Can anyone catch Brian Harman at The Open Championship?

HOYLAKE, England — Brian Harman showed his survival skills to overcome a bumpy start and the odd rain shower to solidify his position at the top of The Open Championship’s leaderboard going into Sunday’s final round.

But the game hunter is now being hunted by big-time players — and Jon Rahm and Cameron Young pose the biggest threat to Harman’s quest to have his name engraved on the Claret Jug. Harman is at 12-under, five shots ahead of Young and six of Rahm.

“I am not focused on tomorrow,” Harman, who has not won a tournament since 2017, said after his third round. “I just want a good night’s sleep.

“You would be foolish not to envision yourself winning a major, and I have thought about winning majors all my life, but tomorrow, if that comes to fruition, it has to be all about the golf, execution and staying in the moment.”

Despite a moderate rain warning being in place, an expected downpour and blowy gales, for the most part, stayed away from Hoylake. This allowed those playing in the earlier groups to take advantage of good scoring conditions.

Rahm led the charge, posting a blemish-free 63 (-8) to register a new course record at Royal Liverpool, which was previously 65.

But the former world No 1 and Masters champion was not the only player to post a low number on Saturday, meaning, despite Harman’s considerable lead, the final major of the year is far from over.

For Rory McIlroy, though, the 10-year wait for another major will undoubtedly roll on into 2024 as he failed to build on a bright start to finish on 3-under, nine shots off the pace.

The Athletic breaks down who else is in the mix:

The most likely challenger

Even though he is one shot behind Young and six off Harman, Rahm is in a category of his own.

Royal Liverpool has produced legendary Open champions, a list that includes Bobby Jones, Tiger Woods and McIlroy. With Rahm’s experience and ceiling, it seems he is the best player left with a chance to chase down Harman, who is seeking his first major, and join those elite names.

The 28-year-old’s first two rounds were littered with mistakes, missed putts and, at times, his frustration boiling over. There were multiple clashes with the on-course media who he felt were either too close or in his way.

He started Saturday 2-over and in 48th position but after a steady front nine, he birdied six holes on his way back in.

“That’s the best round I’ve played on a links golf course ever,” Rahm said. “My best round in a major? At 18 holes I could say yes, but the first 17 holes during the first round of this year’s Masters were equal or better. This is almost equivalent to that day in Augusta.

“Today was one of those days where I felt invincible.”

Although Rahm is not going to be in the final pairing with Harman, the Spaniard will be in the penultimate group and can use his experience…