Day 4 - Part 2 Golf: The Open

The eyes of the golfing world are on him. He is a powerful, accurate

genius. Can he do it? Of course it can be read!

Here we go. He is on a roll. He is dangerous. Fantastic shot.

Absolutely brilliant shot. Top quality. That is his shot of the

day. Watch out, everyone else. Absolutely fantastic. That is a gem.

Very impressive. My goodness. Lovely!

Good morning. It is the final day of the Championship here at Hoylake.

The Claret jug is gleaming and the engraver is on stand-by. For many,

it is the name of Rory McIlroy that will be etched onto this. He has a

six shot lead, one of the largest ever going into a final round of and

Open Championship. Will it be in his clutches by the end of the day?

Rickie Fowler is the closest, but if there will be a hot pursuit, it is

most likely to come from the likes of Sergio Garcia, Edoardo Molinari,

Dustin Johnson or Victor Dubuisson, the only players within nine shots

of him. Sport is a funny thing. You just

never No. That is why we will be glued to the coverage all day today

until the claret jug is one at about 6:30pm. I hope you will share the

day with a sea on BBC One as well. We go now out onto the famous

links. It is a delight to see blue skies

and an amazingly dry course. We were very lucky yesterday. Play had just

ended when the rain came down on and, oily, did it come down! This

area is amazingly dry when you think of some of the scenes at

Championships over the last 20 or 30 years when it has rained, I am

thinking of times when it has gone on to Monday play.

thinking of times when it has gone shirtsleeved order amongst the crowd

sea. I am in the box with Andrew Cotter, he is relieved that the sun

is shining. Heat haze, look at that! The breeze has shifted round

today. It is North north-westerly today. It has been South

southeasterly when today. It is North north-westerly

today. It it has blown in the first three days. North West is not a

usual wind here. It is only 180 acres, this little corner. It almost

looks it has been ruled out with a ruler, with a road down to the sea

and some beautiful houses. The helicopter is on duty.

A fascinating corner of England, the Wirral, and there are dozens of

those wind turbines are stacked out there. Tiger Woods, his trials and

tribulations continue. He was out in 36 with a double bogey at the 7th.

After the rain yesterday, the rough was very tenderly down the bottom

end, thick and matted. It is a morbid fascination, watching Tiger

Woods. He is still very rusty and has not been back playing for long.

He was playing at the Congressional a couple of weeks ago, and a lot of

people were expecting great things here, but I think this shot masked a

few of the serious flaws that are still there. He took his glove off

for that shot to give him some more feel, but he did not want to feel,

he wanted thumper. I find it extraordinary to think it

is the case, but it would appear I find it extraordinary to think it

that he is muddled. We knew he might struggle with his driver if he was

forced to take it out, but he took the decision to be more aggressive

on the second day. The 17th hole, it went miles out of bounds. He really

had to scramble to make the cut. Luke Donald, he has been treading

water over the last season or two. World's number one for a period.

Another player who has been at the top but decided to change things a

bit. He left his coach for the long game. He is trying to take a bit of

his hand out of it. Wide? That is what intrigues me. You are winning

tournaments. He was making the most of his talents, and then he took it

to pieces. Tiger Woods finishing off, hopefully. In she goes.

Part here, 72. First match, 18th hole. I mentioned Jason Dufner

moment ago. What a second shot he has hit here, and this is for an

eagle. Jason Dufner has just gone birdie,

birdie, eagle, 1-under for the Championship. That is as close to

ecstasy as I have seen Jason Dufner! You certainly get plenty of

sand here when the tide goes out. It goes out and out, all along this

coast up to Morecambe. Whether quicksands, very treacherous. My dog

is being walked out there today. Jason Dufner has appeared fairly

recently. These fellows pop-out in their 30s and you wonder what they

have been doing for ten years, and then you see that they have been

learning their trade. Mickelson with his faithful caddy, looking rather

sombre today in black. Or is it dark blue? It is like is black on the

final day, like Tiger Woods likes his red. They are respective power

colours. Phil Mickelson is the defending champion for one more day.

I am not sure either Robson knew what to do with his day off

yesterday. I am amazed that Tiger Woods, having

been such a marvellous player for 20 years, does not have a safe key

shot. -- tee shot. Lots of birdies today, a few bogeys,

a few sevens and sixes. Stenson was a pre-championship favourite, but

has not materialised. He will have to wait another year for this great

Championship and the possibility of winning it.

The very tall figure of Chris Wood. There is a battle between him and

Robert Karlsson between you gets the tall title.

A very good links player. A good player or round. Lovely second into

the eighth. Playing alongside Paul Casey today,

who has been showing glimpses of good form lately, but not able to

put the whole thing together. I like watching him hit the ball. He had an

interesting slow delivery, and his thump hits it miles and miles. Good

putter. You can lose pieces of the jigsaw on occasion. Sometimes they

come together and they all fit and things are smooth. Everything feels

and looks the same. But it doesn't work quite as well.

A piece of the jigsaw that has been missing this week, 35 putts in the

first day, and it has improved slightly since then. That part of

the game has been costing him. Very pleasant conditions that here,

with a freshening Very pleasant conditions that here,

turned into a decent one club wind. Dufner. The left side today -- the

pin is on the left side today. It is not have a good Open record at all.

He has not been great this season. Tiger Woods will try to pitch this

71, 71 Hoffman and Hurley, just short of the flag.

71, 71 Hoffman and Hurley, three hours. We will see how that

changes come the end of the day. It can be done. I think Tiger is

heading down to the bunker on the right hand side.

Duly converted. Gets back to 1-over. Good group to watch, Cabrera-Bello

Nicholson. -- Cabrera and Nicholson. This is game number 19. The

defending champion, Phil Mickelson. That is the only different

introduction that a player will get at this Championship. If you harbour

champion, you get that little prefix.

good. It rather amuses me to hear players talk about this one of the

most difficult opening tee shots will stop from Argentina, Angel

Cabrera. This is the second time the Championship has been here since

2006, and this is usually the 17th hole, not the first. Cabrera, out

with the driver very often. Sometimes it works well and

sometimes it finds the rough. Yes, if the wind is from the north-west

then the first will be slightly across, in from the right. Slightly

tough to carry over those bunkers. I think a lot of players will line up

somewhere short. A newly cut path through the tangle we rough to the

fairway. The last pair go off at 2:40pm.

Playing just pairs today, two balls. Luke Donald with his seconds to the

fifth, a big and arcing par-5. Another player who is always nicely

balanced. A sweet shot. Delightful. Beautiful. CHEERING

Playing alongside Zach Johnson. A strong right-hand grip. Gets his

body out of the way quickly. Otherwise you are fighting a hook.

What can he do with this? Just the same. Yet still. APPLAUSE

I don't think we will see two better shot than that today. Back to

Dufner. Struggling a bit here after going birdie, eagle.

I did not see where Dufner finished, I think that might be a shot gun.

Maureen Madill can confirm where Tiger was. Both players making an

easy hole look difficult. Dufner missed the green miles left, it was

a bogey. Tiger missed 20 yards short and right and had an indifferent

chip to hear. I have to say that Tiger does not look exactly thrilled

to be here. I find that most extraordinary, but there we are.

Almost as if he's hoping somebody will tell him what to do. Surely he

should know himself how to do it. I'm lost. 5-over for the

Championship. Two over for the day. Now, Chris Wood, a lovely second

shot into here. And a very nice three for the man from Bristol.

Mickelson's second shot. Straight, hit it straight. Yeah, like that.

Whoa, whoa. It was good once. You see the changing character of this

hole. You leave yourself a very long second shot and a lot of players

hitting wedges in in the last couple of days. Hello. He almost hit that

before he was ready. I don't know what happened there. Perhaps he has

a plane to catch. He was on the move before he hit it and looks decidedly

cheesed off. I like that old-fashioned word, cheesed off.

Disappointed. Look at that. Surely that won't cross the Atlantic. Some

fella did once, maybe in something a bit more sturdy than that. Come on

Luke. One of the most beautiful putters in the world. One right, one

left. He might as well have chipped and parted a couple of birdies. --

and putted. Cabrera at the 1st had a clatter

with the drive. Got over the bunker but left. Magic clicking fingers,

get down, get down. To the back of the green. That's OK. You see the

ribbons on the player 's hats, that's in respect of Bob Torrance

who died yesterday, one of the most respected figures in professional

golf. A great character and coach. Maureen. Bunkers down the right and

golf. A great character and coach. Maureen. Bunkers sometimes old rough

down the left. Nothing from the crowd.

Maureen. Bunkers sometimes old rough down the left. Nothing from the Must

be difficult for any great in any sports to have the waning of the

powers. It could be temporarily, but when somebody else is doing what you

used to do, it can be hard to accept. If you can't put it together

it is time to leave the stage. That is always the big debate, when do

you retire? Very few retire to soon. They just hang on. They are doing

the farewell Frank Sinatra bit. But they still have a presence. This

fella still had a presence, I saw Sinatra in one of his last concerts.

He did Sinatra in one of his last concerts.

voice but he still had presence. EA points there. It is hard to give up

the stage when you have the appellation of the multitude. -- DA

Points. I'm sure Tiger will win again and will continue to win

Majors again. We certainly can't write him off but he's closer to 40

than 30 and he's had all sorts of injuries and is in a bit of golfing

turmoil, mental turmoil. A lot of things in the balance. It wouldn't

surprise me if he won next week. It would, really, but you never know.

The classic thing is, at Royal Lytham St Annes a few years ago

with Nick Price, two shots ahead, and we said if he did 68 he must

win. He did 68 but Seve and we said if he did 68 he must

did 65 and won the Championship. The par-3 is 205 yards today. The clouds

are skimming across the hole from left to right. A glorious iron shot

for Zach Johnson also in this group.

Scott Drummond will be watching this one for us. Good morning. Zach

Johnson is just about to go with a 5-iron. The pin is just cut a yard

on to the top shelf today. Can the players see much of the green from

the tee or has the rough grown up there a bit? There is some

relatively high rough, I don't think there a bit? There is some

they can see most of the back shelf and all of the pin, certainly.

He followed looped in with a beautiful iron at the last hole. --

followed Luke in. A beautiful stroke there. Place at

followed Luke in. A beautiful stroke Three hours for 18 holes. I suppose

you can do that when nobody is ahead of you. The first pair did that. The

6th hole. You can get a kick in off the right-hand side off the slopes.

The pin is on the back level so the ball coming to a halt on the rise.

-- the par-4. shot. The park

Obviously like short sleeve shirts. They always look a little bit short

to me, but that's just me. Some players like their sleeves down to

the elbow. Thomas Bjorn now. Hit just about as close as Tiger Woods

did a few moments ago. -- as Chris Wood did. Thomas Bjorn playing

alongside Henrik Stenson today. The third birdie four yawn today.

2-under for the Championship. -- for Bjorn. Good crowds today, you can

see the ground a bit muddy looking, the green grass has gone, but it is

certainly not a quagmire. And extraordinary day yesterday for

weather forecasts. Never seen anything like it in my shortish life

on this planet. Thunder, lightning. HAZEL IRVINE: It was a pretty tasty

storm but happily it is a beautiful day for the final day of this 143rd

Open Championship. Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler will be stepping onto

the first tee at 2:40pm. Johnson and Garcia at 2:30pm. And Edoardo

Molinari and Victor Dubuisson at 2:20pm. Those are the only men

within nine shots of Rory's lead. It is a healthy lead. I imagine those

at 6-under will imagine they can go though today. Can Darren Clarke post

another good total after his best round of the day yesterday, 67. It

has been a great week for the island of Ireland. So much to enjoy on this

final day. Thomas Bjorn going well, one of three players making a move

today. Not threatening the leaders. Tiger Woods is too over for the

day. A double bogey at the 7th, currently 5-over for the

Championship. He's out with Jason Dufner who had an eagle at ten so

there is movement on the golf course. We are expecting more of

that. We will leave Hoylake for about ten minutes as we catch up

with the news headlines from around the world but we will see you at

around 12:10pm. See you soon. It took less than 90 seconds for the

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