Coffin claims two extra victims. Unexpectedly, the highest of the leaderboard has concertinaed, and with the circumstances nonetheless depressing, this Open is ON. Within the clubhouse, Thriston Lawrence and Sam Burns could have the metaphorical cigar on, hoping and ready for the leaders to come back again in direction of them.
-6: Brown (8), Lowry (8)
-5: Schauffele (10), Horschel (8)
-4: Rose (9)
-3: Lawrence (F), Burns (F), Henley (17), Scheffler (9), Burmester (9)
-1: Jordan (11)
Dan Brown does extraordinarily effectively to flip out of the Coffin sideways, holding the inexperienced. He’s left with a 17-foot par putt, however that’s a shocking outcome from the place he was. Comfortable fingers, however an excellent assured slap of the sand to earn a little bit of spin. Shane Lowry’s up subsequent, and first he must recreate his lie, Brown having messed it up a bit by taking his shot first. Lowry doesn’t have as a lot room behind him, and together with his swing restricted, can solely squirt his ball over the again of the inexperienced and down the swale. He chips up from thick tough to eight ft, however this can be a massive bogey putt developing for the present chief.
A lip-out for Scottie Scheffler from six ft on 9. He covers his mouth in shock and shock. It’s not fairly taking place this week for the world primary, and but he’s nonetheless proper within the combine at -3. Ought to issues correctly click on – and it absolutely gained’t take a lot adjustment – the leaders should be careful. And Scheffler may very well be a shot nearer quickly sufficient, as a result of Shane Lowry and Dan Brown will each must splash out of the Coffin sideways. Drama coming proper up!
Dan Brown, excessive on life after that astonishing gadabout birdie on 7, slam-dunks his tee shot on the Postage Stamp into the Coffin bunker on the left. Shane Lowry then follows him in! The nerves kicking in already, and the ultimate group aren’t even midway via Transferring Day. Tomorrow already promising a lot. However let’s not get forward of ourselves.
Xander Schauffele walks in a 25-footer at 10, and that’s the PGA champion’s fourth birdie of the day. Again on 7, Shane Lowry pulls his brief birdie putt. No mistake although for Dan Brown, and who writes this man’s scripts? Not his namesake, clearly, as a result of that is entertaining. In the meantime each Billy Horschel and Justin Rose land their tee pictures on the Postage Stamp shut, however vicious backspin does for the pair of them, and neither can convert their mid-range birdie putts. A little bit of motion on the prime, then.
-8: Lowry (7)
-7: Brown (7)
-5: Schauffele (10), Horschel (8)
-4: Rose (8)
-3: Lawrence (F), Burns (F), Henley (17), Scheffler (8)
That is outrageous. Dan Brown’s tee shot was so broad proper of seven it cleared the Postage Stamp. However from the again of that inexperienced, up on a hillock, he lifts a wedge from 101 yards to 4 ft! That’s really one thing else, and it makes Shane Lowry’s clip from comparable distance – however, the essential distinction right here, from the centre of the green of the outlet he’s truly enjoying – look positively unusual. Bizarre sport, golf. Two massive birdie alternatives developing!
Dan Brown carves his tee shot to this point broad proper at 7 that it whistles via the inexperienced on the Postage Stamp. Scottie Scheffler and Dean Burmester, lining up their putts, can rely themselves lucky to not have been taken out by that one. Unruffled, Bermester makes his birdie putt to return to -2. In the meantime up on the seventh inexperienced, Billy Horschel follows up birdie at 6 by rattling in a 30-footer for back-to-back birds.
-8: Lowry (6)
-6: Brown (6)
-5: Horschel (7)
-4: Schauffele (9), Rose (7)
-3: Lawrence (F), Burns (F), Henley (16), Scheffler (8)
Sam Burns playing cards 65
Par down the final for Sam Burns, and the 27-year-old from Louisiana indicators for a best-of-day-equalling 65. He joins Thriston Lawrence within the clubhouse lead at -3. Each gamers should wait an excellent whereas earlier than teeing it up tomorrow afternoon.
Dan Brown doesn’t hold about. He performs so shortly he makes Brooks Koepka appear like Patrick Cantlay. The digital camera nearly catches him clipping a wedge from 90 yards to three-and-a-half ft. That must be a birdie that takes him to -6. And in it goes. That is critically spectacular stuff from Brown, who was about as out-of-form because it’s potential to be coming into this week. “Thriston Lawrence must be completely in free-jazz mode (4.28pm) as his title sounds prefer it ought to have the phrase Quartet after it,” argues Matt Emerson. “I’ve not seen an image of him, however I hope he wears a black roll neck and has avant-garde facial hair. Performs tenor sax in addition to golf I reckon.” Funnily sufficient, I used to be pondering he feels like a founding member of some long-in-the-tooth experimental art-rock band that everybody references however no one actually likes.
Patrick Cantlay’s tee shot on the Postage Stamp isn’t too far off line … however simply broad proper sufficient that the camber of the inexperienced takes it off the facet. The slope then gathers his ball into the deep sand. There’s no getting up and down from there, and the bogey takes him again to stage par. And his compatriot Russell Henley additionally heads within the fallacious course, dropping his first shot of the day at 15, the punishment for leaving his chip into the inexperienced from 45 yards 20 ft brief. He’s -3.
Extra ‘this-close’ motion, this time on 5. Shane Lowry and Dan Brown take turns to go away prolonged birdie putts on the lip of the cup. So close to to a pair of birdies that will have despatched shivers down the leaderboard. In the meantime a birdie for Sam Burns at 17, the prize for wedging from 110 yards to a few ft. When that ball was crusing in, a hole-out for eagle appeared on. However a 4 will do.
-8: Lowry (5)
-5: Brown (5)
-4: Henley (14), Schauffele (8), Rose (5)
-3: Lawrence (F), Burns (17), Scheffler (6), Horschel (5)
Dean Burmester missed a brief par putt on the par-five 4th. He makes up for it by strolling in a 20-footer for birdie on the par-five sixth. He’s again to -3. Simply the par for Scottie Scheffler, who isn’t too joyful about it. One other birdie for Matthew Jordan, this time at 7; he rises to -2. And on the Postage Stamp, Xander Schauffele is this shut to creating the second hole-in-one of the day. He eases his wedge over the flag. It lands a few ft previous, and had it spun again in a straight line, it’d have been in. But it surely strikes a little bit to the left, and so it’ll be a tap-in for birdie as a substitute. He’ll transfer to -4.