Jon Rahm felt he had played his best round of links golf after shooting up the Open leaderboard with a stunning 63 on Saturday.

The Spaniard leapt from two over par to six under at Royal Liverpool with a flawless third round featuring eight birdies.

It was the lowest recorded round in an Open at Hoylake and fired the Masters champion into contention for his third major title.

The 28-year-old said: “That’s the best round I’ve played on a links golf course ever.

“It is my lowest round on a links course and it is in the Open championship. It’s the lowest round shot on this course. It feels really good but there is a lot of work to do tomorrow.”

Rahm’s round ignited with a run of four successive birdies from the ninth. He then finished with three more in the final four holes.

After much speculation about difficult weather over the weekend, the conditions were actually quite benign for most of the time Rahm was out on the course.

He said: “It was starting on 11 when everything became downwind and it became a lot easier. The wind conditions are what made the course change a little bit.

“The job today was to come out and give myself the best opportunity I could. Whenever you get a birdie, just thinking about one more. That’s simply all you can do.”

Rahm’s scoring was in contrast to his first two days, when he often cut a frustrated figure as he carded rounds of 74 and 70.

He said: “To be fair, I look frustrated very often! No, I was playing good golf and I knew what I was capable of.

“I was frustrated because, basically, mistakes that I made. That was it. I gave up shots that at major championships are very costly.

“But I don’t need to change anything from today, nothing at all.”

Rahm’s 63 eclipsed the best Open round of countryman Seve Ballesteros – 64 at Turnberry in 1986 – but he knows whose record in the tournament he would rather have.

He said: “I’d rather win three times and never shoot 63!”

Novakai could be set for immediate return to Group One level after stamping her class on the Ric And Mary Hambro Aphrodite Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket.

Second to Commissioning in last season’s Fillies’ Mile, Karl Burke’s inmate kicked off her three-year-old campaign with a runner-up finish to subsequent Oaks heroine Soul Sister in the Musidora at York.

Novakai disappointed in her Classic bid in the French Oaks, but was the 5-2 favourite to get back on track in Listed company on the July Course.

Ridden by Sam James, the Lope De Vega filly could be called the winner a long way from home as she moved powerfully to the front.

Cloudbreaker came from the rear to throw down her challenge, but Novakai was away and gone entering the final furlong and had just under five lengths in hand at the line.

“She has won that well and I’m very happy with her. She loved that step up in trip and I think we can go back up to Group class again now,” said Burke.

“Early on in the year Sheikh Obaid was keen for her to try a mile and a quarter and target the Prix de Diane.

“I’m not sure it was the distance why she ran so poorly but she wasn’t on song and it could have been down to the travelling. She is a little bit quirky, but her temperament is lovely.

“After that Sheikh Obaid gave me free rein with her so I decided to step her up in trip. She is out of a stout staying mare and she was always going to improve going up in trip and she has proved that today.”

The winner holds entries in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood and the Yorkshire Oaks, but Burke will not rush into a decision.

He went on: “She is in the Yorkshire Oaks and whether that is too big of a jump I’m not sure but we will get her home and have a chat with Sheikh Obaid.

“I’m hoping I can persuade Sheikh Obaid to leave her in training next year as she will only improve and there are some nice staying races for fillies like her.”

Five-time Olympic champion Dame Laura Kenny has announced the birth of her second child.

Kenny and her husband Sir Jason, winner of a British record seven Olympic titles, welcomed son Montgomery on Thursday evening.

In a post on Instagram on Saturday showing Montgomery asleep alongside his brother Albie, Laura Kenny wrote: “Welcome to the world Montgomery George Kenny. Born 20/07/2023 Weighing 9,0lbs at 7.59pm.”

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The Kennys announced in January that they were expecting their second child.

Albie was born in 2017, but in November 2021 they suffered a miscarriage and then an ectopic pregnancy in January 2022.

Kenny became pregnant at the delayed Tokyo Olympics, where she won Madison gold alongside team-mate Katie Archibald, adding to the titles she had taken at London 2012 and Rio 2012.

Jason won the last of his Olympic golds in Tokyo in the keirin. The following January he retired from racing to become coach of the Great Britain men’s sprint team.

Joe Root kept England’s hopes of a series-levelling win alive in the fourth Ashes Test, dismissing centurion Marnus Labuschagne on a rain-affected fourth day.

The worst fears of a washout at Emirates Old Trafford were not realised, with persistent showers finally clearing in time to get play under way at 2.45pm, but a stand of 103 between Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh threatened to shut the door on the hosts.

Labuschagne made a defiant 111 to nudge his side closer to a draw that would see Australia retain the urn but was finally removed when he nicked Root’s occasional off-spin to Jonny Bairstow, who gathered well at the second attempt.

That left the tourists 214 for five, 61 behind having ended day three 167 adrift.

Root was only bowling due to bad light, with the umpires deciding that conditions were too gloomy for the seamers to take part, but his unpredictable offerings provided the biggest threat and he was unlucky not to have Labuschagne caught at slip on 93.

England’s pace unit had already been neutralised by the damp outfield, which wrecked English hopes of getting the ball to move through the air and eventually led to a change after it went soft and lost shape.

Mitchell Marsh was not out on 31 at the tea break, having eaten up 107 deliveries for his side in a knock that forced him to curb most of his attacking instincts.

England began by rotating James Anderson, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Stuart Broad but the quartet were unable to find a way past Labuschagne and Marsh.

Wood cranked it up to 93mph in a bid to take the placid pitch out of the equation but the closest he came to breaking the partnership was a nasty blow to Labuschagne’s finger.

The number three has endured a modest series by his own high standards but came good at an important time for his team, registering his 11th Test ton and his second overseas.

He accelerated when the umpires insisted on England turning to spin, taking advantage of an out-of-sorts Moeen Ali, who could not get his length right, and plundering two sixes off Root.

But the former captain’s tendency to mix it up with a variety of different deliveries was causing problems. He sent one down with the seam up, drifting it through the air and taking Labuschagne’s edge as he closed in on three figures, but the extra pace on the ball saw it fly past Zak Crawley’s left ear and race away for four.

After getting his man on the cut, Root almost grabbed another when Marsh propped forward and offered a tough chance to Harry Brook at short leg. He thrust a hand out but could not cling on.

The rain began to come down again in the interval, leaving England praying that there is enough time in the game to force a result.

Emily Dickinson kicked in the turbo to get back on the winning trail in the Comer Group International Curragh Cup.

The daughter of Dubawi was the spring favourite for the Gold Cup  following an impressive start to her campaign in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan – and while a disappointing run in the Saval Beg dented her claims, she bounced back to finish a creditable fourth in last month’s Royal Ascot showpiece.

Dropping in distance and class for this one-mile-six-furlong Group Two, Emily Dickinson was the 6-4 market leader to complete a quick-fire big-race double for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore after Savethelastdance powered home from an unpromising position to secure the Irish Oaks.

Emily Dickinson looked like she too could have a real fight on her hands when her chief market rival Rosscarbery breezed into contention, but Moore kept pushing on the favourite and in the end she was well on top, passing the post with three lengths in hand.

The winner will now be readied for a tilt at the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup on August 1.

“The original plan was that she would go straight to Goodwood for the two-mile Group One, but when the ground changed we said we’d let her take her chance here,” said O’Brien.

“Everyone was happy with her at home and that’s why she came here. I was a bit worried that she was a couple of pieces of work away but Ryan gave her a beautiful ride and got her very confident.

“She loves the ground and loves being ridden like that. With that ease in the ground she’s a different filly. She goes on the other ground, she’s very genuine and tries very hard, but on that ground she grows another leg.

“The plan was to go to Goodwood, over two miles, and if the ground came up with an ease in it she’ll be right there.”

A bumper Saturday at the Women’s World Cup saw four games played across Australia and New Zealand.

World champions the United States and Euro 2022 winners England started their quest to lift the trophy with wins as Haiti and Vietnam were beaten.

Denmark and Japan also picked up victories over China and Zambia, respectively.

Here the PA news agency takes a look at all of the action.

Holders on form

Two first-half goals from Sophia Smith got the United States’ defence of the Women’s World Cup under way with a 3-0 win over Vietnam in Auckland.

But the tournament favourites were wasteful in front of goal, missing a penalty as they failed to turn their dominance – 28 shots to none – into a bigger win against outclassed but determined opposition.

Rising star Smith fired them ahead after 14 minutes, running on to Alex Morgan’s flick to fire a shot past goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Tranh.

The USA dominated the rest of the first half but failed to add to their lead: Julie Ertz, debutant Savannah DeMelo, Lindsay Horan, Smith and Morgan all having chances before Morgan wasted the best opportunity, Kim Tranh saving her weak spot-kick given for a foul on Trinity Rodman.

Five-star Japan

Japan made light work of World Cup debutants Zambia to start their campaign with a comfortable 5-0 win.

Hinata Miyazawa hit a brace with Mina Tanaka striking between her two goals and Jun Endo adding a fourth to pull Japan well clear.

There was still time for late drama as Zambia goalkeeper Catherine Musonda was sent off for conceding a late penalty.

Substitute stopper Eunice Sakala saved Riko Ueki’s resulting spot-kick but Ueki scored on the second attempt after Sakala was deemed to have come off her line.

Toil for England

Georgia Stanway’s retaken first-half penalty was enough to earn England a nervy 1-0 victory over World Cup debutants Haiti in their Group D opener at Brisbane Stadium.

This was not the decisive victory most had predicted for the European champions and world number-four side against a team 49 places below them in the FIFA rankings.

Haiti came close to levelling more than once, including a late second-half chance repelled at the last by Mary Earps’ outstretched foot.

While the Lionesses ultimately walked away with all three points, it was an underwhelming performance that will leave boss Sarina Wiegman with plenty of questions.

Late Danes

Likely to be England’s fiercest Group D rivals, Denmark sealed a 1-0 win over China courtesy of a late goal from substitute Amalie Vangsgaard.

The Paris St Germain forward came on with five minutes remaining in Perth and broke the stalemate as she headed in Penille Harder’s corner as the clock ticked into the 90th minute.

The goal survived a VAR check as the officials ruled that defender Rikke Sevecke had not prevented Xu Huan in the China goal from keeping out Vansgaard’s effort.

Denmark and England now face off on Friday, with both sides aiming for improvements on their narrow victories.

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Group G: Sweden v South Africa (6am Sunday, Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington)
Group E: Netherlands v Portugal (8.30am Sunday, Dunedin Stadium, Dunedin)
Group F: France v Jamaica (11am Sunday, Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney)
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Tadej Pogacar outsprinted Jonas Vingegaard to victory on stage 20 of the Tour de France in Le Markstein, but it was the Dane who could begin celebrating the defence of his title ahead of Sunday’s procession into Paris.

Pogacar proved unable to challenge Vingegaard for the yellow jersey in the final week of this race as his hopes evaporated in the Alps, but he made a point on the final mountain test as he beat Vingegaard in a five-man sprint at the end of the 133km stage from Belfort.

Felix Gall snuck ahead of Vingegaard for second place on the day, while Simon Yates and Adam Yates came in fourth and fifth, results that seal third overall for Adam and see Simon move up to fourth after Carlos Rodriguez was left bloodied above his left eye following a nasty early crash.

Pogacar’s stage win earned him six bonus seconds over Vingegaard, who will carry a lead of seven minutes and 29 seconds on to the Champs-Elysees on Sunday.

The front five came to the line 33 seconds ahead of Warren Barguil and Thibaut Pinot, who had dared to dream that the final mountain stage of his final Tour de France – raced on home roads for the 33-year-old – could end in victory when he went clear from a breakaway with 30 kilometres left.

But he was reeled in first by Tom Pidcock and Barguil on the final climb and then overhauled by those who would go on to contest the stage.

Pogacar, Vingegaard and Gall opened up a small gap before the Yates twins rode back up, with Adam then providing the lead-out for team-mate Pogacar in the sprint.

“Today I finally feel like myself again,” Pogacar said. “It was just really good from start to finish, to feel good again after many days suffering and to pull it off in the finish I’m just super, super happy.

“Adam did a super job. I was waiting for him to come back and his brother again was super good. I know him now well, he led me out really good and thanks to him it was a bit easier to prepare for the final, less nervous and I’m super happy the team did such a great job once again.”

Adam Yates said: “For me personally third (overall) is the best result I’ve ever had in a Grand Tour so obviously I’m pretty happy. We’re a little bit disappointed as our goal was to get yellow, but in the end there was only one guy better than us.”

That one guy was Vingegaard. For the first two weeks it was one of the closest Tours in history, but in the space of two days a 10-second advantage became seven-and-a-half minutes as Pogacar stumbled in Tuesday’s time trial, then fell completely on the Col de la Loze on Wednesday.

There had been questions over Pogacar’s form before the Tour given his lack of racing since he broke his wrist in April, but Vingegaard has not won purely by taking advantage of his rival’s troubles, as shown by the near 11-minute gap to Adam Yates in the overall standings.

The WTA said it would be “evaluating the issue further with the event” after Russian player Vera Zvonareva was blocked from entering Poland for a tournament.

Zvonareva, a former Wimbledon and US Open finalist, had been due to play in next week’s Warsaw Open in singles and doubles but a statement from Poland’s Ministry of the Interior and Administration said she was on a list of “undesirable” visitors.

The statement on gov.pl read: “Yesterday, July 21, the Border Guard prevented a Russian tennis player from entering Poland.

“Vera Zvonareva, using a visa issued by France, tried to get to our country on a flight from Belgrade to Warsaw. After arriving from Serbia, the tennis player stayed in the transit zone of Chopin Airport in Warsaw and today after 12.00pm flew to Podgorica.

“The Russian woman on the list of persons whose stay is undesirable in the territory of the Republic of Poland was not admitted by the Border Guard for reasons of state security and protection of public safety.

“Poland consistently opposes the regimes of (Vladimir) Putin and (Alexander) Lukashenko, refusing to allow people who support the actions of Russia and Belarus to enter our country.”

Wimbledon and the Lawn Tennis Association were penalised by the tours for banning Russian and Belarusian players last summer following the invasion of Ukraine, a position they reversed this year.

The governing body said in a statement: “The WTA is aware of the situation involving Vera Zvonareva in Warsaw.

“The safety and well-being of all players is a top priority of the WTA. Vera has departed Poland and we will be evaluating the issue further with the event.”

Poland has been one of the staunchest allies of Ukraine, while world number one Iga Swiatek, who will be the top seed at the tournament, has publicly sided with players from the stricken country amid locker room tensions.

The country’s Minister of Sport, Kamil Bortniczuk, earlier this week said he would boycott matches featuring Russian or Belarusian players.

Belarus’ Aliaksandra Sasnovich does appear to have made it into the country based on her social media posts.

Meanwhile, another Russian player, Anastasia Potapova, said on Instagram that she would be unable to play in the Hamburg European Open because a visa was not granted on time.

“Very sad to announce that I’m not going to participate in Hamburg this year, due to difficulties with visa,” she said. “Me and my team applied for it on time, but unfortunately it was delayed.”

Potapova was warned by the WTA earlier this year after wearing a Spartak Moscow football shirt on court.

Relief Rally sent the large Newbury crowd home happy when justifying favouritism in the featured Weatherbys Super Sprint Stakes.

Tom Marquand’s mount was drawn near the stands’ rail and had to race alone for much of the last furlong and a half as the filly attempted to reel in those who had a clear advantage up the middle and towards the far rail.

To her credit, the evens favourite scythed through the good to soft ground and having collared long-time leader Dapperling (33-1) inside the final furlong, drew readily clear for a three-length success.

It was just compensation for Marquand and trainer William Haggas, who saw the daughter of Kodiac touched off by American raider Crimson Advocate in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Haggas said: “She was in front before the line and after the line, but not on the line at Ascot. She ran a good race there. She is a pretty good filly.

“I don’t know where the second on the stands’ side finished, but she won easy and when he asked her, she picked up well.”

Marquand admitted he had plenty of ground to make up in the second part of the valuable five-furlong contest, which was worth just shy of £123,000 to the winner.

Yet he felt confident the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned juvenile would reel in the leaders.

“To be honest, I was getting towed as far as I could while being happy, but whilst never worried that the other side had a bit of an advantage on us.

“I was lucky enough to be on her at Ascot, so I know the turn of foot she has.

“I was confident that this ground was even more to her liking. It was as straightforward as you would have hoped it would be, but it doesn’t always prove straightforward.

“The other side did have a march on, but she is a very good filly and thankfully she has had a decent day in the sun now and I’m sure she will have a few more.”

He added: “She is every bit as exciting as you’d want her to look for the future and I think my heart is still broken (after Ascot), but it is gluing back together a little bit after that.

“She has done it well. She has got bags of speed, she is super-straightforward, I think she is improving, and I think she improved for having a day like she had at Ascot – she had to race that day and it was obviously a frustrating day, but she will have come on for that and I think she showed that today by the way she just raced on by herself on her side.”

Haggas could swerve York’s Nunthorpe, as he potentially eyes the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp.

When asked of a possible Nunthorpe bid, he said: “I don’t think so – I think the Abbaye, but who knows?

“I think the French race is such a draw race. If you get a low draw, it is such an advantage, whereas the Nunthorpe you can win from anywhere.

“In France, you cannot win wide. If our luck is in at the that time of the year, we will get a low draw. We will see.”

Bottom weight Born Famous came from last to first to deny Peter Bowen another success in the Unibet Summer Plate at Market Rasen.

Sent off the 3-1 favourite under Harry Cobden, the rapidly improving six-year-old looked to have no chance at halfway, detached from the main group of runners.

Bowen had two runners in the race, searching for a ninth win and a third in a row with Francky Du Berlais.

It was his other runner Courtland who looked to have been produced to perfection by Gavin Sheehan, though, as he jumped to the lead at the second last.

But as Hang In There weakened, Born Famous was just hitting top gear and the mare extended her unbeaten record to five since joining Iain Jardine.

Jardine said: “That was class and what a cool ride from Harry too. I knew he was going to take his time but I didn’t think he would take as much time as that!

“They obviously went quite quick and the rain has got into the ground and they’ve stopped, so it was a well-judged and a well thought out ride. She’s a grand filly on an upward curve and I’m just really chuffed for her owners. It’s a fantastic result.

“I’m not sure what’s clicked with her, she’s just gained that bit of confidence and is enjoying her races. We’ve been training her away quietly and we’re not too hard on her, so it’s probably a combination of that.

“She can jump. She’s very versatile regarding ground and she can’t half jump. It was some ride from Harry though – Conor O’Farrell, our jockey, had a word with him earlier and he just said it doesn’t really matter how she’s ridden, it’s all about getting her into a rhythm.

“She was in a good rhythm and finished well, so it’s an excellent result. We’ll sit tight with her now, we might have a look at something down the line but she doesn’t owe us anything.”

Masters champion Jon Rahm surged into contention for his third major title with a stunning third round in the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

Rahm only made the cut with a shot to spare following rounds of 74 and 70, but took advantage of unexpectedly benign conditions on Saturday to card eight birdies in a flawless 63, just one shot outside the lowest score in major championship history.

The world number three is the first player to shoot lower than 65 in an Open at Hoylake and closed to within four shots of halfway leader Brian Harman just two minutes before the American got his round under way.

“That is the best round I have played on a links course ever,” said Rahm, who followed a birdie on the fifth with four in succession from the ninth before picking up further shots on the 15th, 16th and 18th in a back nine of 30.

“Starting on 11 everything became downwind and it got easier.

“It is my lowest round on a links course and it is in the Open Championship. It’s the lowest round shot on this course.

“It feels really good but there is a lot of work to do tomorrow.”

A stunning second round of 65 had given Harman a halfway total of 10 under par and made him the ninth player in the last 40 years to hold a 36-hole lead of five strokes or more in a major, with each of the previous eight going on to win.

Scottie Scheffler was the most recent to do so in last year’s Masters, while Louis Oosthuizen was the last to achieve the feat in the Open; the South African led by five at St Andrews in 2010 and won by seven.

However, nearest challenger Tommy Fleetwood was not about to give up the chase in front of his adoring fans, having recently produced rounds of 64 and 67 to force a play-off in the Canadian Open and winning the 2022 Nedbank Golf Challenge from four behind at halfway.

Fleetwood immediately received some encouragement when Harman bogeyed the first and the gap was down to three when Fleetwood holed from nine  feet on the second.

Rory McIlroy had also closed the gap to the leader, birdies on the first, third and fifth taking the four-time major winner, who triumphed at Hoylake in 2014, to four under par.

Lewis Hamilton claimed his first pole position in 595 days with a brilliant qualifying lap for Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Hamilton crossed the line at the Hungaroring just 0.003 seconds ahead of Red Bull rival Max Verstappen to take his first pole since the penultimate round of the 2021 season in Saudi Arabia.

Hamilton’s lap was greeted with raucous cheers from the crowd, bringing to an end a run of five straight poles for Verstappen. Lando Norris qualified an impressive third for McLaren.

Hamilton only finished 16th on Friday, describing his machine as “at its worst”.

But the 38-year-old, who has won more times here than anybody else and captured his first victory in Mercedes colours at this venue a decade ago, will believe he can end the longest losing streak of his career in Sunday’s 70-lap race after outclassing Verstappen and claiming his ninth pole at this track.

After leaving his cockpit, the seven-time world champion stood on the front-right tyre of his Mercedes before saluting the main grandstand and then affording Verstappen a cursory handshake.

Norris finished less than a tenth back as McLaren’s resurgence continued, with team-mate Oscar Piastri fourth.

Mercedes have looked strong at this slow and twisty venue, but Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell will start only 18th following a qualifying run to forget for the British driver.

Russell qualified on pole last year, but he will start two from the back after a session the Briton called a “s***show”.

Russell attempted to create space ahead of his final lap, but in doing so, he allowed three of his competitors through at the final corner.

It meant the 25-year-old was well off the pace in the first sector, and he was then unable to claw the deficit back over the remainder of the lap.

“It is a s***show,” he yelled over the radio. “What was that? What was that? Don’t tell me we’re out.”

When his race engineer Marcus Dudley confirmed the bad news, Russell replied: “F****** hell.”

The television cameras then cut to the rear of the Mercedes garage with an apoplectic Toto Wolff shaking his head before he slammed his right fist on the table in front of him.

“We were fast, the car felt great, but for the whole session we were out of sync with everybody,” Russell told Sky Sports.

“I was three tenths down before I got to Turn 1, the tyres were nowhere, and it was totally normal that we were slower and didn’t make it through.

“I am really disappointed. We didn’t need to take so many risks. It’s rare we make these mistakes. You get what you deserve if you don’t do things right.”

As Russell was dealt an early bath, the returning Ricciardo snuk through to Q2 by just 0.011 sec.

Ricciardo is back in the saddle after seven months on the sidelines but on his debut for AlphaTauri, the Australian out-qualified team-mate Yuki Tsunoda. He will line up a respectable 13th on the grid, four places ahead of Tsunoda.

England’s Tyrrell Hatton insists he is not trying to be funny with his on-course remonstrations – in fact it is completely the opposite.

The 31-year-old is well known for his often expletive-laden outbursts which accompany poor shots but after taking a quadruple-bogey at the last on Friday he was even more demonstrative.

After tapping in for a nine, having hit two drives out of bounds, which ended his hopes of contending for the final major of the season Hatton turned round and used his putter to mimic shooting three times at the tee.

After a third-round 68 lifted him back to one under for the tournament, still too far back with one round to go, Hatton was asked about his mannerisms.

“I’ve done that one before on 18. Just a reaction to not being happy – but I definitely didn’t do a middle finger (gesture) ,” he said after his third round.

“I’m not doing it to be funny. I’m just being myself, what comes into my head at that time. That’s it.

“I just had two bad swings back-to-back and that kind of effectively takes us out of the tournament.”