Resurgent Day in need of an Open miracle

Jason Day and Scott Hend will start the final round of the British Open 11 shots behind runaway leader Jordan Spieth despite making moves at Royal Birkdale.

Australian golfer Jason Day

Jason Day has picked up five shots to be the new leading Australian at the British Open. (AAP)

His mojo back, Jason Day is targeting an historic 61 as he fights to complete a miracle comeback and win the 146th Open Championship.

Day and free-rolling Scott Hend led an exciting Australian charge during the third round at Royal Birkdale, the pair sharing the clubhouse lead after firing superb five-under-par 65s at Royal Birkdale.

By the end of the day, though, their even-par 54-hole totals trailed runaway leader Jordan Spieth by a distant 11 shots.

Day knows only a special final round will be enough to contend for the Claret Jug.

But after successfully predicting one of the world's elite would post golf's first-ever 62 at a major championship, Day truly believes 61 is possible on Sunday.

"Right now I'm very happy with how I played today. I think if I can do that and play the way I did today going into tomorrow, there's definitely a chance of shooting 61," he said.

"I hope so. I hope so. That would be nice if I could shoot that one.

"The pin placements aren't too crazy. You get yourself in the right positions, you can hole a lot of putts.

"And I think I left four in the heart today that would have got me to nine (under) if I holed those.

"So I definitely think there's a good opportunity to shoot 62 out there today."

And that's exactly what South African Branden Grace did, even if it wasn't enough to reel in Spieth.

The two-time major winner and world No.3's unblemished five-under 65 left him three clear of fellow American Matt Kuchar (66) and with one hand on the trophy.

Only a Masters-like final-round crash from Spieth can help Day, Hend or Marc Leishman - at one over and 12 back after a 66 - break Australia's 24-year Open title drought.

Like Day after his second-round 76, Hend thought he had missed the halfway cut before cashing in on his good luck with five straight back-nine birdies to charge from 61st to equal 18th.

Adam Scott entered the third round confident of making a move, but a laborious even-par 70 left the former world No.1 out of the running 14 shots off the pace.

It was a fittingly forgettable way to mark five years to the day since Scott infamously squandered his four-shot lead with four holes to play at Royal Lytham and St Annes.

Qualifier Andrew Dodt continued his impressive Open debut with a 69 to join Scott at three-over, while Aaron Baddeley is a further four strokes behind after a 74.

Adam Bland (75-72) and Matthew Griffin (70-77) missed the halfway cut by two shots.

Major championship rookie Ryan McCarthy (76-72) also failed to secure weekend action, as did Cameron Smith (74-75) and Ashley Hall (75-74).


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Source: AAP


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