Hamilton closing in on victory

American Todd Hamilton is today within reach of a stunning Open championship victory.

Hamilton led world number two Ernie Els and Masters champion Phil Mickelson by two shots with four holes to play on a thrilling final day at Royal Troon.

The 38-year-old from Galesburg, Illinois – population 1,500 – quickly lost his overnight one-shot lead this afternoon but battled back superbly with birdies at the fourth and fifth.

A dropped shot on the 10th left Mickelson out in front for the first time this week but Hamilton responded instantly with a birdie on the 11th.

Mickelson then dropped his first shot in 50 holes on the 13th and Hamilton went two clear for the first time by chipping in from just off the green on the par three 14th.

After a quiet start the final round exploded into life with three eagles and a holed bunker shot coming in the space of a few minutes.

First Thomas Levet chipped in from the back of the green on the fourth for eagle to move into the lead at eight under, swiftly followed by Woods holing out from a greenside bunker on the fifth for a birdie two.

Levet’s playing partner Barry Lane then holed from 12ft for eagle on the fourth as well to go seven under, while Els hooked his drive on the third into the television compound to the left of the fairway.

The compound was out of bounds in 1997 here but had grown so much it was declared a temporary immovable obstruction. Els therefore received a free drop and proceeded to hit his approach to 25ft and hole the putt for an unlikely birdie.

Mickelson was obviously feeling left out of all the excitement and promptly chipped in for another eagle on the fourth to join Levet and Els on eight under.

The lead was changing hands with dizzying speed, Hamilton making it a four-way tie with a birdie on the fourth – he had bogeyed the second – and then going back in front with another on the fifth after his tee shot had received a fortunate kick off the bank of a bunker.

Playing partner Els bogeyed the same hole after pulling his tee shot well left and failing to get up and down, while Woods missed a great birdie chance from six feet on the seventh to stay three behind.

Mickelson smashed a huge drive to within a few yards of the green on the 405-yard seventh to set up a birdie to rejoin Hamilton at the top of the leaderboard, Els then doing the same in the group behind.

Up ahead Levet and Lane’s challenge was fading as they both fell foul of the Postage Stamp, Levet forced to play backwards out of the Coffin bunker and Lane unable to get up and down from sand as well.

Els’ hopes of a second Open title suffered a massive blow on the 10th. The South African carved his drive into deep rough on the side of a bank and had to play his second shot with the ball at knee height.

From there he could only hack it into more deep rough and needed two more to reach the green, two putts adding up to a double bogey six.

At seven under he was two behind Mickelson, who led on his own for the first time when Hamilton lipped out for par on the 10th.

Els’ tee shot on the 11th also landed in deep trouble, finishing two feet off the ground in a gorse bush. But he was able to hack the ball out and fired a superb third to 15ft to amazingly save par.

Hamilton played the hole perfectly and holed from 12ft for birdie to rejoin Mickelson on nine under.

Mickelson had been putting superbly all day but surprisingly missed from five feet for par on the 13th, his first bogey in 50 holes, leaving Hamilton out in front again.

Els could not be counted out though and holed from 35ft for birdie on the 13th to get within one of Hamilton again until the US Tour rookie chipped in on the 14th.