The Open Championship 2023 reaches its conclusion on Sunday
Brian Harman takes a commanding Open Championship lead into the final round with the American leading by five shots at Royal Liverpool.
The American, who will start his fourth round on Sunday at 2:15pm at -12 with Cameron Young (-7) for company, remained composed on Saturday, despite Jon Rahm’s charge. The Spaniard, who labelled the sizzling 63 as the best links round of his life, put himself in the mix at -6. It was the Spaniard’s lowest ever major round and the lowest ever round at Royal Liverpool in Open history. Lower down the leaderboard is Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland, Sepp Straka, Antoine Rozner and Jason Day all at -5.
Harman, who became the first player to lead the Open by five shots after 36 holes since Louis Oosthuizen in 2010, is aiming to break through and win his first major. He failed to convert a third-round, one-shot lead at the 2017 US Open, eventually falling four strokes short behind Brooks Koepka. Follow live coverage from the fourth round of the 151st Open Championship at Hoylake below:
The Open Championship 2023 – live updates from Hoylake
Show latest update
The Open 2023: Much-needed birdie for Harman
Harman -11 (6), Young -6 (6)
That is an awesome response from our leader. Many might have let the pressure get the best of them but the American responds with a solid tee shot into the par-three 6th. He steps up and pours it in for two to get back to -11. Nerveless stuff.
Fair play to Young who fires his tee shot even closer and knocks in a bounce-back birdie as well to stay five back of Harman.
Ben Fleming23 July 2023 15:40
The Open 2023: Lead back to just three
Harman -10 (5), Young -5(5)
And he can’t save it! Has this tournament just got a bit more interesting? Young misses out as well as he looks to save his par and he drops back to -5.
Ben Fleming23 July 2023 15:38
The Open 2023: Harman faces tricky par save on five
Rahm -7 (5), Harman -11 (4), Young -6 (4)
Harman’s pitch races on by about 10 feet, that’ll be a tester, but it’s how he’s built such a big lead.
Young with a horrible shot ahead in the bunker… Oh, that’s rotten, it’s too steep and splashes into the wall, leaving the ball in. This might be the end of his hopes of lifting the claret jug.
He’s got 12 feet or more to save par.
Jack Rathborn23 July 2023 15:25
The Open 2023: Rahm cuts Harman’s lead at five
Rahm -7 (5), Harman -11 (4)
The bearded Rahm, with his cap back to front to stop the rain dripping in front of him, delicately brushes the ball in for a birdie on five.
Harman finds his ball, takes a drop on the fifth, the American bashes a fairway metal and it’s just short of the green. Up and down? He’ll make a miraculous save.
(Getty Images)
Jack Rathborn23 July 2023 15:21
The Open 2023: Harman finds more trouble on five
Harman -11 (4), Rahm -6 (4)
Harman cuts his drive off the fifth, and it quickly gets out to the left and stays there, falling in a bush, trouble ahead.
Rahm up ahead putts his third shot up to about three feet, surely he’s going to -7 any moment now. And it could be better if Harman doesn’t find himself an escape route from the bush.
Jack Rathborn23 July 2023 15:14
The Open 2023: Rahm in great position to cut Harman lead
It’s 237 yards on the fifth, looking to chop this par five in two. It falls agonisingly short, but he’s in position for a chip and a putt to go to -7.
Jack Rathborn23 July 2023 15:11
The Open 2023
Harman -11 (4), Young -6 (4), McIlroy -6 (9)
McIlroy on 10 now, still -6, sends a bullet down the middle of the fairway, a gorgeous right-to-left shape on that one.
Young is chipping on four, having just missed the green, he’ll have an easy par putt
Harman misses a birdie putt on four, he stays at -11.
(REUTERS)
Jack Rathborn23 July 2023 15:09
The Open 2023: Harman makes sublime save on three
Harman -11 (3), Young -6 (3)
That’s quite brilliant, from seven feet, Harman drains the par putt to stay at -11. What nerves!
Jack Rathborn23 July 2023 14:59
The Open 2023: Harman in big trouble on three
Harman -11 (2), Young -6 (3)
This is rotten on three, chopping down, the ball skids out and fizzes past the pin. Another could go for Harman here.
Young, eyeing birdie at three to regain that shot that was frittered away at the last, it’s never in but the pace is good. A settler for the American, he may soon be four behind.
Jack Rathborn23 July 2023 14:56
The Open 2023
Harman -11 (2), Fleetwood -6 (5)
Harman from 192 on three has short-sided himself and tumbles into the thick rough. This could be a problem for the leader!
Fleetwood then buries a birdie on five, he moves to -6.
McIlroy’s tester from 20 feet is cosied up to the pin and he’ll safely move to the back nine at -6, five shots off the lead.
Jack Rathborn23 July 2023 14:54