An amateur in lead at British Open, another not far behind

“But I’ll have a smile on my face and enjoy walking around St. Andrews, I can tell you that”. And right now there’s nothing Spieth wants more than his name on the claret jug that goes to the British Open victor.

“If I don’t win, I hope he does”.

He’s a 22-year-old from Greystones in Ireland who has been playing in the United States at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, which includes Graeme McDowell amongst its alumni.

The others are Australians Adam Scott and Jason Day Americans Robert Streb and 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson, and 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa.

He became the first amateur to sleep on, or try to, the 54-hole lead in the Open since Bobby Jones in 1927. He was part of a four-way tie for the lead at Chambers Bay and outlasted Johnson and Oosthuizen over the final hour.

One way to pick up the pace of play is to take fewer shots and as soon as Spieth hit the inward nine, he started rolling them in in the center of the cup in the same way we watched last week and at the first two majors of the season.

“You know, I’m just very happy with how my health has progressed and where it’s going, and overall, just I feel healthy and I feel up to the challenge tomorrow”.

The way the weather-delayed Open ended on Sunday, expect just about anything.

Jason Day plays the 18th hole during the third round at the Open at St Andrews.

“It’s a big day for him out there”.

A total of 14 players are within four shots of the lead. “Travelling with a one-year-old and a three-year-old by yourself…it wasn’t going to happen”.

Irish amateur Paul Dunne, Justin Day and Louis Oosthuizen top the leader board at 12 under going into the final round of the Open Championship.

Dunne, one of several surprise successes in The Open Championship’s 144th playing, is an amateur who had to qualify to make the field.

Jordan Spieth has his sights on the claret jug – and another step toward the Grand Slam.

“This course is soft and it’s taking on a lot of good scores, so it’s surprising the leaders didn’t really get it going today”.

Dunne played collegiately at UAB, where he was a two-time All-American and the 2014 Conference US golfer of the year, and from which he graduated with a finance degree. He had another three-putt from about 90 feet on the 17th hole.

Again in danger of crashing out after the second round, Duval only made the cut deadline on Saturday when he birdied the 18th hole to creep into the final 36 holes on even par.

This is Dunne’s second British Open.

“Only one person has ever done it before”.

“It was pretty amusing”, Johnson would say later, speaking of that memorable moment, with Spieth in fast motion.

His lack of experience on the Old Course hasn’t gotten the best of him. “I’m looking forward to an exciting finish, not only for myself but from everyone else”. It was the fourth time in the last six rounds at the majors that he has had at least a share of lead, though not when it mattered – at the end.

Dustin Johnson gave Saturday some semblance of order.

Dustin Johnson has teed off in the British Open, still holding a one-stroke lead. Now at St Andrews, despite being five shots clear of his compatriot at the start of play, he was behind again after a disappointing 75 to fall back to seven-under.

Jordan Spieth is making his move at the British Open.

The delays pushed back the third round until Sunday, setting up the first Monday finish since 1988.