Open Championship 2017: Player reaction from day three at Royal Birkdale

Jordan Spieth (65 and 11 under total)

On learning from previous experiences in majors: "I've had a five-shot lead in a major and squandered it before.

"I've had the high and the humbling so I will keep my head down and not get ahead of myself.

"I think I'm in a position where it can be very advantageous, just everything I've gone through, the good, the bad and everything in the middle. I understand that leads can be squandered quickly, and I also understand how you can keep on rolling on one.

"It was a humbling experience that I thought at the time could serve me well going forward. And if I don't win tomorrow, it has nothing to do with that. It has to do with it was someone else's day, and I didn't play as well as I should have.

"And if I win tomorrow it has nothing to do with that, either. You're learning and it all goes into the mental process.

"Tomorrow will be a day that will be emotionally draining and difficult to stay very neutral in the head, but that's probably the most important thing for me to do."

Rory McIlroy (69 and 2 under overall)

On whether he can still win the Open this year: "It's hard to think 'big picture' now, I'm just off the golf course and I'm a little disappointed," he said.

"I definitely feel like today was an opportunity lost to get right in the mix going into tomorrow.

"It (his game) is getting there. It's not quite where I need it to be to win the biggest golf tournaments in the world but it's getting there.

"I need to pick myself up, play a good round tomorrow, hope for some bad weather, hope for some guys to struggle and we'll see what happens.

"This week has been a step in the right direction, there's no doubt about it.

On what the plan is for Sunday: "Just play a good round of golf and see where that finishes me, I guess.

"Go out there and play well and try to limit the mistakes and get off to a fast start again like I've done the last couple of days and just try to keep it going.

"There are low scores out there and people are not making mistakes. If you keep it in play, it's almost hard to make a bogey out there."

Dustin Johnson (65 and 3 under par overall)

On his third-round performance: "Fortunately I hit some really good shots today, a lot better than I have the last couple of days, and shot a really good score.

"I'm really pleased with the way I played but on 16 - well, I just left it short from eight feet or something, and then on 17 I was right in the middle of the fairway and made par. So, I definitely lost a couple of shots there on the last couple of holes.

"You never know what's going to happen tomorrow but I figure I'm going to need to shoot, probably, nine under."To get to 12 under, I think that would be a decent number to sit in the clubhouse at." 

Henrik Stenson (65 and 3 under par overall)

On what he needs to do on Sunday again: "It might well have to be something like that (at Troon), depending on what the last couple of groups are doing. If they keep on making birdies, that 63 might not even be good enough.

"But we'll see. I'm just happy with the way I played today, and should move up in the result list and hopefully get closer to the leaders."

On whether he could have matched the 62 on Branden Grace: "I think we could have been sniffing around those numbers as well. I made some great putts out there but I also had a couple that were really close and I didn't take advantage of 17 the way I would have liked to.

"I don't think it would have been impossible for me to shoot a similar number today but I'm happy with the 65."

Ian Poulter (71 and 2 under overall)

Summing up his performance: "It's disappointing, extremely disappointing - easy conditions and the greens were soft. No excuses. From a three-putt at the first, which was poor... it's a real shame."

"I tried to get some adrenaline going and just threw them all away."

What he needs to do on Sunday: "Not to make stupid mistakes. There were too many stupid mistakes.

"I made one bogey yesterday in all those treacherous conditions we had and then I made five bogeys today. It's not good enough, simple as that. I'm p***** off. I don't know what else to say."

Richie Ramsay (70 and 2 under overall)

On his display in round three: "Today I didn't feel like I got much out of it. It wasn't a Jordan Spieth-esque round where you get everything for your game.

"But I didn't get overawed, I really enjoyed it. I just give 100 per cent, pick off my shots and commit to them. The result will be the result at the end of the day.

"I've been very good at staying in the process and I was tested to the limit.

"I thought I came through with flying colours under certainly the most intense pressure with the best players in the world. I kept a good mindset and attitude and stayed positive."