Open Championship 2013: Saturday's Five Talking Points

We look at some of the highlights and talking points from an exciting third round at the Open Championship

Open Championship 2013: Saturday's five talking points

Sergio Garcia - After rounds of 75 and 73, the Spaniard played some sublime golf during his 68 on Saturday. Paired with Padraig Harington - a man with whom he has never shared the best relationship - Garcia's intent was clear: he did not want to be outdone. 

Cheer of the week - Walking the course on Saturday afternoon, the Golf Monthly team was shaken into life (while queuing for some light refreshments) by the raucous roar that greeted Lee Westwood's eagle at the par-5 5th, hitting driver/driver before canning a 35-footer. With two further birdies on the back nine (at 14 and 17) he carries a two-shot advantage into the final round. 

While the Worksop man's game looks in fine shape on the greens, it will be his ability to play conservatively from the tee that will land him the Claret Jug on Sunday. Back-to-back English Major winners anyone?

Sedate Saturday - Saturday is moving day, but it's fair to say nobody really slipped through the gears today. Yes Garcia looked good, but you feel there is too much for him to do over the final 18 holes to mount a challenge of serious contention. 

Instead, it was more a case of the usual suspects swapping places on the leaderboard. That has been the nature of the tournament; it seems it will come down to the smallest of margins...

Jimmy Mullen - Golf Monthly's editor, Mike Harris, has been a member at Royal North Devon since 2005, at which time the club's local hero - and Open Silver Medal contender - Jimmy Mullen, would have been 11 years old.

Mullen has looked a class act this week; needing a par to make the cut in Friday's second round, he hit his approach to four feet to set up a birdie, which he never looked like missing. He now faces a battle with fellow Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick for one of the amateur game's most prestigious titles. 

Adam Scott - The Australian was never out of the top two during last year's Open at Royal Lytham, and the pressure eventually got to him as he succumbed with four straight closing bogeys in Sunday's final round. 

But Scott looks refreshed and ready following his Augusta redemption, and he may just be the man to beat tomorrow. 

Alex Narey
Content Editor

Alex began his journalism career in regional newspapers in 2001 and moved to the Press Association four years later. He spent three years working at Dennis Publishing before first joining Golf Monthly, where he was on the staff from 2008 to 2015 as the brand's managing editor, overseeing the day-to-day running of our award-winning magazine while also contributing across various digital platforms. A specialist in news and feature content, he has interviewed many of the world's top golfers and returns to Golf Monthly after a three-year stint working on the Daily Telegraph's sports desk. His current role is diverse as he undertakes a number of duties, from managing creative solutions campaigns in both digital and print to writing long-form features for the magazine. Alex has enjoyed a life-long passion for golf and currently plays to a handicap of 13 at Tylney Park Golf Club in Hampshire.