Unfancied duo head into Open unknown as big names loiter

Not many people would have had Billy Horschel and Thriston Lawrence as their final Sunday Open Championship pairing at the start of week.

Not many would even have predicted it at the start of Saturday's sodden third round. But here we are.

At 14:25 BST at Royal Troon, the world numbers 62 and 98 will set off on the links for 18 holes that could change their lives.

Horschel spoke on Friday about how you can "submit your legacy" by winning a major. About how you don't need to play "perfect golf" to win one.

The 37-year-old was not perfect on Saturday, but he was not far off in a splendid 69. Just two back-nine bogeys spoiled his card on a day when others defaced theirs.

Lawrence, playing the guts of his round in the more clement conditions, compiled a scarcely believable seven-birdie 65 to roar back from three over.

Horschel's four under trumps Lawrence's three for now, but the final day of a major can do strange things to the swing, the stroke and, most pertinently, the mind.

Not that the American - who tied eighth in the US PGA in May - seems perturbed.

"I've worked my entire life to be in this position and I'm finally here," he said.

"I'm embracing it. Before I go to sleep, I've envisioned myself holding that trophy on 18, walking out to the crowd and being congratulated as Open champion.

"That's what I'm going to do again tonight, and hopefully that comes true."

By the time Horschel was towelling himself down, Lawrence was long up the road and enjoying his evening.

Maybe he watched his Sunday partner come down the brutal stretch. Maybe not. But the way he was talking post-round, it was just going to be another day.

"The gameplan doesn't change and the mentality doesn't change," the 27-year-old South African said.

"Hopefully I'm in with a couple of shots, but I'm going to just try to do the same thing, be aggressive and try and win a tournament."

Major champions loiter on leaderboard

As Horschel and Lawrence venture out into the unknown, a clutch of players who have got it done on the final day in a major before will be just a hole or two ahead.

Justin Rose and Xander Schauffele are within one of the lead. Scottie Scheffler is another shot back.

Shane Lowry - after a car crash of a back nine - is three strokes behind. And Adam Scott and Justin Thomas are one adrift of him.

Among that thicket of big names sit America's Sam Burns and Russell Henley, who made 14 birdies between them on Saturday and are one off the lead.

England's Daniel Brown is there, too, after a horror double bogey on the last. And his compatriot Matthew Jordan is not out of it either, after three level-par rounds.

When he went back to the "boozy house" he is sharing here this week with his pals, Brown must have had thoughts of what might have been.

A par up the last and the world number 272 would have been the outright leader. Instead he will spend Sunday with Scheffler.

That is another thing people would not have expected at the start of the week.

There will be live radio and text commentary of the final round on the BBC Sport website on Sunday from 13:00 BST