Rory McIlroy started the final day of The Open with an early birdie but faced an uphill battle to climb into contention. The Masters champion sank a 20-footer on the second hole, bringing his score to three under, yet he remained seven strokes behind leader Sam Burns.

On Saturday evening, McIlroy had expressed that reaching double digits under par might give him a fighting chance. However, the Royal Birkdale course presented a formidable challenge, with organizers implementing their toughest setup for the final round.

Key details of the final round setup included:

• Every flag positioned behind bunkers or over ridges
• The par-three 15th hole stretched to 241 yards, with the flag placed nine yards from the left bunker

Earlier in the day, Matthew Southgate of England, in the second group out, made an impressive start with three consecutive birdies. Unfortunately, he could not maintain his form, finishing with a score of 66, which left him level par for the tournament.

As McIlroy sought to make a significant move, the demanding conditions at Royal Birkdale kept the competition fierce, making his path to the Claret Jug increasingly challenging.