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SANDWICH, England (Reuters) - Sunshine boy Rickie Fowler produced a waterproof round of golf to launch himself towards the top of the British Open leaderboard on Saturday after eclipsing playing partner Rory McIlroy in the third round at rain-lashed Royal St George's.
The 22-year-old Californian whose look is more surf-dude than grizzled links golfer, produced a brilliant two-under-par 68 to move to two under for the tourmament and raise hopes of a major breakthrough on Sunday.
Impressive all week on the bunker-riddled links, Fowler defied sheeting rain and gusting winds to close in on overnight leader Darren Clarke who grabbed the outright lead when he moved to five under after 12 holes.
Veteran Clarke, who finished tied third in 2001 but has not made the top 10 in a British Open since, rolled back the years to leave pre-tournament favourite and fellow Northern Irishman McIlroy in the shade.
After a birdie at the first he struck another at the fifth and sparked huge roars when he rolled in his third of the day at the par-four 12th to move a stroke clear of American Dustin Johnson. who also thrived in the wild weather to bag five birdies in the first 14 holes of his round.
Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, who memorably blew his chance of victory here eight years ago, maintained his challenge but joint overnight leader Lucas Glover slipped back a couple of shots.
Fowler, long slated as the great hope for American golf, would have warmed the heart of compatriot Tom Watson who had earlier lit up the gloom on the English south coast with a age-defying two-over 72 in diabolical conditions.
The 61-year-old five-times champion, who fired a hole-in-one, was the talking point again as he dug deep into his vast experience of coastal golf to reach the turn in one-under when everyone else on the course was going backwards.
Despite four bogeys on the inward nine in gusts of 65 kms an hour he remains in contention at four over going into the final round.
"It can tear you up. It can tear you up and spit you out. It's done it to me," Watson, who two years ago came agonisingly close to winning at Turnberry, told reporters.
"One of the things that you learn is there's an old saying, 'swing with ease into the breeze'."
WATSON INSPIRATION
Fowler, who was not even born when Watson won the last of his British Open titles, said he had been inspired by watching the veteran go out in the worst of the morning weather.
"Watched a little bit of the coverage prior to us going out, and he just saw kind of how he looked like he was having fun, smiling, and embracing the conditions," Fowler told reporters. "The best way to deal with tough and hard conditions is just go out and try and make a good time of it."
Despite growing up on a diet of links golf, U.S. Open champion McIlroy has looked far less comfortable than Fowler this week in all three rounds they have played together.
Even so, McIlroy was expected to make a surge on Saturday having reached the weekend well-placed at level par but his hopes were receding by the end as he carded a four over 74.
A double bogey on the long par-five 14th summed up his frustrating day.
"I mean, you've done so well for 13 holes to keep yourself in it, and then to hit you've got half of Kent on your left and you hit it right, it was a bit disappointing," he said.
Of the early starters among the 71 who survived until the weekend, South Africa's Trevor Immelman was the only other player to match Watson's score.
They briefly shared the clubhouse lead as bedraggled players returned to the scorers' hut with tales of woe.
None more so than Frenchman Gregory Havret, the 2010 U.S. Open runner-up, who was hanging in bravely until a calamitous 10 at the brutal par-five 14th.
"It's a tough course even without these conditions and today was just a nightmare for us but that's the way it is, it's the British Open," the 34-year-old told Reuters.
No fewer than 42 players began the day within five shots of the lead shared by Clarke and American Lucas Glover but one by one the wind shredded their hopes like many of the multi-coloured umbrellas that illuminated a sea of green and grey.
Stewart Cink, who denied Watson victory in 2009, could manage only a seven-over 77 while Briton Paul Lawrie, the Open champion 10 years before that, carded a humbling 81.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, Editing by Dave Thompson)
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The 22-year-old Californian whose look is more surf-dude than grizzled links golfer, produced a brilliant two-under-par 68 to move to two under for the tourmament and raise hopes of a major breakthrough on Sunday.
Impressive all week on the bunker-riddled links, Fowler defied sheeting rain and gusting winds to close in on overnight leader Darren Clarke who grabbed the outright lead when he moved to five under after 12 holes.
Veteran Clarke, who finished tied third in 2001 but has not made the top 10 in a British Open since, rolled back the years to leave pre-tournament favourite and fellow Northern Irishman McIlroy in the shade.
After a birdie at the first he struck another at the fifth and sparked huge roars when he rolled in his third of the day at the par-four 12th to move a stroke clear of American Dustin Johnson. who also thrived in the wild weather to bag five birdies in the first 14 holes of his round.
Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, who memorably blew his chance of victory here eight years ago, maintained his challenge but joint overnight leader Lucas Glover slipped back a couple of shots.
Fowler, long slated as the great hope for American golf, would have warmed the heart of compatriot Tom Watson who had earlier lit up the gloom on the English south coast with a age-defying two-over 72 in diabolical conditions.
The 61-year-old five-times champion, who fired a hole-in-one, was the talking point again as he dug deep into his vast experience of coastal golf to reach the turn in one-under when everyone else on the course was going backwards.
Despite four bogeys on the inward nine in gusts of 65 kms an hour he remains in contention at four over going into the final round.
"It can tear you up. It can tear you up and spit you out. It's done it to me," Watson, who two years ago came agonisingly close to winning at Turnberry, told reporters.
"One of the things that you learn is there's an old saying, 'swing with ease into the breeze'."
WATSON INSPIRATION
Fowler, who was not even born when Watson won the last of his British Open titles, said he had been inspired by watching the veteran go out in the worst of the morning weather.
"Watched a little bit of the coverage prior to us going out, and he just saw kind of how he looked like he was having fun, smiling, and embracing the conditions," Fowler told reporters. "The best way to deal with tough and hard conditions is just go out and try and make a good time of it."
Despite growing up on a diet of links golf, U.S. Open champion McIlroy has looked far less comfortable than Fowler this week in all three rounds they have played together.
Even so, McIlroy was expected to make a surge on Saturday having reached the weekend well-placed at level par but his hopes were receding by the end as he carded a four over 74.
A double bogey on the long par-five 14th summed up his frustrating day.
"I mean, you've done so well for 13 holes to keep yourself in it, and then to hit you've got half of Kent on your left and you hit it right, it was a bit disappointing," he said.
Of the early starters among the 71 who survived until the weekend, South Africa's Trevor Immelman was the only other player to match Watson's score.
They briefly shared the clubhouse lead as bedraggled players returned to the scorers' hut with tales of woe.
None more so than Frenchman Gregory Havret, the 2010 U.S. Open runner-up, who was hanging in bravely until a calamitous 10 at the brutal par-five 14th.
"It's a tough course even without these conditions and today was just a nightmare for us but that's the way it is, it's the British Open," the 34-year-old told Reuters.
No fewer than 42 players began the day within five shots of the lead shared by Clarke and American Lucas Glover but one by one the wind shredded their hopes like many of the multi-coloured umbrellas that illuminated a sea of green and grey.
Stewart Cink, who denied Watson victory in 2009, could manage only a seven-over 77 while Briton Paul Lawrie, the Open champion 10 years before that, carded a humbling 81.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, Editing by Dave Thompson)
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