For a brief period on Saturday, Royal Troon showed a kinder side for the British Open. A fortunate few capitalized on this opportunity before the rain arrived.
The initial two days of the tournament were characterized by strong winds and intermittent rain. The challenging conditions caused some top players like Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau to struggle and ultimately exit the competition. However, on Saturday morning, those who made the cut experienced a relatively calm course.
Justin Thomas, who had a tough day on Friday with a shaky start, bounced back on Saturday with six birdies in his first 12 holes, bringing him to 2-under par and within five strokes of the lead. Despite slipping back to even par due to two late bogeys, Thomas was satisfied with his performance.
“It was a fantastic Saturday. I played exceptionally well, sinking some incredible putts,” Thomas commented afterwards. “It’s challenging not to feel the pressure when teeing off early on a Saturday at an Open. The course is sometimes more forgiving.”
Another standout player on Saturday was Si Woo Kim, who achieved the first hole-in-one at No. 17 in Royal Troon’s history:
Additionally, Cam Young faced one of the most difficult stances ever seen at the Postage Stamp:
The standout performance of the morning belonged to Thriston Lawrence, who reached as low as 7-under on the day before finishing at 8-under, bringing him to 3-under for the tournament. Adam Scott and Sungjae Im both delivered 5-under rounds, ending the day at even par and 1-over, respectively.
The favorable weather took a turn right around the time when leader Shane Lowry teed off at 3:45 p.m. local time, and within an hour, heavy rain began to pour down across the course. In such conditions, the best place to be is in the clubhouse, and many players on the course were eager to retreat there as soon as possible.