British Open 2024: Tee Times, Pairings and Predictions for Sunday Schedule
Saturday's weather-induced carnage at The Open Championship opened up a world possibilities for how the tournament can end on Sunday at Royal Troon.
Billy Horschel sits alone at the top of the leaderboard after 54 holes, but there are six players one shot back him. Scottie Scheffler is two shots behind and Shane Lowry is three strokes adrift.
Better weather conditions are expected on Sunday, so that could produce a handful of low scores and an incredible finish on the back nine.
Horschel displayed the potential of a major champion with his two-under round on Saturday, but finishing the job is a tough task.
Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele, Scheffler and Lowry are the previous major champions lurking beneath Horschel and one of them could emerge as the winner of the Claret Jug.
Horschel will be in the last pairing with Thriston Lawrence. Sam Burns and Russell Henley reside in the penultimate pairing.
The full list of Sunday tee times can be found here on The Open Championship website.
Billy Horschel Plays Well with Pressure of 54 Hole Leader
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Horschel will play with exponentially more pressure on Sunday than he did on Saturday.
The 37-year-old American put together a two-under round on Saturday to get to four-under for the tournament.
He entered the third round five strokes back of Shane Lowry, but he emerged as the leader after a majority of the 36-hole leaders gave back shots to the course.
Horschel has played more golf overseas than most PGA Tour regulars. His last win was at the BMW PGA Championship on the European Tour in 2021.
He does not have the best major track record, but Horschel seemed to embrace the challenges presented on Saturday.
He had some of the best iron shots among the leaders, and if that continues, he could be in line for a few birdies to keep him in front.
Of course, anything can change with a congested leaderboard on the final day of a major, but Horschel at least seems suited to maintain his position.
Shane Lowry Rebounds from Rough Saturday
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Shane Lowry turned in one of the most disappointing rounds on Saturday.
The 36-hole leader gave shots back to Royal Troon during the third round, but he did not drop completely out of contention for his second Claret Jug.
Lowry is only three shots back of Horschel and he is the only player with an under-par score with an Open Championship win on his resume.
Many assumed that attribute would help Lowry navigate Saturday's brutal conditions, but in fact, it could benefit him more on Sunday in his bounce-back attempt.
Lowry must make up ground on the front nine to be in a great spot to finish the tournament, and if the version of him from Thursday and Friday shows up, he will absolutely be in contention.
Winner Comes from Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele Pairing
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The third-to-last Sunday pairing will produce the 2024 Open champion.
Justin Rose had a two-over round on Saturday, but he played loose alongside Horschel and made some key saves throughout the day.
Rose shot a 69 and 68 in better conditions on Thursday and Friday. A similar score could await him on Sunday in improving weather.
Xander Schauffele tied Horschel for the best Saturday score from the final 10 groups at two-under.
Schauffele owns a pair of 69s this week at Royal Troon. He is one of a select few with multiple rounds in the 60s.
The overall play from Rose and Schauffele this week suggests one, or both, players are in for a big Sunday and each of them can be helped by their previous major-winning experience.
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