Day three digest: The Open Championship

Shane Lowry sent Royal Portrush into a frenzy as he gave himself a great chance at winning his first Major Championship.

The Irishman thrilled the crowds with a record-breaking display on day three and will take a four shot lead over Tommy Fleetwood into the final round of the 148th Open Championship.

Here is everything you need to know from day three at Royal Portrush Golf Club.

Lowry sends Royal Portrush crazy
Things got loud on Friday when Lowry took the lead. It was almost pandemonium when Rory McIlroy threatened to make the cut with his evening heroics. But things cranked up even further on Saturday during Lowry's mesmerising back nine. At one point four players were tied for the lead, with Fleetwood, J B Holmes and Lee Westwood all level on ten under. But Lowry picked up five birdies on the back nine as he set a new course record of 63 - the best round since the place was remodelled, though two shots short of McIlroy's old course mark. And the spectators were loving it.

Willett's brilliant birdie
If you had told Danny Willett that he'd walk away from the fifth hole with a birdie after his second shot stopped short of the green, I'm not sure he'd have believed you. But that's exactly what happened after he produced one of the shots of the day, sending his third onto the green and watching as it rolled all the way into the hole. It was the highlight of his flawless 65, was the lowest Major score of his career and, for a short while anyway, equalled the course record.

Koepka's Major consistency
Koepka is still on course to be the first man to finish in the top two of every Major Championship in a single season. And the four-time Major winner became just the sixth player since 2000 to be in the top five after 54 holes of all four of golf's biggest events in the same year. He will start Sunday seven shots back at nine under, but it could have been closer after a number of putts narrowly missed the hole in his 67.

McDowell treats locals to big finish
Local boy Graeme McDowell was the only Northern Irishman to make the cut at the first edition of The Open Championship to be held at Royal Portrush since 1951 and the locals rewarded him with excellent support throughout his third round. He mixed three birdies with two bogeys in his first 14 holes on day three before finishing with back to back birdies to head into the final round on two under par. His approach into the last was a beauty and went down very well indeed with the fans in the stands behind the green.

Marker McNeill's monster at the 17th
The third round of the 148th Open Championship will live long in the memory of Royal Portrush head professional Gary McNeill. He was given the honour of accompanying first man out Paul Waring on Saturday morning and the marker showed a global audience what he was capable of. This monster putt at the 17th might be talked about for some time in the McNeill household...