Open Championship report: Jordan Spieth odds-on for Open glory

Within minutes of Jordan Spieth’s birdie putt at the 18th hole finding the cup for what would soon be confirmed as a three-shot lead over Matt Kuchar, a question started to buzz around the media centre: “What do you think, is it over?”

Knowing nods had to be expected, because that’s what it felt like as Spieth made three and Kuchar four, scores which had looked set to be the other way around. Spieth had produced the sort of moment you might term a sucker punch. Some of the assembled press considered it a straight knockout.

Of course, the Open Championship is far from over. There are 18 holes still to play and, even at the course which yielded the first 62 in men’s major history, disaster is lurking. Various players, all of supreme quality, found themselves at sixes and sevens under Saturday’s blue skies and without the strong breeze of the first two days.

Spieth, though, has looked like the 146th Open champion all week and, pertinently, has found moments of trademark genius whenever strongly questioned. On Saturday, those questions came at 15, when Kuchar briefly joined him in the lead only for Spieth to walk in a 10-foot putt, and then at 18. One sucker, one knockout?

The leader doesn’t believe so, or at least wasn’t willing to say so. Spieth is aware that his opponents here are world class – even the younger-still Austin Connelly, who he knows better than most. Connelly is tied for third with US Open champion Brooks Koepka after a 66 which came courtesy of two closing birdies, a remarkable feat on his debut in the event.

Spieth knows as well that there’s a golf course to pick apart, but working out how to do so shouldn’t be difficult. His Saturday round was an exhibition in precision, in avoiding trouble and taking double-bogeys – the like of which Kuchar made at the innocuous 16th hole – out of the equation. 

As it happened, the so-called Golden Child never had to make a par putt of length. Only once did he really have to scramble for par, and that came at the opening hole where the eventual putt could not have been more than five feet.

Indeed, for a player who some believe relies on putting, several chances slid by and the birdie at 15 felt important. Not, though, as important as the fifth and final birdie, which put him in total command of the tournament with 18 holes remaining.

The day was, in truth, a thrill throughout. First came a 65 from Shaun Norris, the South African playing with a marker, and it soon became clear that more low numbers would follow.

In fact, while Branden Grace would go on to shoot the lowest round in men's major history, he wasn't the only one who threatened to. Dustin Johnson settled for 64, Henrik Stenson for 65, as the wretched conditions of Friday stayed away.

Grace's 62 could have been even lower, but in the end was still enough for a place in the history books. He will begin the final round in fifth, alongside a frustrated but still contending Hideki Matsuyama, and one ahead of Johnson, Stenson, Chan Kim and Rafa Cabrera Bello.

Between that quartet and the leader sit Kuchar, of course, plus Brooks Koepka and Connelly, brought together on five-under, six back, by contrasting finishes. Connelly holed a 25-foot putt for birdie at the last as Koepka gave back the shot he made at 17.

Only these players separate Rory McIlroy from the lead, in itself an achievement given that he was five-over through six on Thursday. For a time, this appeared as though it would be McIlroy's day, but bogeys at seven and eight came at just the wrong time. He will start round four a distant nine adrift of Spieth.

Timing is everything and, once again at Royal Birkdale, it was Spieth who struck just when he needed to. He might yet be 90 holes away from winning all four major championships at the age of 24, which he turns next week. The first 18 should, all being equal, ensure celebrations begin early.

Click here for Ben's blog recap and leaderboard

Pre-tournament selections

Jordan Spieth is now a 2/7 chance with Sky Bet and my headline selection should be extremely hard to beat.

Should be break par – and Spieth has done so every day – Kuchar would need a 66 or better for a play-off and that, from the final group in a major, would be the finest thing he’s ever done on a golf course.

Breaking par can’t be considered a formality but if Spieth can navigate the first six holes without alarm, he’ll have one hand on the Claret Jug. Even the depth in quality of those tied for third or fifth shouldn’t matter – Spieth took care of that on Saturday by distancing himself from them.

Should he falter, the good news is we’ve two very good chances within the pack. Hideki Matsuyama and Branden Grace, tipped with just the six places, unfortunately, are currently sharing fifth. The latter will do well to back-up a history-making round but it is not beyond him, while Matsuyama must be fancied to shoot something around the 67 mark if not better.

In other words, all things being equal Sunday should be a very good day. Still, there will understandably be those taking cover by backing the likes of Matt Kuchar and Brooks Koepka, or simply laying Spieth. I won’t be one of them.

Latest Sky Bet odds as of 2030 on Saturday

2/7 Spieth
5/1 Kuchar
25/1 Koepka
40/1 Matsuyama
50/1 Grace
66/1 Bar

Collated third-round scores 

(Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 70):

(a) denotes amateurs

199 Jordan Spieth (USA) 65 69 65

202 Matt Kuchar (USA) 65 71 66

205 Brooks Koepka (USA) 65 72 68, Austin Connelly (Can) 67 72 66

206 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn) 68 72 66, Branden Grace (Rsa) 70 74 62

207 Dustin Johnson (USA) 71 72 64, Chan Kim (USA) 72 68 67, Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spa) 67 73 67, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 69 73 65

208 Richie Ramsay 68 70 70, Rory McIlroy 71 68 69, Ross Fisher 70 72 66, Ian Poulter 67 70 71

209 Richard Bland 67 72 70, Alex Noren (Swe) 68 72 69, Rickie Fowler (USA) 71 71 67

210 Andrew Johnston 69 74 67, Jason Day (Aus) 69 76 65, Jason Dufner (USA) 73 71 66, Joost Luiten (Ned) 68 72 70, Shaun Norris (Rsa) 71 74 65, Jamie Lovemark (USA) 71 69 70, Tony Finau (USA) 70 73 67, Scott Hend (Aus) 71 74 65, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 73 69 68, Paul Casey 66 77 67, Matthew Fitzpatrick 69 73 68

211 Steve Stricker (USA) 70 72 69, Chris Wood 71 72 68, Bubba Watson (USA) 68 72 71, Matthew Southgate 72 72 67, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 70 73 68, Haotong Li (Chn) 69 73 69, Kevin Na (USA) 68 75 68, David Drysdale 72 73 66, Ernie Els (Rsa) 68 73 70, Tommy Fleetwood 76 69 66, Marc Leishman (Aus) 69 76 66

212 Charley Hoffman (USA) 67 73 72, Zach Johnson (USA) 75 66 71, Thomas Pieters (Bel) 69 75 68

213 Adam Scott (Aus) 69 74 70, K.T. Kim (Kor) 73 71 69, Gary Woodland (USA) 70 69 74, Brandon Stone (Rsa) 73 72 68, Andrew Dodt (Aus) 69 75 69, Peter Uihlein (USA) 72 72 69, Jon Rahm (Spa) 69 74 70, Yi-Keun Chang (Kor) 71 71 71, (a) Alfie Plant 71 73 69

214 Kent Bulle (USA) 68 72 74, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 71 71 72, Xander Schauffele (USA) 69 75 70, Toby Tree 70 75 69, Joseph Dean 72 72 70, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 72 72 70, Daniel Berger (USA) 68 76 70, Laurie Canter 70 72 72, J.B. Holmes (USA) 71 72 71, Andy Sullivan 70 75 69, Justin Rose 71 74 69, Jimmy Walker (USA) 72 72 70, James Hahn (USA) 68 76 70, Young-Han Song (Kor) 71 74 69, Lee Westwood 71 74 69

215 Mike Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 75 70 70, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 66 78 71, Russell Henley (USA) 70 70 75, Kevin Kisner (USA) 70 71 74, Bernd Wiesberger (Aut) 69 75 71, Webb Simpson (USA) 71 74 70

16 Sean O'Hair (USA) 72 73 71, Thorbjorn Olesen (Den) 70 72 74

217 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 69 76 72, Sung-hoon Kang (Kor) 68 73 76

218 Danny Willett 71 74 73

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