Ayrshire, Scotland (My Sportsbook) - The Duel in the Sun was 32 years ago, but Tom Watson played Saturday at the 138th British Open Championship like it was yesterday.
Watson again rallied late in his round to shoot a one-over 71. He completed 54 holes at Turnberry at four-under-par 206 and the 59-year-old owns a one-stroke lead over the unheralded Mathew Goggin and Ross Fisher.
"The three practice rounds I played, I played very well. If the wind blows, I remember how to play the golf course," said Watson of what helped get him to here. "I made a few mistakes out there today, but I'm still hanging in there and making a few putts when I have to and that has been a real treat for me."
If Watson can hoist his sixth claret jug on Sunday, he will make history.
Old Tom Morris was 46 years and 99 days old when he won the 1864 British Open Championship. At 59 years, 317 days old, Watson would not just become the oldest Open Champion, but the oldest major winner. Julius Boros was 48 when he captured the 1968 PGA Championship.
Goggin posted a one-under 69, one of five sub-par rounds on the day, to finish three rounds at minus-three. Fisher, a two-time winner on the European Tour, carded an even-par 70 Saturday.
Lee Westwood (70) and two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen (71) share fourth place at two-under-par 208.
Former U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk managed an even-par 70 Saturday. He was joined in sixth place at one-under-par 209 by U.S. Ryder Cup teammate Stewart Cink, who shot 71 in round three.
Two-time defending champion Padraig Harrington likely won't retain the claret jug this week. The Irishman made two birdies in the first round, but has made only two more since.
Harrington posted a six-over 76 Saturday and completed three rounds at nine- over-par 219. He has won three of the last eight majors, including two in a row at this championship.
The 37-year-old opened with a birdie on the first, but things were all downhill from there. Harrington slipped to plus-four after bogeys on three and seven. He then stumbled to a double-bogey on the par-four eighth. Around the turn, three more bogeys dropped Harrington to plus-nine.
For the third straight day, Watson made himself the story though.
Watson played steady golf from the start with five straight pars. He dropped a shot on six and was briefly tied for the lead with Goosen, who was making a mess of the seventh at the time. Goosen made double-bogey on seven to dip to minus-two.
Watson responded to his first bogey with a two-putt birdie on the par-five seventh. That moved him back to minus-five, where he was two clear of the field.
The five-time British Open champion knocked his second to the par-four ninth to the back edge of the green. He rolled his birdie effort to six feet. However, Watson missed the par putt to slip to four-under, one ahead of Fisher.
At the 12th, Watson came up short left of the green and could not save par from there. That dropped him into a share of the lead with Goggin, who birdied the 17th to get to minus-three.
Watson found the back bunker off the tee on 15. Before he played that shot, there was a long delay as Steve Marino's tee shot was nearly lost in the long grass right of the green. After it was found, Marino took an unplayable penalty and walked off the hole with a triple-bogey.
After an 18-minute wait, Watson blasted to 14 feet. He two-putted for bogey to fall out of the lead. That was short lived however as he drained a long birdie putt on the 16th to regain a share of the top spot at minus-three.
"I made a great putt on 14 to save par and I made that putt at 16 for birdie and it puts me right back where I want to be," stated Watson. "The putt I made at 16, I was about ready to make one all day. I just felt that I had a good putting stroke. The left-to-right putts aren't my best...but boy that was dead center."
Watson was not done either. He reached the par-five 17th in two and two-putted for birdie and the lead. He parred the last to secure his first 54-hole lead in a major since the 1987 U.S. Open, when he lost to Scott Simpson.
"I broke down a little (walking up 18). I told my caddie, Bruce is with us," Watson said of his longtime caddie Bruce Edwards, who died of ALS. "He said 'god don't make me cry', and I got a tear in my eye."
Last year's big story was Greg Norman. When he led after three rounds, Norman was the oldest to ever own the 54-hole lead in a major championship. Watson eclipsed that record on Saturday.
Goggin, who is playing in his ninth major, tripped to a bogey on the fifth. He birdied the seventh, but gave that shot right back on eight. He birdied the 11th to move back to minus-two.
The Australian birdied the 17th for the third straight day to match Watson in the lead at minus-three. Goggin parred the last.
"I was pretty tired actually. I was just trying to close out the round with a solid par," said Goggin, who knew on the 18th tee that he was tied for the lead at the time. "It feels pretty good right now."
Goggin is playing in just his third British Open. He had made the cut in two of his previous eight major appearances. Goggin got into the championship thanks to the withdrawal of 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman.
Fisher birdied the third before he seemingly fell out of contention. He stumbled to bogeys on five, 12 and 14 to drop to minus-one.
The Englishman fought back to minus-three with birdies on 16 and 17. Fisher has birdied both of those holes all three days this week.
Bryce Molder fired the low round of the day with this three-under 67. He started the day tied for 53rd and the 67 moved him into a share of eighth at even-par 210. He stands alongside Thongchai Jaidee, who posted 69 Saturday.
Marino struggled badly with a six-over 76. He is at one-over par for the championship.
