A hole-in-one for England’s John Parry catapulted him onto the leaderboard on day three of The Open at Royal Portrush.
The 38-year-old’s tee shot at the 199-yard 13th took three bounces before disappearing into the hole.
Parry, playing in only his second Open after a debut in 2022, started on the cut-mark at one over and was not really going anywhere in his round with just one birdie on the front nine getting him to level par.
However, a birdie at the 532-yard 12th proved the spark he needed and his ace – the first of the tournament – at the next was followed by a 13-foot birdie at the 15th.
That moved the Yorkshireman, a team-mate of Rory McIlroy at the 2007 Walker Cup, into the top 10 on four under.
He was to drop a shot at the last but Parry was happy with his round.
“It was a great day and an experience I won’t forget and making a hole in one,” he said of his sweetly-struck eight-iron.
“I think I’ve had about 10 (holes-in-one) but definitely the best, best one.”
It came after McIlroy began his charge to reel in world number one Scottie Scheffler with three birdies in his first four holes on the third day.
The Northern Irishman, from an hour down the road at Holyrood, promised he would be “firing over the weekend” after making the cut on three under – which was more than he managed six years ago on his home Open here.
He was true to his word with a brilliant 36-foot curling putt at the first, made possible by hitting the opening fairway for the first time this week, and his longest putt of the week produced a determined but understated clenched fist celebration.
The Masters champion has the power to reach the 575-yard second into the wind in two and duly did so with an approach to 27ft from the right rough.
He could not hole his eagle attempt but settled for a birdie, with a brilliant approach to seven feet at the par-four fourth gaining him another shot to get within four of 10-under leader Scheffler, who had still to take to the course alongside England’s Matt Fitzpatrick.
PA
