Bryson DeChambeau accused of holding Open 'hostage' as Sam Burns leads at Birkdale

You had a feeling that DeChambeau would be the story on the penultimate day after he’d been hit with a two-shot penalty on Friday night as a result of him “inadvertently improving the area of his intended swing” at the fifth hole in the second circuit at the Southport venue. He was given a standing ovation on the first tee but, as he was still out on the course on another sun-kissed afternoon on the Lancashire coast, the American was later being floored by a verbal volley from Rory McIlroy.

Along with lots of other players who made the halfway cut in the Claret Jug joust, the 2014 winner was unhappy about the knock-on effect caused by the rules rumpus involving DeChambeau, who requested to go out to the scene of the ‘crime’ and then delayed the process of the tee times being published. Englishman Marco Penge described the wait as a “joke” and McIlroy didn’t hold back when he was also asked about it.

“Late night for everyone,” said the world No 2 after his third round. “Look, I won't pretend to be up here and defend Bryson. I'm not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it's performative. I think a lot of it's for attention. To hold the tournament hostage like that, and to have all of us, players, volunteers, everyone waiting for him to depart (which he eventually did just before 10.30pm after hitting balls on the range), I didn't feel like it was a great look.”

DeChambeau’s penalty meant he went from being one shot off the halfway lead to trailing by three and is now four behind, partly due to a decision described as “clear cut” by Mark Darbon, The R&A’s CEO, and backed by McIlroy.

“I was watching it live,” he said. “I was up in the Players’ Lounge watching it with a few other players, and, as soon as he made the step into the ball, we all sort of looked at each other, and we were like, that didn't seem right. Then when I heard that he was called in by the rules officials, it was pretty obvious why.

“Yeah, I think there's no doubt that he improved the line of his backswing. Again, it's like, whether it was careless or whether it was intentional, I don't think it matters. Hopefully it was careless, but I think the two-shot penalty was justified for sure.”

According to some people, DeChambeau, iwho didn’t speak straight after his third round but paid an unexpected visit to the Championship Office, may have gotten off lightly by The R&A describing his action as being “inadvertent”. Asked about that, McIlroy said: “Look, I'm not in his mind, but it didn't look good..”

Fleetwood - or ‘Tommy Lad’ as he is known around these parts - is bidding to pull off a fairytale in his beloved home town. Cheered every step of the way by an army of local fans - lots of others from further afield, too - the FedEx Cup champion sits just five off the lead with 18 holes to go. “It's not really going to be in my hands,” said Fleetwood after finishing with a bogey. “But I can still go out and shoot a great round tomorrow and see what happens.”

Jon Rahm played in the same group as Fleetwood and gave a taste of the support his Ryder Cup team-mate is getting. “The best way I can explain it, it was so intense that, without meaning any disrespect to England, I'm glad England didn't win that game (against Argentina in the semi-finals of the World Cup) because I would have been having a heck of a three days with the fans if they played Spain in the final,” he declared.

Burns isn’t a fan of links golf and only came here after being persuaded to make the trip by his wife following the early arrival of their new baby, Belle. Yet, last month’s US Open runner-up is the man to catch in the last round. A six-birdie salvo moved him to ten under. “If I was aware of that, I’d have eight kids by now - but it sounds cool,” replied the 29-year-old to being told that becoming a new dad can bring a fresh perspective to people.

Trying to become the second Kiwi to claim golf’s greatest trophy after Bob Charles did the trick at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 1963, Fox catapulted into contention after joining Burns and Lucas Herbert in shooting the lowest-ever score in a men’s major. His chance to make it a 61 was from a lot further away than Herbert, who missed from six feet at the last on Friday. Fox left his attempt well short.

“I feel really good, to be honest,” admitted Fox, the son of All Blacks legend Grant and already £100 richer this week after the three-time World Cup winners beat Ireland 40-21 in the Nations Championship on Saturday). He’d only made the cut with a shot to spare on level par, but is now eyeing the main prize.

A week after compatriot Tom Kim won the Genesis Scottish Open, Korean Si Woo Kim also sits on eight under, one ahead of overnight leader Herbert and American Ryan Gerard while DeChambeau, Ludvig Aberg and Jackson Suber are all on six under. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is on four under, one ahead of Bob MacIntyre after he struggled on the greens. McIlroy, meanwhile, is eight shots off the lead.