Ernie Els of South Africa will try to deprive Irishman Des Smyth of a place in Major Championship history when he takes a two stroke lead into the final round of the 131st Open Golf Championship at Muirfield.
Els bounced back from an outward 40 in brutally wet and windy conditions to shoot an inward 32 and a round of 72 for a five under par total of 208. He leads by two from Denmark’s Sören Hansen, the 2002 Murphy’s Irish Open champion, who fired a solid 73 for a total of 210.
However Smyth, already the oldest winner on The European Tour, now sets his sights on an altogether more improbable golfing milestone when he goes into the last day with an opportunity to become the oldest winner in Major Championships, setting out in a group of seven players on 211.
On a wild and wintry day on Scotland’s east coast, when Muirfield bared all its teeth today to blow the Open Championship wide open and send scores soaring in the third round, the 49 year old from Drogheda bogeyed the closing two holes but found himself within striking distance of European Tour Members Els and the ever-improving Hansen.
The predicted driving wind and rain belatedly arrived as the leading groups began to tee off, bringing those fortunate to be already in the clubhouse fully back into the reckoning, none more so than the two Justins – Leonard and Rose – who shot matching 68s before the conditions turned sour and set the early clubhouse target on 211, two under par. They were joined by Spain’s Sergio Garcia, who defied dreadful conditions to shoot a level par 71.
However Smyth, who began the final round one shot behind the five halfway leaders Els, Padraig Harrington, Shigeki Maruyama, Bob Tway and Duffy Waldorf became the unlikely hero of the day, despite a double bogey start.
Now, at 49 years, five months and nine days, he can overhaul American Julius Boros, who won the 1968 US PGA Championships at the venerable age of 48 years, four months and 16 days, and also became the oldest winner of the Open Championship, a position held by Old Tom Morris who won at the age of 46 years and 99 days in 1867.
He said: “For an hour and a half or two hours out there it was as bad as I’ve ever played in. It was close to being unplayable but I hung in well until my disappointing finish.”
The scores of the leaders were all the more commendable for the fact that World Number One Tiger Woods shot 81, his highest score as a professional, and Colin Montgomerie followed his second round 64 by taking 20 strokes more in an 84.
As the rains subsided, the two-time US Open Champion Els birdied the 11th, 13th, rolled in a six footer at the 16th for a two then reached the par five 17th in two and two putted for another birdie. Hansen, though, showed that he is now a major force on The European Tour by staying composed and birdieing the ninth and 17th to help compensate for four bogeys.
Harrington briefly held the outright at seven under par after a birdie at the first, but he toiled in the worst of the conditions to finish with around of 76 for a share of tenth place with Frenchman Thomas Levet on 212, one under par. Still in with a chance at level par are defending champion David Duval and 2001 US Open Champion Retief Goosen.
However before the rains dropped their soggy cargo on Muirfield, Rose and Leonard fed off each other to become two of only four players to break 70 in the third round. They ended a strange day tieing for third with Thomas Björn, Garcia, Maruyama, Scott McCarron and Smyth.
"I played nicely" said Rose. "Yesterday it was just the putter which let me down, I had 37 putts which is pretty disgusting really. I felt like I needed to go out there and get myself back in the tournament and I save par at the first and got the momentum going from the word go, which was nice.
"If you are five strokes back then you still have a realistic shout, although Paul Lawrie won it from ten back in 1999 so you are never out of it. My goal was to get within four of the lead come the end of the day," said Rose, who in fact finished three behind. “I'm pretty happy with my day's work."
Happier still, no doubt, when he watched the leaders tee off as the weather deteriorated rapidly. Woods was the highest profile victim, four bogeys and a double bogey seven taking him to the turn in an amazing 42 shots. He went on to record four more bogeys in a round of 81.
However there were no excuses from the World Number One as he saw his dreams of the elusive Grand Slam vanish in the East Lothian rains. He said: “It was tough with the rain and wind howling. I tried all the way round and that’s the best I could shoot. Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be. It was just a tough day.”
