It was another eventful day full of action at The Open in Royal Troon.
American Billy Horschel leads, with England’s Justin Rose and Danny Brown both one stroke behind them.
Horschel reached four under par after a two-under par 69.
However, others, including Joaquin Niemann, struggled.
Mail Sport’s JAMES SHARPE discusses what you may have missed from The Open in Talk of the Troon.
Beautiful views at Royal Troon
One of the great things about Royal Troon is that from the right vantage point you can see boats, trains and planes. It is impossible to miss the latter as they regularly race over nearby Prestwick airfield.
“I look at them, they’re great,” Max Homa said. “I think there’s a real chance that if you time it right, you can hit a plane.”
They’re 107 meters in the air, Max. ‘Okay, then you probably can’t reach them.’
There are beautiful views at Royal Troon, with boats, planes and trains all visible
Royal Troon enjoys first hole-in-one
Royal Troon enjoyed its first hole-in-one on Saturday courtesy of Si Woo Kim — and not just any hole-in-one. His ace on the 17th hole was the longest in Open history, holed from 238 yards with a three-iron. It was so far away he didn’t see it go.
“People started yelling at me,” Kim said. “It was amazing. I’ve had a lot of those in my life, but this is the most memorable because it’s a major and it’s the Open.”
Si Woo Kim made a hole-in-one on Saturday, his ace the 17th longest in Open history
Joaquin Niemann goes off the rails on the 11th
The day after Joaquin Niemann received a stamp on the eighth, he went all out on the eleventh.
Niemann made a quintuple-bogey nine on the par-four, named the Railway after the Glasgow-Ayr train that rattles past the hole.
He hit his tee shot into the bushes, but lost the ball. He hit his second ball from the fairway onto the track, hit his third ball into the bunker and needed three more strokes to get the ball on the ground.
Joaquin Niemann went off the rails on the 11th hole, hitting a quintuple-bogey nine on the par-four
Marcel Siem makes a triple bogey, but can’t find the bunker
Like Niemann, many people got stuck on the eighth hole this week, but few had it as tough as Marcel Siem, who made a triple bogey on Saturday without finding one of the famous bunkers.
After finding the debris on the back of his tee, it took him three strokes to get the ball back onto the green before making two for a six.
Marcel Siem had some problems when he made a triple bogey and couldn’t find a bunker
Mural shows Shane Lowry holding the Claret Jug
In Portrush, the venue for next year’s Open, a mural was painted on Saturday of Irishman Shane Lowry holding the Claret Jug. What initially looked good for the final now threatens to make a mockery of him!
A mural depicting Shane Lowry holding the Claret Jug was completed on Saturday
Sean Crocker and Dean Burmester Keep Family Dynasties Going
American Sean Crocker and South African Dean Burmester maintain a pair of sporting family dynasties. Both made the cut at Royal Troon and played on Saturdays for their fathers, Gary and Mark, who played together in Zimbabwe’s first Test cricket match in 1992. Gary Crocker once dismissed Sachin Tendulkar in a one-day game.
“If they got together, it could be a bloodbath,” said Sean, whose family moved to the United States when he was five. “If we had moved anywhere other than America, I probably would have become a cricketer.”
Sean Crocker (left) and Dean Burmester (right) keep important family dynasties alive
Billy Horschel mocked putt
Open leader Billy Horschel is a die-hard West Ham fan who wears the club’s logo on his burgundy bag. The American opted to putt from just off the green on the 18, but left his attempt just short of the hole. “You should have used your irons!” was the cry from the stands.
West Ham supporter Billy Horschel was jeered by the crowd for a goal on the 18th