Top 5 golfers to watch on Sunday at the British Open 2023 at Royal Liverpool
The three rounds of the British Open 2023 are over, and we are just a few hours away from getting the new Open Champion. As of now, Brian Harman has secured a comfortable five-stroke lead after 54 holes.
After being at 10-under ahead of the third day at Royal Liverpool, Harman had a rough start with two bogeys in the first four holes. Thankfully, he managed to get back into rhythm and went on to make four birdies in the next nine holes to eventually post a 2-under 69, aggregating at 12-under.
Cameron Young had an incredible third round as he fired a low 66 to finish second after 54 holes. However, it was Jon Rahm who stole the show on Saturday with an incredible low 63 with the help of eight birdies.
As we head into the final round of the 151st Open, the spotlight will be on a select few names. Here's a look at five golfers to watch out for on Sunday at the British Open.
Five players to watch out for on Sunday at the British Open 2023
1) Brian Harman
Brian Harman has been on a consistent run this week at the Open Championship. On the golf course, where many golfers had contrasting days, he posted three straight scores in the 60s. After the first round of 67, he fired a 65 on Friday and then a 69 on Saturday.
If Harman manages to play one more great round of golf, his quest to end the six-year PGA Tour drought might just end on Sunday evening.
2) Cameron Young
This is the second British Open in a row where Cameron Young is in contention for the title ahead of Sunday. This year, he started shakily with a 1-over 72 in the first round. However, he recovered well in the following two rounds with a 68 and a 66 to finish in second place after 54 holes.
Last year, Young entered the final round at T3 but fell short of the title by just one stroke. The 26-year-old golfer will be hoping not to repeat it this time.
3) Jon Rahm
After the completion of the first two rounds of the Open Championship, it seemed as if this wasn't Jon Rahm's week. He was placed T39 at 2-over after 36 holes, just two strokes above the cutline. However, considering what he has done this season, one could never count him out.
The Spaniard set the course record at the Royal Liverpool after posting an 8-under 63. Until Saturday, Royal Liverpool was the only course that hadn't witnessed a single round score below 65.
As per the oddsmakers, Rahm is now the second favorite at +750 to win this week. Although he is still six strokes behind Harman, we can expect Rahm to turn the tide in his favor on Sunday.
4) Rory McIlroy
As per pundits, Rory McIlroy was considered the favorite for the 151st Open prior to this week. His victory at the Scottish Open last week served as a confidence booster. However, thus far, he is still struggling to get into contention.
It's not like McIlroy has played badly over the three days at Royal Liverpool, but it's his putting woes that have kept him behind in the race. So far, he has missed six birdie putts within 15 feet and one each from eight and ten feet.
Although McIlroy's chances of winning the British Open are all but over, it will be interesting to see how much improvement he makes on the final day.
5) Shubhankar Sharma
Prior to this week, Shubhankar Sharma had missed three straight cuts, and his best performance in the last six events was T16 at the Dutch Open in May. However, the 27-year-old Indian golfer surprised everyone with his performance this week.
Sharma is placed T9 at 4-under after three rounds of golf at the Royal Liverpool. This is his third start at the British Open and his first since 2019 when he finished T51. A top-10 finish at the major will be a major morale booster for the young golfer.