TROON, Scotland (Reuters) – Former world number one Justin Thomas took full advantage of helpful conditions at Royal Troon with a flurry of birdies rocketing him up the Open leaderboard on Saturday.
With the course becalmed after two days of stiff breezes, twice PGA champion Thomas went out in 31 after five birdies in the opening eight holes of his third round.
The American collected another birdie with a sweetly struck 24-foot putt on the 12th to move to three under for the tournament, four behind leader Shane Lowry, having started the day on four over.
Thomas had held the clubhouse lead for much of the opening day after a three-under 68 but suffered a horrible start to his second round when he went out in 45 before scrambling inside the cut line with some gutsy golf in Friday’s winds.
With the leaders out later when heavy rain is forecast, several early starters took the chance to make up ground.
South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence was also on the move as he played the front nine in 30 shots with six birdies to move to three under for the tournament.
Australian Adam Scott got back to level par thanks to a round of five-under 66 while South Korea’s Sungjae Im also shot a 66 to move to one over.
“I think the front nine is just going to play easy, and these are the guys playing the best. I think they can hang on coming in,” Scott said.
“I just don’t think it’s getting so windy where disasters are going to happen maybe on a hole to slow them down, but there’s good scores out there if you’re playing well.”
Only 10 players began the third day under par.
South Korea’s Kim Si-woo provided the day’s standout moment when he made a hole in one at the 238-yard par-three 17th — the first ace at this year’s championship.
Lowry (-7), the champion in 2019, and playing partner Daniel Brown (-5) will begin at 1445 GMT.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; editing by Clare Fallon)
