|
 The 21-year-old American, bidding to become the first man to win the
year's first three majors since Ben Hogan in 1953, began the delayed
third round in the chasing pack and lost ground early on but he
stormed home with a seven-birdie, six-under 66 for an 11-under
total, one off the lead.
Dunne, a year older but inhabiting a different golfing planet to
Masters and U.S. Open champion Spieth, ended a crazy day of low
scoring in a three-way tie at the top on 12-under par 204 with
Australian Jason Day and 2010 British Open champion Louis
Oosthuizen.
Clearly on course for the amateur's silver medal after a nerveless
66, Dunne remains in serious contention to become the first amateur
to win the British Open since Bobby Jones 85 years ago.
At this most unusual of Opens, anything seems possible,
With flags hanging limp like damp tea towels -- a huge contrast to
Saturday's gales that wiped out the third round and forced a first
Monday finish since 1988 -- an eclectic mix of major winners,
amateurs and nearly-men tucked into the Old Course birdie banquet
with relish.
There were 37 sub-70 rounds, although the one notable exception was
Spieth's fellow American Dustin Johnson, the overnight leader, who
collapsed to the day's second=worst round, a miserable three-over
75.
SPIETH CLINICAL
Spieth struggled to make much headway early on and was clearly
getting frustrated when he dropped a shot at the ninth.
But the Texan regained his already legendary composure to respond
with three consecutive birdies at the 10th, 11th and 12th and sunk
another at the 15th before pocketing pars at the final three holes
-- smiling and joking his way round with Sergio Garcia who is nine
under after a 68.
"I kind of just wanted to stay patient today, let them come to me,
and once I figured out my putting, it did," world number two Spieth,
still on for an unprecedented calendar year grand slam, told a news
conference.
Asked about the magnitude of what he is chasing, he added: "It
hasn't come up in my head while I've been playing yet.
"I can't speak for tomorrow given it's the last round, and if I have
a chance coming down the stretch, if it creeps in, I'll embrace it.
I'll embrace the opportunity."
Dunne's bogey-free six-under 66 means he smashed the previous lowest
54-hole total for an amateur at the Open.
[to top of second column] |
Incredibly, however, he was not the only player yet to join the paid
ranks remaining in the hunt for the Claret Jug as American Jordan
Niebrugge's 67 took him to nine-under.
"I saw that I was tied for first on the 10th green and I said to my
caddie how cool is it to leave the Open on Sunday, even if it's a
different type of Sunday," Dunne said.
"The golf ball still does what you ask it to do, it's just there are
more people watching and more cameras."
Day, whose U.S. Open bid was scuppered by vertigo, made up five
strokes during the day in a round of 67, as did Oosthuizen.
At various stages of a head-spinning afternoon with puts
disappearing left, right and center, five or six players shared the
lead, including double Open champion Padraic Harrington who rolled
in a 45-foot monster birdie at the 16th.
He carded a 65 to reach 10 under, although the day's best round was
that of Marc Leishman whose eight-birdie 64 was just one short of
matching the major record. He ended nine under.
Major winners Justin Rose, Adam Scott and Retief Goosen also put
themselves in the mix for what promises to be a classic conclusion
to the 144th Open with the top 25 players separated by five shots.
"There are so many players who can still win this," Oosthuizen said.
"It's going to be I think one of the tightest Opens,"
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Mitch Phillips)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
