Billy Horschel holds one-shot lead at rainy Open Championship

TROON, Scotland — It was simply over 13 months in the past, after defending champion Billy Horschel carded a 12-over 84 within the first spherical of the Memorial Match, that the previous FedEx Cup champion talked about his psychological struggles in an unforgiving recreation.

“My confidence is the bottom it has been in my complete profession — I believe ever in my complete golf profession,” Horschel stated at Muirfield Village Golf Membership in Dublin, Ohio, on June 1, 2023.

On Sunday, Horschel could have an opportunity to rewrite his legacy within the closing spherical of the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Membership. He survived the wind and rain Saturday to publish a 2-under 69, giving him a 54-hole whole of 4-under 209, one stroke higher than six golfers, together with PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele, Sam Burns and Justin Rose.

“I adore it,” Horschel stated. “I’ve labored my complete life to be on this place. Pay attention, I have been within the lead many instances going right into a closing spherical. Clearly, this can be a main. It means a bit of bit extra. Everyone knows that. We all know what this implies to everybody. I do know what it means to my legacy within the recreation of golf and what I need to do and attain.

“However I am excited to be right here. I’ve wished to be right here my complete life. I am lastly right here. I am embracing it.”

Horschel, 37, is an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour. He has by no means fared too effectively in The Open — lacking twice as many cuts (six) as cuts made (three) in 9 earlier begins — however the Florida native has had success in Europe. He tied for twenty first on the 2022 Open at St. Andrews in Scotland and gained the 2021 BMW PGA Championship on the DP World Tour in 2021.

Horschel stated he has embraced the issue and toughness of hyperlinks golf. It was that and extra Saturday, because the Scottish skies opened up shortly after the leaders teed off. They have been met by brutal winds within the meat of the again 9.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who posted an even-par 71 and is eighth at 2 beneath, known as the second 9 at Royal Troon “in all probability the toughest 9 holes that I will ever play.”

Scheffler stated he hit driver and 3-wood strong on the par-4 fifteenth and did not attain the inexperienced in two. He hit a strong drive and laborious 3-iron on the 453-yard 18th.

“I in all probability do not hit a 3-wood on a par-3 fairly often,” Scheffler stated. “Yeah, it was fairly wild on the market, however did a great job of grinding it out.”

Loads of others did not benefit from the circumstances and issue at Royal Troon on Saturday.

Eire’s Shane Lowry, the 2019 Open Championship winner, began the third spherical with a two-shot lead over England’s Daniel Brown, a comparatively unknown qualifier. Lowry prolonged his result in three strokes with a birdie on the par-5 fourth, however issues fell aside for him quickly after.

On the well-known par-3 eighth gap, often called Postage Stamp, Lowry hit his tee shot into the left greenside Coffin bunker. His chip shot rolled off the inexperienced, resulting in a double-bogey 5.

Lowry made 5 bogeys on the again 9, lacking putts of 5 ft on No. 12 and 6 ft on No. 14. His strategy on the par-4 18th landed a few rows into the grandstands, main to a different bogey.

Lowry carded a 6-over 77 and is ninth at 1 beneath. He performed the ultimate seven holes in 7 over.

“This recreation is simply laborious, and now you are feeling how laborious it was enjoying effectively the primary two days in these circumstances,” Lowry stated. “Actually, it was brutal. I assume for me the eighth gap was killer, actually, make par there, and you’ll nonetheless shoot 3 or 4 over from there and nonetheless be main the match. Simply pulled my wedge shot there. Look, I do not actually know what to say. It was a grind. It wasn’t a lot enjoyable.

“You’d need to query why there wasn’t a few tees put ahead as we speak, to be trustworthy. I believe 15 and 17 — like 15 is 500 yards enjoying into that wind, it is — yeah, they maintain attempting to make holes longer, but one of the best gap on this course is about 100 yards.”

Brown, who grew up on a pig and cow farm in Burneston, England, continues to be proper within the combine regardless of a few hiccups on the ultimate two holes. Brown had a 1-stroke lead when he moved to six beneath with a 5-footer on No. 12 and once more when he made a 5-footer on No. 16.

Brown, a DP Tour common who made the sector by surviving closing qualifying, could not maintain the lead after his ball landed in greenside bunkers on Nos. 17 and 18, and he did not rise up and down. He dropped three photographs on the ultimate two holes to fall one shot behind Horschel.

“Yeah, we’re nonetheless there,” Brown stated. “It was tough. I am a bit of bit disenchanted with how the final two holes went as a result of I did so effectively to get to the place I received to, and yeah, it is a bit nasty to complete like that.”

Brown, 29, is trying to develop into solely the fourth golfer since 1900 to win in his main championship debut — Francis Ouimet (1913 U.S. Open), Ben Curtis (2003 Open) and Keegan Bradley (2011 PGA Championship) have been the others.

“I suppose lots of people in all probability thought I used to be going to be shaking this morning and actually nervous, however I have been completely high quality,” Brown stated.

The gamers who beat the rain and wind with early tee instances had a a lot better time than these within the afternoon. South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, who began the third spherical 10 photographs behind Lowry, had six birdies in eight holes on the entrance 9 en path to a 6-under 65. He was 3 beneath and can play the ultimate spherical with Horschel.

Burns had eight birdies whereas posting a 65 and joined the group at 3 beneath that features Russell Henley, who carded a 66 on Saturday.

Adam Scott, Justin Thomas and Matthew Jordan are 4 photographs behind Horschel, who will sleep on a 54-hole lead at a significant for the primary time in his profession.

Horschel stated he has spent a part of the week visualizing himself holding the Claret Jug on the 18th gap on Sunday, “strolling out to the group and being congratulated as Open champion.”

“That is what I’ll do once more tonight, and hopefully that comes true tomorrow,” Horschel stated. “If it would not, then I will get again on the grind and work more durable to get again ready like this once more.”