The British Open showed again Thursday that even after 163 years, golf's oldest championship can still deliver a few surprises.
It started with Christo Lamprecht, the South African amateur as tall as a flag stick and almost as thin, making three birdies over his last six holes and posting a 5-under 66 to become the first amateur in 12 years to share the 18-hole lead at the Open.
Curiosity about the 22-year-old amateur turned to glee at the site of the local hero, Tommy Fleetwood, running off three straight birdies on the back nine at Royal Liverpool to join him atop the leaderboard.
Emiliano Grillo of Argentina became the third to post 66 by holing a birdie putt from 50 feet on the last hole. McIlroy, trying desperately to end his nine-year drought in the majors, was happy to get away with a 71.