The 154th Open Championship has packed so much into the last day or so, the R&A officials will be getting hit with an excess baggage charge.
When Ryan Fox bounded home with a cracking 62 in the early stages of round three here at Royal Birkdale, to equal the lowest round in men’s major history, it was the third such score in the last 24 hours.
With local lad Tommy Fleetwood rousing the Southport natives by clinging to the coattails of the frontrunners on an intriguing leaderboard featuring some well-kent faces and a few surprise packages, there was plenty to write home about.
Nothing, though, could dunt Bryson DeChambeau out of the spotlight. Well, apart from, say, the sight of Old Tom Morris’ ghost careering up the 18th fairway on Evel Knievel’s motorbike.
But such outrageous paranormal activity didn’t happen – there’s time yet – so DeChambeau’s rules rigmarole from Friday night, which led to him receiving a two-shot penalty after a prolonged period of heated debate with the rules chiefs, remained a very big story.
The fact he still lurks in the upper echelons, four behind the leader Sam Burns after a 69, made the headlines even bigger too.
Rory McIlroy made a few more of them as the reigning Masters champion had his say on the highly contentious DeChambeau debacle.
He didn’t hold back either. Given his strained relationship with DeChambeau, it was hardly surprising.
McIlroy’s assessment of Bryson’s behaviour the previous evening, which ultimately led to third-round tee-times not being published until 11pm, was as withering as a round of machine gun fire.
“Late night for everyone,” said McIlroy after completing a third round 69 which left him eight shots off the pace on two-under.
“I won’t pretend to be up here and defend Bryson. I’m not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it is performative. I think a lot of it is for attention.
“To hold the tournament hostage like that, and to have all of us, players, volunteers, everyone waiting on him to depart, I didn’t feel like it was a great look.”
DeChambeau had vehemently objected to the penalty imposed on him, after he was judged to have improved the area of his backswing by tramping down long grass on the fifth hole.
The two-time US Open champion demanded to be driven out to the scene of the alleged crime after his second round where he spent a good chunk of time parrying and jousting with rules officials before continuing the lively discussions back at the R&A base.
As darkness descended and he led all and sundry on a merry dance up at the driving range, there were even rumours that DeChambeau would actually withdraw from the championship. The toys were ready to be hurtled out of the pram. It made for compelling viewing.
“I was watching it live,” added McIlroy. “I was up in the players’ lounge watching it with a few other players and as soon as he made the step into the ball we all sort of looked at each other, and we were like, ‘that didn’t seem right’.
“Then when I heard that he was called in by the rules officials it was pretty obvious for why.
“I think there’s no doubt that he improved the line of his backswing. Whether it was careless or whether it was intentional, I don’t think it matters.
“Hopefully it was careless, but I think the two-shot penalty was justified for sure.”
On a third day that began overcast and invitingly benign, Fox got flying and set the early standard as he made the most of the perfect conditions.
The New Zealander, aiming to be the first Kiwi to lift the Claret Jug since Bob Charles in 1963, had made the cut with a shot to spare on Friday and produced the kind of charging offensive that could’ve been accompanied by mounted cavalry.
The 39-year-old raced to the turn in 29 on his way to an eight-under card which lifted him 50 places up the order. It was quite the leap.
"We've had it as good as you can get weather wise,” said Fox, who was home and dry a few hours before the leaders had even started.
“The wind was down, the greens are perfect, the ball is going miles with the fairways so baked out. I'm going to have a chance to win The Open which is pretty exciting.”
It certainly is. Plenty of others have that chance too. Burns is in pole position as he hunts down a maiden major title.
After his own 62 in round two which vaulted him into contention, the 29-year-old, who was runner-up in last month’s US Open, eased into a two-shot lead over Fox and Si Woo Kim with a nicely assembled 65 for a 10-under tally.
Asked if becoming a dad recently has helped his golf by giving him fresh perspective, Burns replied: “If I was aware of that, I’d have eight kids by now.”
A Claret Jug would be another nice addition to the Burns household.
Korean Kim posted a 67 to join Fox on eight-under with overnight leader, Lucus Herbert slithering back to seven-under after a 71.
Fleetwood, chasing a first major crown in his own backyard, was roared to the rafters as he was carried through Birkdale’s towering dunes on an emotional wave of support.
A bogey on the last, in a 69 for five-under, was a sore one but Fleetwood will continue to revel in the home comforts.
“It’s a really beautiful thing that the town is so hopeful for me,” he said of the backing from his ain folk. “I've had some of the best experiences of my life so far this week.”
Scottie Scheffler, the defending Open champion and world No 1, had one birdie and one bogey in a 70 to finish on four-under while Oban’s Robert MacIntyre endured a frustrating day on the greens and dropped back to three-under after a trying one-over 71.
The Scot could do with a final day 62. You never know in this game.
