Scheffler and Homa get distracted by TV screen and spectators at the British Open
HOYLAKE, England (AP) — Out in the second pairing of the day, Scottie Scheffler was preparing to hit a shot at the par-5 fifth hole at Royal Liverpool when he heard someone in the distance talking about his game.
Not a spectator outside the ropes, but a TV announcer from the giant screens in the nearby spectator village at the British Open.
“They had the TV going full volume over there,” the world No. 1 said, “and it was commentating my shot.”
It forced Scheffler to back away from his ball.
“I’ve never heard a distraction like that before,” he said. “Usually something that loud it’s music or something.
“It was pretty funny,” he added, “just hearing your own name on the coverage. It was a weird moment, for sure.”
Scheffler still managed to make birdie on the hole after getting up-and-down from a greenside bunker, one of four shots he picked up in a third round also containing five birdies.
A 1-over 72 left Scheffler in a tie for 63rd heading into Sunday and in danger of his worst finish since being tied for 45th at the CJ Cup in October. Scheffler has finished in the top 12 in all 16 of his tournaments in 2023, with wins at the Phoenix Open and The Players Championship.
Max Homa was also distracted by some outside comments in the third round.
He was playing with Rory McIlroy, one of the biggest draws in golf, and remarks from the galleries certainly put Homa in his place.
“I had a guy yell at me, ’Hurry up, no one is watching you anyways today,’ which I quite like, if I’m being honest,” Homa said.
“The only hard part is, not that this matters at all, but if I hit a good shot and he hits an OK shot, he gets a roar and I get a couple claps. And then you get up there and I guess just that 180-yard walk leaves you uneasy because you think you have 40 feet and then you get up there and you have 10.”
Homa, who shot 1-under 70, regarded the environment as good practice for this year’s Ryder Cup in Rome, if he makes the American team for the first time.
“I was kind of thinking if I could make this Ryder Cup team, (it) would have obviously a very similar feel to it,” he said.
SHARMA'S CHANCE
The British Open continues to bring the best out of Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma in the majors.
He tied for 51st in the Opens in 2018 and '19, having previously missed the cut in lone appearances in each of the other three majors — all in 2018.
Sharma, ranked No. 276, is tied for ninth after three rounds at Royal Liverpool after shooting 1-under par to be 4 over for the tournament and eight shots off the lead.
“I’m actually quite happy with the way I played. It wasn’t easy. The wind was all over the place,” said Sharma, who turned 27 on Friday. “But played quite solid, was in control, made a lot of good par putts. Quite happy.”
Sharma made a 35-foot putt for eagle at the par-5 fifth, with his only bogey coming at the par-4 16th.
“I’ll stick to my processes that I’ve done in the first three days," Sharma said, “maybe make a few adjustments on things that I need to do, and once those are done, just go in with the same mentality that I have had for the first few days, which I’ve really worked and I’m very happy about it.”
HOVLAND CONTENDS
Viktor Hovland will get another late start in the final round of the British Open.
Hovland was in the final pairing and shared the lead with Rory McIlroy last year at St. Andrews, when he faded away to a fourth-place finish after a 74. On Sunday, he will be in the penultimate group at Royal Liverpool alongside Jon Rahm.
Hovland feels his game is in a better place than it was last year. He won the Memorial last month.
“To be able to put myself in position to win tournaments with not my ‘A’ game, I think that’s been really cool,” he said. “I think my short game has gotten a lot better, which has really allowed me to be able to do that.”
Hovland made six birdies and a bogey on Saturday in a 5-under 66 that left him 5-under for the tournament, seven shots behind leader Brian Harman.
RAHM GOES LOW
Royal Liverpool no longer stands on its own against low scoring in the British Open.
Every other links on the modern rotation had yielded a score of 64 or lower except at Hoylake. Branden Grace has the record with a 62 at Royal Birkdale. There were 63s at Royal Portrush, Royal Troon, Turnberry, Muirfield, St. Andrews and Royal St. George’s. The best at Carnoustie and Royal Lytham & St. Annes had been a 64.
The record at Royal Liverpool had been 65 most recently in 2014 by five players, including Dustin Johnson.
Jon Rahm changed that with his 63, highlighted by seven birdies over his last 10 holes.
Rahm became the first player in five years to have a score of 65 or lower at three majors in the same year. He shot 65 in the first round of the Masters and 65 in the final round of the U.S. Open.
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