• Open Championship, Round Three, Plays of the Day

Defying gravity

Rickie Fowler put himself in the hunt with some superb play © Getty Images

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Uihlein comes out of Lewis' shadow
Amateur Peter Uihlein has been put in the shade by the exploits of Tom Lewis, but the American proved he is no back number with a brilliant chip in for a birdie on 10. With conditions appalling, birdies were at a premium and to be savoured. Uihlein flipped a chip out of the rough and it tracked all the way into the cup, leading to a semi-jig of delight. It would have been a bigger jig if the weather had been better.

Not taking advantage of your good fortune
Sometimes on links courses you need the odd fortunate bounce, even more so when it is blowing a gale and lashing down. Rickie Fowler, who had plotted his way round quite steadily for eight holes, got that bounce on nine. An approach shot looked destined to finish left of the green, but it kicked nicely off the camber and came to rest within six feet. Shame he missed the putt.

Defying gravity
Having passed up a decent birdie chance on eight, Fowler had another opportunity on nine. A straight chip looked perfectly makeable and he certainly thought he had made it as the ball tracked towards the cup. It rolled to the edge and sat there, but it looked for all the world as though it would drop. The young American took a slow walk, but it was to no avail as the ball refused to topple into the hole.

Bjorn brilliance
The Dane has mixed memories of Royal St George's having surrendered the Open in 2003, but he has had some fine moments as well and one of those came on 15. He pulled an approach well to the left and he looked to have no chance of avoiding a bogey. But he came up with a moment of brilliance, hitting a low chip into the fringe rough to kill the pace before the ball dropped down the slope to leave a simple par putt.

You've got to Love it
There has been much written and said about the demise of American golf. Don't say it to Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson et al. And definitely don't say it to that renowned scrapper Davis Love III. He has form at Royal St George's, having finished fourth in the Open of 2003, and he used a bit of that knowledge on the 11th to claim a birdie. A decent tee shot rolled on and on, leaving him with an outside chance with the short stick, but he turned it into a big chance by striking it purely and seeing the ball track into the cup.

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