TROON – American Billy Horschel battled rainy Royal Troon and came away with a 2-under-par 69 and the 54-hole lead at the Open Championship on Saturday at Royal Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland.
The PGA Tour veteran stands at 4-under 209 and holds the lead outright after Cinderella story Daniel Brown of England double-bogeyed the final hole to drop to 3 under. The six-way tie for second features Brown, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Sam Burns, Thriston Lawrence of South Africa and Justin Rose of England.
Irishman Shane Lowry began the day with a two-shot lead over Brown and went up by three after birdieing the fourth hole. He proceeded to make five bogeys and one double bogey, shooting 77 and plummeting to ninth place at 1 under, one behind World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (71).
The fickle weather conditions reshaped the leaderboard on moving day at Troon. Several players who began the day over par took advantage of a mild morning. Burns and Lawrence shot 6-under 65s, and Henley posted a 66.
Then rain and winds picked up on the Scottish seaside. Horschel, playing in the penultimate group, fared the best. He made four birdies on the front nine and his first bogey at No. 11.
Horschel then missed five straight greens and scrambled for five straight pars at Nos. 13-17, nearly holing out for birdie from the sand at the par-5 16th.