Open Championship golf 2022: Rory McIlroy holes amazing bunker shot as he and Viktor Hovland move clear

Rory McIlroy earned the biggest cheer of the week when holing a brilliant bunker shot for an eagle as he and Viktor Hovland moved clear of the field after three rounds of the Open Championship.

The lead changed hands multiple times on the Old Course at St Andrews on moving day, as players put their hands up only to flatter to deceive.

Cameron Smith began the day in front, but fell back, as did his playing partner Cameron Young, while Dustin Johnson made a good start only to run out of steam.

And it was left to McIlroy and Hovland to produce the star golf and they will be in the final group on Sunday.

They both posted rounds of 66 to move to 16-under for the tournament, four clear of the chasing pack.

There will be players looking to apply pressure before the leaders head out on Sunday, but McIlroy and Hovland were imperious on Saturday.

Third Round Leaderboard

• Rory McIlroy, 16-under
• Viktor Hovland, 16-under
• Cameron Young, 12-under
• Cameron Smith, 12-under
• Scottie Scheffler, 11-under
• Si Woo Kim, 11-under
• Dustin Johnson, 10-under
• Tommy Fleetwood, nine-under
• Matt Fitzpatrick, nine-under
• Adam Scott, nine-under
• Jordan Spieth, eight-under
• Patrick, Cantlay, eight-under

McIlroy had birdie looks on the first three holes. But the trio of putts were tentative and stayed above ground.

There were dissenting voices among the crowd at the fourth tee after McIlroy pulled out three wood rather than driver. It was the correct play as he found the fairway and then the green, but his birdie putt drifted to the right.

The putter finally came good for McIlroy on five and six, as players jockeyed for position on moving day.

With the putter largely cold, McIlroy used the biggest club in the bag to set up a birdie on nine. He drove the green on the par four and two bumps with the putter moved him to 12-under.

He took the putter out of the equation again on 10, to the delight of the crowd. It was not by choice, as his tee shot found a bunker 30 yards shy of the green. The aim was up and down for a birdie, but it turned out to be up and in as it landed perfectly, released and rolled into the cup for an eagle.

The area around the 10th is an amphitheatre and McIlroy’s rivals would have heard all about it as he moved into the lead.

For as well as he played, McIlroy had slices of fortune. He somehow avoided a gorse bush off the tee on 13 and made par. He went way to the left on 14, but went through the rough and found the fifth fairway. It gave him a good line in and he capitalised with a birdie.

But it was ultimately impressive from McIlroy, as he had to watch on early on Hovland holed a string of long putts to power into the lead. The Norwegian made four birdies on the spin from three through six

McIlroy’s only bogey of the round came on 17, but it could have been worse after his second shot drew a flyer from the rough and came to rest against the wall behind the green. He got out of danger and avoided a big number, but it dropped him back.

Hovland also went through the back on 17, but he got up and down for a par to draw level with McIlroy and both birdied 18 to set up a duel on Sunday.

Johnson had an eventful day, as he hit the front at one stage but found a string of bunkers on the back nine, topped his tee shot on 18 – nearly hitting the Swilcan Bridge – and ended up at 10-under.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has gone quietly about his business this week, as is often the case, and he carded a 69 to sit at 11-under.