British Open 2019: Real-Time Leaderboard Updates for Saturday Leaders

Could there be a surprise winner at this year's British Open? At the halfway point, it seemed possible.

J.B. Holmes and Shane Lowry were tied atop the leaderboard at eight under par entering Saturday's third round, and neither were among the favorites to capture the championship entering the tournament. Among the leaders early in the third round were other surprise contenders such as Tommy Fleetwood, Lee Westwood and more.

Big names such as Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson missed the cut, and it's possible that any golfer near the top of the standings could break out and win the title after Sunday's final round.

The live leaderboard can be found at TheOpen.com.

Golfers to Watch

While seven golfers were within two strokes of the lead entering the third round of play, it was two who were three strokes back who may have had the best chance of ascending the leaderboard and contending for the championship at this year's British Open.

After winning four major championships since the start of 2017, Brooks Koepka sat at five under par after shooting a 68 and a 69 in the first two rounds of the tournament, respectively. And he knew what he needed to do to play even better in the final two rounds.

"I haven't made a putt all week," Koepka said, according to PGATour.com's Sean Martin. "I just need to figure that out. If I can make some putts I could very easily be 10 under, and really maybe more."

Spieth struggled with his drives, but he putted well while shooting a 67 in Friday's second round. That was a big improvement from his opening round on Thursday, and the three-time majors champion has the potential to play even better moving forward.

"I'm in contention. I feel good," Spieth said, according to ESPN.com. "I feel like if I can continue to improve each day, hit the ball better tomorrow than I did today, and better on Sunday than Saturday, then I should have a chance with how I feel on and around the greens."

Spieth is looking to win The Open championship for the second time after previously winning it in 2017, while Koepka has never finished higher than sixth in the tournament.

While Koepka and Spieth were two of the more recognizable names in contention at the midway point of the British Open, there were many others who could battle for the title by the time the final round starts on Sunday.

Holmes, one of the early surprises in the tournament, was excited to be in contention at the halfway point.

"You can have that great round and that day where everything goes right. But it's nice to get two rounds in a row," Holmes said, according to ESPN.com. "It shows a little consistency. And two days in a row I've hit the ball really well and putted well."

So, who will rise to the top and eventually be the one lifting the Claret Jug by the time the tournament ends on Sunday? Many golfers had reasonable hope that it could be them, but Koepka's and Spieth's past experiences may have given that duo the advantage over their competitors.