McIlroy trails Burns by seven shots as R&A tightens Royal Birkdale for Open finale
The Masters champion sits at three under par on the final day, facing a difficult course setup implemented by the R&A that has left him seven shots off the pace set by Sam Burns.
Rory McIlroy began the final round of The Open Championship with an early birdie on the second hole, moving to three under par, but remains seven shots behind tournament leader Sam Burns. The Masters champion holed a 20-foot putt to start his day at Royal Birkdale, yet the gap to the front of the field presents a significant challenge on the concluding day.
McIlroy had indicated on Saturday evening that scoring in double digits under par might be necessary to stand a realistic chance of victory. The R&A has responded to the low scores recorded on the opening two days by implementing a stringent course setup for the final round. Following record major record-equalling 62s on Friday and Saturday, the governing body positioned every flag behind a bunker, over a ridge, or as close to the fringe as possible to increase the difficulty of the quest for the Claret Jug.
The most extreme example of this setup was the 241-yard par-three 15th, which featured the flag at its maximum distance from the edge, sitting only nine yards in from the left bunker. This configuration has made scoring more difficult compared to the previous rounds, testing the precision of the field as they attempt to close the gap on Burns.
England’s Matthew Southgate provided early momentum in the second group out, threatening to disrupt the leaderboard with three successive birdies. However, Southgate could not maintain that intensity, finishing the tournament level par with a final round score of 66. His performance highlighted the potential for movement in the mid-pack, though he ultimately fell short of contention.
Former Open champion Collin Morikawa also started strongly with back-to-back birdies, briefly positioning himself at four under par. He bogeyed the subsequent hole, halting his charge. Meanwhile, hometown favourite Tommy Fleetwood remains in the hunt at five under par and is scheduled to tee off at 8:40 a.m. ET with Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, facing pressure from local galleries in Southport. Scottie Scheffler is also in contention at four under par.
