HOYLAKE, England — Someone needed to step up.
Someone needed to show that it could be done.
Someone needed to prevent Brian Harman from running away and hiding with the claret jug.
Someone needed to begin the chase of Harman, the 36-hole leader who slept on a five-shot lead Friday night and was in position to put the 151st British Open away before bedtime Saturday night.
That someone was Jon Rahm, and he did his part.
The 28-year-old Spaniard made a stirring Saturday statement, defining the term “moving day, with an eye-opening 8-under 63 in the third round at Royal Liverpool.
When Rahm, who began the day at 2-over, just one shot inside the cutline, finished his third round, he was 6-under for the tournament as Harman was teeing off for his round. By day’s end, Harman had shot 69 to get to 12-under, six shots clear of Rahm entering the final round on Sunday.
“That’s the best round I’ve played on a links golf course ever,’’ Rahm said. “I think it stands for itself. It’s my lowest round on a links course and it’s an Open Championship. Also, the lowest round shot on this course [in a British Open].
“It feels really good, but it’s a lot of work to do tomorrow.’’
Indeed, Rahm and the rest of the field are still chasing Harman. Rahm will need another low round Sunday to add a third career major championship to the U.S. Open he won in 2021 and the Masters he won in April.
Rahm, who already has won four tournaments this year and is ranked No. 3 in the world, said he never set a target score when mapping out his third-round strategy Friday night.
“I never thought about a shot,’’ he said. “The job today was to come out and give myself the best opportunity I could. Whenever you get a birdie, just thinking about one more. That’s simply all you can do.’’
He began his round with four consecutive pars and at that point, the move he eventually made didn’t seem possible. Rahm then got it going with a birdie on the par-5 fifth hole and another on No. 9, a tricky par-3.
Then he went nuts on the back nine, carding birdies on Nos. 10, 11 and 12 and the more on 14, 15 and 18.
When a reporter suggested to him that he often looked frustrated during the first two rounds, Rahm said, “To be fair, I look frustrated very often, so … ’’
Then, he added: “I was playing good golf and I knew what I was capable of. I was frustrated because the mistakes that I made. That was it. I gave up the shots at major championships that are very costly, and that’s mainly it. That’s what I was feeling.
“I knew I was playing better, and I knew my swing and my game felt better than the scores I was shooting. If [the second-round] finish isn’t an example, right? I’m 2-under, hit the fairway on 18, have a chance to finish 3-under, and make a stupid bogey from 30 yards away. That’s just a little example of it. Today was the complete opposite, obviously.’’
Asked about his prospects of picking off the third leg of the career Grand Slam on Sunday, Rahm said: “Well, there’s a lot of golf to go. I feel like I’ve done a lot of good work the past few weeks, and I’ve done a lot of good work this week, as well, and I’ve done what I’ve needed, which is give myself an opportunity.’’
Rahm tends to run hot sometimes and was asked after his round if it was difficult to stay patient.
“I think I’m a lot more patient than most people believe I am, to be honest,’’ he said. “It’s just that I show my frustration a lot more than other people, but I’m extremely positive on the golf course.’’
Rahm’s 63 was his lowest round in a major and it was the lowest round ever shot at a British Open at Royal Liverpool.
When someone mentioned that Seve Ballesteros, his idol who won three Opens, never shot a 63 in an Open, Rahm said: “I’d rather win three times and never shoot 63. I hope that answers your question.’’
