It's all to play for - chaotic finish to third round leaves posse of players in Open contention

Not even The R&A, one of the game’s governing bodies, can control the weather, though, and Mother Nature is certainly having a big say as far as this particular Claret Jug joust is concerned. Title hopes were destroyed by a southerly wind on the opening two days and, when that finally switched around noon, it wasn’t long before the heavens opened.

Playing together in the penultimate group, Justin Rose and Billy Horschel wore their hats backwards to try and combat the challenging conditions. It certainly seemed to help as both players dug deep to keep any damage to a minimum and, in a perverse sort of way, their reaction at the end indicated they’d actually enjoyed it.

That wasn’t the case for Shane Lowry, though. Two shots ahead at the halfway stage, the 2019 winner had stretched his cushion to three after getting to eight under through seven holes only to then see the wheels fall off. Sparked by taking a 5 at the Postage Stamp, he went into reverse thereafter, covering his last 11 holes in seven over par. “Yeah, it was hard,” admitted the Irishman of his day.

Playing with Lowry, the event’s surprise package, Englishman Daniel Brown, rode his luck to be the new leader with two holes to play only for the world No 272 to finish bogey-double bogey. "Proud of how I handled myself, but obviously a bit of a sting on the last two holes,” he admitted.

Which, following a final hour or so that was utterly chaotic, meant the lead changed one final time. Horschel, bidding to land his major breakthrough, had battled every step of the way. In doing so, the American carded a 69.

"I think my round at Kingsbarns in 2022 (in the Dunhill Links) was probably better than this," he said, “but his one's by far my best round in really tough conditions in an Open Championship. I've just always embraced the toughness of anything. I think that's the best way to have a chance to play well.”

Leaving him on four under, Horschel leads by one from no less than six players heading into the closing circuit in the event’s 152nd edition. "I've wanted to be here my entire life. I'm finally here. I'm embracing it,” he added.

On a tightly-packed leaderboard, 12 players are covered by four shots and, with that group including major winners in Rose, Lowry, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Adam Scott and Justin Thomas, an exciting final round has been set up and, thankfully, it will be played in drier conditions but, at the same time, in a decent links breeze.

Rose, the 2013 US Open champion, rolled up his sleeves to be in with a chance, having already been required to do that to come through a 36-hole Final Qualifier at Burnham & Berrow in Somerset to secure his 21st appearance in this tournament. “That was super tough,” he said of the conditions.

Thriston Lawrence, who is bidding to become the first South African to get his hands on the Claret Jug since Ernie Els in 2012, made his move with a burst of six birdies in the first eight holes as the front nine finally lost its teeth. “It's amazing,” said the 2023 BMW International Open winner of his lofty position on the leaderboard as one of the sextet chasing Horschel. “Obviously I had the perfect conditions on the front nine and just took full advantage of it.”

Burns was seven over par after 11 holes in Thursday’s opening round before gradually clawing his way up the leaderboard. “Wasn't kind of what I had in mind to start the week,” admitted the five-time PGA Tour winner after signing for eight birdies in his equal best-of-the-day effort. “I knew it was going to be difficult and I made it a lot tougher on myself. (But) I knew I wasn't out of it. I was proud of how I hung in there and kept fighting.”

One behind, Russell Henley feels he’s been fighting a losing battle in this event since his first appearance in 2013. “Links golf has really humbled me as this is my tenth Open and never really felt like I knew what I was doing exactly,” he admitted after taking route 66 to get into contention. “So today was a great round for me, and I'm just really excited about it.”

Scheffler, the world No 1, is lurking ominously on two under. He said of the conditions: “I can think of a couple days with some crazy high winds that may have been more challenging but, overall, the back nine was probably the hardest nine holes that I'll ever play.”

Riding a roller-coaster, Thomas has shot 68-78-67. “Golf is how I would sum it up,” he declared. “It's a crazy sport and a lot of things can happen in a lot of conditions. But that's what I signed up for, I guess.”

Scott, who was denied in the Genesis Scottish Open by Bob MacIntyre’s birdie finish at The Renaissance Club, sits just four off the lead. “It was a great Saturday,” said the former Masters champion of his 66, which came as fellow Australian Greg Norman, the LIV Golf CEO, paid a visit to the scene of his runner-up finish in 1989, as an invited guest. “I played really, really well, made some great putts. I did my part and I just gotta hope for the best, and hopefully we have a chance tomorrow.”