Dylan Frittelli’s love for links golf continues as he heads into Sunday’s final round of the 150th Open Championship in tied 18th place on six under par.
Frittelli did exactly what he said he was going to do, namely make a move up the leaderboard on day three. And he did so while feeling he didn’t have his best golf with him, despite two eagles on the par-four ninth and 18th holes for his third-round 69.
“Not my best golf at times, but I somehow threw two crazy hole-outs in there,” he said.
“The ninth hole was a terrible tee shot. I hit it in the fairway or greenside bunker and had 45 yards to the pin. I was just trying to get it up there on the green on nine and it somehow went in. On 18, I hit a great tee shot. I thought it would get up on the green, but it didn’t. I had a tricky one from the Valley of Sin there but somehow made that one as well. The rest was a bit patchy but happy with the overall score.”
Frittelli is 10 shots off the shared lead of Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland. McIlroy and Hovland lead the field by four shots, with Cameron Smith and Cameron Young their nearest challengers.
Frittelli has had his best Major performances in The Open, including fifth in 2021 and tied 32nd in 2019. Add his fifth place in The Masters in 2020, and Frittelli is showing he’s more than capable of winning a Major.
Dean Burmester is the next best-placed South African on five under par following a third round of 67. Christiaan Bezuidenhout will start the final round on four under par, with Thriston Lawrence at three under and Garrick Higgo at one over.
