United States’ David Duval lines up a putt on the 18th green during the third round at the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Sunday, July 19, 2015.
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When a shootout at St. Andrews ended Sunday, 14 players were separated by three shots.
The 22-year-old Irishman shot a 6-under 66 on Sunday and strolled to the clubhouse tied for the lead at St. Andrews.
That means Dunne lies only four shots off the lead of the Open – without having to strike a golf ball all day. He made three straight birdies.
Johnson dropped shots on the last three holes. I am enjoying myself and am playing well. Still three-under for nine and four-under through 11 was good going.
The South African, victor of the tournament at the same venue five years ago, topped a congested leaderboard on 12 under along with Irish amateur Paul Dunne and Australia’s Jason Day after shooting a third-round 67.
Oosthuizen said: “It’s so much fun to be playing the Open, playing for the Claret Jug”.
Spieth, who will match Day in the penultimate group today, said at media parley that he was banking on winning the Open as that remained his objective. But it just did not happen. “But whether I do or not, I’ll survive either way”.
Canada’s Graham Delaet of Weyburn, Sask., had his best round so far at the British Open.
Oosthuizen, who won the Open Championship also over the Old Course in 2010, birdied the last hole after he sent his iron approach within three feet of the flag. Day is just as big of a threat.
I’ve never been to Augusta National, the only permanent major championship course, and I’m sure it would be a similar experience, but there’s an aura, a mystique, about St Andrews, and particularly the Old Course – there are actually seven public courses in the town – that is tangible and unmistakable.
Such an opportunity might not come around again for Spieth.
“First two days I got absolutely nothing out of it”, said Fowler, five back going into Sunday.
Marc Leishman (64) began the low-scoring run early in the day his eight-under-par round leaving him one behind overnight leader Dustin Johnson on nine-under.
He refused to be intimidated by the occasion as he birdied holes 4, 7, 9, 10 and 15 for a bogey free performance that stunned some of his fellow professionals.
A victory would send him to the PGA Championship with a shot at the Grand Slam, and at worse put him in elite company. He had a share of the lead late on Sunday at the Masters in 2013 until he missed out on the playoff between Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera, and he finished tied for second at the U.S. Open later that year.
One day after raging wind off the Eden Estuary caused a 10-hour delay and forced a Monday finish, the flags were soaked from passing showers and limp from no wind.
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That’s what made Dustin Johnson’s collapse so shocking.
