Shane Lowry believes it will be difficult, but not impossible, for him to win The Open for a second time after sliding down the leaderboard at Royal Troon on Saturday.

Lowry entered the third round with a two-stroke lead at seven under, but a six-over 77 saw him slip three shots behind new leader Billy Horschel.

The Irishman, who won the 2019 edition of the tournament at Royal Portrush, failed to recover from a dismal double bogey on the eighth, finding the bunker from the tee then missing a subsequent bogey putt.

Xander Schauffele and Justin Rose are among six players at three under, while Scottie Scheffler (two under) also sits between Lowry and the top of the leaderboard.

Asked if he was still in with a chance of winning the tournament, Lowry told reporters: "I am, but it's hard now. I've just finished, and I really wanted to hole that one on the last. 

"I knew Billy made bogey, and I knew Dan [Brown] was obviously going to make double. I would have been two back. Three back, you're still right in the tournament. 

"This is going to take me a couple of hours to get over. I'm obviously pretty good now, but I have a job to do tomorrow and a similar chance to win this tournament."

Lowry felt his putting let him down on a wet day in Scotland, outlining the impact the blustery conditions had on his game.

"I felt like I played unbelievable golf today. Missed the first fairway and then didn't miss another fairway until 16," he said.

"I hit some great iron shots, just didn't hole the putts early on when I had the chances, and then I missed a few par putts.

"It's not much fun out there. You have to question why there wasn't a couple of tees put forward, to be honest. I think 15 and 17… 15 is 500 yards playing into that wind.

"They keep trying to make holes longer, yet the best hole on this course is about 100 yards."

Billy Horschel will go into the final round of The Open with a one-shot lead after carding a two-under 69 on Saturday, with Shane Lowry tumbling down the leaderboard.

Horschel leads a group of six players on three under, with Daniel Brown joined by Xander Schauffele, Justin Rose, Thriston Lawrence, Russell Henley and Sam Burns.

The American, who missed the cut at last year's tournament and has never finished higher than T21 at The Open, did well in blustery conditions at Royal Troon.

Horschel bogeyed the last after six straight pars, but a fine first nine featuring four birdies put him in a strong position as he chases his first major title.   

Speaking to Sky Sports after completing his round, Horschel said: "This round in the Open Championship is by far the best one I've played in a major.

"I knew I had to grind out a score. I knew it wasn't going to be pretty, it was going to be tough... but I was prepared for what the last nine holes were going to entail.

"It would be the biggest win of my career. I have won a lot of great events, but this one would top all of them, and it's something I've always wanted in my golf career."

Having started the day at five under, Rose hung on in challenging conditions to stay within reach, while Brown – who has never won a tournament on the PGA Tour – found himself at six under after making a brilliant birdie on the 16th.

However, a double bogey on the last saw him lose the lead, a poor shot into the bunker leaving him with a 25-foot putt for bogey. 

Despite an excellent showing, the 29-year-old was disappointed with the way he let his lead slip, telling Sky Sports: "That finish is a little bit frustrating.

"But at the start of the week, if you told me I was going to be one back going into the final round of The Open then I would have snapped your hand off!

"I've not really come here with any expectations... I've still got one round to go, I'm not going to get ahead of myself and start thinking about outcomes. 

"I'm going to keep going about my business and hopefully come tomorrow evening, we will be there or thereabouts."

Further back, two-time major champion Scottie Scheffler is at two under after finishing even for the day, one stroke ahead of second-round leader Lowry, who endured a dismal third round.

Lowry carded a six-over 77, failing to recover from a double bogey at the Postage Stamp eighth as he found a deep bunker from the tee.

Shane Lowry says he is feeling "calm and composed" after recovering from a double-bogey to establish the clubhouse lead on day two at The Open.

The 2019 champion began the day at five under at Royal Troon - a shot behind leader Daniel Brown - and birdied the first, fourth and eight holes to reach seven under at the turn.

However, things started to go wrong on the notorious par-four 11th, when a stray tee shot into the rough was followed by a hook into a gorse bush, with Lowry having to settle for six and moving back to par for the day.

Nevertheless, the Northern Irishman held his nerve in the windy conditions, with four successive pars followed by two birdies on the final three holes.

The second of these saw him roll in a beautiful 20-footer, and Lowry was thrilled by the way he responded to the setback to put himself in a promising position.

"I was in control of my ball and did all the right things for a lot of the round," he told reporters. "Then when I got in a bit of trouble, I feel like I really finished the round well.

"I'm pretty happy with the day. To be leading this tournament after two days; it's why you come here, it's why we're here.

"The job tomorrow as well is to try to put myself in a position to win this tournament on Sunday, and that's what I'll try and do."

"I have felt quite calm and composed the last couple of days. I've felt really in my comfort zone. To shoot in the 60s is very good any day on this course, even when the conditions aren't this bad. I'm very happy."

Scottie Scheffler was left to rue "another frustrating day" at the US Open on Saturday, when Collin Morikawa found form on moving day at Pinehurst.

World number one Scheffler struggled once again in North Carolina, carding a one-over 71 to drop down to six-over par after the third day.

The two-time Masters champion has now shot four consecutive rounds over par for the first time in his professional career and catching the likes of Matthieu Pavon, Bryson Dechambeau and Tony Finau appears unlikely.

"Another frustrating day," Scheffler said on Sky Sports after his putter went cold once more. "Today was a day where I thought I played a lot better than my score.

"I'm having a lot of trouble reading these greens. I had a lot of putts today where I felt like I hit it really good. I looked up and they were not going the way I thought they were going to go."

Morikawa, in stark contrast, went on a hot streak with his putter and finished with a four-under 66 to move back to level par, sneaking within touching distance of the top 10.

The two-time major champion still has serious ground to make up to catch the leading trio on Sunday, with Ludvig Aberg, Patrick Cantlay, Corey Conners and Tyrrell Hatton all chasing at the top as well.

"If I play the way I did today, who knows what could happen," Morikawa said. "This course is only going to get tougher. 

"I know it's not going to be easy. Today was not easy by any means. I just put it in the right spot, kept the ball in front of me, really just played very simple golf."

Rory McIlroy remains in with the contending pack, aiming to end a 10-year wait for major success, but may be concerned if countryman Shane Lowry's words are anything to go by.

Lowry stayed on five-over for the tournament after battling through "torture" from the Pinehurst No.2 course, offering a warning to all competing this weekend.

"It's torture out there, honestly it's absolute mental torture," Lowry said. "That's the best level par I've ever shot in my life.

"Every single shot you have, even when you hit a good shot the putts you have, it's brutally difficult. It's not much crack out there, to be honest.

"The wind's in a different direction so some of the par fours are really long. You really just have to manage your way well around there and I did a great job today."

Shane Lowry stormed into contention for the PGA Championship as he equalled the lowest round in men's major history during a sensational third round at Valhalla.

Lowry carded nine birdies and no bogeys on Saturday to set a new career low and jump to 13 under after being eight strokes off the lead at the halfway stage.

The Irishman had the opportunity to produce the first '61 round' in a men's major history but missed the hole by mere inches, settling for a record-equalling 62 instead.

It is just the fifth time a 62 has been carded at a major, with Xander Schauffele doing it for the second time on the first day at Valhalla.

Rickie Fowler had previously done it in round one of the 2023 US Open along with Schauffele, while Branden Grace was the first to do it at The Open in 2017.

"I just went out there with the hope of trying to get myself towards double digits," he told Sky Sports.

"I thought if I could get myself to 10 under today, I could give myself a chance going into tomorrow. I went out and got off to a great start, rolling putts in and felt great and just kept going. I enjoyed it. Myself and Justin Rose, we were great out there and just enjoyed every minute of it.

"It’s pretty cool to do something like this, but there is a lot more to do tomorrow."                                        

Rose played a 64 to finish seven under on the round and moves to 12 under for the tournament.

Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy shot a three-under 68 to move to eight under par in the Championship, and reigning champion Brooks Koepka is now on four under after a 74.

Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa were among the later starters in Kentucky.

Rory McIlroy said his 25th PGA Tour title was made all the more special by the fact it came alongside Shane Lowry after the Irish duo won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in a play-off on Sunday.

Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer were among the early starters in Avondale and set a target of 25 under by carding a nine-under 63 in the fourth round.

It went down to the wire as McIlroy and Lowry birdied the final hole to set up a play-off, which they won by making par after Trainer missed his par putt.

The victory took McIlroy to a quarter of a century on the PGA Tour, and he said lifting the trophy alongside a close friend made it one of his most memorable.   

The world number two said: "To win any PGA Tour event is very cool, but to do it with one of your closest friends… 

"Think about where we met and where we've come from, to be on this stage and do this together, it was just awesome to be able to do it alongside this guy."

Former Open champion Lowry, who now has three PGA titles to his name, added: "Rory brings a crowd, and people love him. 

"We've got a lot of love this week in New Orleans, we've had just the best week. We went out there, we had loads of fun, and we won the tournament. You couldn't ask for a better week."

Former Open champion Shane Lowry has expressed his determination to double his major tally and join the list of Irish winners at Royal Liverpool.

Rory McIlroy won the Open the last time it was staged in Hoylake in 2014, while Fred Daly lifted the Claret Jug at the same venue in 1947 and Joe Carr claimed the Amateur Championship in 1953.

Lowry’s own Open triumph came on home soil at Royal Portrush in 2019 and the 36-year-old has been quietly rounding into form with top-20 finishes in his last three starts.

“I really struggled on the greens at the start of the year and then around the end of May I turned the corner and started to see a few going in again,” Lowry told the PA news agency.

“In the last few tournaments I’ve had days where I’ve felt really good on the greens. It’s not a nice place to be when you’re not holing any so it has been very encouraging.”

Lowry carded a closing 65 at Hoylake in 2014 to register his first top 10 in a major and contended in the 2021 US PGA Championshp and last year’s Masters.

“Since Portrush I feel like my major performances have been pretty good,” he added.

“I’ve given myself a couple of half chances here and there and I’ve had some nice finishes. I love the big weeks, it’s what I play the game for. It’s what gets me going and I get very excited going into major weeks.”

Is there anything new for 2023?

The 17th is a brand new par three which features an “infinity green” that offers views of the Dee Estuary, but which is protected by run-off areas and deep bunkers which could lead to some high scores. The creation of the hole has also allowed for a re-routing of the closing stretch to include two par fives over 600 yards and the 136-yard 17th.

Key tee times

0635 – Matthew Jordan, Richie Ramsay, Branden Grace.
0947 – Tommy Fleetwood, Scottie Scheffler, Adam Scott.
0958 – Cameron Smith, Wyndham Clark, Xander Schauffele.
1459 – Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose.
1616 – Hurly Long, Seungsu Han, Marco Penge.

Weather forecast

Mostly sunny with a small chance of the odd light morning shower. Dry with prolonged sunshine from midday. Moderate west to northwesterly winds with gusts of 15-20mph from late morning.

Jon Rahm birdied the last hole of his first round to join Viktor Hovland in a share of the Masters lead.

Hovland held a three-shot advantage at one stage as he started the first major of the year with a magnificent seven-under 65 on Thursday.

Rahm matched the Norwegian's round to become the co-leader at Augusta National after starting with a double bogey.

The 2021 U.S. Open champion eagled the par-five eighth to go three under and fire a warning to the rest of the field.

Rahm birdied the 13th, 15th and 16th before rolling in a short putt for another gain at 18 following a brilliant approach shot.

Hovland had earlier signed for his lowest Masters round and his joint-best in a major, ending his day without a solitary bogey in great conditions.

Cameron Young and Brooks Koepka are just two shots behind the leading duo, with fellow American Sam Burns also five under through only eight holes.

Jordan Spieth, Shane Lowry, Xander Schauffele, Adam Scott, Joaquin Niemann and Sam Bennett are well poised on four under.

Bennett matched the record for the best front nine by an amateur in the Masters, hitting the turn in 32.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler was two under approaching the turn, while Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are one over and two over respectively in Georgia.

Will Zalatoris withdrew from the prestigious event due to injury.

Chris Kirk will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Honda Classic after carding a 66 on Saturday to close in on his first PGA Tour title in eight years. 

The American, who claimed the last of his four top-tier triumphs back in 2015, leads a field that is devoid of any of the world's top-17 golfers.

His nearest rival is world number 330 Eric Cole, while playing partner and overnight leader Justin Suh is three strokes back after signing for an even-par 70.

Kirk, fresh from a stunning second-round 62, birdied the 17th and 18th to take charge at PGA National, although at least one household name is in the hunt.

World number 20 and 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry put himself firmly in the mix with a 65 that leaves him with a four-stroke deficit to overcome on Sunday. 

And the Irishman is playing with added motivation as he seeks to pay a fitting tribute to his uncle Jimmy Lowry, who died on Thursday.

"It's a very sad week for our family," he said. "To be honest, I wanted to go home on Thursday when I heard the news. A lot of people talked me out of it.

"I'm here now. I'm trying to play for him and play for his wife and his kids and my cousins and my uncles and my aunts and everyone at home because we're a very close family and very proud of our name and very proud of where we come from."

Reigning Korn Ferry Tour Championship winner Justin Suh has a chance to win his first PGA Tour event after finishing Friday's second round of the Honda Classic with the outright lead.

Suh, 25, produced a near-perfect campaign last season on the Korn Ferry Tour, finishing number one overall in points, winning the Tour Championship and being voted the tour's Player of the Year.

He has made the cut in eight of his 11 events to start his PGA Tour career, and after collecting his first top-20 in January's Farmers Insurance Open, he is looking to break through in a big way.

After his opening 66 at PGA National, Suh followed it up with a six-under 64 to reach 10 under overall and take a one-stroke lead into the weekend.

Alone in second place is Chris Kirk, who sits one shot back at nine under after posting a 62 for Friday's round of the day.

England's Ben Taylor is joined by American Monday qualifier Ryan Gerard in a tie for third at eight under, while the trio of Ben Martin, Eric Cole and Brice Garnett round out the top-five at seven under.

After finishing the opening round tied for the lead, both Billy Horschel and Joseph Bramlett fell back into a tie for 28th, following their 65s with a pair of 73s.

With none of the world's top-17 golfers in the field, world number 20 Shane Lowry will feel he still has a chance from his position at four under, tied for 16th, while 18th-ranked Im Sung-jae is at two under.

Billy Horschel and Joseph Bramlett are co-leaders at five under after Thursday's opening round of the Honda Classic.

Horschel came into the event as the second-highest ranked player in the field, at world number 19, as many of the world's best opted to take the week off ahead of bigger prize pools at the upcoming Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players.

Looking to capitalise on the weaker field, Horschel posted six birdies and one bogey during his first trip this week around PGA National in his home state of Florida. Meanwhile, Bramlett went bogey-free for his 65, joining Horschel at the summit after a birdie on his final hole.

Rounding out an all-American top-five are Pierceson Coody, Justin Suh and Carson Young tied for third at four under, and Young still has three holes to play after his round was cut short by fading light.

The only player in the field ranked higher than Horschel – world number 18 Im Sung-jae – is part of the logjam at three under that includes English duo Ben Taylor and Matt Wallace, while world number 20 Shane Lowry headlines the group one further back with Australia's Min Woo Lee.

Defending champion Sepp Straka made a safe start at one under, with last season's title the first and only of his PGA Tour career so far.

Shane Lowry never considered joining the LIV Golf International Series due to his belief the breakaway league is "bad for the game", suggesting the "ridiculous" prize money throughout golf will alienate fans.

Lowry edged past Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy to win the BMW PGA Championship last week, before labelling his victory "one for the good guys" amid the presence of LIV players at Wentworth.

While the 2019 Open winner criticised the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit in the build-up to that tournament, he attracted criticism earlier this year when he defended his decision to play the Saudi International by declaring; "I'm not a politician, I'm a golfer."

Lowry admitted he was wrong to make that remark, though his main objection to the existence of LIV Golf remains its decisive impact on the sport.

"When I said the 'I'm not a politician' remark, my first thought was 'why did I say that?' It was the wrong thing to say," he told the No Laying Up podcast.

"The thing is, I played the Saudi International for the last three years. So, for me, I would have been very hypocritical if I sat here and said, 'it's about where the money is coming from'.

"Will I go back and play the Saudi International next year? No. But I just think the LIV tour is bad for the game because it is very divisive.

"I am one of the players that thinks LIV should not exist. I don't like the idea of it.

"It is a tough subject for me to talk about because I have never been outspoken. The reason I hadn't is because no one had asked me about it. Rory is outspoken because every day he is in front of the media."

Lowry also believes the huge financial incentives available on every tour could turn fans away from golf, adding: "We are very lucky the corporate world loves golf and that's why we have such great sponsors and that's why we play for a lot of money.

"But I do feel like this is causing a division in the game and it's going to p*** people off.

"People are going to stop watching it. I think the amounts of money that are being thrown around are absolutely disgusting at the minute. I feel all people talk about is money now. 

"We play for points now in the FedEx Cup, but I watched the Tour Championship and all the commentators talked about was how much money they're going to win, and I thought, 'will you just talk about the trophy or the title or how many times Tiger [Woods] has won it?'

"The general Joe Soap, the guy who works his nuts off to make 50 grand a year and has to struggle to pay his membership at his golf club and loves the game so much, this probably p***** him off more than anyone."

An emotional Shane Lowry described his victory at the BMW PGA Championship as "one for the good guys".

Lowry finished ahead of Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy by one shot at Wentworth to win the sixth DP Tour title of his career in a tournament that had caused some controversy with the inclusion of players from the breakaway LIV Golf series.

One of those players, Patrick Reed, was the clubhouse leader after going round in 63 on Sunday to finish on 14 under overall, before an even better round from Rahm of 62 gave the Spaniard a two-shot clubhouse lead.

Lowry managed to catch Rahm on 16 under with six holes remaining, but struggled to edge ahead as he could only score par on his next five holes.

He eventually managed to add that elusive birdie on the par-five 18th to secure the win, and admitted afterwards it was a tournament he particularly wanted to succeed in.

"It means a lot," he said. "It's been a good year but I felt like I've been close a few times and I only have a few tournaments left this season and I really wanted to try and win one.

"Obviously this one is right up there at the top of the list. I love it here, I've contended in the past and even going down the back nine today… the bad shots I've hit down the years when I've been in contention actually started to creep into my head. It's amazing what this game does.

"I'm so happy, words can't [describe] how happy I am, how much this means to me, how much I love this tour, how much I love this tournament, and I'm the happiest man in the world right now."

The Irishman recalled the 2017 tournament when he had been in contention against eventual winner Alex Noren, only for the Swede to shoot 62 in his final round just as Rahm did on Sunday.

"I remember Alex Noren did that to me one year, the year he won he went out early and shot 62 and that came into my head," he added.

"I got to 16 [under] and tried to get past that but I also had to worry about Rory behind me because he could do anything down the last few holes, you know how good he is.

"I said to my coach this morning 'I need to just allow myself to play golf today, I'm playing the best golf of my life and I need to just allow myself to do that', and I did."

When asked if the circumstances around the tournament heightened his emotions when he won, Lowry conceded it had been a factor, having been among those who openly criticised the inclusion of LIV Golf members.

"I think so, yeah. I made no secrets as to how I feel about the whole thing at the start of the week and I wanted to go out and win this tournament for myself first and foremost, but I think for this tour and everyone who has stayed loyal to this tour and everyone that's done everything for this tour," he said.

"I really feel like this is one for the good guys."

Shane Lowry clinched victory at the BMW PGA Championship on the final hole at Wentworth, pipping Jon Rahm despite a historic final round from the Spaniard.

Following the suspension of play on Friday due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the tournament was reduced to 54 holes.

Rahm's round of 62 on Sunday gave him the clubhouse lead on 16 under par, and it could have been even lower had he not narrowly missed some birdie attempts early on.

His total of 29 on the back nine, which included two eagles, was the lowest in the tournament's history, despite a bogey on 15.

It looked likely that Lowry would overtake him when the Irishman also reached 16 under with six holes remaining, hitting an eagle on the fourth, and birdies on the seventh, eighth, 10th and 12th.

However, Lowry – the 2019 champion at The Open Championship – went on to par the next five, leaving a nervous wait to see if he could take advantage on the par five 18th.

Lowry did just that after an excellent approach shot that left him with two putts for birdie, which he executed to seal a sixth DP Tour win of his career.

Rory McIlroy finished joint-second with Rahm after carding a final round of 67, while overnight leaders Viktor Hovland and Soren Kjeldsen both slipped to T5 after only being able to go round in 70.

Patrick Reed had set the bar early in the day with his impressive round of 63, before Rahm overtook him, and the American also finished joint-fifth alongside Thomas Detry on 14 under, with Talor Gooch able to earn outright fourth after an eagle at the 18th.

A round of 65 from Lee Westwood saw him climb to T13, where he was joined by world number 443 Matthew Southgate, who carded his second round of 67 in a row.

Patrick Cantlay entered Sunday's final round of the BMW Championship with the outright lead, and he ended it with his second consecutive win at the event after birdieing his 17th hole to pull ahead by one stroke, finishing at 14 under.

He is the first player in the 16-year history of the FedEx Cup playoffs to successfully defend one of the playoff events.

On a tough scoring day where only three players shot better than 68, Cantlay kept his cool, taking advantage of Scott Stallings' missed birdie putt on 18 that would have also moved him to 14 under, draining his own final birdie moments later to head onto the 72nd hole with the lead.

Things threatened to heat up after Cantlay's last tee shot veered right into the bunker, but with a few branches hanging over his direct line to the flag, he played it safe and landed his approach on the open left-side of the green, leaving a 15-yard two-putt to win the tournament.

In his typical stoic fashion, he stepped up and nearly birdied it, lipping out for a tap-in par to secure back-to-back victories at the BMW Championship. 

It is Cantlay's 11th top-10 finish of the season, giving him the most for this PGA Tour season, leading Matt Fitzpatrick and Scottie Scheffler with 10.

Speaking to The Golf Channel after stepping off the 18th green, Cantlay said it takes a little bit of luck to win events like these, highlighting his tee shot on the 17th hole which looked destined for the bunker, only to bounce over and land in the middle of the fairway to set up his winning birdie.

"I hit a lot of solid shots, and then I got a couple of good breaks," he said. "Obviously on 17, that isn't a break I'm expecting, and it was really big for me to take advantage of it. 

"I've played a lot of great golf this week, and I'm happy to come away with the win.

"I made a lot of clutch five and four-footers today, the putter felt really good today, really solid, and I'll hopefully carry that into next week."

Stallings finished in outright second at 13 under, jumping up from 46th in the FedEx Cup standings to 12th, comfortably landing inside the top-30 to book his spot in the coming week's Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Course.

In the two-way tie for third at 11 under was world number one Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, and in a tie for fifth at 10 under was Canada's Corey Conners, South Korea's Lee Kyoung-hoon, and Australia's Adam Scott.

Lee and Scott had plenty to play for on Sunday, as Lee shot the round of the day with a 65 to leapfrog into the top-30, while Scott needed a bunker save on the 18th hole to book his spot in the Tour Championship, and he did so, finishing 29th in the FedEx Cup standings.

Rounding out the top-10 at nine under was a group that included Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy, while Shane Lowry was one of three players to finish at eight under, and he was the unlucky player to fall out of the top-30 as Scott jumped in.

Sahith Theegala's tie for 15th at seven under was good enough to finish 28th in the FedEx Cup standings, Jordan Spieth was at six under, and Cameron Young, who looked like a potential winner heading into the weekend, ended up at five under after back-to-back 72s on Saturday and Sunday.