Rory McIlroy the British Open co-leader and fan favorite: 5 things to consider for Sunday's final round
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — There are a lot of things one can learn spending the day and evening in this ancient seaside village.
Three of the four seasons can come for a visit. Hearing the sounds of golf spikes hitting concrete throughout the city puts a smile on your face. If you can’t find a suitable pub or restaurant, you’re in the wrong city.
And The Old Course at St. Andrews in the middle of the Auld Grey Toun is a never-ending puzzle that has stood the test of time and continues to baffle the best players in the world. This week in the 150th Open Championship is just the latest example proving that.
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Here are five things to consider heading into Sunday’s final round in the chase for the Claret Jug:
Rory McIlroy is king
The former Boy Wonder from Holywood, Northern Ireland, is the undisputed fan favorite among the massive galleries rimming The Old Course. From children to seniors, the encouraging chants follow him from the practice ground and then around all 18 holes of St. Andrews. When he holed out from a pot bunker from 30 yards for eagle on the 12th in Saturday's third round, the roars could be heard far out into the North Sea.
The spectators understand McIlroy hasn’t added to his collection of four major triumphs for eight years now. They understand he was clearly the best player in the world in 2015 but was denied a chance to prove it in The Open at St. Andrews when he wrecked his ankle playing soccer and couldn’t play.
They understand he is a thoughtful, likeable, approachable player who deserves their loudest approval. And they see he’s tied for the lead with the final round to go, sharing it with Viktor Hovland, one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet but will be the "nice" villain on Sunday.
Road Hole will be Sunday’s biggest hazard
The tee shot has to go over a hotel, a deep bunker pot greenside must be avoided, and by all means do not go over the thin green or you will have to tangle with a road and a brick wall. Other than that, the par-4, 495-yard 17th hole is a piece of cake. Joking aside, the hole — as it was in 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 when The Open was held on The Old Course — is the toughest on the grounds. There have been all of 18 birdies all week on the hole.
Much like the island green at the par-3 17th at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, the Road Hole lives in players’ heads and is on their minds from the first tee forward.
Make your hay early
Going outward on The Old Course has been a much easier journey than when players turn around and come back to the 18th hole. No. 9 has played as the second-easiest this week, No. 5 the third-easiest, No. 10 the fifth-easiest, No. 3 the seventh-easiest, No. 7 the eighth-easiest and No. 1 the ninth-easiest. Get the picture?
Through three rounds of the 150th Open, the fourth and the second have offered the most resistance to red numbers among the first 11 holes (No. 4 ranks as the third-toughest, No. 2 the sixth-toughest). The two are the only holes in the first 10 that have played over par this week. Basically, the players will tell you the first, third, fifth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and 10th are getable, especially the par-5 fifth, where players are hitting 8-irons or lower for their second shots, the drivable par-4 seventh and the drivable par-4 ninth.
Birdie the final hole
The drivable par-4, 350-yard closer has been a pushover this week, even with the Valley of Sin guarding the green. The 18th has played nearly half a shot below its par. There have been only two double-bogeys or worse on the easiest hole on The Old Course the entire week. It has yielded 195 birdies — 16 more than the drivable par-4 ninth, which is playing as the second-easiest hole. The punishing Road Hole and the benevolent 18th will combine for a must-see 1-2 punch at the end of The Open.
Never give up
Kevin Kisner made a 5-footer for birdie on his final hole Friday to make the cut on the number, and then went out with Trey Mullinax in the day’s first two-ball on Saturday. Kisner, who finished runner-up in the 2018 Open Championship at Carnoustie, was tied for 66th. But he began his day in brilliant sunshine and with three birdies, then added two more at Nos. 5 and 6. He dropped a 100-foot bomb on the eighth for another birdie, added three more on the back nine and shot 65.
That shot him up more than 50 spots on the leaderboard. At 7 under, he’s in a tie for 13th heading into Sunday’s final round.
Follow Steve DiMeglio on Twitter @Steve_DiMeglio.