Jon Rahm did all he could to get himself back into the mix at The Open. All it required was the lowest round ever at Royal Liverpool in its 13 times hosting the major.
Rahm birdied seven of his last 10 holes Saturday for a 63, by 2 shots the lowest score at Hoylake in The Open. The course was the only one in the modern rotation that had not yielded lower than a 65 until Saturday.
“I think it stands for itself. It’s pretty obvious. It’s my lowest round on a links course and it’s an Open Championship, right?” Rahm said “… I was playing good golf, and I knew what I was capable of.”
Ranked No. 3 in the world, Rahm holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-5 closing hole right about the time Brian Harman teed off with a 5-shot lead. Harman started at 10-under par. Rahm’s 63 put him at 6 under and in second place at the time he finished.
He made his move with four straight birdies around the turn. His finish was sharp too. He chipped to 8 feet for birdie on the 15th, holed a 35-foot birdie putt on the 16th and finished with the closing birdie.
But as the reigning Masters champion put himself in contention for a potential third major title, he also wasn’t going to get ahead of where he stands.
“It feels really good, but it’s a lot of work to do tomorrow,” Rahm said.
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and The Associated Press contributed to this report.