The chase is on at Royal Birkdale.
There are 18 players within six shots of the 54-hole lead held by Sam Burns, with an intriguing final round in store at The 154th Open.
While American Burns may be in pole position to claim the Claret Jug, there are a host of fellow would-be first-time Major champions in contention.
Among those are a pair of Ryder Cup team-mates in Sweden's Ludvig Åberg and Southport native Tommy Fleetwood.
Bryson DeChambeau is the only player with Major-winning experience in the top ten on the leaderboard, but the likes of Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm and defending champion Scottie Scheffler also can't be discounted after a week that has already seen three 62s.
Here, we review the fortunes so far this week of the European contingent within six shots of Burns and hear what several of them have said ahead of Sunday's climax.
Ludvig Åberg - T6 (-6 | 71, 66, 67)
The Swede is the best-placed European hope as he looks to take the next step in his career. A winner on the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR, and with three top tens in Majors including a runner-up finish at the Masters in 2024, there is no doubting he has the talent to make the breakthrough. After opening with a 71 on Thursday, he has since got to grips with the challenge posed by the firm and fast conditions at Birkdale and registered rounds of 66 and 67 - featuring 11 birdies across the past two days - to put him in the third from last pairing on Sunday.
Tommy Fleetwood - T9 (-5 | 69, 67, 69)
Victory this week for the Englishman would undoubtedly be a fairytale story. The 35-year-old used to sneak onto the Southport links as a child and there wouldn't be many with a dry eye in the house if he was to be crowned Champion Golfer of the Year. After rounds of 69 and 67 saw him head into the weekend at four under, he got within one of the lead after a birdie at the 11th - his third of the day - but bogeys at the 15th and 18th saw him falter but he's continuing to allow himself to dream.
What he's said: "I've done it most days since I was seven years old, and it still hasn't stopped. That's what life's about, right? You daydream and you dream about the biggest things possible and then you try and make it a reality. To be honest, I've been pretty close to it this week. Today was as close as you're going to get. I was within one of the lead at The Open playing on the back nine. It's been pretty close already, and then you've just got the ultimate at the end of it, which would be holding the Claret Jug. Life is all about experiences, and I think I've had some of the best experiences of my life so far this week."
Shane Lowry - T11 (-4 | 69, 68, 69)
The Irishman has already lifted the Claret Jug in 2019, riding a wave of support at Royal Portrush. He has spoken of feeling in control during the week, and is certainly capable of getting on a run. After two bogeys in the first three holes after the turn on Saturday, he showed good resolve to make back-to-back birdies at the 13th and 14th to card a third consecutive round under par.
What he's said: "I mean, Dermot [Byrne, his caddie] said to me there when I finished, we're going to need one of our best days, but at least we have a chance. There's a few of them out there [low scores]. A few of them doing it this week. So it might be my turn tomorrow. One thing's for certain, I'll go out there and give it a go, and hopefully it's a great day."
Jon Rahm - T11 (-4 | 69, 67, 70)
The Spaniard will play alongside Lowry and the Ryder Cup pair could carry a big following with them if they can get off to a fast start. Rahm started with a double bogey on Saturday after hitting his tee shot out of bounds but still managed to card a level par 70 that featured four birdies as he played alongside home hero Fleetwood.
What he's said: The best part is they cheer him on, but they're respectful to everybody else playing. That's what makes it so fun for all of us. No matter how late in the round, how bad things get, everybody is almost cheering for everybody in the group. I felt plenty of support even playing with Tommy, and it's been a lot of fun. I can't imagine what it's like to play what's most likely his favourite event of the year at home because I get a small pinch of what it feels like to play when I play in the Spanish Open, and if it was a major in Spain, I can only imagine what it feels like. You can't compare Spanish Open to an Open Championship at home. It's very different levels."
Mixing it with the best
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen - T9 (-5 | 72, 66, 67)
While he might not be a Ryder Cup star yet, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen appears destined to represent his continent before too long and he continued his impressive Open debut to be in the mix ahead of Sunday's finale. Having won his first DP World Tour in Australia late last year to seal his place this week, he appears unfazed by the big stages and appears to have the game to compete on links layouts.
What he's said: "I've been good off the tee, disciplined into the greens, and it has felt like pretty much every aspect of the game has been at a pretty high level. I think, especially today, I did a really good job of being 100% committed to every club or line I chose off the tee, so that's definitely something that I need to do tomorrow as well."
Daniel Brown - T11 (-4 | 66, 71, 69)
Sat one shot off the lead after a 65 in the first round and while he lost ground with a 71 on Friday, the two-time DP World Tour winner and this season's PGA TOUR rookie gave himself some hope with a battling 69. Three birdies in his final five holes on Saturday highlights a strong resolve, especially after a three-putt bogey at the 12th, and he could be one to surprise a few as he looks to improve on his best Major finish of tied tenth at The Open on debut in 2024.
What he's said: "I want to go as low as possible. I'm not going to try and do anything crazy, just hope to stick to the game plan, avoid the bunkers, try and hit it a little closer. I'm going to need a few putts to drop tomorrow. Hopefully that happens."
