J J Spaun advanced his overnight against the odds despite being out in the second group and playing in the worst of conditions with fog blanketing The Renaissance Club course.
The American admitted that it was hard to see where the ball was going, or to working out the undulations of the course, but he got to the enforced break on level par, something he was pleased about.
Then came the break. He had some nice tomato and pepper soup for lunch, he dried his damp clothes off with a blow dryer as he did not want to change, and was keen ping balls and to tire himself out as he know it was going to be a long day. He saw his physio and then went out to complete his round.
It was, different and difficult, to re-focus and go straight back into a round and he added: “It is what it is.”
He felt it was a break in which he could re-set but he was not playing poorly.
Spaun felt he played solidly in the back nine after going out in 33 with back-to-back birdies and returned with three birdies at 11, 14 and 17. Two bogies set him back a touch but he came home in 34 for a finishing 67, three-under on the day, and is minus five going into the final round of the $9 event near North Berwick.
One of the bogeys came to the short 15th after sending his tee shot into a bunker and splashing out to the other side of the green before missing his putt for par.
The 2025 US Open winner, his only Major success, so far, almost hit right back at the next but his birdie attempt was inches wide and he had to settle for a par. He waked to the par three, 174m, 17th tee and sent his iron arrowing towards the flag. It flew to around four feet and the American’s face was a picture.
Minutes later he was down on his haunches studying his line. This put was important and in it went, a birdie two.
He said: “The first four holes played very long, very wet and it was hard to see. To get through the first four holes on level (par) was a win for me, I thought.”
The 33-year-old teed-off at 9.28 when the fog was thick and Spaun admitted: “The first tee-shot was borderline, you could barely see after 300 yards. It is hard to picture the hole if you can’t see 300 yards out and when we got to five there was no chance.
“When you have a delay like that you try to stay loose, you mentally want to stay focused, you do not want to get too relaxed and I did a good job of staying sharp.
“I came out after the delay and played well.”
He feels the last few days have been “very productive” because the turf here is pretty shallow and learning to chop it more is key. He added: “In order to press the ball you have to be a little steeper on it.”
Spaun is looking forward to The Open at Birkdale and feels he played solid golf in every Major last year and having high expectations going into the big events has, he said, put a little extra pressure on.
He added: “You know you can win one, cos I’ve done it, now it is just that you should at least be contending and making the cut. This is still a learning experience as this is only the second time playing all four Majors and last year was a breakout year and I was playing really good golf. Hopefully, next week (at The Open) will even better.”
Spanish golfer Alejandro Del Rey, who shot a 58 at the 2021 Swiss Challenge, the lowest round to-par on any major tour in world golf, shot 72 and then 66 in his opening two rounds to be at minus two overnight, but he crashed into the leading pack six at seven-under by the tenth hole.
German golfer Matti Schmid was on three-under overnight after rounds of 68 and 69 and he moved on to seven under, two adrift of the three leaders still in the clubhouse, and into the top seven. He was still there after the 12th.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood advanced his score to minus-six by the 12th, with birdies at the first, third, seventh and ninth, but two bogies at the second and fourth undid some of the good work.
He picked up another at the 11th and was six-under after 12 holes. At last the sun came out.
Jon Rahm moved to four-under thanks to an eagle at the seventh, backing onto a bogey at the previous as the leaderboard continued to change.
Kirkcaldy-born Calum Hill, out with American, Justin Thomas, started the day at four-under and the former Merchiston Castle School pupil had a birdie chance of the second which sipped past.
His tee shot at the 201-yard third was pin high to the left , another chance gone. He sipped up with a bogey at the fifth.
CONCENTRATION: J J Spaun assessing his shot at the 14th hole in front of the clubhouse. Picture Nigel Duncan
