The Open 2023: third round updates – live | The Open

The rain’s toppling down now. Brian Harman could be forgiven for slipping into Metaphor Mode, but instead he crashes a drive down the middle of the par-five 5th, then finds the back-edge of the green with a glorious second. Two putts for birdie would be quite the tonic, though from 70 feet nothing’s certain. Still, that’s a decent reaction to another bogey-infused disappointment.

On 5, Jason Day rakes in a long putt for birdie … while his partner Shubhankar Sharma rattles in an eagle putt from similar distance! They both jump to -5. Viktor Hovland isn’t too far away from eagle at 15, but he’s happy enough to tap in for par. Rory gets up and down from the bottom of the swale at 10, without breaking sweat. He’s in the mood. And back on 4, Brian Harman can’t make his par saver. This is really opening up now.

-8: Harman (4)
-6: Rahm (F), Fleetwood (4)
-5: Day (5), Sharma (5)
-4: A Fitzpatrick (F), Hovland (15), McIlroy (10), Young (8)

Harman plays the percentages. He certainly doesn’t want the ball coming back down the slope towards his feet. So he gives the chip a little extra oomph, and it rolls 12 feet past. But at least this way he’s guaranteed a putt for par. Meanwhile on 10, there’ll be no birdie putt for Rory this time, as his second into the monster par-four 10th hits the bank at the front of the green and kicks left.

Rory can’t make his birdie putt. He’s had an opportunity on every single hole so far! He’s three for nine. Not sure how to process this, because his play tee to green is outrageously good. But he’s still turning in 32, so it’s hard to criticise. He could be just four strokes off the lead soon, too, because back on 4, Brian Harman sends a hot approach out of the rough and over the back of the green. He’ll have to get up and down from the bottom of a swale, with not too much green to play with up top. Big moment coming up.

Brian Harman lags a long putt on 3 to kick-in distance. He scrambles his par. But he’s still not looking totally comfortable, cutting a completely different figure to the man who insouciantly strolled around the joint yesterday en route to that glorious 65. He sends his tee shot at 4 into the thick stuff down the left.

Alex Fitzpatrick posts 65!

Rory McIlroy misses another birdie putt, this time on 8, though it wasn’t exactly the easiest read. He looks pained nevertheless. But he doesn’t let it affect him too much, and he sets up yet another chance on the par-three 9th, landing his tee shot 18 feet from the flag.

From the centre of the 3rd fairway, Brian Harman pulls his iron perilously towards the internal out-of-bounds on the right. He’s pretty fortunate that it’s a big mishit, because it’s well short of the green and the lack of distance means it stops well short of danger. But he hangs his head nonetheless and will have a tricky up and down if he’s not to drop another stroke. Tommy Fleetwood is also up against it, having pulled his approach down a swale to the left. A reminder that Harman is a lefty, just so you can process all these pulls.

The rain has started to fall reasonably heavily. That won’t help Jason Day’s mood, given he’s just misread a putt from off the side of 3, the ball breaking four feet to the left, then pulling the short par putt. He hands one of his early birdies back. He’s -4. Meanwhile up on 18, a birdie for the 28-year-old Frenchman Romain Langasque, who ends Moving Day with a 67. He’s -2 and well set to improve on his best finish at an Open, a tie for 63rd at Portrush four years ago.

Up until now, Viktor Hovland didn’t seem to have brought his A-game to Hoylake this week … and yet he’s been on the fringes of the action since the get-go. He’s belatedly showing signs of picking up some momentum, though. Out in 33, he’s just birdied 12 to rise to -3. Meanwhile back on 2, Brian Harman takes two careful putts to make his par, but Tommy Fleetwood rolls in his birdie putt and a gap between the players that was five less than half an hour ago is now just three. Open Championship golf, right here!

-9: Harman (2)
-6: Rahm (F), Fleetwood (2)
-5: Day (2)
-4: McIlroy (7), Young (5), Straka (2)
-3: A Fitzpatrick (17), Hovland (13), N Hojgaard (10), Spieth (5), Sharma (2)

An inscrutable look on Brian Harman’s face. If he’s been rocked by that opening bogey, he’s not letting it show. He guides a long iron into the heart of 2. Pin high. Not particularly close, but then that’s not really the point: that’s a lovely nerve settler. Half a chance of birdie, but he should make his par. Meanwhile his playing partner Tommy Fleetwood very nearly holes out for eagle, but the ball rolls ten feet past, so birdie’s not quite a gimme here.

A second birdie in three holes for Alex Fitzpatrick! He rakes a birdie putt across 17, and grins with innocent glee as he moves to -3. Matt’s younger brother is really enjoying his Open debut. Meanwhile a closing bogey for Corey Conners, the only blemish on an otherwise fine 68. He’s -1.

Brian Harman’s par effort horseshoes out, and that’s a far from ideal start for the overnight leader. An instant cry from the gallery. “Come on Tommy lad!” The local favourite makes his par. It hasn’t taken too long for the picture to change quite dramatically.

-9: Harman (1)
-6: Rahm (F)
-5: Day (2), Fleetwood (1)
-4: McIlroy (4), Straka (1)

A slightly nervous start for the leader Brian Harman. He sends his second shot at 1 over the back of the green, and he’s left himself a tricky chip from distance over a swale. He clips a pretty decent effort 12 feet past the flag, but that’s a tester coming back if he’s to save his par. Meanwhile it’s two birdies to start for Jason Day, the latest the reward for screeching his wedge to six feet. That birdie was as textbook as the opening birdie was comic-book.

Rory McIlroy sends his eagle putt along the right line … but doesn’t quite hit it. He taps in for birdie, looking slightly disappointed yet again. You know, this is a ridiculous thing to say really, but somewhere in the multiverse, McIlroy is six under through his first five holes. As it is back in reality, he’s just (!) three under for his round and -4 overall. Meanwhile a first birdie of the day for Jordan Spieth on 4; he’s -3.

The final pairing take to the first tee. Tommy Fleetwood splits the fairway. So does Brian Harman. Everyone out and about at last. Moving Day, right here, right now!

A record-breaking 63 for Jon Rahm!

A couple of big putts here! Jason Day steers in a long left-to-right curler for a birdie-on-safari at 1. You wouldn’t have put too much money on that outcome when his drive was arcing towards the 2nd tee! He’s -4. Shubhankar Sharma scrambles his par. Meanwhile Nicolai Hojgaard trundles one in on 7 for his fourth birdie of the day. He’s -5.

Some hot big-name par-five action for you. On 18, Jon Rahm creams his second over the bunkers guarding the front left of the green, his ball stopping in the semi-rough at the back. He’ll have a chip for a 62! He doesn’t really hit that chip, though, and he’s left himself a ten-footer for the 63. Back on 5, Rory McIlroy lashes, and yet carefully threads, a long iron between the bunkers at the front of the green, and he’s pin high in two. He’ll have a 25-foot look at eagle!

If you didn’t know any better, you’d suspect Jason Day and Shubhankar Sharma had exchanged words on the first tee. Because the former has sliced his opening drive onto the 2nd hole, while the latter has pulled his onto a dirt track down the left. Day responds by looping his second into the heart of the green; Sharma leaves his approach in the thick stuff just to the left. Sharma, 27 yesterday, has only dropped three strokes so far this week. He’s got work to do if that total isn’t to rise imminently.

Jon Rahm, in the zone, cares not one jot for the OB down the right of 18. He absolutely larrups his drive down the middle. Meanwhile it’s another gettable birdie chance missed McIlroy; he’s now 50-50 for conversion, and growls in frustration as he tidies up for par. His tee to green play has been exemplary so far; he could so easily have started with four straight birdies. He arguably should have, because the putts he’s missed were makeable. Are we holding Rory to unreasonably high standards? Possibly. Probably. Though you suspect he’s doing that himself. He’s -3.

Rory McIlroy plays another hole perfectly from tee to green. He makes the putt this time, at 3, and joins the group at -3. The crowd respond accordingly. Roar! They also respond as you’d expect at 17: a sigh of disappointment as Jon Rahm leaves his 15-foot birdie putt short on the low side. He tidies up for his par and moves onto the last, where a birdie would give him a 63.

Jon Rahm is on one! He drains a tramliner across 16, and that’s six birdies in the last eight holes! Should he par the last two holes, he’ll be signing for a 64, which would be a new Open record at Hoylake, beating the 65 jointly held by Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Chris DiMarco, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Jim Furyk, Marc Leishman, Shane Lowry and Chris Wood. A reminder that the Open record is 62, set by Branden Grace at Birkdale in 2017, and that’s also the major-championship record, which was equalled by Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele at this year’s US Open. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. God speed, Rahmbo.

You can never quite trust Rory McIlroy’s putter. He plays the 2nd almost as perfectly as he did the 1st, but can’t make the very gettable birdie putt. He remains at -2. But there’s another birdie for Jon Rahm, this time at 15. Meanwhile last year’s runner-up Cameron Young trundles in an unexpected putt from distance on the opening hole to immediately climb the standings. Moving Day is beginning to heat up all right!

-10: Harman
-5: Fleetwood
-4: Rahm (15), N Hojgaard (5), Straka
-3: Kim (7), Bland (6), Rozner (5), Young (1), Lee, Sharma, Day

Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard are identical twins. They haven’t been scoring identically this week, however. Rasmus shot an opening round of 78 and missed the cut as a result, but his brother is going along very nicely indeed. Nicolai has been improving slowly and steadily – 71, then 70 – until now, when the 22-year-old Dane has burst into action with birdies at 1, 3 and 5. He’s -4. Incidentally, the official Open player guide lists Nicolai’s birthday as March 1, and Rasmus’s as March 12. It’s either the sort of misprint the Guardian would be proud of, or it’s hats off to mum for putting in quite literally the mother of all shifts. I hope the midwife got x2 overtime.

Matt Fitzpatrick was going around with the reigning champ Cameron Smith. The genial Aussie also ended with a birdie, and signed for a round of 68. He’s -1 going into the final round.

A strong end to Matt Fitzpatrick’s round. Four birdies in the last five holes, a run only compromised by bogey at 16. He ends with a 67 at -2 overall, and with his brother Alex currently at -1 (having just bogeyed 11), it’s still possible that the pair could go round tomorrow. For that to happen, Alex will have to be the next player to complete his round at -2. Be nice, no?

Opening birdie for Rory McIlroy! He wedges his second pin high, and rolls in the 12-footer that remains. Fuss-free. Textbook. If he can keep that going, huh. He’s -2. Meanwhile the ever-entertaining Tom Kim provides some excitement of his own, by rolling of a hat-trick of birdies at 4, 5 and 6. He’s up to -3 in short order.

A par up the last for Xander Schauffele. A 68 and the 2018 joint runner-up ends Moving Day at -1 overall. Meanwhile back-to-back birdies for English veteran Richard Bland, who you may recall making waves at the 2021 US Open, breaking records by leading after 36 holes as a 48-year-old. He’s -3.

Here’s Rory! The 2014 champion walks to the first tee with the pleading of a young fan ringing in his ears. Aw! It’s beyond sweet. The little lad so wants his hero to do well today. But hey, don’t we all? The course is sitting there begging to be attacked, a birdie blitz waiting to happen, at least until the rain forecast for later this afternoon hits the Wirral. A quick wiggle of the shoulders before he belts one down the track. He’s going round with Max Homa who splits the fairway as well.

Alex Fitzpatrick walks in another birdie, this time at 10. Players are putting with increased confidence bordering on sass on these slightly slower greens. Attacking the pins is also the order of the day. Corey Conners wedges close on 12 from 115 yards and that’s another birdie for the Canadian, too. Both move to -2. There’s a score out here today.

Rahm’s run of birdies comes to an end at the par-three 13th. His tee shot doesn’t quite hold the green and topples over the back, but only just, and he’s able to pull putter and lag up to kick-in distance. He consolidates his birdie blitz with par, remaining at -3 and demonstrating what can be done to the entire chasing pack.

The young South African amateur Christo Lamprecht copped the cold wet fish of golfing reality full in the coupon yesterday. A 79 to follow up the astonishing opening round of 66 that gave him a share of the 18-hole lead. He only just squeaked under the cutline, but that’s the least he deserved after providing so many thrills on Thursday. He’s already more than earned the Silver Medal for low amateur guaranteed to be his providing he completes all 72 holes, as no other amateur has made the cut. He’s carded a 76 today, a slight disappointment given he was one over for his round through 13, going on to double-bogey 14 and 18, the latter the result of sending his second shot OB. But it’s easily done. He’s far from the first to run up a number on 18, and he most definitely won’t be the last. He’s +8.

… but the hottest property on the course right now is the Masters champion Jon Rahm. He’s just carded four birdies in a row around the turn, at 9, 10, 11 and 12. Throw in the one he made at the 5th, and that’s five under for his round. He’s catapulted himself up the standings into a tie for fourth, and so what better time to update the old leaderboard?

-10: Harman
-5: Fleetwood
-4: Straka
-3: Rahm (12), Lee, Sharma, Day
-2: Rozner (1), Hojgaard (1), Otaegui, Grillo, Spieth, Young
-1: Fowler (F), Cantlay (F), Schauffele (16), Smith (15), M Fitzpatrick (15), Conners (11), A Fitzpatrick (9), Matsuyama (4), Bland (2), Southgate, Lawrence, McIlroy, Homa, Migliozzi, Stewart, Jordan, Cink, Stenson, Clark

There are other big names still out there scoring well. Defending champion Cameron Smith, 2022 US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick, and regular major-championship nearly-man Xander Schauffele are all currently three under for their rounds through 15 holes, and -1 overall for the tournament. Nice and neat. Fitzpatrick’s younger brother Alex is also three under for his round having just hit the turn; he’s -1 overall on his major-championship debut. Corey Conners is yet another player three under for the day at -1; he’s through 11 holes. It’s a popular place to be.

It’s a dreich day on the Wirral. Damp, cloudy and occasionally rainy … but far from miserable because conditions are not bad at all for scoring. Hoylake is playing a little longer as a result of earlier rain, but the greens are slightly tamer, so it’s swings and roundabouts. The earliest beneficiaries? Rickie Fowler and Patrick Cantlay, both round in 67, both currently the joint clubhouse leaders at -1.

Preamble