McIlroy and Hovland share British Open lead after third round

[files] Rory McIlroy . Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Christian Petersen / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland appear poised for a Sunday shoot-out to decide who leaves St Andrews with the Claret Jug after the duo ended the third round of the 150th British Open in a tie for the lead on 16 under par.

Playing together in the penultimate pairing on Saturday, the duo both recorded rounds of 66 and sit four shots clear of their nearest challengers, Cameron Young of the United States and Australia’s Cameron Smith.

McIlroy began the week as the favourite and has lived up to expectations, with rounds of 66, 68, and now 66 again.

That is identical to his first three rounds at Hoylake in 2014 when he won his only British Open to date.

The difference is that then he was six shots clear going into the final day, while this time he has Hovland for company atop the leaderboard.

“I just have to just stick to my game plan,” McIlroy said.

“That’s the only thing I can do, and I’ve done that well for the last three days. And it’s put me in this position. I just need to do it for one more day.”

The highlight of McIlroy’s day was a sensational chip-in from a bunker for an eagle two at the 10th.

“I think it was the first bunker I put it in this week. And it was a nice result,” he said.

The Northern Irishman also had five birdies with the one blemish on his card a bogey at the difficult 17th, the Road Hole.

Hovland’s own six-under-par round featured six birdies and not a single dropped shot.

Whatever happens on Sunday, the 24-year-old Norwegian world number nine, who played college golf in the US, seems certain to claim his best ever finish in a major, better than his 12th place in last year’s