Rory McIlroy Has a Big Day at the British Open. Viktor Hovland Follows.

Since then, he has experienced plenty of disappointing Sundays.

“Nothing’s given to you, and I have to go out there and earn it, just like I’ve earned everything else in my career,” he said.

Other major champions are also in range. Scottie Scheffler, the American who won the Masters in April and is ranked No. 1 in the world, is at 11-under, tied with Kim Si-woo of South Korea. Dustin Johnson, a two-time major winner from the United States who recently jumped to the breakaway LIV Golf series, is alone at 10-under after a mood-swinging 71 on Saturday.

Matt Fitzpatrick, the Englishman who won this year’s U.S. Open, is at 9-under with Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, and Tommy Fleetwood.

But if McIlroy and Hovland continue to sparkle under pressure like they did on Saturday, they may not allow the pack much opportunity to close the gap.

“There’s a lot of things that can happen,” Hovland said. “In these conditions and these pin placements, you can play fine and shoot around even-par, and then that brings a lot of other guys in, as well.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/16/sports/golf/mcilroy-hovland-british-open.html