Conditions take a toll, but McIlroy sees sliver of hope

Rory McIlroy's U.S. Open romp at Congressional seemed like a dim and distant memory as he trudged through the final holes of a rain-soaked third round of the British Open.

A double-bogey 7 at No. 14, after a nasty kick off the undulating fairway sent his drive out of bounds, was a low point, and he slumped off the 18th green Saturday with a 4-over 74.

McIlroy is nine shots behind Darren Clarke heading into the final day, when more severe weather in the forecast. But he is pointing to another record, and hoping for a major rally.

"What did Paul Lawrie come back from? Ten shots?" McIlroy asked rhetorically, referring to the Scot's final-day recovery at Carnoustie in 1999. "Well, it's been done before so I'll just have to keep the hope."

If McIlroy doesn't win, there's no doubt where his allegiances would lie.

"It's fantastic," McIlroy said of Clarke's surprise run at Sandwich. "He's waited a long time to win that major and it would be great if this week was the week."

Lehman slips, slightlyMinnesotan Tom Lehman sandwichwed his only birdie of the back nine, on No. 17, between two bogeys and finished at 3-over 73.

Unwavering WatsonPlaying with a smile that never left his face, 61-year-old Tom Watson reveled in the fierce weather conditions. Watson's 2-over 72 wasn't the lowest third-round score of the day, but it may have been the most impressive.

"If we had weather like we had this morning the entire tournament, I don't know who's going to beat him," Phil Mickelson said.

"He played in the worst of it, and I think he shot about as well as anybody did."

Jason Day said Saturday had been his toughest day in golf. Edoardo Molinari described the conditions as "a joke."