Rory McIlroy picked up the ball from the thick rough, held it out in front of him and burst out laughing. It was one of the most baffling things to have happened to him on a golf course. Maybe one of the most frustrating,

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Rory McIlroy gave the home crowds exactly what they craved on Saturday: He used the traditional third-round “moving day’’ to make a move up the leaderboard. McIlroy, who began the day at 3-under par, seven shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler, activated the huge Portrush crowds with a third-round 5-under-par 66.

PORTRUSH: Rory McIlroy said catching Scottie Scheffler to win the British Open on home soil in Northern Ireland will be an unenviable task on Sunday given the world number one's supreme form. McIlroy at least gave himself an outside chance of overhauling the American with a five-under par 66 at Royal Portrush on Saturday to get to eight under in a

Scheffler posted a 64 on Friday in the second round of the British Open, which had him just a shot off the course record in Northern Ireland. He left a birdie putt painfully short at the final hole, too. That moved the top-ranked golfer in the world into the solo lead at the midway point of the final major championship of the season.

Rory McIlroy shot 1-under 70 in the first round of the British Open at Royal Portrush that is also serving as a homecoming for the Northern Irish star.

Rory McIlroy shot 1 under Thursday at Royal Portrush, a better start than the first time he played the British Open at the Northern Ireland course near home.