Shane Lowry stumbles on difficult Saturday at Troon as Billy Horschel seizes lead

Shane Lowry struggled to a six-over-par 77 in atrocious conditions on Saturday but remains only three strokes behind leader Billy Horschel entering the final round of the Open Championship at Royal Troon.

Lowry got into the clubhouse on one-over, with American Horschel four-under and one clear of a cluster that includes qualifier Dan Brown, who wrote another chapter in his incredible Open story to set up a thriller of a final day.

Brown - the world number 272 - held the outright lead until an unfortunate double bogey on the 18th. He sits alongside Justin Rose, Russell Henley, Sam Burns, Thriston Lawrence and Xander Schauffele on three-under, with Scottie Scheffler two-under and Lowry one more back.

The 2019 champion began the day with a two-stroke lead, briefly extending it to three following a birdie at the par-five fourth.

Lowry's troubles started at the short eighth hole, the famous 'postage stamp', which he had birdied twice over the opening two days. Leading by one stroke after a missed birdie putt on the seventh, he found the deep greenside bunker with his tee shot.

Unable to aim at the pin, his pitch trickled off the green into the rough at the back. He was unable to get up and down from there, his 10ft bogey putt sliding by the cup.

Things went downhill from there, as they entered into the back nine in the teeth of the wind.

The conditions had been at their most benign this week earlier on Saturday, with early starters Thriston Lawrence, Sam Burns and Russell Henley parachuting themselves into contention with rounds of 65, 65 and 66 respectively to sit three-under par, one off the lead at the close of play.

However, the late starters got the worst of the weather and Lowry, unsettled by the double-bogey and a number of