Viktor Hovland

The Sporting News provides action from day three of the Open Championship 2022 as the world's top golf stars descend on St Andrews.

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McIlroy led the way alongside playing partner Viktor Hovland on a day of low scoring.

All I can do is try to stick in. “I got a good start, the middle stretch was frustrating but a good finish again. “Today when I was having breakfast it seemed everyone was making birdies everywhere,” Fleetwood said.

The 150th Open Championship has reached the w on the Old Course at St Andrews, with Rory McIlroy the star attraction after Tiger Woods failed to make the ...

"You just look at where you are on the leaderboard," he said. After chipping in from off the green for an eagle on 9, he has repeated the dose by chipping in again for eagle on 10. Two birdies in first four holes is the definition of a hot start from the big Norwegian. Smith has company at the top on -12. A third straight birdie on 5 from Viktor and he moves to -13. First error of the day for Hovland. Rory punishes the blunder by sliding home a birdie 3 of his own. Rory moves to -15 and into the lead. Hovland just short of the green with his 2nd shot. Viktor a bit short of pace, but Rory about 25 feet from the can. McIlroy makes a comfortable enough par, but superb from Hovland to take 2 putts from downtown in front of the green. Hovland slides in par putt from three feet after putting in off the bank from the back. McIlroy with a fine 66, Hovland with 66. Cameron Young butchers his second shot with a chip, but a solid putt downhill should see him home at -12 with a round of 71.

Also in contention include Viktor Hovland, Dustin Johnson, Scottie Scheffler and the young American Cameron Young. Shane Lowry makes a big move on Saturday and ...

Viktor Hovland sits atop the Round 3 leaderboard at The Open Championship on Saturday, shooting a 4 under through seven holes. Hovland hit for par on the ...

Cameron Smith (1-over 73) and Cameron Young (1-under 71) are tied for third at the end of Round 3 with a tournament score of 12 under. Here are the top notes to know from Round 2 of The Open Championship at St. Andrews. "You need those little bits of luck."

The 150th Open Championship has reached the w on the Old Course at St Andrews, with Rory McIlroy the star attraction after Tiger Woods failed to make the ...

"You just look at where you are on the leaderboard," he said. After chipping in from off the green for an eagle on 9, he has repeated the dose by chipping in again for eagle on 10. Two birdies in first four holes is the definition of a hot start from the big Norwegian. Smith has company at the top on -12. A third straight birdie on 5 from Viktor and he moves to -13. First error of the day for Hovland. Rory punishes the blunder by sliding home a birdie 3 of his own. Rory moves to -15 and into the lead. Hovland just short of the green with his 2nd shot. Viktor a bit short of pace, but Rory about 25 feet from the can. McIlroy makes a comfortable enough par, but superb from Hovland to take 2 putts from downtown in front of the green. Hovland slides in par putt from three feet after putting in off the bank from the back. McIlroy with a fine 66, Hovland with 66. Cameron Young butchers his second shot with a chip, but a solid putt downhill should see him home at -12 with a round of 71.

Rory McIlroy shares the lead in the 150th Open Championship with one round to go, as he and Ryder Cup teammate Viktor Hovland took over at the top of the ...

"(Winning) would mean everything, because of what I've been through the last few years, trying to get that fifth (major). I need to keep the same mindset that I had today. I think it was the first bunker I've been in this week. Now, it's the two Europeans who have targets on their backs but perhaps for McIlroy one has always been there.

Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland went head to head in an all-star European showdown at St Andrews - and they will do it again tomorrow for the Claret Jug.

It could be a lot better quite quickly." "I've got myself in a great position after three days. "I had eight in my hand and I should have stuck with it - I went back to the nine and it came up probably a yard short and then I had to play out nearly backwards from the bunker. "I will just go out and try and shoot as low a score as I can," he stated. "Unfortunately, I doubted myself a few times instead of just sticking to my own thoughts and that cost me a few shots at the end. "I just have to just stick to my game plan, stick to the process," said McIlroy later.

Norwegian Viktor Hovland moved to the top of a congested British Open third-round leaderboard with a serene front nine in overcast conditions at St Andrews ...

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com "I don't think there's any other place that would top it," he said. And I feel like my patience was rewarded around the turn with a couple of birdies and that hole-out on 10. But stayed really patient. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Golf News: Norway's Viktor Hovland and former champion Rory McIlroy surged to the top of the leaderboard at the 150th British Open in St Andrews on Saturday ...

Smith, meanwhile, dropped a shot at the first but made it back at the ninth to move back to 13-under at the turn. In the clubhouse, England's Tommy Fleetwood -- the runner-up at Royal Portrush in 2019 -- sat at nine-under overall after a superb six-under-par round of 66 on Saturday. The duo went out together in the penultimate pairing on Saturday afternoon after sitting at 10-under overnight, three shots behind Australia's Cameron Smith, the leader at the halfway stage on 13 under par.

Rory McIlroy faces a final-day showdown with Ryder Cup teammate Viktor Hovland after the pair grabbed a share of the lead in a thrilling third round at The ...

McIlroy's tee-shot at the par-four last finished just left of the green but a superb two-putt lead to a closing birdie, with Hovland matching the three on the 18th to ensure the pair would take a share of the lead into the final day. Hovland made a birdie of his own to also go five under for the day and join his playing partner on 15 under, while Smith posted his first birdie of the day at the ninth to stay within two of the group ahead of him. McIlroy and Hovland carded third-round 66s to pull four ahead of the chasing pack and take a share of the lead into the final day at St Andrews;watch the final round live on Sky Sports The Open from 8am on Sunday

Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland take a four-shot lead into the final round of the 150th Open Championship after a scintillating duel over the Old Course.

But a horrible chip through the green on the 16th led to a double bogey. McIlroy said at the start of the week "boring golf" was needed to win a major. The longest hole on the course. The world number six tried again to advance his ball to the green. They would stay that way for three holes, breaking the tension with a laugh and a joke while waiting on the 12th tee. The English challenge sits seven back. Others briefly challenged but then faltered in the closing holes. It went left and a double-bogey six was marked on the card as he tumbled to 11 under. A two-putt birdie heaped pressure on the Norwegian. Three putts. As the eagle dropped, Hovland smiled, as Hovland does. The pair locked on 15 under. McIlroy visited the sand for the first time this week, with an errant tee shot.

Moving day brings new leaders after a pair of 66s from Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland, with Cameron Young and Cameron Smith four shots back.

McIlroy and Hovland, Ryder Cup teammates, reached that point while still in the midst of open warfare. I keep telling myself and keep saying all the time that you want to get yourself to the back nine on a Saturday with an opportunity to do something great. The 2019 champion believes he has “no chance” of a second Open victory. “I felt like through the middle of the front nine I was just going along OK, not doing anything great,” Lowry explained. He leapt with joy at Augusta National having found the bottom of the cup at the 72nd hole from a greenside bunker. The former world No 1 did make a birdie at the last after a topped drive but at 10 under requires snookers. Hatton looked on at the slow play of his partner, Talor Gooch, with murderous intent. McIlroy’s subsequent advantage, earned at the 14th, was cancelled out at the penultimate hole. The Norwegian rattled off four birdies in a row from the 3rd. What a mockery was made of that concept at the 10th, where he holed out for an eagle. Cameron Young and Cameron Smith are closest to the leaders, at 12 under. The Spaniard would surely approve of McIlroy claiming number five at St Andrews. In the space of almost eight occasionally painful years, McIlroy has never been closer to achieving such a feat.

Rory McIlroy moved into the void left by the departure of Tiger Woods at The Open, holing a bunker shot for eagle and revving up the gallery at St. Andrews ...

He missed a 10-foot birdie chance on the 16th and then three-putted the 17th for a bogey. Johnson also within three shots until a bogey on the 13th and another on the par-5 14th, where his long eagle putt raced up a hill, across the green and into a pot bunker. Smith missed a short birdie chance on the 18th and had a 73. He played a safe pitch onto the green and two-putted for bogey. Cameron Smith, who started with a two-shot lead, took double bogey on the 13th hole when he tried a bold play with his feet in a pot bunker. "But at the same time, I need to keep in my own little world and try to play a good round of golf. McIlroy finally caught him by holing out from a pot bunker some 80 feet away for eagle on the 10th hole, setting off a roar that could be heard all the way back at the Royal & Ancient clubhouse. Hovland, already with six victories worldwide in his four years since leaving Oklahoma State as a U.S. Amateur champion, could appreciate the support for McIlroy and all he has done. McIlroy holed a bunker shot for eagle on the 10th hole that he described as part skill and part luck, but it was pure magic. "I think it's appreciating the moment as well and appreciating the fact that it's unbelievably cool to have a chance to win The Open at St Andrews," McIlroy said. And I'm going to try to make a dream come true tomorrow." Both made birdie on the final hole for a 6-under 66.

Viktor Hovland may be doing all he can to spoil the major dreams of his Ryder Cup 'Team Europe' buddy, but he had to pay dues to Rory McIlroy here.

The reaction from McIlroy and the crowd near the green was electric. The shot was so good, though, that it was never going anywhere but straight in. Both players were left with chips onto the greeen, but McIlroy was down in a greenside bunker.

Get all of the latest Golf news from The Scotsman. Providing fresh perspective online for news across the UK.

Kevin Kisner leapt up the leaderboard with a best-of-the-day 65, having gone out in 30 when there was no wind. His day was summed up by a birdie attempt at the last ducking left of the hole. Tommy Fleetwood, the 2019 runner-up, finished strongly, picking up three birdies in the last five holes, as he signed for a 66 to give himself an outside chance of a first major win. All that resulted in a burst of four straight birdies before adding another gain at the tenth. He then topped his tee shot at the last but still birdied it. He wasn’t far away from another eagle after finding the heart of the 14th with a majestic second short, but a birdie there gave him the outright lead for the first time.

Viktor Hovland and Rory McIlroy are the final twosome Sunday in the 150th Open. About all they will share ahead of that 2:50 p.m. BST tee time, however, ...

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ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — Rory McIlroy moved into the void left by the departure of Tiger Woods at the British Open, holing a bunker shot for eagle and ...

He missed a 10-foot birdie chance on the 16th and then three-putted the 17th for a bogey. Johnson also within three shots until a bogey on the 13th and another on the par-5 14th, where his long eagle putt raced up a hill, across the green and into a pot bunker. Smith missed a short birdie chance on the 18th and had a 73. This is his first big moment in a major, and he sounded up to the task. He played a safe pitch onto the green and two-putted for bogey. Instead of birdie, he had to scramble for bogey. He also three-putted from 30 feet to start his round and made just two birdies. “But at the same time, I need o keep in my own little world and try to play a good round of golf. Cameron Smith, who started with a two-shot lead, took double bogey on the 13th hole when he tried a bold play with his feet in a pot bunker. McIlroy finally caught him by holing out from a pot bunker some 80 feet away for eagle on the 10th hole, setting off a roar that could be heard all the way back at the Royal & Ancient clubhouse. The R&A set the tee times that way so they would pass each other. Hopefully, we can push ourselves tomorrow.”

Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland shot matching rounds of 66 on Saturday and are four shots clear of the field heading into the final round.

"I just feel that the golfing gods have got something good in store for Rory McIlroy." Hovland climbed the leaderboard by making four straight birdies on the front nine, starting with a 38-footer at the third hole and following it up with a 42-footer at the fourth. Just to be here is very special, but to have a chance to win one is — yeah, I have to pinch myself, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to hold back tomorrow." So you just kind of have to go, 'Hey, that was a sick shot,' " Hovland said. "When things like that happen, you just kind of have to give each other a fist bump and say good shot." The 33-year-old McIlroy broke the birdie seal with a pair of circles on the card at Nos. 5 and 6 and tacked on another at the ninth for a splendid outward nine.

Rory McIlroy moved into the void left by the departure of Tiger Woods at the 150th Open on Saturday as he took a share of the lead.

He missed a 10-foot birdie chance on the 16th and then three-putted the 17th for a bogey. Johnson was also within three shots until a bogey on the 13th and another on the par-5 14th, where his long eagle putt raced up a hill, across the green and into a pot bunker. Smith missed a short birdie chance on the 18th and had a 73. This is his first big moment in a major, and he sounded up to the task. He played a safe pitch onto the green and two-putted for bogey. Cameron Smith, who started with a two-shot lead, took double bogey on the 13th hole when he tried a bold play with his feet in a pot bunker.

At the 150th British Open, the 33-year-old from Northern Ireland is trying to end a drought, while the 24-year-old from Norway is looking for his first ...

“Yeah, I mean, it’s pretty crazy from where I grew up and so far away from playing the PGA Tour, European Tour, for that matter major championships,” he said. “Certainly there wasn’t a lot of chat going on through the last few holes this evening either,” McIlroy said. “Talked about a whole bunch of stuff,” McIlroy said about Saturday. “Talked about footwear. Crowds along the fence beside No. 18 began to thin even if empty cans and cups on the ground did not. “I think for sure,” he said. “I think we were obviously both kind of doing our own thing,” Hovland said. It probably keeps both of us a little loose.” They drove the hell out of No. 18 on this course full of drivable par-4s, and then they walked, McIlroy looking up at the Rusacks Hotel for the windows from which his parents, wife and daughter watch. So it was a good mix.” It has led him all the way to this hopeful, precarious Sunday: sesquicentennial Open, runaway sentiment, tied for the Sunday morning lead with 24-year-old Norwegian phenom Viktor Hovland at 16 under par, well out ahead of Cameron Smith and Cameron Young at 12 under, Scottie Scheffler and Si Woo Kim at 11 under. Those 29 help make the meaning inflate and the noise boom. Those 29 color his pursuit of a drought-destroyer at the world’s foremost course and event.

McIlroy leapfrogged to the top of the leaderboard with a stunning bunker shot on No. 10 for eagle. He and Hovland were tied heading into the final round on ...

But McIlroy made birdies of his own on Nos. 5, 6 and 9 before his eagle from the sand on No. 10 and another birdie on No. 15 that gave him back the outright lead. McIlroy might be nine years older, but he and Hovland developed a good rapport after playing (and losing) on the same Ryder Cup squad for Europe last year. It was not quite enough to shake free of Hovland in the third round. McIlroy is trying to end an eight-year major drought by prevailing at the ultimate Open venue. “Talked about a whole bunch of stuff,” McIlroy said. The weather is forecast to remain relatively benign on Sunday, with moderate winds and temperatures in the mid-70s. “There’s a lot of things that can happen,” Hovland said. “I love that I have got so much support,” he said. But Hovland, a 24-year-old Norwegian who excelled at Oklahoma State before turning professional in 2019, did not let McIlroy enjoy the lead alone for long. McIlroy, from Northern Ireland, was certainly the crowd favorite, but Hovland, a dynamic presence, did not shrink from the challenge. He and Hovland were tied heading into the final round on Sunday. “It was skill to get it somewhere close,” McIlroy said.

Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland are tied after 54 holes at the Open Championship, but Hovland doesn't mind playing the underdog role.

“But that doesn’t mean I’m going to hold back tomorrow.” “What a wild 2 on that hole,” Hovland said. “I’m pretty good at doing nothing,” he said. At the end of the day, I’ve just got to play my game and not worry about anything else.” They tee off at 2:50 p.m. local on Sunday (9:50 a.m. ET), which means they have lots of time to kill. His best run this year came in the spring, when he had strong finishes in three-straight marquee events: T4 at the Genesis Invitational, T2 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, T9 at the Players Championship. And at the end of the day, well, there’s still some shouts there for me as well. He’s tied for 12th twice, most recently in last year’s Open Championship. McIlroy, who grew up in Northern Ireland, will be the fan favorite, as the former World No. 1 (and current No. 2) is looking for his first major title in eight years. They started Saturday tied at 10 under, three behind Cameron Smith, but shot matching 66s and now go off in the final pairing on Sunday afternoon. He’s made nine of 11 cuts but has just four top 25s and zero top 10s. Crowds, anywhere, are often pro-Rory, but the 33 year old received one of the biggest ovations of the day when he holed out from the bunker for eagle on the par-4 10th, which gave him a brief lead.

Ryder Cup team-mates both shot 66 to open up four-shot lead over the field at St Andrews.

I think I can shoot quite a low one but we will have to wait and see.” The Dubliner signed for a finishing 73 for a total of 212, four under, to lie in tied-35th. But poor bogeys on the 12th, 15th and 16th left him dispirited and even a birdie to finish didn’t bring any hope as he headed for remedial practice on the putting green. The plan for Sunday’s final round will be to stick to his process and stay in his own cocoon: “I think for me it is expect the unexpected but at the same time focus on myself. That par save got him back level with McIlroy and, like his friend, he also managed to birdie the closing hole. On moving day, the Northern Irishman and the Norwegian got forward momentum in a two-ball for the ages in the third round of this 150th Open Championship at the Home of Golf and finished an exhilarating day locked together.

Rory McIlroy has said winning The 150th Open "would mean everything" to him after he moved into a share of the lead following a superb third round at St ...

Viktor got off to a great start and we were just sort of feeding off one another, we'll do it all again tomorrow." I've honestly come into this tournament with some lousy performances, so I'm glad it turned around this week. "I'm just trying to make the most of it and I'm going to have a lot of fun tomorrow." "It's pretty outrageous, to be fair. On the prospect of playing with Hovland again on Sunday, the 33-year-old added: "It was a great group to be a part of as well. Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland share the lead after 54 holes of The 150th Open at St Andrews; pair on 16 under and four clear of nearest challengers; McIlroy: "I just need to do it for one more day"; watch the final round live on Sky Sports The Open from 8am on Sunday

The reigning Champion Golfer of the Year and the man who holds the joint-lead heading into the final day of The 150th Open turned professional on the same day ...

The 150th Open The 150th Open “It was cool to trade some holes with Rory as well. “There are a lot of things that can happen,” Hovland said. I have just got to play my game and not worry about anything else. “I do not mind it,” he said.

Viktor Hovland is eyeing victory at the 2022 Open Championship. His coach, GOLF Top Teacher Jeff Smith, explains how he got there.

During his putting warmups, Smith says Hovland will “calibrate” his putting by hitting 12 putts from all around the hole: four putts from each of five, seven, and nine feet. Hovland will read each putt using AimPoint, and then check the read using a level. Doing the boring stuff behind the scenes, and getting a little better each day along the way. “Around the greens we spent countless hours refining his chipping and bunker action,” Smith says. “We’ve worked to neutralize that move so he can work the ball both ways and hit more of a straight ball as his stock shot.” “He has always had a good stroke,” Smith adds. Hovland’s golf swing technique features a strong trail hand grip, and he holds off the clubface during his release. But those technical elements in his golf swing also show up in shorter shots around the green. I couldn’t hit a 3-wood off the deck, I couldn’t get it airborne, it was so frustrating because I would watch my peers and they would just hit these high draws off of the ground onto the green on par-5s.” “On high GIR holes, we’d play competitive putting games and drills around the potential hole locations. And for Hovland, the lowest ebb of his career lives long in the memory. Doing that meant providing more structure to what, and how, Hovland would practice.

When Rory McIlroy last landed a Major as far back as Valhalla in 2014, Viktor Hovland was a 17-year-old who had just won the Norwegian Amateur. Skip advert.

Hovland even admitted that he and Rory might make a solid Ryder Cup pairing in the years to come. “Rory is a good guy, so I don't mind saying good shot to him. So it was a good mix.” Hopefully we could have a similar impact to when Henrik won The Open a few years ago, and just get more people to play golf and watch it on TV.” Rory and Harry (Diamond) are good guys, and we chatted it up a little bit. “It's pretty crazy from where I grew up and so far away from playing the PGA Tour, European Tour, for that matter Major championships.

Viktor Hovland has never been closer to winning one of golf's four majors than he is heading into the fourth round at the 2022 Open Championship.

He also carded the lowest 72-hole score by an amateur in the U.S. Open that year, turning in a 4-under 280 to break Jack Nicklaus' previous record of 2-under 282 set in 1960. Hovland attended Oklahoma State from 2016-19. (Collin Morikawa won with a score of 15-under 265). Hovland thus far has turned in rounds of 4-under 68, 6-under 66 and 6-under 66. Hovland, a fourth-year professional on the PGA Tour, is tied atop the leaderboard with Rory McIlroy at 16 under par after three rounds. No, Hovland has never won the Open Championship. He has never won any of golf's four majors, which include the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and Open Championship.