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Brilliant shot from Viktor Hovland on 12 and surely now he will make his first birdie of the day. McIlroy’s isn’t as fresh and he’s about 10 feet away, a distance he just hasn’t holed anything from before. A big hit is coming. Cam Smith made a mess of 13 yesterday, but this time he’s in the short grass with his putt.
5.17pm BST standings
As Rory blasts his putt on the par-4 12th just short of the green, let’s check out the results.
-18: McIlroy (11) -17: Smith (12) -15: Young (12), Hovland (11) -13: D Johnson (13) -12: Harman (16), Spieth (15), Fleetwood (13) ) )
Cameron Smith gives it his all. Huge danger for Rory now as the punches continue to fall. His 12-footer for birdie curls into the 12th hole and he’s at -17 and just one back of McIlroy. Cameron Young holds a testing par putt and is three off.
A middle-aged man in the crowd held up a paper sign (a felt-tip pen on an A4 sheet) that said, “This day belongs to Rory.” We will see. Victor Hovland isn’t going away yet and is three behind after an excellent up and down putt at 10. Rory shouts ‘sit’ after his shot at 11 but he lands safely and a shout of ‘go’ would actually be better. Hovland isn’t happy with his effort on the par 3, but it’s all good and he’ll have maybe 20-25 feet for birdie. On 14, Spieth bogeyed to signal the end of any outside challenge.
Cam Smith has a rolling eagle putt on 12, but it lets out a disappointing grunt as it curls slowly up the hill and goes 12 feet. Rory’s 40-footer on 11 never threatens, so it’s another two-putt green. Hovland can’t convert his and remains three behind his playing partner.
Scotty Scheffler as a Homer Simpson meme. Photo: Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images
Updated at 17.19 BST
Jordan Spieth makes a complete mess of the par-5 14th. He drives into a pot bunker, plays back, hits his third shot close to the green and then slices his small green in the style of a twitchy 18-handicapper. Looking there gods; possibly worse. It catches. Victor Hovland chips in from the rough at 10 and misses the green.
Up to 11 and here comes Cameron Smith! The Aussie’s putter is hot again today and he just holed a birdie putt to close in on McIlroy. But not for long! Rory hits a majestic lag putt from well over 100 feet on 10 and he goes in for birdie to reach 18 under and regain the two-shot lead.
A lovely little putt from Cam Smith at the 10th and he’s within two of McIlroy after dropping the putt for birdie, just. And Cameron Young is also just two bogeys after a two-putt birdie from the center of 10. That’s the distance Rory has left after his tee shot travels to the right edge of the same massive double green, his ball ending up closer to 8th flag. Now Smith looks a threat. He halved McIlroy’s lead and hit a great putt on 11 to set up another birdie. Young is about 30 feet away.
Updated at 16.58 BST
The first shot on the 9 is Victor Hovland from about 20 feet. It’s a nice shot, but it always seems to go right off the middle of its path. para. It’s an outside nine of +1, not enough. Now for eight foot Rory… and no sir. It grabs part of the right edge, but is always missing. McIlroy took two shots on all nine greens. The good news is that he has two advantages.
Cameron Young drives to the green on 10, but he misses more than 100 feet. Cam Smith avoids the bunkers and his ball stops about 20 yards short of the green. Two good chances to make birdie there.
Dustin Johnson makes a nice putt on 11 to move to -13, which is now a solo fifth. Jordan Spieth hits a poor first shot but an excellent second shot from 12 feet to save par at 13 and is tied for sixth with Tommy Fleetwood (11 holes) at -12. Now Rory was standing over a 57-yard field goal for his second strike on the nine. He lofts it and lays to about eight feet for birdie
Cameron Young makes his move. Photo: Paul Childs/Reuters
Updated at 16.57 BST
The surprise of the day is Scotty Scheffler – and not in a good way. He misses shot after shot and was three over for the round until he finally birdied 10. He drove the green but missed the putt, obviously. Another player going the wrong way is Adam Scott, who double-bogeys 12 – another driveable hole – after his unplanned visit to the gorse bushes. This brings it back from -13 to -11.
On nine, Cameron Young does great after finding trouble, while Cameron Smith misses a great birdie chance from nine feet. Both are now 14 under and three behind Rory. McIlroy pulls the driver on the same 9th hole and blocks it fair. But no problems there. “Perfect miss,” says Nick Faldo in commentary.
This is what Sergio Garcia told the Spanish newspaper Marca. Strong stuff.
I’m clear about what I’m going to do with the European tour, I’ll probably leave it. I want to play where they want me, I like to feel loved and to be honest on the European tour now I don’t feel loved.
When Thomas Bjorn comes to the BMW International Open and tells us “We don’t want any of you and all the players say so”, well, I’m old enough and suffering enough to put up with that kind of nonsense.
I have what I have and I am very happy with it and I want to enjoy it to the fullest. I will play less, I will be at home more.
But to be honest, I don’t really care either. Sorry about the Ryder Cup, but because of the way I play, I wouldn’t be for the Ryder either. My resignation is not official, but I will make it effective.
Updated at 16.38 BST
Cameron Young latched onto it from the 9th tee and rolled it left. However, he may have simply cleared a dense concentration of brushwood. Someone who isn’t is Adam Scott, who has all sorts of helpers rummaging through the leaves for his prom on the 12th. Good luck with that. Cameron Smith finds the fairway on 9. Actually, Young fines the thick stuff, so it’s a waste of a penalty. He will be playing his third game so there is still a chance to salvage a draw.
Back on 8, McIlroy and Hovland are two shots back. Rory remains two out.
Thanks Matt. Rory reminds me of an athlete in a 1500m race. He knows that on this course he is the best runner in the field and can cover any break. He kept up with the pace on the first lap, kept Cameron Smith in his sights when the Australian hit on lap two and went with Viktor Hovland on lap three when the Norwegian kicked early. They took the bell and now McIlroy wants to move away so he can tee off, Steve Ovett-style, coming down the final straight.
He just played a safe putt into the heart of the par-3 8th green. Outside big chance.
Updated at 16.31 BST
4.27pm BST standings
Cameron Young is hanging around. Remember that the top four have the short par-fours 9th and 10th. And with that, back to Dave. -17: McIlroy (7) -15: Hovland (7), Young (8) -14: Smith (8) -13: Scott (11)
An unfixed tee on the 7th green is no problem for Rory McIlroy. It overcomes bumps and dips to create a safe level. Ahead of him, Cameron Smith did the same, as did Victor Hovland, but Cameron Young’s aggressive approach from the tee reaped the reward of a birdie.
Hey! Sergio Garcia has said he will quit the DP World Tour and added to the Spanish press that Thomas Bjorn had told him LIV Golfers were not wanted.
The view of the unkempt green bed on the Old Course is very clear on the 7th. The spine of the sloppy cover lies on the putting surface and will make life difficult for both Cameron Young and Cameron Smith when they hit for eagle and birdie respectively.
Short par-four drama! Rory McIlroy dropped his putter for his second shot on the 414-yard 6th. It’s a roller-coaster effort that leaves him looking like a birdie, but not close—and it doesn’t fall. Cameron Young then hits a drive onto the green on the 371-yard par-four 7th. Jordan Spieth birdies the 10th to get back to 12-under for the week.
Rory McIlroy reacts after missing a putt on the 6th. Photo: Phil Noble/Reuters
Updated at 16.22 BST
Si Woo Kim adopted McIlroy’s patient path, but stayed with him a little longer than ideal. The Korean was calm through six holes but a birdie at the 7th put him alongside Adam Scott, Tommy Fleetwood and Dustin Johnson on 12 under and joint fifth. The Englishman almost pinched a headshot with a double break in the eighth, but it’s level.
Here is this beautiful shot from Rory McIlroy into the heart of the 5th green. The game plan is working for now: be patient from the 1st to the 4th, then take advantage of breakout opportunities from the 5th to the 12th.
3.58pm BST standings
Two shots birdie for Rory McIlroy at the 5th and Hovland misses his break! That’s a two-shot lead over Hollywood’s finest. -17: McIlroy (5) -15: Hovland (5) -14: Smith (5), Young (5) -12: Scott (8), Fleetwood (7), Johnson (7)
Updated at 16.00 BST
Golf wizard Tommy Fleetwood is heading in the right direction. A birdie on the 7th, his second of the day, moves him to 12 under for the week and is fifth.
A 340-yard tee shot leaves Rory McIlroy 256 yards to the par-5 5th green. Ahead of him, Cameron Young and Cameron Smith both birdied to close within two of his lead. Victor Hovland had to stop. McIlroy is in a fluffy green, hits the ball high, finds the middle of the green…and is inside 30 feet. Eagle strike to come.
Jordan Spieth’s progress is halted by bogey on the 8th. He drops out of the top five and is overtaken in the opposite direction by Adam Scott, who is now three under for the day, 12 for the week and tied for fifth with Dustin Johnson.
Rory McIlroy has a solo lead at the 150th Open after Victor Hovland bogeyed the fourth. Remember the words of the Northern Irishman last night when he said it was a good way to stay patient in the first four…
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