Daily TribuneShane Lowry loses advantage as Billy Horschel and Daniel Brown surge ahead in a dramatic third round.
US golfer Billy Horschel plays from the 15th tee during his third round, on day three of the 152nd British Open Golf Championship at Royal Troon on the south west coast of Scotland on July 20, 2024. Glyn KIRK / AFP
GLYN KIRK / AFP
Shane Lowry's three-shot lead vanished during his third round at the British Open on Saturday. Americans Billy Horschel and Daniel Brown, an unexpected contender, moved into a tie for the lead at six under. Lowry, who started with a two-shot advantage and extended it to three with a birdie at the fourth, faltered with a double bogey on the notorious Postage Stamp eighth hole.
Horschel surged up the leaderboard with a stellar four-under 32 on the front nine, while Brown continued to impress in his major debut. Both players capitalized on favorable scoring conditions despite the heavy rain on Scotland’s west coast. Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele, fresh from his USPGA Championship win, and Justin Rose lurked just two shots behind the leaders.
World number one Scottie Scheffler remained steady, picking up one shot in his first 11 holes to move to three under. Other notable performances included Thriston Lawrence and Americans Sam Burns and Russell Henley, who capitalized on the benign early conditions. However, big names like Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka struggled, with Rahm slipping back to two over and Koepka seven over for the tournament. The highlight of the day was Si Woo Kim’s hole-in-one on the 17th, drawing one of the loudest cheers of the tournament.
Kieran Canning, AFP
