Rose plays down challenge to McIlroy

By Phil Cartwright BBC Sport at Hoylake

Venue:Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake Date:17-20 July

Coverage: Live on BBC TV, HD, Red Button, BBC Radio 5 live, BBC Sport website, mobile & app, and Connected TVs

Justin Rose says he is too far adrift of runaway leader Rory McIlroy to challenge for his first Open title at Royal Liverpool on Sunday.

The world number three, who won his previous two tournaments, is five under par after a third-round 69, 11 shots behind McIlroy.

"I've put in a good performance," said the 33-year-old.

"It hasn't really added up to giving myself a chance tomorrow but I've been happy with the way I've played."

Rose, the 2013 US Open champion, was seven shots off the lead when he completed his round and admitted he was "too far back" at that stage, before Northern Ireland's McIlroy stretched his advantage in the closing holes.

“I salvaged the day in the last couple of holes. It was a day where I played really well and got nothing out of it.”

Justin Rose South Africa-born Rose is tied for 12th position heading into the final round, the leading Englishman in the field, after posting his lowest score of the week so far at Hoylake.

"We had a couple of showers out there but for the most part it was really good golfing weather," he added.

"My round yesterday was a much better round of golf than that one, although I played incredibly well today. I hit a lot of greens and through the back nine I gave myself chance after chance.

"In links golf, great chances are 12 to 15 feet. I had tons of them on the back nine and missed all of them. It was nice to make a 20-footer on the 17th and then birdied the last.

"I salvaged the day in the last couple of holes. It was a day where I played really well and got nothing out of it."

David Howell Howell finished up with a third round 70 at Hoylake, on the back of 72 and 70 rounds

One of Rose's two playing partners on Saturday, Swindon's David Howell, is well placed to register his best ever showing at the Open.

He followed up rounds of 72 and 70 with another 70 on Saturday to lie four under.

"I played well but I couldn't buy a putt today," he told BBC Sport.

"It's the first time I've been in reasonable contention at a major. I was pretty calm and there were no real nerves."

Howell, who finished seventh after shooting 67 on the final day at Royal Birkdale in 2008, continued: "I had my goal to put in my best Open performance and I'm doing that.

"So far I'm achieving what I set out to do. If I can play as well tomorrow and find some luck on the greens, you never know."


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