“He’s the kind of guy that if you handed him a pocket-knife and a book of matches and sent him off into the jungle, you’d find him a month later doing just fine.” – Paul Azinger on Brian Harman (-12, Leader)
“65 and 67 the first two rounds showed us a lot. I learned a lot more about Brian Harman today than those first two days.” – Brandel Chamblee on Live From The Open
“32 putts – that tells the story.” – Azinger on Rory McIlroy (-3, T-11th)
STAMFORD, Conn. – July 22, 2023 – NBC Sports presented exclusive third-round coverage of the 151st Open Championship from Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England, across NBC and Peacock, capped by Live From the Open studio coverage on GOLF Channel and Peacock.
Exclusive final-round coverage begins tomorrow at 4 a.m. ET on USA Network and shifts to NBC and Peacock at 7 a.m. ET.
151st Open Championship – Third Round Leaderboard
| Player | Total |
| Brian Harman | -12 |
| Cameron Young | -7 |
| Jon Rahm | -6 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | -5 |
| Viktor Hovland | -5 |
| Jason Day | -5 |
| Sepp Straka | -5 |
| Antoine Rozner | -5 |
ON COURSE CONDITIONS
Smylie Kaufman on the change in wind direction from morning to afternoon: “Rory McIlroy just hit 2-iron off the tee here at the 11th hole because of the wind direction, while Jon Rahm took driver and nearly drove the green this morning.”
ON BRIAN HARMAN (-12, Leader)
Paul Azinger: “He’s a gritty player. The kind of guy if you handed him a pocket-knife and a book of matches and sent him off into the jungle, you’d find him a month later doing just fine.”
John Wood after Harman’s birdie on the 9th hole: “After losing two shots on the first four holes, really looked like it was going the wrong way, he’s really re-gained control of things. Hit some really good shots, some good putts.”
Azinger: “This has to be one of the hardest rounds of his entire life, his entire career. Coming out here with a five-shot lead, everything to lose…with his active mind, you know he’s out front trying not to let himself wander ahead as to what might be.”
Curt Byrum on Harman playing as the leader: “Today may have been as big a hurdle as tomorrow might be. As hard as it is going to be for him with the expectations and the big lead to go on and win…I think he’s going to be really tough to catch.”
Brad Faxon: “He reminds me a little bit of Lanny Wadkins. He’s got that fire in him. Harman’s been good at every single level – he was a star at the AJGA, great in college at Georgia (and) good in the amateur level.”
Brandel Chamblee on Live From the Open: “It’s enjoyable to have a team or individual have the week of their life. 95% of the time we talk about superstars, but 95% of the golfers who play this game for a living are not superstars. There are good players who are waiting for the week of their life…65 and 67 the first two rounds showed us a lot. I learned a lot more about Brian Harman today than those first two days.”
Faxon on Live From the Open: “When someone is that confident in all parts of their game, I don’t know what can happen to him to make him not win unless there’s an extraordinary round like Jon Rahm had today and then some bad weather that could come in.”
ON CAMERON YOUNG (-7, 2nd)
Chamblee on Live From the Open: “You think about the 18th tee last year (at The Open) and the 18th tee this year on Saturday, this guy does not shy away from the moment.”
Azinger: “Cam’s going to have to make some putts (tomorrow). He’s got the power to take on these par 5s. He could be a real threat.”
ON TOMMY FLEETWOOD (-5, T-4th)
Azinger: “He hasn’t been able to buy a putt…the fans are just waiting to go wild, but it’s going to take a putt to make them go crazy, and Tommy hasn’t done that today. That’s why there’s little to no energy.”
Azinger on Fleetwood’s putting struggles: “He must feel like he has to hit it within a foot to make a birdie.”
Azinger: “It was always going to be an emotional day for Tommy Fleetwood – good, bad or indifferent.”
ON JON RAHM (-6, 3rd)
Chamblee on Live From the Open: “It’s not often someone comes along that plays the game with so much violence and control and (do) so consistently.”
Dan Hicks: “He got the round he wanted and needed on this Saturday to thrust himself into another major Sunday conversation.”
Mike Tirico: “Jon Rahm put on a show on the back nine.”
ON RORY MCILROY (-3, T-11th)
Azinger: “32 putts – that tells the story. Just could not get any mid-range (putts) to go in, none of those 8-to-15 footers dropped today.”
--NBC SPORTS--