Rory McIlroy made an early birdie on the last day of The Open but needed plenty more if he was to stage a charge through the field and into contention.
The Masters champion holed a 20-footer on the second to get to three under, still seven behind leader Sam Burns.
McIlroy had suggested on Saturday evening if he could get into double digits under par he may stand a chance but organisers had saved Royal Birkdale’s toughest setup for the final round.
After three record major record-equalling 62s on Friday and Saturday, the R&A did its best to make the quest for the Claret Jug the most demanding one.
Every flag was tucked behind a bunker, over a ridge or as close to the fringe as was possible.
The hole with the flag at its maximum distance from the edge was the 241-yard par-three 15th – and even then it was only nine yards in from the left bunker.
England’s Matthew Southgate, in the second group out, had threatened to be the latest to tear up the links with three successive birdies but could not maintain the momentum and a 66 left him level par for the tournament.
Former Open champion Collin Morikawa also began with back-to-back birdies and was well poised at four under only to bogey the next.
