Justin Rose ties Open scoring record and provides template for a Tiger charge

The term “moving day” is usually just a convenient phrase to throw at Saturdays at a major championship. The conditions often don’t allow for a player to actually make some big jump up the leaderboard and the term is just a facile way to make the round stand out from the other three.

But this Saturday at the British Open does appear to be a true, genuine moving day. The wind is down at Carnoustie and the course is still softer — not actually soft, but softer — than the burnt out conditions players faced up until Friday morning. There have been several players at the top of the tee sheet who have gone on birdie runs. With Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson just starting their round, they can look to the template provided by Justin Rose as the way to make a charge at the leaders ahead.

Rose was out in just the the third tee time of the day after making the cut right on the number thanks to a lengthy birdie putt at the 18th hole Friday night. He returned on Saturday morning, promptly made birdie on his first hole, and then caught fire on the inward nine to post 30. The total tally was 64, matching the Open championship record at Carnoustie, unanimously considered the toughest Open venue. Here’s the final card:

The course may be gettable, but that doesn’t mean Carnoustie’s closing four-hole stretch is easy. That stretch is continuing to wreck rounds, even on Saturday. Pat Reed’s charge hit a wall there but Rose added two more red numbers on the last two holes to really give himself a shot in the final round. That’s gravy and the places where you need to make up distance on the field if you want to actually pull off a chasedown from way down the board. Here’s the closing birdie:

In addition to Rose, fellow Englishman Chris Wood is providing a template for a low one for later tee times. Wood went out in 31 and was 7-under through his first 13 holes before making his first bogey of the day. He’s hitting that tough closing stretch now but it’s likely we’re also getting a mid-60s number from the big Englishman. Yusaku Miyazoto has also already posted a 65.

So it’s out there and Tiger, Phil, and others can take heart that they’re nowhere near out of it. The leaders can also put together a plan to get aggressive and keep pushing the number upwards. There is the possibility of “gustier” conditions coming later in the day, which could compact the board dramatically if it gets dicey.

This is what we want out of a major championship, especially at the Open. Rose’s putt to make the cut on Friday was a 50/50 shot at best, but he poured it in and gave himself at least a chance. That’s all he needed with the spread 9 shots from the cut line to the leader. Paul Lawrie won in 1999 after being 10 shots back. Granted, that also included one of the all time 18th hole collapses, a playoff, and some wild weekend conditions.

But the point is it’s possible and Rose has gone from cut line to tied for 6th as he walked off the golf course. That’s 59 spots better than when he started the day and now the No. 3 player in the world will have a much later tee time on Sunday and a chance to win his second major.

Here’s your live leaderboard: