2014 BRITISH OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
ESPN, 6:00 a.m. ET
The action for today’s final, live from the Royal Liverpool course, begins early – and begins with the leader, Rory McIlroy, enjoying a six-stroke lead going into the final day of play. McIlroy, at age 25, would claim the third leg of a Grand Slam in major tournaments if he holds steady today – and holding steady certainly was his specialty on Saturday. He began yesterday with a four-stroke lead, but with only five holes to play, Ricky Fowler had fought McIlroy to a tie at 12 under par. From that point, walking up to the 14th tee, McIlroy was amazing to watch. A birdie on 14. A par on 15. And, though he bogeyed 17, he bookended that one late-play misstep with an astounding display of power and accuracy: on the long, long par-5 holes at 16 and 18, McIlroy eagled both. Today, McIlroy starts the day at 16 under par, with his nearest competitor, the persistent Fowler, at 10 under. Oh, and Tiger Woods? He starts the day at three above par. For a full article and setup, see Gerald Jordan’s Crossing Jordan.