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British Open 2024 highlights: Daniel Brown slips up; Billy Horschel leads entering Round 4
By Scott Boeck and Scooby Axson, USA TODAY,
2 days ago
A wet Saturday could lead to a wild Sunday at the 2024 Open Champioship.
With rains plaguing play on Saturday, Daniel Brown entered the day one stroke behind leader Shane Lowry and he finished the day in the same position. This time, though, Brown coughed up the lead to Billy Horschel after an untimely double bogey on 18.
Lowry isn't totally out of the tournament, however: Despite delivering bogeys on six holes today, including five on the back nine, Lowry sits just three strokes back of the lead.
Lowry, though, will have to hope that the crowded top of the leaderboard opens up just a bit. There could be as many as a dozen players with a legitimate shot to take home the Claret Jug on Sunday, including any of the six players tied for second entering the final round.
USA TODAY Sports provided live updates, highlights and more from Round 3 of the 2024 Open Championship below.
The 18th hole proved to be problematic for the leaders.
Billy Horschel settled for bogey on 18 to get down to 4-under, but still has the outright lead after Daniel Brown missed a long putt for bogey and had to settle for double bogey and is now 3-under.
Shane Lowry’s day to forget through 54 holes ended on 18, when he had a dropshot on 18 and had to settle for bogey, leaving the ball inches from the cup. Lowry finished his day 6-over and is now 1-under for the tournament – still within striking distance of the leaders.
Brown birdied the 16th hole, his fifth birdie of the day to regain the solo lead at 6-under.
Billy Horschel is one back, and Justin Rose continues his consistent play at 3-under. Shane Lowry has bogeyed four of his last six holes, to fall back to 2-under.
Daniel Brown gave his short-lived lead right back as he bogeyed 13 to fall back into a tie with Billy Horschel. Weather has been a factor as the conditions continue to deteriorate, and players seem excited to get to par on some holes.
Shane Lowry, the 36-hole leader, has struggled in the third round, scoring a birdie on No. 4, a double bogey on No. 8, and back-to-back bogeys on 11 and 12. Lowry is 3-over for the day and 4-under for the tournament.
Justin Rose and Xander Schauffele are well within striking range, and are also at 4-under.
Umbrellas are in fashion during Round 3 – but so are birdies.
Rain has thrown a monkey wrench into Round 3 at Royal Troon Golf Club, but that hasn't stopped the field from making runs at the cup. Of the top 10 players, nine are under par in Round 3.
The rain is expected to continue throughout the afternoon, leaving golfers with soaked bags and attire.
South Korea's Kim Si-woo made the longest hole-in-on in Open history when he aced the 238-yard par-three 17th in his third round at Royal Troon on Saturday.
Kim, who shot a level-par 71, selected a three iron from his bag and struck his ball to the front fringe where it rolled across the putting surface and dropped in the hole.
"I've had about six holes-in-one before but this is the most memorable," he said of his moment of magic on the 17th which had never witnessed a hole-in-one in previous Opens at Troon.
The previous longest hole-in-one at the Open was the 212-yard ace Frank Lickliter II made at the fifth hole at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2001.
Ivor Robson, the longtime voice of The Open Championship, died in October 2023. He announced his last Open Championship in 2015, the same year he announced his retirement.
The 2024 Open Championship is the first since his passing in 2023.
It didn't take long for the world No. 1 golfer to make a move in Round 3 of the Open. On hole No. 3, Scheffler sank a birdie putt to move to 3-under par, and within four strokes of leader, Shane Lowry.
Shane Lowry begins his quest for the Claret Jug as he opens his third round with a two-shot lead over Daniel Brown and Justin Rose.
As the rain comes down harder in Scotland, Lowry will attempt to keep the lower scores that have been posted so far on Saturday, as his tee shot at the first hole landed on the fairway and rolled straight to a bunker.
Russell Henley is now at 3-under for the tournament after birdies at holes 9 and 10. Xander Schauffele notched a birdie at two sits at 2-under.
Under raindrops and a canvas of gray, Scottie Scheffler begins his third round. He's looking to stay in contention for his second major of 2024 after winning The Masters.
A pair of LIV golfers teed off at 9:46 a.m. ET on Saturday: Brooks Koepka, searching for his sixth major, and Dustin Johnson, in the hunt for his third.
Koepka and Johnson both enter the day at 1-over for the tournament, tied for 17th.
Several golfers have gotten into contention before the expected turn in the weather later in the day.
Justin Thomas, Adam Scott, Sungjae Im have lit the course up during the third round, each carding 5-under so far. Thirston Lawrence is now at 2-under after birding five of this first six holes to start his day. They are part of 24 golfers that have managed to score under par so far in Round 3.
Justin Thomas is also making his presence felt on Saturday. On the par 3 eighth hole, Thomas made his fifth birdie of the day to return to the red. He sits at 1-under, six shots off the lead.
South Korea's Sungjae Im watches his iron shot from the 17th tee during his third round. Andy Buchanan, AFP via Getty Images
Sunjae Im made his move on Saturday. He moves up 53 spots and is tied for 16th after carding a 65 − the lowest round of the day so far. But watch out for Justin Thomas, who had a rough day in Round 2 shooting a 78. He is -5 through eight holes.
Shane Lowry, the leader of The Open after two rounds, is confident heading into the weekend on all things except one. The 2019 Open Championship winner was asked Friday if he considers himself a good front-runner.
"I wouldn't say I'm a good runner," Lowry laughed.
"For me, it's just about going out and playing my own game, shooting the best score I can, and then seeing where it leaves me at the end of the day," Lowry said. "Try not to worry about what other people are doing and just try to take care of your own personal stuff. I don't know. I put myself there in a few big tournaments, and I've managed to knock them off."
The good news for Lowry? He won't have to run. Three of the past four 36-hole leaders or co-leaders at The Open went on to lift the Claret Jug.
High winds played a factor at Royal Troon Golf Club in round 2. The course was wet for those with early tee times. Outbreaks of light rain and more wind are predicted for Saturday's play and could cause havoc for those with later team times.
Sungjae Im, Adam Scott and Shubhankar Sharma are all off to good starts to begin the third round of The Open. Im and Sharma are -4 through 14 (nine strokes off the lead) and Scott is -4 through 10 (eight strokes off the lead).
The Open will be broadcast live on NBC, with coverage also on NBC's Peacock streaming service. The tentative broadcast schedule is as follows (all times Eastern):
According to Accuweather , Saturday’s forecast at Royal Troon calls for cloudy skies with afternoon showers. Chance of precipitation is 83% with a high temperature of 67 degrees.
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