Billy Horschel took the lead Saturday throughout a wet third spherical of the British Open with a 2-under par spherical of 69 at Royal Troon Golf Course in Scotland. He’s one stroke forward of six golfers. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler sits two pictures again.
Horschel turned professional in 2009 and joined the Tour full-time in 2011. The 37-year-old American has had a strong profession with eight PGA Tour wins and a career-high rating of eleventh in 2022. A 15-year run on the PGA Tour is profitable in case you can sprinkle in just a few wins, notably an inconceivable 2014 FedEx Cup title that carried a $10 million bonus. Horschel has earned $51.6 million in PGA prize cash and FedEx bonuses throughout his profession.
But, Horschel was not on anybody’s radar getting into the British Open, formally the Open Championship. His Official World Golf Rating is 62, and he has 4 prime 10 finishes this 12 months in 18 occasions. His greatest profession exhibiting in a significant was in his first as a professional when he completed fourth on the 2013 U.S. Open. He didn’t end within the prime 15 once more in a significant over the following 10 years. He broke that streak when he completed eighth on the 2024 PGA Championship.
BetMGM had Horschel’s odds at +17500 to win the British Open, identical as Christiaan Bezuidenhout and simply behind Tiger Woods at +15000. Scheffler was the favourite at +500.
“One thing I’ve achieved this 12 months, and I’ve achieved a greater job this week of it, or tried to do a greater job, is type of manifest seeing myself holding the trophy earlier than I fall asleep each night time, envisioning myself holding that trophy on 18, strolling out to the gang and being congratulated as Open champion,” Horschel stated after his spherical Saturday.
Horschel could be removed from probably the most unlikely main winner. Shawn Micheel seemingly has that title safe within the fashionable period. He gained the 2003 PGA Championship, and it was the one PGA Tour victory of his profession. Micheel completed second within the 2006 PGA Championship, however it was the one different time he ever cracked the highest 20 in a significant. Todd Hamilton didn’t get his PGA Tour card till he was 38 and gained solely two Tour occasions, however one in all them was the 2004 British Open. He by no means completed within the prime 20 earlier than or after that in a significant.
The overall purse for the British Open is the smallest of the majors at $17 million, up 3% over final 12 months. The winner will earn $3.1 million, a $100,000 enhance over 2023 when American Brian Harmon gained the Claret Jug.