Horschel leads British Open after rainy day and big numbers at Royal Troon
TROON, Scotland — Billy Horschel, with his short rounds in the cold and his brilliant short game at Royal Troon, managed to hold on to a one-under-par 69 and a one-shot lead in a British Open that was turned upside down on Saturday.
The rain started before the top players even tee off and only got heavier. The wind was relentless and blew in the players’ faces on the back nine, forcing the world’s best to hit the fairway metal on par 4s – and still couldn’t reach the green.
“I think it’s the toughest nine holes you can play in golf right now,” said Dustin Johnson, a former world No. 1 with two major titles. He shot a 72 and was five holes behind.
It was as tough as it gets and Horschel was up to the task with a series of wonderful par saves down the stretch from the rough and bunkers.
Shane Lowry couldn’t say the same, and the frustration was evident.
Lowry, who proved his game was made for links golf when he won at Royal Portrush five years ago, had a three-shot lead early and then collapsed. He played the final 11 holes at 7 over, starting with a double bogey from the Coffin bunker on the 123-yard eighth hole, the Postage Stamp. A final bogey gave him a 77 and left him three shots behind.
“I’m definitely going to go in tomorrow thinking I can win the tournament,” Lowry said. “But it’s tough right now. Ten minutes ago I had to make a par putt on the 18th green, and I’m here talking to you now, trying to figure out how I shot a 77 in my head.”
It was like that for everyone, at least for those who had to face more than four hours of work in the worst conditions.
South African Thriston Lawrence tees off more than three hours before the final group, birdies six holes and posts a 65 to go from 10 shots behind to play in the final group on Sunday with Horschel one shot behind.
Sam Burns wasn’t far behind Lawrence. He had eight birdies in his 65 and was in the group one shot behind Russell Henley, who also avoided most of the worst weather conditions and shot a 66.
Horschel was at 4-under 209, his first time with a 54-hole lead in a major. He has handled Sunday pressure only once before, at the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion, where he started two shots behind and tied for fourth.
He now has 18 holes to play against Royal Troon and a cast of survivors.
PGA champion Xander Schauffele faced the brunt of the weather and shot a 69, leaving him one shot behind Justin Rose (73) and Daniel Brown, the Englishman making his major debut and playing as if he were far more experienced.
Brown led after a birdie on the par-5 16th hole, but finished bogey-double bogey. His tee shot on the 18th hole landed on the edge of a deep bunker, leaving him nowhere to stand, about 4 feet down. He hit into another bunker with his third shot and made 6.
The world’s top golfer, Scottie Scheffler, was also in fine form, shooting a 71 and only two shots behind. He missed his share of short putts but had a 3-wood on the 238-yard 17th hole from 2 feet.
The par 3 played so long that some players hit their drivers late in the day.
“I’m probably not used to hitting a 3-wood on a par 3,” Scheffler said. “I’m probably not used to hitting a driver and a 3-wood very solid on a par 4 and I can’t do it in two shots either.”
He also said it was “the most difficult nine holes I will ever play.”
Lowry shot 40 over the final nine holes and was at 1-under 212. It looked like a horrible day, but he was still only three shots behind. His final hole summed up the day – a drive so far right it was behind the 17th green, and an approach into the stands that dropped onto the platform and rolled to the very edge of the structure.
There were so many other images like this.
Brown hit his tee shot from No. 7 so far right that it reached the green of No. 8. He played his next shot from in front of the Postage Stamp to 2 feet for birdie that gave him the lead.
Joaquin Niemann managed to get back into the game after making an 8 on the par-3 8th hole on Friday. He was then eliminated with another quintuple bogey, this one a 9 on the par-4 11th hole. He hit a loose ball into a gorse bush. After his third shot off the tee, he hit it out of bounds toward the railroad tracks. It went into a bunker.
Schauffele’s only goal was to be there at the end.
“If you can put yourself in a position to play a few holes, I think you’ve really done your job for the week. But this was a good start to that,” Schauffele said. “The leaderboard is tight and it’s going to be one of those where you’re really going to have to keep your head down and try to look out for yourself.”
There were a few highlights. Earlier in the round, before things got out of hand, Si Woo Kim became the first player to make a hole-in-one on the 17th hole in the 10 British Opens at Royal Troon.
And Burns and Lawrence’s 65 laps weren’t just special, they now had a chance to win. They were in the best place to take a step forward: in the clubhouse, nice and dry, watching everyone else try to survive.
“Obviously I make a lot of birdies in the clubhouse just being here,” Lawrence said.
They will all meet Sunday in a race that could be very open. Two dozen players were separated by six shots.
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