Will history be set at Carnoustie on Sunday?
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Could history be broken at Carnoustie tomorrow? 6 records which could be set on Sunday
Several records stand to be set at the 147th Open at Carnoustie on Sunday thanks to low scores during the third round which gave way to a packed leaderboard ahead of the final day.
Defending champion Jordan Spieth made the second biggest move of the day with a six-under 65, booking his spot in the final group of the day for the second consecutive year. He’s paired with Xander Schauffele, who birdied his final hole to move into a share of the lead with Spieth and Kisner heading in to Sunday at nine-under-par.
➤ The Open: Leaderboard
➤ The Open: 4th Round Tee Times
➤ WATCH: Spieth drives first, holes eagle putt
➤ The key stats and stories from day three
➤ Spieth, Kisner, Schauffele share 54-hole lead
➤ Tiger Woods after 66: ‘I have a chance’
And with weather conditions looking windy but mild once more, the likelihood is a long-standing record at Carnoustie might just be one of the few to be set at The Open this year.
We’ve had a look at potential scenarios and come up with a host of records which could be set by a variety of different winners…
6 records which could be set or broken on Sunday…
In seven previous Opens at the legendary, punishing links on the Angus coastline, not one of the Champion Golfers of the Year ever triumphed with a score in double-figures under-par. Tom Watson (-9) came the closest in 1975, followed by Padraig Harrington (-7) in 2007. Given that the three leaders are already at -9 and there are 12 players within four shots of the lead, this one seems almost inevitable.
If Spieth wins The Open for back-to-back successes it would be the first time in history that both the US Open and Open Championship have been successfully defended in the same year. In June, Brooks Koepka claimed the US Open for the second year in a row.
If Jordan did defend The Open, it would also be 10 years since Padraig Harrington defended the Claret Jug. It would be just the second time a player had defended The Open at Royal Birkdale and Carnoustie, albeit Harrington did it the other way around – winning Carnoustie in 2007 and Royal Birkale in 2008.
Tiger Woods is four shots back, yet still has the chance to win his 15th major title on Sunday. It would be the first time he would have won a major from being outside of the top 10 heading in to the weekend – he held the 54-hole lead or co-lead in each of his 14 major wins.
Francesco Molinari is currently three shots behind the leaders. He’s already won twice and finished second in his last five starts, and could make history by becoming the first Italian winner of The Open. The closest an Italian has previously come to winning was when Constantino Rocca lost in a four-hole play-off to John Daly in 1995.
If Xander Schauffele was to take home the title, it would be the first time in history that two different players under the age of 25 have won The Open in two consecutive years.
