The Open Third Round Thread & Commercial Break Reading

The Rory reads are below, but a few more items worth noting from Friday's reporting as we play an early Saturday round at The Open Championship.

The Daily Mail's Derek Lawrenson reports on the Adam Scott and Justin Rose becoming close mates.

While Rose has moved into contention to win The Open, his wife Kate has been putting the finishing touches to their move from Orlando to the Bahamas, about a stone’s throw from where Scott and his new bride live.

And so the pair will share a private jet to tournaments as well as walk the fairways together. They will try to coax one another into making the next five years a period where they leave a mark as indelible as the one Sir Nick Faldo and Greg Norman left before them.

Alasdair Reid on Sergio's inspiration for the Open as Seve's new film.

García had warmed up for his Friday round by watching Seve, the recently-released film that celebrates the life of his mentor and idol, one of the few sportsmen whose status transcends the need for a surname.

García would later describe the film as inspiring, but his start suggested he had been inspired too much.

There was a distinctly Seve-like quality to his opening three holes. Bogey-eagle-bogey went the 5-2-5 sequence, an astonishing six-iron hole-out from 162 yards at the second bringing back the shots that he lost on the other holes. But after that, García played a superb round, with birdies at the fourth, 10th and 18th helping him up the leaderboard.

Gavin Mairs of the Telegraph on Tiger's triple on 17 and up and down on the 18th to make birdie and the cut at the Open Championship at Hoylake.

The 17th hole, however, left Woods facing a sudden-death scenario. Only a birdie at the par-five 18th would suffice and, having put his second shot to the right of a greenside bunker, his third set up a tantalising and dramatic final putt.

It was the distance that the old Tiger would have sunk in his sleep, but you can no longer take anything for granted with the 38-year-old, especially after spending 3½ months on the sidelines having undergone back surgery in March.

Coleman McDowell with a breakdown of the Tiger's round and the issues with the driver.

James Corrigan of the Telegraph on Tom Watson being the oldest man to ever make the cut at the Open Championship.

The incredible story of Tom Watson and the Open Championship runs on and on after the 64-year-old became the oldest player ever to make the cut in the British major.

While the likes of Bubba Watson failed to advance to the weekend, his namesake, on his 37th appearance, scraped in at two over following a second 73. It says so much about the man who came so close to winning The Open as a 59-year-old that nobody was that surprised. He has missed only five Open cuts since turning 50.

“There’s no age when I’m out there,” Watson said. “I’m doing the same thing as I did when I was 22, although I can’t hit the ball very hard any more.”

Dave Shedloski with more from Watson on his amazing run.

Alasdair Reid of the Telegraph says stories of the raucous crowds at Hoylake are a bit exaggerated and I would concur:

But is it really so bad? To be perfectly frank, the makers of Grand Theft Auto are never going to model an urban dystopia on the leafy lanes of Hoylake, where a golf club with royal appellation sits cheek by well-fed jowl with the offices of the local Conservative Association. Grim up north it is certainly not.

Meanwhile, reports of mayhem on the course itself might just be a little exaggerated. Of course, the occasional ringing, and the much more frequent clicking, of mobile phones has put a few competitors’ noses out of joint, but it would be pushing it to suggest that civil disobedience is rife. Or maybe not, as what little disobedience that has been seen has been very civil indeed.

My GolfDigest.com Loop take on Bubba Watson's post round claims that never a positive thing is said on golf telecasts and in particular, about him.

Mike O'Malley on nine numbers from day two.

As for course setup, these are the lone online notes supplied by the R&A.

These could be subject to change in the event of weather issues or unforeseen circumstances.

13th – 202 yards – Position of Hole on Green 31 5L

6th – 191 yards – Position of Hole on Green 11 5R

9th – 208 yards – Position of Hole on Green 32 4R