ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Standing in one of the 112 bunkers on the Old Course on Saturday, Rory McIlroy was about to be exactly where he wanted to be: atop the British Open leaderboard.
His tee shot on the 10th hole found itself in trouble, but not much of a problem, stopping in the middle of the sand trap that protects the front of the green.
McIlroy had room to swing freely and his second shot flew over the edge of the bunker, bounced three times and then rolled a few more feet into the eagle bowl.
The masterful 27-yard putt gave McIlroy a one-shot lead over Victor Hovland, his playing partner.
“It was a skill to get him somewhere,” McIlroy said. “But it was lucky it went into the hole. You need a little luck every now and then, especially in these big tournaments. And that was a nice bonus.
It was the kind of pleasant surprise that can make the difference between winning or losing a major, and Hovland got his own bonus Friday when he holed out of the rough from 139 yards for eagle on the par-4 15th.
But Hovland, a 24-year-old Norwegian who excelled at Oklahoma State before turning pro in 2019, didn’t let McIlroy enjoy the lead alone for long. He quickly reeled in McIlroy with a birdie on the 10th that put them at 15-under par, and then they dueled on the back nine of golf’s most historic course.
Northern Ireland’s McIlroy was certainly the crowd favourite, but Hovland, a dynamic presence, did not shrink from the challenge. They finished with matching rounds of 66 and a share of the lead at 16-under par, which put them four shots ahead of a chasing pack led by American Cameron Young and Australian Cameron Smith, who are both 12-under heading into Sunday.
Of the top four men in the rankings, only McIlroy, 33, is already a major champion, but the last of his four victories came in 2014 when he won the British Open at Royal Liverpool.
Since then, he has had many frustrating Sundays.
“Nothing is given to you and I have to go out there and win it, just like I’ve won everything else in my career,” he said.
Other major champions are also within reach. Scotty Scheffler, the American who won the Masters in April and is ranked No. 1 in the world, is at 11 under, tied with Kim Si-woo of South Korea. Dustin Johnson, a two-time major winner from the United States who recently moved to the breakaway LIV Golf Series, is alone at 10-under after a volatile 71 on Saturday.
Matt Fitzpatrick, the Englishman who won this year’s US Open, is at 9 under with Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, and Tommy Fleetwood.
But if McIlroy and Hovland continue to shine under pressure, as they did on Saturday, they may not allow the pack many opportunities to close the gap.
“There’s a lot that can happen,” Hovland said. “In those conditions and those pin placements, you can play well and shoot around par, and then that includes a lot of other guys.”
Weather is forecast to remain relatively good Sunday, with moderate winds and temperatures in the mid-70s. That could mean more than the low scores that have been the rule at St. Andrews in this 150th edition of The Open.
Several players put on a great show on Saturday, including Shane Lowry, who chipped in for back-to-back eagles on 9 and 10; and Kevin Kisner, who barely made the cut but had the best round of the day: a 7-under-par 65 that put him in a tie for 13th.
“It’s just a fun place to walk and play golf, and when the shots start, it makes it even more fun,” Kisner said.
It seemed an apt summation of a good day at many golf courses, but the success of the Old Course continues to matter even as the world’s best golfers make their way.
McIlroy is aware of what a win on Sunday would mean to him and his audience – perhaps too aware.
“I love that I have so much support,” he said. “But at the same time, I’ve got to stay in my own little world tomorrow and just play some good golf and hopefully that’s enough.”
It wasn’t enough to shake off Hovland in the third round. Both started the day at 10 under and in the penultimate group, ahead of second-round leader Smith and first-round leader Young.
Hovland set a hot pace early, making four straight birdies, starting with a 38-foot birdie putt on No. 3 and a 42-foot birdie putt on No. 4. But McIlroy made birdies of his own on Nos. 5, 6 and 9 before his eagle from the sand on No. 10 and another birdie at No. 15, giving him back the outright lead.
But he couldn’t hold it as Hovland bogeyed him at the 17th for par, while McIlroy had to settle for a bogey.
At 18, they finished the unforgettable circle as they had begun it, tied up and in high spirits.
“We kind of fed off each other and got our bearings well over the last couple of holes,” McIlroy said.
It was a fair race, but not a grim fight. There were punches and smiles and a lot of chatter for much of the round.
“We talked about a whole bunch of things,” McIlroy said. “We were talking about shoes. Talk about what you’ve done in the last few weeks. He returned home to Norway. He returns to Norway afterwards. I just kept it nice and loose.”
McIlroy may be nine years older, but he and Hovland have developed a good relationship after playing (and losing) on the same Ryder Cup team for Europe last year. But although they will be together again on Sunday, they are no longer teammates.
McIlroy is trying to end an eight-year major drought by winning the top seed at the Open. Hovland is trying to become the first Norwegian to win a major.
“It’s pretty crazy where I grew up,” Hovland said. “I have to pinch myself, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to hold back tomorrow.”
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