Ogilvy leads Australian Open as Spieth looms

Adelaide-born Ogilvy, victor of the Stonehaven Cup in 2010, started the day six shots off the pace but soared into the lead with the best round of the week in the best weather conditions of a blustery day.

Spieth will play in the penultimate group with Ryan Fox in the final round in Sydney on Sunday. The big hitter has gone about his business consistently this week without doing anything spectacular.

While Ogilvy rocketed up the leaderboard, two-time major champion Spieth stayed in the hunt thanks to a strong putting display, which yielded six birdies, three of them in a row from the 12th.

Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas was further stroke behind in ninth whilst Robert Allenby was along in 10th position on -8 after posting a two-under-par 70 for his last round.

Adam Scott is now one under through the turn and will need to lift to stay in this.

The former US Open champion struggled off the tee all day and his hopes of a second national title – to go with his 2010 triumph at The Lakes – evaporated after he drove into the trees and couldn’t get out on 16. And how he learned to close out tournaments again while at the Australian Open.

After his brilliant 2015, two wins on the US PGA tour this year was considered a modest dividend for the former world number one.

Former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy fired an eight-under-par 64 to move into the outright lead at the Australian Open and set up a final round showdown with two-time major victor Jordan Spieth on Saturday.

The 2006 US Open victor bluntly admitted his game had been “exposed” under the Sunday pressure at Royal Sydney.

Jordan Spieth poses with the Stonehaven trophy after winning the 2016 Australian Open in Sydney, Australia.

Two-time champion Baddeley, former world No. 1 Spieth and New Zealander Ryan Fox will go into the last round tied at 9-under, two shots behind Ogilvy while recent PGA Tour victor Pampling is a shot further back at 208 — 8-under after 54 holes.

Local favourite Adam Scott started four shots off the pace but the 2013 US Masters champion fired a one-over 73 to drop into a tie for 14th at six-under.

Smith and Hall can both plan their schedules around a trip to Royal Birkdale next summer, while the third spot went to veteran Aaron Baddeley since Spieth was already exempt.

“That was kind of an easy 64 if there is such a thing”, Ogilvy said.

Only slight winds are forecast on a ideal day for the conclusion of the nation’s most prestigious tournament, with 22-degree temperatures and the likelihood of low scoring. “A quick front nine and I’ll be right in it”.