Spieth, amateur Dunne eyeing history at St. Andrews

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland >> Even with 155 years of history, the British Open can still serve up some odd twists at St. Andrews.

The 39-year-old American, a triple former victor of the British Open including the 2000 and 2005 editions at St Andrews, also missed the cut at last month’s U.S. Open, where he shot an opening round 80, followed by a 76. Three other amateurs who made the cut-Schniederjans, Ashley Chesters of England and Romain Langasque of France-are in the top 20. Spieth is one shot off the lead heading into the final round. I can just go out and try to play my game and see where it leaves me at the end of the day.

“I mean, I’m going to have to put together a special round tomorrow to have a chance”, he said. “I didn’t want to hit Michael [his caddie], so I figured I’d hit my golf bag”.

Paul Dunne, the 22-year-old from Ireland, rolled in putts like this was the prestigious St. Andrews Links Trophy for amateurs instead of the oldest championship in golf.

Key Pairings: Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, 4:20 a.m.; Louis Oosthuizen, Paul Dunne, 4:30 a.m. Jones was the last amateur to win The Open in 1930.

“He won the US Open by 15 shots (back in 2000) and the next week he’s having a lesson and I don’t understand it”.

“It’s just lucky that it happens to be the biggest event in the world”, Dunne said Sunday.

Just two weeks ago, he went to Iowa to take part in a charity event for Johnson before playing – and winning – the John Deere Classic in a playoff for his fourth win of the year. “But whether I do or not, I’ll survive either way”.

The course drains well, and this is really just a normal Scottish day.

The last time the Open was played on the Old Course in 2010, it was Oosthuizen who hoisted the Claret Jug – the most important victory of his career.

They were at 12-under 204. Half of them were major champions.

The 21-year-old American birdied the first three holes on the back nine Sunday to pull into a tie for the lead with Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen. Had this been an amateur tournament, he would not at all be surprised to be leading after three rounds.

Dustin Johnson had a one-shot lead and won’t start until 3 p.m. If conditions remain unchanged, he could have the final word. He bogeyed the next two holes as well, slipped in a birdie at No. 5, then bogeyed two of the next three holes to drop his score to 4-under par. Ben Hogan in 1953 was the only other player to win the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open in the same year. No one ever came closer to the third leg of the Grand Slam.

“At this point it’s free rolling”, Spieth said. I was trying, but it was just one of those days where it felt like it played very easy out there. “I don’t want to place third tomorrow”, said Spieth. “Get off to a really good start, maybe, you never know what happens”.

Yet the gallery that gathered to see Spieth off the Old Course’s first tee at 1.30pm local time left little doubt as to who is golf’s man of the moment.

The fate of Woods, one of several players forced to return to the course after failing to complete their rounds on Friday, was sealed when he carded three straight bogeys from the 13th. That’s his best score in the Open since his closing round 67 to win at Lytham in 2001. Even during the long delay on Saturday, he said he hasn’t thought much about the slam.

“If I have a chance coming down the stretch, if it creeps in, I’ll embrace it”, he said. “I’ll embrace the opportunity that presents itself”.