After 54 holes Louis Oosthuizen (-12) remains the only leader of the 149e British Open with a lead over Collin Morikawa (-11) and three over Jordan Spieth (-9).
A generous sun, a moderate wind, spectators in Bermuda shorts … Funny scenery for a British Open. The survivors of the cut, however, scored less than the day before on an unarmed links the two previous days. Organizers, upset to see the birdies falling like flies, hardened the venerable Royal St George’s course with intricate flag positions and firmer greens than the first two days. After setting a record for the Open in the first two rounds by scoring -11, leader Louis Oosthuizen was a little less regal this Saturday. Everything was off to a good start. By making a birdie at 9, the winner of the 2010 edition had taken two steps ahead, before losing a little of his splendor. After 44 holes he had only made one bogey. He committed two in his last seven holes, before resuming his irresistible march forward with a birdie surveyed at 16. In the end, a solid card of 70 (-1) this Saturday and a retained leadership (-12 total) .
Reverse trajectory for Collin Morikawa. At +2 after six holes, without having touched a green in regulation, the prodigy woke up to sign four birdies on the last twelve holes, without another bogey. The birdie on the par 5 of 14 allowed him to rejoin the lead, tied with -11 with Louis Oosthuizen and Jordan Spieth. He will still share his game with the leader on Sunday.
Spieth got stuck in the finale
Texan Jordan Spieth offered two faces on Saturday. Flamboyant during the first nine holes (-3), he lost the pace on the return (+2), with two consecutive bogeys and a three putts for a sad conclusion. With a score of 69 (-1) and -9 total, however, he remains more than ever in the race for a second coronation for the British after 2017. No wonder to find the Texan at the top of the bill. His stats speak for him in this tournament.
American Scottie Scheffler and Canadian Corey Conners are also on the lookout four shots behind the leaders (-8). With a 66 (-4), virgin of bogey, Conners posted the second best card of the day (behind Robert Macintyre -5) after having in particular made three birdies from 12 to 14. Conners jumped from the 17e at the 4e square. He could create a sensation on Sunday. Just like his compatriot MacKenzie Hugues (-7 after 54 holes). The South African Dylan Frittelli, very comfortable, putter in hand, also shares the 5e up to -7 with US Open winner Jon Rahm, still in the game for a US Open – British Open double in the same year.
Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson weren’t there
In ambush on the eve of Moving Day, the two American stars lost ground this Saturday. The title goes away for them. Dustin Johnson, mired in the roughs, turned the first eleven holes in +5, before recovering a little late in the game with two birdies. Too little, too late. His 73 of the day (+3) takes him away from Oostuizen at -4 total in the 18e square. Brooks Koepka, four-time winner in Major, is satisfied with a 72 (+2), which relegates him even further to the 25e place at -3. Rory McIlroy will also not be in the game on Sunday to win a second British Open. Brilliant during a go tacked in -5, the Northern Irishman stuck on the return with a 38 (+3) and a card of 69 (-1) which left him in the soft belly at the 41e up to -1 total.
Rozner’s very good Moving Day
For his first British Open, Racing player Antoine Rozner narrowly crossed the cut at +1. Thanks to a very good card this Saturday of 67 (-3), the 82e world, author of 5 birdies for 2 bogeys, made a small jump in the ranking of 33 places to end up at 33e square. Something to satisfy the rookie: ” I am very happy with my score. My game was fantastic, he congratulated himself at the microphone of Golf +. My first holes were amazing and it put me right in there. I hardly missed a single shot. Four putts stayed short in a line, it didn’t matter that I made a huge score. »
In the top 5 after the first round, Benjamin Hebert, the other tricolor survivor of the cut, fell into line after his 74 (+4) on Friday. This Saturday, after a complicated start with three bogeys in six holes, the Briviste fought well to return an honorable card of 71 (+1), thirteen strokes behind the leader in 53e position (+1).
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