Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at St Andrews

Image source, Getty Images

The whole of St Andrews is now packed in down this final stretch, the iconic 18th in the distance, the Old Course Hotel over their right shoulders, most doing their best to urge every Rory McIlroy stroke a little further towards the cup. The pull of the people isn’t quite strong enough on this occasion…

He’s going to need all that energy and some Sunday Open luck in these next few minutes if he’s to grind out a fifth major title and first in eight years.

Image source, Getty Images

Here. We. Go.

This has surely got to be the point where McIlroy drops a gear and sticks his foot on the gas.

He's played superbly solid today, but that now looks unlikely to be enough to win the 150th Open.

Although he might be able to wait a second or two to see what happens ahead...

Graeme Storm
Two-time European Tour winner on BBC Radio 5 live

He has to find a way to get to 19 under. It is not going to be easy, but he is Rory McIlroy.

Cam Smith's out with the putter on 17, taking the Road Hole bunker out of play.

Yeah, good shot. He leaves himself around 15 feet for a par. He made that look fairly simple. Then again, he's made everything look easy today.

Huge putt coming up.

Will this be the moment where McIlroy finally holes something?

He doesn't look too confident, peering around the right-to-left swing which his ball takes.

Nope, it goes behind the hole. Again, a lovely touch and enough for a routine par.

Meanwhile, call off the Hovland chase. The Norwegian bogeys 16 and he's cooked.

Cameron Young re-enters the conversation with a beautiful approach into 17. Stone-cold.

Two-shot swing coming up?

McIlroy needs a birdie and fast. But he knows that.

Again he hits the green on 16, but again it looks too much to do for a birdie.

He's had pars all week here and that doesn't look likely to change.

Feels like he is ambling along a little, but knowing he must go for the sprint on 17 and/or 18.

This is it.

Smith's approach to 17.

Oh my word, he's gone left!

His ball comes up short and feeds down into the little gulley. He'll have to come up and over the bunker!

An enormous shot in the grand scheme.

The last Australian to win The Open?

Greg Norman, back in 1993.

Cam Smith is a few good swings away from following in the Shark's footsteps by the look of it.

-19 Cameron Smith (16)

-18 Rory McIlroy (15)

-17 Cameron Young (16)

-15 Viktor Hovland (15)

-13 Brian Harman (66), Tommy Fleetwood (17), Dustin Johnson (17)

Full leaderboard

John Murray
Commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live

McIlroy fans' hearts will have been in their mouths there! No birdie but a par safely in for Cam Smith.

A massive shot for the leader.

Smith's drive at 17. Nails it. Goes straight for the tee and looks back up to see his ball land right in the middle of the fairway.

In the mayor's office.

Young sends a beauty down there too. These two guys have been so impressive today.

Back to the start of the 16th... 421 yards between tee and green.

McIlroy's honour and goes slightly left, leaving him with an anxious look down the fairway.

Straight to the course planner to do his maths/geology.

Smith gives his birdie putt a good chance, but it goes by on the high side.

Two feet coming back. In it goes. Two holes left.

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at St Andrews

The holes are running out. There’s a crispness to the breeze sweeping across the Old Course now and no doubt a chill running down Rory’s spine as the Claret Jug teeters at the end of his finger tips, just out grasp but still within reach.

Young has a huge hill to come up on the 17th green.

Are you kidding me?! That's a phenomenal effort from there and it's a kick-in par.

Smith has a chance to go two clear of McIlroy though...

Graeme Storm
Two-time European Tour winner on BBC Radio 5 live

McIlroy had a good look at the leader board as he walked past it. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing - we'll see. He needs a birdie.

Hovland has been less assured with the short stick today, but this is a good measure with his birdie putt.

Should be enough to walk off with a par.

Over to McIlroy... right to left, slightly downhill... excellent effort.

Again, just too far away from the hole to really attack the birdie putt.

Going to have to start upping the ante very, very soon.

Cameron Young has murdered his drive 341 yards down 16.

A 71-yard flick left. Oh no! He comes up short and it spins back, all the way down to the front of the green.

Four isn't certain from there.

This is where the bicep curls prove their worth.

Stiff arms from first Hovland and then McIlroy as they chop out of the rough.

Both are on the green and the latter will be slightly happier with the end result.

You wouldn't bet against McIlroy needing more than two putts.