The Open: Jon Rahm makes late push for major win after ‘best links round’ at Royal Liverpool

Jon Rahm’s third-round total was the lowest Open round ever recorded at Royal Liverpool and the best of his major career; The Spaniard carded a bogey-free 63 to move to six under heading into the final day; Watch live on Sunday from 8am on Sky Sports Golf

Jon Rahm charged into contention at The 151st Open and made a late bid for an unlikely third major title after a stunning third round at Royal Liverpool.

The Spaniard was tied-89th after an opening-round 74 and limped into the weekend on two over after closing a second-round 70 with a bogey on Friday, only to threaten major history on his way to setting the clubhouse target on Saturday morning.

Rahm fired eight birdies in a bogey-free 63 to move to six under, a shot outside the lowest round ever recorded at a men’s major, with the world No 3 taking advantage of calm conditions to jump the leaderboard.

Jon Rahm made an unlikely push for victory at The Open after carding six birdies in an eight-hole stretch

“That’s the best round I’ve played on a links golf course ever,” Rahm said. “It’s pretty obvious. It’s my lowest round on a links course and it’s an Open Championship, right? Also the lowest round shot on this course. Yeah, it feels really good, but it’s a lot of work to do tomorrow.

“The job today was to come out and give myself the best opportunity I could. Whenever you get a birdie, just thinking about one more. That’s simply all you can do.”

Rahm missed a 10-foot chance at the second as he opened with four straight pars, only to recover from finding a fairway bunker off the par-five fifth tee to lay up and make a 10-foot birdie.

The Masters champion rolled in from 20 feet at the ninth to reach the turn in 33 and added another from 15 feet at the 10th, before converting from close range on both of his next two holes as part of a run of four straight birdies.

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Jon Rahm birdies the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th holes at The Royal Liverpool Golf Club to move closer to contention at The Open

The Spaniard added another from eight feet at the 15th and slotted in from over 30 feet at the 16th to go seven under for this round, then produced a huge roar from the 18th grandstand after making a 12-foot birdie.

“I was playing good golf and I knew what I was capable of,” Rahm added. “I was frustrated because it was basically mistakes that I made. That was it. I gave up the shots at major championships that are very costly, and that’s mainly it. That’s what I was feeling.

“I knew I was playing better, and I knew my swing and my game felt better than the scores I was shooting. If yesterday’s finish isn’t an example, right? I’m two under, hit the fairway on 18 and have a chance to finish three under, then make a stupid bogey from 30 yards away.

“Feel like I’ve done a lot of good work the past few weeks, and I’ve done a lot of good work this week, as well. I’ve done what I’ve needed, which is give myself an opportunity.”

Jon Rahm came into the weekend 12 strokes off the lead

No player over the past 100 years has come from more than eight strokes back at the halfway stage to win an Open Championship, with Rahm looking to buck that trend after heading into the weekend 12 strokes adrift.

His third-round total was the lowest Open round ever recorded at Royal Liverpool and the 14th of 63 or lower in Open history, with the performance enhancing Rahm’s hopes of lifting the Claret Jug and completing the third leg of the career Grand Slam.

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