Open Championship 2022 Round 3 results: Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland share the lead at St. Andrews

Graham Ruthven ,
Joe Wright
• 26 min read
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(Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy's quest to end an eight-year wait for a major triumph took a huge step closer after a stunning round of golf on day three at The Open as he and Viktor Hovland now share a four-shot lead going into Sunday's final round.

Australian Cameron Smith had led by two strokes at the end of round two, finishing on 13 under, but he and Cameron Young will be the penultimate pair to tee off tomorrow having carded rounds of 73 and 71 respectively on Saturday.

McIlroy hasn’t had a major win since 2014 when he won the PGA Championship, but his round of 66 that included five birdies and a stunning eagle from the bunker on the par-four 10th has left him in the driving seat to get his hands on the Claret Jug.

However, the talented 24-year-old Hovland is eager to record the biggest win of his career and write his name into the history books in what's set to be a thrilling final day of action at the 150th edition of the Open Championship.

The Sporting News was on hand to provide live updates of round three - see how the action unfolded below.

Open Championship leaderboard 2022

Live Open Championship 2022 leaderboard updates can be found here.

Open Championship 2022 live updates, highlights from Saturday's Round 3

All times BST

8.26pm: That's it from us today but we'll be back tomorrow for a thrilling final day as McIlroy bids to end his eight-year wait for another major triumph. Hovland is playing the golf of his life though, while Smith and Young are in hot pursuit.

To see the full leaderboard after round three click here.

8.23pm: Smith finishes with a round of 73 to end on 12 under while Young's final shot of the day sees him make par to card a 71 round and stay level with Smith.

8.12pm: McIlroy and Holland mirror each other shot for shot on the final hole to both pick up final birdies. They shake hands after a brilliant day's play and sit top of the leaderboard on -16.

8.04pm: McIlroy hits his first bogey in 20 holes as Hovland pars and they're both level. The Northern Irishman had a lot trickier situation to get out of than Hovland and it's cost him a shot.

8.02pm: Johnson finishes off with a birdie on the 18th to ensure he's back to 10 under overall. Scottie Scheffler cars 69 and finishes at 11 under.

7.56pm: Hovland's overhit his approach shot on the 17th and it goes beyond the green and into the gravel. McIlory follows him, except it goes across the gravel, the road, and ends up hitting the wall just in front of the spectators.

7.52pm: Johnson's hit three bogeys in the last four holes but putts a brilliant par from at least 15 feet on the 17th. He remains at nine under.

7.48pm: Another par and another hole out of the way for McIlroy, who is being cheered home by the crowd in these final few holes.

7.43pm: Young comes up short on his birdie attempt at the 15th while Smith's effort goes a couple of inches wide. They each settle for par.

7.37pm: Si Woo Kim finishes off with a nice birdie to keep himself in the hunt for victory on Sunday. He's finished on 67, 11 under overall.

7.34pm: With Hovland already putting for par, McIlroy has a tricky uphill putt to make to equal him. He keeps his nerve though and sinks it. He leads by one going into the final three holes.

7.29pm: Johnson's in the bunker again on the 16th...

Meanwhile, Smith's back to 12 under with a birdie on 14.

7.25pm: Magic from the Northern Irishman so far today...

7.21pm: McIlroy leads! His eagle effort from 33 feet is just long but he taps it in for birdie. Hovland can only make par.

7.17pm: Leaderboard update: -15: Hovland (13), McIlroy (13), -13: Young (13), -11: Smith (13) Scheffler (14) -10: Kim (17)

7.13pm: Young's bogeyed on 13 while Smith's falling apart a little with a double bogey. Time for a leaderboard update with all these bogeys...

7.10pm: Johnson's nightmare hole comes to an end but back-to-back bogeys puts him back to 10 under.

7.06pm: Smith's second shot on the par-four 13th sees him have to stand in the bunker and hit his ball just on the rough outside and he shanks it into the heather. He'll be struggling to make a bogey at this rate.

Johnson's also just overhit a putt that's gone past the hole, down the hill, and into the bunker on 14. A few golfers in some tricky situations right now...

7.02pm: We told you Si Woo Kim just hit back-to-back birdies... well now he's just undone that good work with a bogey.

6.58pm: Young moves to within one shot of the leaders with a birdie putt on the par-four 12th. That's his fourth birdie of the day.

6.47pm: Si Woo Kim has hit back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15 and is making his way up the leaderboard. He's up to 11 under, four shots off the lead.

6.40pm: McIlroy has stuck his jumper on with the wind picking up. He comes close to making another birdie but the ball rolls just long and he makes do with par. Hovland misses his birdie putt from 10ft and also settles for par.

6.30pm: A little bit of congestion at the start of the 12th tee but the two leaders look very relaxed, sharing a joke between one another.

Dustin Johnson's just missed a birdie putt on the 12th green as the ball rolls over the hole and he has to settle for par. He remains on 12 under.

6.21pm: Pars all round for Hovland and McIlroy on the par-three 11th.

6.18pm: Smith has a great attempt at at birdie but it goes a couple of inches right on the tenth. He stays at 13 under, two off the leaders.

6.08pm: And... Hovland responds by hitting a birdie of his own. McIlroy's solo lead at the top of the leaderboard didn't last for long.

6.04pm: Oh my word! McIlroy hits an eagle to start the back nine in perfect style. What a shot from the bunker. He's hit three birdies and an eagle in six holes! He's one shot clear of Hovland and leads The Open!

5.57pm: That's seven pars in a row for Smith, who remains two shots behind Hovland. The leader sees his birdie putt skim the hole and refuse to drop, allowing McIlroy to move within a single stroke.

5.46pm: Unlucky for Scheffler, who just misses a birdie putt on the eighth that would have taken him into a tie for fourth place.

5.40pm: Patrick Cantlay is making some headway, now! He's four under for the day through 10 holes and just three off the lead. Matt Fitzpatrick is also climbing the leaderboard, a third birdie on the bounce taking the U.S. Open champion to eight under.

5.30pm: Leaderboard update: -14: Hovland (7), -12: McIlroy (7), -12: Young (6), -12: Smith (6), -11: Cantlay (9), -10: Scheffler (8), -10: Johnson (7).

5.29pm: Shane Lowry finishes seven off the pace after a round of 69. Three dropped shots on the back nine spoiled those back-to-back eagles, although he did end the day with a birdie.

5.22pm: This is a tricky green with that crosswind, and Hovland is just off the top of the rise, so this one needs a little more pace. It's got the legs... but it swings a few inches to the right. The run of birdies is broken, but he holds for par to stay at 14 under.

5.18pm: Close but not close enough for Young, who can't quite birdie the sixth. Smith needs this putt for par... and he makes no mistake. The overnight leaders are each on 12 under. Meanwhile, Hovland has found the bunker on the seventh, but a super swing of the wedge gets him within striking distance of a fifth birdie in a row.

5.12pm: Amateur Filippo Celli finished a fantastic day with a birdie to card a round of one under par. He's in a tie for 39th on four under, alongside the likes of Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm.

5.06pm: McIlroy lands a sublime approach within 10 feet of the pin. The pressure is on Hovland... and he sinks a quite brilliant putt for a fourth birdie in a row! McIlroy then makes no mistake and moves to 12 under, tied for second with Young and Smith.

4.56pm: Here we go! McIlroy gets his first birdie of the day on the fifth to move within two strokes of Hovland, who has made gains at each of the past three holes and is now at 13 under. A huge tee shot from Rory at the sixth puts a little more pressure on the leader.

4.46pm: Lowry falls a shot further from the lead after missing a fairly straightforward putt on the 12th, while Scheffler birdies the fifth with an immaculate effort. Smith matches Hovland at 12 under through the first four.

4.41pm: Hovland tees off at the fifth with an almighty wallop — for a man who's never finished higher than 12th at a major before, he looks comfortable in these surroundings. Elsewhere, Jordan Spieth birdies the 12th straight after dropping a shot, so he moves back to three under for the day.

4.34pm: Oh, that's sublime from Hovland! He judges the rise brilliantly on the fourth green to land his second birdie of the day and claim a share of the lead. McIlroy just misses his putt and stays on 10 under, a little swish of the club showing his frustration.

4.29pm: Fleetwood signs off with a birdie! The Englishman cards a 66 for the day to finish on nine under. That was a superb round — don't rule out a challenge on day four if that gap doesn't grow too much.

4.21pm: Birdie for Hovland! He joins Johnson on -11 through three holes. McIlroy can't follow suit, though, and stays a shot further back. The wind is beginning to pick up again...

4.16pm: Thomas Pieters ends the day with a birdie on the 18th, giving him an impressive 67 for the round. It's a real shame about those three straight bogeys on the back nine. Still, the Belgian is only five shots off the lead as he heads to the clubhouse.

4.11pm: Smith misses a relatively simple putt and bogeys the first hole! Some early jitters for the leader. McIlroy falls just a little short with a 50-footer on the second and Dustin Johnson gets himself out of difficulty and sinks the putt for back-to-back birdies. It's been a great start to the day for the American.

4.04pm: A big cheer as McIlroy tees of on the second... and only just misses the bunker. That one skirted dangerously close to the edge. No such concerns for Smith, who hits a lovely approach at the first. Meanwhile, Talor Gooch moves to -8 with a birdie on the third.

3.57pm: The top two are off and running! Cameron Young and Cameron Smith share some kind words after teeing off. Some really nice Cam-araderie there.

(I won't do that again. Promise.)

3.53pm: A little blip for Lowry as he bogeys the 12th, dropping to -4 for the day. Matt Fitzpatrick is one over for the day through his first five holes.

3.49pm: Lovely opening tee shot from Rory McIlroy, plumb down the fairway. Hatton has dropped a shot and slips down the leaderboard, while Tommy Fleetwood has just birdied the 15th with a super putt — 26 feet and in without a wobble.

3.43pm: Scheffler is inches from a birdie on the first. If there were — shall we say more traditional — weather conditions, a gust of wind might have sunk that. As it is, the ball stuck to the dry green. The world No.1 stays on eight under.

3.37pm: Here come the leaders! With Lowry charging his way towards the top, they won't want to risk any early slip-ups today.

3.30pm: Leaderboard update: -13: Smith (-), -11: Young (-), -10: McIlroy (-), Hovland (-), -9: Pieters (14), Lowry (10), D Johnson (-), -8: Herbert (3), Scheffler (-), Hatton (-).

3.20pm! Back-to-back eagles! Lowry is on a charge! After that exceptional chip at the ninth, the Irishman has just holed another one at the 10th! He's now on nine under for the tournament and the crowd at the Old Course have gone wild for that! Lowry is now just four back!

3.10pm: You can sense the anticipation ahead of the final groups now. McIlroy has been spotted on the practise green. "Glory for Rory," reads one sign in the crowd at the Old Course. The top pairing is the Young/Smith one at 3.55pm! World number one Scottie Scheffler also teeing off in the next 30 minutes or so.

3.00pm: Lowry holes an eagle! From the rough! Incredible! Lovely soft hands with the pitch on to the green. The flight, the trajectory, the spin. Exceptional from Lowry at the ninth! That's a 33 front nine for him. 

2.55pm: Pieters holes from distance to bag a birdie at the 13th and the Belgian is now up to eight under! Meanwhile, Zalataoris has just become the latest to make a gain at the ninth - he's now on seven under for the tournament. Matt Fitzpatrick about to tee off at the first!

2.50pm: A very strange par for DeChambeau at the 17th! The American struck his drive a long way to the left, but got the benefit of a free drop due to the obstructions between his ball and the green. He then found the road with his second shot then holed to save par. Weird!

2.40pm: Just look at the names teeing off between 3.25pm and 3.55pm! Superstars of the game! What a leaderboard! 3.25pm - Talor Gooch, Tyrrell Hatton, 3.35pm - Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson, 3.45pm - Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, 3.55pm - Cameron Young, Cameron Smith.

2.30pm: DeChambeau has lost some momentum at the 16th where he has carded a double bogey. That's a shame because he looked to have got a grip of the course in the front nine, but that has put him back to five under.

2.20pm: Molinari carded a round of 66 earlier today, but the 2018 Champion Golfer of the Year spoke about a lack of consistency in his game after making the clubhouse. "I don't think it's too dissimilar to what I've done this year to be honest," he told Sky Sports. "I've had some really good rounds in other tournaments. I just don't have the consistency to put four good rounds together.

2.10pm: Shot of the day so far? This was a beauty by Frittelli!

2.00pm: Eagle for Frittelli! What a shot by the South African at the ninth! That's enough to move him up to five under for the tournament and two under for the day. This came not long after Thomas Pieters also carded an eagle at the ninth where a lot of players are finding it possible to drive the green.

1.55pm: Leaderboard update: -13: Smith (-), -11: Young (-), -10: McIlroy (-), Hovland (-), -9: D Johnson (-), -8: Scheffler (-), Hatton (-)

1.45pm: Fleetwood is continuing his charge! He cards another birdie at the sixth and is now up to seven under for the tournament. That's four birdies in six holes! Meanwhile, Jon Rahm has just teed off at the first and Jordan Spieth will be close behind him.

1.30pm: It's won't be long until some of the big hitters are making their way to the first. It's a fascinating leaderboard. Smith and Young lead the way, but McIlroy will also feel he is well-placed. There are certainly gains to be made, the way the course is playing today.

1.20pm: DeChambeau making moves! He has picked up another shot at the 12th to move up to five under. This has been a brilliant round by the 28-year-old, and he's just struck a monstrous drive at the 13th!

1.15pm: Tee times between 2pm and 3pm: 2.10pm - Lee Westwood, David Carey, 2.20pm - Yuto Katsuragawa, Abraham Ancer, 2.30pm - Aaron Wise, Lucas Herbert, 2.40pm - Barclay Brown (a), Sadom Kaewkanjana, 2.50pm - Min Woo Lee, Matt Fitzpatrick, 3.05pm - Si Woo Kim, Sahith Theegala, 3.15pm - Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott, 3.25pm - Talor Gooch, Tyrrell Hatton, 3.35pm - Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson, 3.45pm - Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, 3.55pm - Cameron Young, Cameron Smith.

1.10pm: Birdies everywhere! There are certainly gains to be made out there today. Sam Burns and Ian Poulter both start their rounds with birdies while Adrian Meronk has just carded back-to-back birdies to move to three under for the day.

The par four ninth is playing very short for the field today. There has been a number of birdies there and even a couple of eagles!

1.00pm: Some upcoming tee times (until 2pm)... 12.55pm - Sergio Garcia, Will Zalatoris, 1.05pm - Shane Lowry, Nicolai Hojgaard, 1.15pm - Victor Perez, Brad Kennedy, 1.25pm - Joo-Hyung Kim, Patrick Reed, 1.35pm - Harold Varner III, Jon Rahm, 1.45pm - Jordan Spieth, Thriston Lawrence, 2.00pm - Thomas Detry, Xander Schauffele.

12.45am: Kisner misses his birdie putt at the 18th and you can see the disappointment in his face. The chance was there to move on to eight under for the tournament, but that's still an incredible round of 65. He has made some serious moves up the leaderboard today!

12.40am: Eagle for DeChambeau! He reached the green with his drive on the par fourth ninth and converted a 30-foot putt! What a way to finish the front nine! 

12.30am: That's the start Tommy Fleetwood would have dreamt of last night as the Englishman rolls in a 12-foot putt at the first to move to four under. Meanwhile, Kisner has dropped back to seven under at the 17th. His momentum has been halted somewhat.

12.15am: Kisner moves to eight under! This is sensational stuff from the 38-year-old who has just converted another birdie putt at the 16th! Kisner still has two holes remaining. He can still make some more gains before his round is over!

12:05am: It's been a disappointing year for Bryson DeChambeau at the majors this year, but the American has enjoyed a good start to his round today. He's made a second birdie at the sixth. That drive is such an attraction to the crowds at the Old Course.

11.55am: Yesterday was an incredible day for Cameron Smith who carded an incredible eight under par round of 64. He has a two-shot lead at the top of the leaderboard and has been paired with Cameron Young today. They will tee off at 3.55pm.

11.45am: Francesco Molinari is going well this morning. The 2018 Open champion converted a putt at the 10th to go five under for the day and the tournament. He can be pleased with his front nine and is continuing that momentum. 

11.30am: Kisner's playing partner, Trey Mullinax, has shot five birdies to go five-under for his round. PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas has also teed off for the day, starting on two under.

11.15am: Kisner is human, after all. He bogeys the 12th to put him back on six under and temper those thoughts of a course record.

11am: Kisner's scintillating climb has put him six behind leader Smith courtesy of a seven-under round so far. He could well threaten the Open record of 63.

10.45am: Eagle, birdie, bogey for Mansell, the first man out today. The English prospect had a simple reaction after making the cut: "Get in."

Mansell and partner Ellie Jones have brought their dog, who's been enjoying time on the beach with a tennis ball, to St Andrews for the occasion.

10.30am: This is becoming predictable in its brilliance now: Kisner delivers a sixth birdie of the morning, taking him to six under par.

His sixth is a 93-foot putt on the eighth. Every shot of his is turning to gold right now.

10.15am: Kisner is now five under through the sixth. What a start this has been for him, aided by near-perfect conditions. There's very little wind and the sun is out.

10am: Now Kisner's made it four birdies from five holes. Meanwhile, The Open's official coverage has pointed out that four of the six amateur players who entered have made the cut.

Sheffield's Barclay Brown was the early star and continues to lead the race between them for the Silver Medal. He's on six under, chased by European Amateur Champion Filippo Celli, on three under.

9.45am: Kevin Kisner must have had some special sauce with his breakfast because the American is off to an absolute flyer.

This is the fourth time Kisner has made the cut here, and he's birdied each of his first three holes to move to three under. Bravo!

9.30am: Ouch. A social media editor for the PGA Tour has revealed that his hand was fractured by a McIlroy drive yesterday.

"He shouted fore," Charlie Kane admitted, sharing photos of his injury on his channels. "I did not heed the warning."

9.15am: Englishman Richard Mansell, starting one under, has launched the action here on the third day of the Open.

Smith and Young are the last to tee off, at 3.55pm. McIlroy and Hovland are due to start 10 minutes before the pair.

9am: McIlroy was pleased with his work on the second day. "I'm picking holes in everything and walking off thinking I could have been a couple better," he told Sky Sports. "But I'm in a great position going into the weekend.

"Cam Smith's been playing really well this year and so has Cameron Young. They're both phenomenal players and it's a great leaderboard. It's going to be a great weekend and it's nice to be in the mix."

8.45am: Odds check: the bookmakers have Smith as a considerable favourite, although his two-shot lead and the size of the chasing pack mean the 28-year-old isn't odds-on yet.

Pre-tournament favourite McIlroy is the only player they reckon has a decent tilt at catching Smith. McIlroy is at fairly long odds now, for those who fancy his chances.

8.30am: "I made my share of mistakes," Woods told Sky Sports after failing to make the cut. "It was very emotional for me. To me, it felt like this might have been my last British Open here at St Andrews.

"The collective warmth and understanding... [the fans] understand what it is like. When it comes back around here, will I still be playing?"

8.15am: Halfway leader Smith is yet to win a major, although he came second at the 2020 Masters and fourth at the 2015 US Open.

"I feel like I've been in this spot a lot over the last couple of years and things haven't gone my way yet," he says. "I think the course is going to get a lot harder and faster, so I just need to be patient and make good putts."

8am: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' coverage of the third day of action at The Open Championships 2022.

We had high drama yesterday with the world's best-known golfer, Tiger Woods, making an emotional exit after missing the cut.

Cameron Smith leads by two but Cameron Young, Viktor Hovland and Rory McIlyroy are on the Australian's tail. It's all set up beautifully for the remaining players in the 150th edition of the showpiece!

How to watch Open Championship 2022 in the UK

Sky Sports has the exclusive live rights to the Open Championship in the UK. All four days will be broadcast on the Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Golf channels, with streaming available via the Sky Sports website and Sky Go app.

BBC Two will show free-to-air highlights at the end of each day's play, which can also be streamed on BBC iPlayer.

Date Time (BST) Channel
Thursday, July 14 6:30 a.m. Sky Sports Main Event/Sky Sports Golf 
  9:00 p.m. BBC Two
Friday, July 15 6:30 a.m. Sky Sports Main Event/Sky Sports Golf 
  9:00 p.m. BBC Two
Saturday, July 16 9:00 a.m. Sky Sports Main Event/Sky Sports Golf
  10:00 p.m. BBC Two
Sunday, July 17 8:00 a.m. Sky Sports Main Event/Sky Sports Golf
  8:15 p.m. BBC Two

MORE: When will Tiger Woods retire? Legend addresses his future, potential last romp at St. Andrews ahead of Open Championship

 

How to watch Open Championship 2022 in USA

Thursday, July 14

  • TV channels/stream: NBC, USA Network, Peacock
  • Broadcast times: 1:30-4 a.m. (Peacock); 4 a.m.-3 p.m. (USA Network); 3-4 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)

Friday, July 15

  • TV channels/stream: NBC, USA Network, Peacock
  • Broadcast times: 1:30-4 a.m. (Peacock); 4 a.m.-3 p.m. (USA Network); 3-4 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)

Saturday, July 16

  • TV channels: NBC, USA Network
  • Broadcast times: 5-7 a.m. (USA Network); 7 a.m.-3 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)

Sunday, July 17

  • TV channels: NBC, USA Network
  • Broadcast times: 4-7 a.m. (USA Network); 7 a.m.-2 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)

Open Championship live streams in USA

NBCUniversal has exclusive broadcast rights for the Open Championship, including streaming options. Those include NBCSports.com, Peacock and the NBC Sports App. Per NBCUniversal, Peacock will have exclusive group coverage — two groups each in the morning and afternoon — and live coverage of Holes 11-13.

Another streaming option for USA Network and NBC coverage is fuboTV, which offers a free trial.

Open Championship 2022 odds

*odds at start of tournament

McIlroy leads the betting, with Fitzpatrick, John Rahm and Jordan Spieth also firmly in contention according to SkyBet.

Player 8 places each way 11 places each way 14 places each way
Rory McIlroy 10/1 9/1 8/1
Jon Rahm 16/1 14/1 12/1
Jordan Spieth 16/1 14/1 12/1
Matt Fitzpatrick 16/1 14/1 12/1
Scottie Scheffler 16/1 14/1 12/1
Xander Schauffele 16/1 14/1 12/1
Justin Thomas 20/1 18/1 16/1
Shane Lowry 20/1 18/1 16/1
Cameron Smith 22/1 20/1 18/1
Collin Morikawa 25/1 22/1 20/1
Author(s)
Graham Ruthven
Author Photo
Joe Wright
Joe is a Senior Editor at Sporting News.
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