Northern Irish eyes are smiling
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2011 The Open Championship | Day Three | 17 Jul 2011
Darren Clarke has emerged from the battles of day three at the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St Georges, a one under par round of 69 enough to give him a one shot lead over American Dustin Johnson heading into tomorrow’s final round.
It offers the unique opportunity for a Northern Irishman to add a third major championship in the last six in world golf to those held by fellow countrymen Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlory.
Conditions for much of the day were as almost difficult as links golf can throw up but as the final pairing of Clarke and Glover reached the middle of their first nine holes conditions began to improve. Clarke was there to take advantage of a late bogey by Johnson to grab the outright lead into the final round.
There is a gap of two further shots back to Rickie Fowler and Thomas Bjorn with Lucas Glover and Miguel Angel Jimenez rounding out the six players who have completed the opening 54 holes under par.
Clearly those out late had an advantage but they had earned it through their stellar play on the opening two days so no excuses for the others in that regard.
Clarke though was first to admit the break he and those around him had had. “Obviously, if somebody had given me 69 before I was going out to play I would have bitten their hand off for it. Saying that, we did get very fortunate with the draw. Sometimes to win any tournament the draw can make a big difference, but in the Open Championship it makes a huge difference. We got very lucky.
“We started off in terrible conditions and then it sort of cleared up after four or five holes, so we got lucky with the weather again. But all in all, I couldn’t have hit the ball any better from tee to green. That was about as good as I could do from tee to green. On the green was not quite the same, to say the least, but from tee to green I was very pleased with the way I played.
“Obviously I’m very excited about that,” he replied when asked about the prospect of leading into the final round. “The Open is the biggest and best tournament in the world. You know, as you’ve said, I’ve failed 20 times — well, 19 times I’ve failed to try and lift the Claret Jug, and tomorrow I have an opportunity.
“But at the moment it’s just an opportunity because the weather is going to be very windy again tomorrow, and there’s a long way to go still in this championship. But I’m very pleased to be leading going into the last round.”
In stark contrast to Clarkes’ experience in such conditions, Johnson is playing in just his third Open Championship having missed one cut and finished 14th in last year’s event at St Andrews.
He has history and experience in the heat of major championship battles however. Johnson led into the final round at Pebble Beach in 2010 and he needs no reminding of the costly blunder when in front at the final hole of last year’s PGA Championship when he grounded his club in what was a poorly defined bunker.
Johnson felt that experience might work in his favour. “Well, obviously I’ve been in this situation a few times, so I think the more and more you can put yourself in a situation, the more comfortable you get.
“I’m going to be pretty comfortable out there tomorrow because I know what to expect, I know how to — I know how to approach it, and I know what I do in those situations. So I do understand it, so hopefully I can go out tomorrow and play some solid golf like I’ve been doing the last few days.”
The long hitting 27 year old was not surprised with his performance in what for many Americans in a foreign playing environment. “Well, ever since the first time I came over here and played, I think it was in college was the first time I came over and played links golf, I’ve really enjoyed it. I played well. I think I even won the college event over here. I’ve always enjoyed playing links golf.
“You’ve got to hit all different kinds of shots. You’ve got to cut it, you’ve got to draw it, you’ve got to hit it low, you’ve got to hit it high, and I enjoy that. You’ve just got to control your golf ball, which I think I do a very good job of.
“I’m not surprised that I’m close to the top of the lead. Last year I played pretty well at St. Andrews other than the last two holes. I’m just really enjoying playing this golf.”
Of the leading six players heading into tomorrow’s final round only Lucas Glover has major winning experience. Sitting just one further back however and not yet out of it is a group that includes three major winners in Phil Mickelson, Martin Kaymer and Davis Love.
The five Australians in the weekend field are headed by Adam Scott who is at 2 over and 7 shots from Clarke’s lead. Scott started poorly in the horror early conditions but fought his way back with an under par back nine for a round of 73. Other than a Greg Norman like round of 63 – a la 1993 – Scott’s winning chances appear all but gone but he will be keen to improve on his previous best Open Championship finish when 8th at Royal Liverpool in 2006. That appears very achievable.
Richard Green is next best at 4 over, Robert Allenby is 6 over, Jason Day got blown away with a round of 76 to be at 7 over and Matthew Millar battled in the worst conditions of the day to finish with 81 and be at 13 over.
The pre tournament favourite amongst the Australians entering the event, Day was philosophical about the experience of day three. “Yeah, it was tough. It’s just unfortunate that the weather didn’t extend on. That’s just Open golf. It’s unpredictable with the bounces. Sometimes you get good bounces and sometimes you get good weather, and sometimes you get the exact opposite. You’ve just got to take the good with the bad and just look forward to tomorrow.”
There are many looking forward to tomorrow for other reasons but more especially a Northern Irishman looking to give his country even further reason to celebrate.
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