Harman shakes off rocky start, leads Open by 5

HOYLAKE, England — American Brian Harman‘s lead did not get any greater — nevertheless it did not get any smaller, both — after the third spherical of the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Membership.

Harman, who’s searching for his first main championship victory, leads by 5 strokes over Cameron Young and 6 over Masters champion Jon Rahm heading into the ultimate 18 holes after he recovered from a few early errors to card a 2-under 69 on Saturday.

Harman, who’s 12 underneath after 54 holes, will try to turn into solely the third left-handed participant to win a Claret Jug, becoming a member of Bob Charles (1963) and Phil Mickelson (2013).

“You would be silly to not envision [it]and I’ve thought of profitable majors for my entire complete life,” Harman mentioned. “It is the entire purpose I work as arduous as I do and why I apply as a lot as I do and why I sacrifice as a lot as I do. Tomorrow, if that is going to return to fruition for me, it must be all in regards to the golf. It must be execution and simply staying within the second.”

Based on ESPN Stats & Info, Harman is the tenth golfer in historical past to carry not less than a 5-shot lead after each the second and third rounds of a serious championship. Every of the earlier 9 went on to win, most just lately Brooks Koepka on the 2019 PGA Championship.

Harman is barely the third golfer to steer by 5 strokes or extra within the Open Championship; James Braid (1908) and Henry Cotton (1934) each gained after having such leads.

He could have most of the recreation’s finest gamers chasing him Sunday. Along with Younger and Rahm, Norway’s Viktor HovlandAustralia’s Jason DayAustria’s Sepp Straka and England’s Tommy Fleetwood are 5 underneath.

Rory McIlroy may solely handle a 2-under 69 on Saturday and is 9 pictures behind Harman.

“Harman is doing what he is doing,” Straka mentioned. “If he has day tomorrow, it should be robust to catch him. You’ve got simply bought to go on the market and attempt to shoot a low rating. You do not have to do something loopy as a result of it is only one man up there. You simply attempt to play your recreation and see what occurs.”

Whereas taking part in in his first Open Championship at St. Andrews in Scotland final 12 months, Younger made an eagle on the 72nd gap for a 7-under 65 within the closing spherical. He completed 19 underneath, 1 stroke behind winner Cameron Smith.

Younger, the reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Yr, might be on the lookout for related magic on Sunday.

“I believe you simply form of must see how the primary couple holes play out tomorrow and you then possibly begin aiming at issues that you simply won’t in any other case,” Younger mentioned. “Tomorrow we will plan on the identical plan of assault as the previous few days and form of see the place we’re after a couple of holes.”

Rahm, who captured his second main at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership in April, bought himself again into the combination by posting an 8-under 63 on Saturday. It was the bottom spherical in an Open Championship performed at Royal Liverpool.

Rahm began the third spherical 12 pictures behind Harman. If the Spaniard can by some means erase a 6-stroke deficit within the closing 18 holes, he would turn into solely the second participant to win a serious championship after being again 12 pictures or extra by 36 holes. George Duncan gained The Open in 1920 after trailing by 13 after the second spherical.

“There’s lots of golf to go,” Rahm mentioned. “Actually, I am simply going to benefit from the afternoon with my household, and that is about it. There’s nothing to be accomplished. Really feel like I’ve accomplished lots of good work the previous few weeks, and I’ve accomplished lots of good work this week, as nicely, and I’ve accomplished what I’ve wanted, which [has given] myself a possibility.”

After Rahm posted his low quantity, Harman bought off to a shaky begin. Harman posted only one bogey within the first 36 holes however then had two within the first 4 holes Saturday. His method shot on the par-4 first gap was lengthy and proper. He chipped previous the opening and wanted two putts to make 5. Fleetwood had a birdie on the second to maneuver to six underneath with Rahm.

On the par-4 fourth, Harman pushed his tee shot into the left tough. He was once more lengthy on his method, leaving his ball 48 toes from the opening. He chipped to 13 toes and missed the par putt. He fell to eight over within the match and was simply 2 strokes in entrance of Rahm and Fleetwood.

“I imply, it might have been very easy to let the wheels begin spinning and actually form of let it get uncontrolled, however I simply form of doubled down on my routine and knew I used to be hitting it nicely, although I hadn’t hit any good pictures but,” Harman mentioned. “Staying affected person out there’s paramount. Typically it is quite a bit tougher than others, however actually happy with the best way that I hung in there.”

Harman began turning issues round on the par-5 fifth. After his second shot ran 70 toes previous the opening, he almost made an eagle and tapped in for birdie to maneuver again to 9 underneath. He added one other birdie on the par-3 ninth to make the flip at even par. He made putts of 5 toes and 20½ toes on Nos. 12 and 13 for bridies, and his lead was again to 6.

Younger made a birdie on the final gap to chop it to 5.

Harman caught to the identical recipe for achievement, hitting fairways and counting on his brief recreation and putter to get him out of hassle. He has hit 71% of fairways and transformed 16 of 19 scrambling alternatives when he has missed the inexperienced. He leads the sphere in strokes gained: placing (9.27) and has wanted just one.44 putts per gap, fewest within the area.

“After his begin, he did actually, rather well,” Fleetwood mentioned. “Like, he hit a ton of nice golf pictures down the again 9. He was actually very a lot in management at that time. Spectacular to look at. I believe there [were] two actually good putts he holed. Apart from the birdie ones, he holed a par putt on the seventh after which a par putt on the final. Amazingly clutch putts to gap.”

Harman, an avid outdoorsman, has another spherical to go in making an attempt to bag the largest trophy of his golf profession.