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Agence France-Presse

Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland share the lead going into the final round of the 150th Open Championship on Sunday with St Andrews poised for a shoot-out between the two to decide who takes the Claret Jug.
The pair are tied on 16-under par and are four clear of their nearest challengers, Cameron Young of the United States and Cameron Smith of Australia, who had led at the halfway stage.
McIlroy and Hovland will go out in the final pairing on Sunday at 2.50pm local time (9.50pm HKT), with Smith and Young teeing off together 10 minutes earlier, by which time forecast morning showers are expected to have cleared.

Rory. McIlroy.#The150thOpen pic.twitter.com/ZgVKfXf8ie
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 16, 2022

The loudest support around the Old Course is likely to be for McIlroy, who was the favourite coming into the week and has so far lived up to the hype with rounds of 66, 68 and 66.
That is identical to his first three rounds at Hoylake in 2014, when he won his only Open Championship to date.
McIlroy followed that victory by winning the PGA Championship a few weeks later, but he has not added to his tally of four major titles since then, famously missing the chance to defend his title in the last Open at St Andrews in 2015 after injuring an ankle playing football.
Yet his recent form suggested he has been building up to this, as the 33-year-old came second at the Masters in April, tied fifth at the US Open and won the Canadian Open in between.
“I’m playing a golf tournament and I’ve got myself in a great position after three days. I’ve finished off enough golf tournaments in my time to feel like I know what to do tomorrow,” he said.
“I’m not going to take anything for granted. Nothing’s given to you and I have to go out there and earn it just like I’ve earned everything else in my career.”
Flawless Young seizes early lead at Open, McIlroy two shots back
McIlroy and Hovland fed off each other as they played together on Saturday, both shooting rounds of 66.
The highlight of McIlroy’s day was a sensational chip-in from a bunker for an eagle two at the 10th, while he also had five birdies with the one blemish on his card a bogey at the 17th.
Hovland’s own round featured six birdies and not a single dropped shot.
“Obviously I’m probably the underdog, but I don’t mind that at all and hopefully we can push each other again,” said Hovland, who could become the first Norwegian to win a men’s major.
His compatriot, Suzann Pettersen, won the Women’s PGA Championship and Evian Championship during her illustrious career, and also finished in a tie for second at the Women’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in 2014.
“I don’t think there’s any other place that would top it,” said Hovland. “To win a major that’s closest to home, that would be really cool.”
Whatever happens on Sunday, the 24-year-old world No 9 seems certain to claim his best ever finish in a major, better than his 12th place in last year’s Open.
Unless the leading pair both struggle badly, it is going to take something special for any of the chasing pack to catch them on a course where the record low score in an Open is 63.
That record was set by Paul Broadhurst in 1990 and matched by McIlroy in 2010.
Smith, the 28-year-old Brisbane native with the trademark mullet, is hoping to become the first Australian British Open winner since Greg Norman in 1993.
He led after the first two rounds on 13-under but shot a 73 on Saturday to drop back to 12-under, level with Young.
“It’s always hard to back up a good round. You know, to have one like that was definitely frustrating, but it will definitely motivate me tomorrow,” Smith said.


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Sport

Golf

Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland tied at top of leader board on 16-under par after shooting identical 6-under on Saturday
Hovland could become first male Norwegian golfer to win a major


Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland tied at top of leader board on 16-under par after shooting identical 6-under 66s in the third round.


Rory McIlroy

Cameron Smith

150th Open Championship: McIlroy and Hovland set for final round shoot-out after pair of sparkling 66s

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland tied at top of leader board on 16-under par after shooting identical 6-under on Saturday Hovland could become first male Norwegian golfer to win a major

Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland tied at top of leader board on 16-under par after shooting identical 6-under on Saturday

Hovland could become first male Norwegian golfer to win a major