Thanks to Mother Nature’s quirky and weird ways, the typical closing Sunday afternoon turned into moving day as the Third Round of the 2015 British Open commenced. After the constant delays, the conditions settled and a new leaderboard was brought to life.
South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen is looking to win back-to-back Open Championships at St. Andrews and finds himself in the final pairing after shooting a 67 on Sunday. He is tied with Australia’s Jason Day who also shot a round of 67, but his playing partner for Monday will be a 22-year-old from Ireland who’s looking to become the first amateur to win the major since the great Bobby Jones.
Paul Dunne one-upped many professional golfers today closing his third round with a 6-under, bogey-free round of 66. He also sits atop the leaderboard in a tie for first with Oosthuizen and Day. The controversy, of course, is that if Dunne wins the British Open he will not receive the prize purse of $1.8 million.
Paul Dunne shares @TheOpen lead after 54 holes. If it holds, would be 1st amateur to do so since Bobby Jones (1927). pic.twitter.com/99YpyqveFL
— ESPN (@espn) July 19, 2015
The final pairing will tee off at 2:30 PM local time (9:30 AM Eastern Time).
Notables:
Jordan Spieth is one round away from completing the third leg of the season grand slam, a feat never to have been accomplished before in the modern era. The 21-year-old finds himself one shot back of the three leaders at 11-under, a round that included four birdies and no bogeys on the back nine.
Dustin Johnson led the way after the first two rounds, but was unable to continue his winning ways into the third round at The Old Course. He would settle for a round of 75 that included three bogeys on the final three holes. The 31-year-old is currently tied for 18th at 7-under.
The final round of the 144th Open Championship will begin Monday at 7:45 AM local time (2:45 AM Eastern Time). This is the first time since 1988 that the Champion Golfer of the Year will be crowned on a Monday.