Scheffler four clear at Open as McIlroy charges

Round three leaderboard for The Open

-14 Scheffler (US), -10 Li (Chn), -9 Fitzpatrick (Eng), -8 Hatton (Eng), English (US), Gotterup (US), McIlroy (NI)

Selections: -6 MacIntyre (Sco), -5 Westwood (all Eng), and -5 Rose (all)

In a third round that had all the necessary ingredients to establish a classic, Scottie Scheffler continued on an imperious march toward a first Open Championship title.

Instead, Scheffler, who has won the 54-hole lead for the past nine games, will lead China’s Li Haotong by four shots going into Sunday’s final round.

With the victory of the third leg of the career Grand Slam, which follows wins at Royal Portrush and two Masters titles, would follow with victory at May’s US PGA Championship.

To get to 14 under, he shot a typically strong, if unspectacular, 67-hole bogey-free round, which was punctuated by an eagle and two birdies. And he will know after round three that he has won all three of his majors, when he is in the lead.

The 29-year-old described the experience as “pretty patient.”

“Sometimes in major championships, it can be difficult to make birdies, and today was one of those days.”

Rory McIlroy, who shot a five-under 66 on Saturday to start Sunday six back, said: “I don’t think it’s a surprise because he’s playing like Scottie.”

“Everyone has seen how he’s played the past two or three years.” He is so strong. He avoids errors.

There doesn’t appear to be any weakness because he’s also turned himself into a really consistent putter.

As the UK players made their first moves on the seventh and final shot, Tyrrell Hatton holed his third shot from 140 yards with loud cheers reverberating across this renowned old links.

Fitzpatrick and Hatton finished the day with five and six backs, respectively, while MacIntyre was unable to sustain his.

Anything can happen, but it will be a difficult task, McIlroy said to BBC Sport about his chances.

After Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods, nobody could compete with Scheffler, who is aiming to become the only player to win the Masters, US PGA Championship, and Open before turning 30.

Scheffler would match Xander Schauffele’s winning streak at the US PGA and Open if he won on Sunday.

Scheffler birdied the eighth hole after opening with six pars and then birdied the seventh to move two shots clear of Fitzpatrick at 13 under.

When playing partner Fitzpatrick bogeyed the 11th, Li and I both fell to 10 under, the two shots eventually grew to three.

With only one bogey in his first two rounds, the Chinese had quietly increased with two birdies and 10 pars in his first 12 holes before missing a par for par on the 13th hole.

Hatton was out there. He was bogey-free for his round, and he was nine under when he birdied on the par-five 12th.

On the 13th, another Fitzpatrick dropped shot to join Hatton, while Li birdied 14 to go back under 10 and keep Scheffler in sight. Just .

Hatton shot a 16-under par to finish at eight under. Fitzpatrick missed out on 15. Li did the same on 17 to reach 11 under, but she bogeyed the final.

And he quietly carried on as the competition to join Scheffler in the final group went on. 13 pars had kept him out of the chasing pack besides his eagle-birdie burst.

He was 14 under when he reached his 16th hole, which had a hole name Calamity Corner, and two final pars clinched his lead.

With Scheffler, Li will leave last. In the final group, Fitzgerald and McIlroy will play.

McIlroy made the halfway cut after hitting the fewest fairways available. In the original field of 156, his success rate of 32.1% over the first two days placed him 150th.

However, he found the first fairway on Saturday, which set the tone for an early charge that deliated thousands of already crazily awaiting disciples.

A 30-foot birdie on the first received a roaring ovation, reminiscent of a Augusta Sunday Tiger roar.

With “Rory, Rory, Rory”echoing through the dunes after a tap-in birdie on two and a six-footer on the fourth, even louder bellows of encouragement were sounded. At the start of play, McIlroy was only four aces away from Scheffler, who was seven behind.

Then it failed, of course.

The momentum was lost after a missed birdie putt from a dozen feet on the fifth and another from a similar range on the seventh.

Following a bizarre incident in the rough where he discovered a buried ball with his follow through after striking his own into the green, his first real failure with the driver down the 11th led to a first bogey.

All hope is lost, Not entirely.

McIlroy drained a 56-foot eagle putt on the 12th, which raised more whooping as the course’s winner.

Schauffele’s analysis of the chaos of noise following McIlroy’s every move was ” loud and cool “.

When I learned what had happened, I was on the 17th Tee. I assumed it was some sort of hole-out or eagle. He received a standing ovation walking down 13 and was very loud.

He appears to be enjoying it, according to him. The fans seem to be enjoying it, which is great for this event.

However, Scheffler was busy birdieing the eighth to move six clear at 13 under.

It served as a stark reminder that McIlroy was only one step closer to being a majority player than he had been at the start of the game.

McIlroy pushed, though. Another birdie was made by a wedge on 15 into three feet. More bedlam in the stands ensue.

But his round ended up sagging after two wild drives on the 16th and then a ravine on the long par-three 16th.