American Billy Horschel leads the British Open with four under par ahead of the final round on Sunday, but the Claret Jug is a challenge due to torrential rain and strong winds at Royal Troon.

Horschel leads a group of six, including USPGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele, English duo Justin Rose and Daniel Brown, South African Thriston Lawrence and Americans Sam Burns and Russell Henley, by one point.

World number one Scottie Scheffler is just one stroke behind at two under par after shooting a winning round of 71.

In total, 12 players are within four strokes of the leader. It promises to be a fascinating final.

The previous day’s leader Shane Lowry had a day to forget as the 2019 champion collapsed in the soggy conditions, going from eight under par after seven holes to one under par at the end of his round.

Horschel was one of the big climbers in a round where the score was lower earlier in the day, but the wind and rain increased.

Horschel started at two under par and posted a sublime four under par 32 on the front nine, thanks to birdies on holes four, six, seven and nine.

A bogey followed on the 11th hole, followed by a drop shot on the last hole.

Brown, who is ranked 272nd in the world, looked to be leading the final round until he made a double bogey on the final round.

But he and Rose are still in the running to become the first English winner since Nick Faldo in 1992.

Lowry started the day with a two-shot lead and extended it to three with a birdie on the par-five fourth hole.

However, the Irishman’s round began to derail with a double bogey on the 130-yard Postage Stamp eighth hole.

Things got worse when Lowry made five bogeys in eight holes over the last nine and dropped to ninth place.

– Schauffele ‘dreams’, Scheffler ready –

Schauffele has just achieved his first major victory at the USPGA, but he is already dreaming of another victory.

The world number three was at one point five under par, but bogeys on 11 and 18 saw him back to three under par after a round of 69.

“I’m letting myself dream tonight,” said Schauffele.

Scheffler is also on track to win his third major and seventh in 15 starts this year.

A birdie on the third hole gave the American a good start, but he then played the next 13 holes in two overs before picking up a stroke on the 17th hole to maintain a threatening balance.

“The last nine holes I think were the toughest nine holes I’ll ever play,” Scheffler said.

Lawrence, Burns and Henley took full advantage of the favourable early morning conditions to move through the pack to three under par.

Lawrence and Burns recorded six (under 65), while Henley made a 66 to challenge for the top before the leaders were hit by the worst of the weather.

Two-time major champion Justin Thomas and former Masters winner Adam Scott also impressed by going to par and staying on the fringes of contention for the Claret Jug.

But the challenge from the big names from the LIV circuit failed to materialise.

Jon Rahm dropped back to two over par, while Brooks Koepka is back to eight over par after a 78.

One of the loudest cheers of the week so far went to Si Woo Kim after he made the longest hole-in-one in British Open history on the 17th to move back to five-over-par for the tournament.

“I wasn’t doing so well, and then I felt terrible about my strokes the last few days. Then I finally got the best golf stroke I’ve ever had this week,” the South Korean said.

kca/jc