Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland tees off on the 8th hole during Day Three of The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 16, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)

RORY MCILROY confessed he learned from his 2011 Masters disaster and remains determined to stay in his "own little world" as he stands on the brink of history at St Andrews.

After putting together yet another clinical display of shotmaking cool to tie for the lead with Viktor Hovland heading into the final round of The Open and playing some of the most intelligent and controlled golf of his career, he knows he must remain focussed if he's to join the greats on Sunday.

"Going all the way back to Augusta in 2011, I got out of my process after three days and it was a tough lesson," he said of that Masters where he went into the final round with a four-shot lead and shot 80 to finish 10 strokes back in a tie for 15th.

"I went to Congressional and tried to stay in my little cocoon (and won the US Open) and that's what I am trying to do."

He matched the Norwegian's 66 to leave them at the top of the leaderboard on 16-under par, four strokes clear of American Cameron Young and overnight leader Cameron Smith of Australia on 16-under par 200 - one shot shy of Nick Faldo's record 54-hole aggregate at the Old Course in 1990.

Expecting a tough battle with Hovland and the chasing pack, he hopes to make a "dream come true today" by joining legends Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods as a winner at the Home of Golf.

"I have been here before and done it but nothing is given to you, you have to go out there and earn it just like I have earned everything in my career," he said.

"I think for me it is expected the unexpected but at the same time focus on myself. If I go out and post a good number, I can't worry about Viktor or the two Camerons, I have to go out and do my thing."

The Old Course might have given up 22 scores in the sixties on a scorching Saturday afternoon but it was still a fascinating contest of man versus nature on a course baked hard by the summer sun and gallery favourite McIlroy admitted he had to focus hard not to get carried away by the adulation of the crowd.

"Overall a really good day, we fed off each other and navigated the last few holes really well," McIlroy said with the roars of the 40,000-strong crowd still echoing in his ears.

"I appreciate it and feel it out there but I am trying my hardest to stay in my own little world. I try to acknowledge the crowd as much as I can but I am trying to stick to my process and stay in my own little bubble."

As for finishing the job, he repeated the kind of things he might hear from mental coach Dr Bob Rotella when asked if he could finish the job and end his eight-year major wait with a win for the ages at St Andrews.

"I have to stick to my plan and stick to the process. That's all I can do. And I have done that well for the last three days and it has put me in position. I just need to do it for one more day.

"I'm trying to play with discipline and play the percentages. Where they have put these pin positions, it is about playing away from them and taking your 30-footer, knowing par is a good score on a lot of holes.

"It is about taking advantage of the holes that are the birdie holes, the driveable par fours and the par fives. That's been the key to this week and the key to tomorrow as well.

"I am playing a golf tournament and I have got myself into a good position. I have finished off enough golf tournaments in my time to know what I have to do to make a dream come true tomorrow.

"Going all the way back to Augusta in 2011, I got out of my process after three days and it was a tough lesson. I went to Congressional and tried to stay in my little cocoon and that's what I am trying to do."

As for the crowds, he’s allowed himself to drink in the atmosphere at times and take it all in.

"I think all week I've been trying to do that,” he said. “The galleries have been massive. The ovations coming on the greens, with the big grandstands. Walking up 18 and that whole scene and trying to look for my parents and Erica and Poppy in the windows of the Rusacks, because I know what rooms we're staying in.

"I think it's appreciating the moment as well and appreciating the fact that it's unbelievably cool to have a chance to win The Open at St Andrews. It's what dreams are made of. And I'm going to try to make a dream come true tomorrow.”

After starting the day three strokes behind Smith, whose deadly putting abandoned him as he carded a nervy 73 to fall back to tied third with New Yorker Young (71) on 12-under, McIlroy produced a moment of magic to grab a share of the lead.

As Hovland made a series of long bombs and birdied four holes in a row from the third to get to 14-under, McIlroy birdied the fifth and sixth to remain in touch, two behind alongside Young and Smith.

He closed the gap to one stroke with a two-putt birdie at the ninth, then magically holed a 27-yard bunker shot for an eagle two at the 10th to briefly take the solo lead before Hovland joined him on 15-under with his fifth birdie of the day.

"You need a little bit of luck every now and then, especially in these big tournaments," McIlroy said.
The Holywood star then made a clutch six footer for par at the 11th before moving a shot clear on 16-under thanks to a bullet, 278-yard long iron to the heart of the par-five 14th.

The last four holes were a major challenge and as often happens at St Andrews, the 17th again provided drama.

Both men found the left rough and after Hovland ran through the green onto the gravel, just short of the road, McIlroy's shot from further into the rough shot across the green and bounced off the boundary wall.

He had a restricted backswing but chipped to 27 feet and two-putted for bogey as Hovland got up and down for par to draw level again.

"I was happy to get it on the green and take five,": McIlroy said.

At the 18th, McIlroy two-putted from the Valley of Sin for birdie before Hovland two-putted from 44 feet to match him.

As McIlroy and Hovland went shot for shot, the overnight leaders and the chasing pack had their troubles coming home.

Dustin Johnson got to 12-under par through 10 holes but bogeyed the 13th and 14th and 16th, then birdied the last for a 71 despite semi-topping his drive and narrowly missing the Swilcan Bridge.

Si Woo Kim shot 67 and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler a 69 to lie tied for fifth on 11-under with Johnson a shot further back, six back on 10-under.

McIlroy began the day by watching Ireland beat the All Blacks in a test series for the first time but won’t have that luxury as he waits for his last tee time on Sunday.

“Yeah, there's no rugby to watch tomorrow morning, unfortunately,” he said. "I watched two rugby matches this morning, which was great. Got a little emotional when Ireland won, actually. It was an unbelievable achievement for them.”