Leishman craves more after Open charge

Marc Leishman has finished as Australia's leading British Open performer after flying home with a final-round 65 at Royal Birkdale, but wants much more.

Marc Leishman, here on day three, has finished The Open strongly.

Marc Leishman, here on day three, has finished as Australia's leading British Open performer. (AAP)

Marc Leishman craves to complete golf's most famous walk after posting his third British Open top-10 in four years.

Beaten in a playoff at St Andrews in 2015 and equal fifth at Royal Liverpool the year before, Leishman flew home again with a final-round five-under-par 65 to finish equal sixth at Royal Birkdale.

The leading Australian once again at four under, after starting the day one over the card, Leishman's latest Sunday charge left him wanting more.

"You grow up watching all this stuff on TV and you hope you're going to get there one day," he said after falling six shots short of American winner Jordan Spieth.

"And to be there on a Sunday afternoon when the stands are full, getting that ovation coming up the 18th hole, it feels really nice. "Occasionally you have to pinch yourself a little bit. But I've done it a few times now, so it's just fun to do it and it would be nice to walk up there one day with a four-shot lead and enjoy it more."

Right till the end, the Victorian clung to the belief that he could snare a share of the clubhouse lead in the hope the afternoon leaders might stumble.

"Played well. Had it going there for a while," Leishman said.

"Considering I made the (halfway) cut on the number, it turned into a pretty good week."

With his 66-65 weekend finish, Leishman rued a second-round 76 that ultimately cruelled his chances of collecting the Claret Jug.

"You can't throw in a six-over-par round and expect to contend in majors," he said.

Adam Scott closed with a tidy three-under 67 to be equal 22nd at even par - but his three back-nine birdies were too little too late.

"A frustrating weekend," he said.

"When it's calm like this, you feel like you can shoot low. And if you're a bit off, you can still have a respectable score, but it's not really close to shooting low."

Jason Day and Aaron Baddeley shared 27th at one over, but their final rounds couldn't have been more different.

While Day had hoped to make a Sunday charge from even par, the major winner and former world No.1 instead laboured to a one-over 71.

In soaring to his best-ever Open result, Baddeley matched Ian Baker-Finch's memorable 64 the year the Queenslander won at Royal Birkdale in 1991.

"I played beautifully. I don't think I could hit my irons much better than today," Baddeley said.

Major championship rookie Andrew Dodt finished in an impressive tie for 44th at three over after a final-round 70.

Scott Hend was unable to match his third-round 65 as he faded to four over with a 74.


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Source: AAP



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