Robert MacIntyre, Matt Fitzpatrick and Min Woo Lee will all take a share of the lead into the final round of the Genesis Scottish Open after the severely fog-delayed third round was completed on Sunday morning, and they’ll all play together as the final threeball.
Fitzpatrick and Michael Thorbjornsen led the way as the suspended third round resumed at 7am, but it was Min Woo Lee who made the early first move at the Renaissance Club.
Having started the day at the ninth, the 2021 champion’s putter got hot as made three birdies in a row to become the first man to 12 and then 13 under par. The New Zealander gave back a shot a hole later, as home favourite Robert MacIntyre became the first player to post the clubhouse target on -12.
The 2024 champion made back-to-back birdies from the 12th hole before a brilliant par save at the 18th cemented his position at the top of the leaderboard. He found the fairway bunker from the tee, hitting out and then producing an incredible approach to three feet before converting for par.
Overnight leader Matt Fitzpatrick became the next man to join the top, making nine pars in a row until he rolled in a 30 foot putt for birdie at his final hole of the third round.
Tom Kim had an outside chance to move one clear of the pack on the 18th green but a three-putt bogey instead dropped him one behind to leave a three-way tie at the top heading into the fourth round.
Kim sits one stroke behind, alongside defending champion Chris Gotterup and Thorbjornsen.
Keita Nakajima, Wyndham Clark, Kevin Roy and Johnny Keefer sit a shot further back on 10-under-par.
A notable absentee from the list of contenders is Rory McIlroy. Having held a share of the lead after both the first and second rounds, but the delays meant he wouldn’t step onto the first tee on Saturday until after 6pm, and he looked out of sorts for the eight holes he managed to complete before it was deemed unplayable again as the fog returned.
On resumption on Sunday morning, he bogeyed the ninth and had to wait until the 18th for his first birdie of the round and he now trails by six and with 25 names ahead of him on the leaderboard, can consider his chances of claiming a second Scottish Open title gone.
He’ll begin the final round one shot ahead of Tom McKibbin who managed to play all 18 of the holes in his third round on Saturday and carded a three-under 67.
He’d birdied four of his first seven, but the stop-start day didn’t do him any favours as he struggled to keep the momentum up over the closing stretch and bogeyed 14 and 16 before finding another birdie at 17.
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