Jon Rahm cards course-record 63 to make major move at The Open

HOYLAKE, England – Moving Day is more than living up to its billing in the third round of The 151st Open Championship at a soft, windless Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

After two days of play on a windblown, sunbaked course, a rain-soaked and largely calm course greeted competitors Saturday, and they are taking advantage.

FedExCup leader Jon Rahm, seeing his fifth PGA TOUR victory this season, made the biggest move, carding a course record 8-under 63, and his best round in a major championship.

"It was starting on 11 when everything became downwind and it became a lot easier," said Rahm, who played the last eight holes in 5 under. "The wind conditions is what made the course change a little bit."

Rahm began his round with four straight pars and went out in 2-under 33 before catching fire on the back nine, posting a 6-under-par 30. He went from 2 over and tied for 39th at the start of the day to 6 under and second, just four shots back as 54-hole leader Brian Harman teed off.

"Yes, that's the best round I've played on a links golf course ever," said Rahm. "I knew I was playing better, and I knew my swing and my game felt better than the scores I was shooting."

It was Rahm’s fourth score of 63 or better this season, the most of any player on TOUR. After Harman bogeyed the par-4 opening hole, Rahm was only three behind.

Rahm, who won The Masters Tournament in April, is vying for his third major championship title and would be three-fourths of the way to the career Grand Slam with a victory here Sunday.

A links course without any wind, Rory McIlroy said recently, is basically defenseless, and so it was at Royal Liverpool on Saturday. Starting the round nine shots off the lead, McIlroy birdied three of his first five holes to reach 4 under par and could have birdied all five, missing makeable birdie putts at the second and fourth holes.

Nicolai Hojgaard, a PGA TOUR Special Temporary Member, went 4 under for his first seven holes to reach 5 under par. Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Sungjae Im each shot 67 but were too far back, reaching only 1 under (Fowler) and 2 under (Fitzpatrick, Im).

Not every player got perfect conditions; Fowler said he battled through the rain for the first six holes. But once the precipitation stopped, there wasn’t much to hold players back.

Even Alex Fitzpatrick, the younger brother of U.S. Open champion Matt, got into the act, climbing to T4 on the leaderboard with a 6-under 65 two ahead of his brother. But there's no sibling rivalry.

"We're brothers at the end of the day as much as we're golfers. I root for him, he roots for me. We're both supporting each other, and we both want what's best for each other," Alex said. "If either shot level par, 1-over, 4-under, it doesn't matter; I would've still been proud of him. Obviously very grateful he shot a good round today."

Viktor Hovland later fought his way into contention with a 5-under 66, equal 33s on each side, to sit one behind Rahm in the clubhouse.