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AS IT HAPPENED

As It Happened: The Open Championship, final round

Follow our live coverage from Day 4 at Carnoustie.

Check out the final Open leaderboard here>>

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the final round of The Open Championship.

Defending champion and joint leader Jordan Spieth (-9) has just teed off at Carnoustie, while Tiger Woods is level for the day and remains five-under after two holes.

Rory McIlroy bogeyed the second and is five shots off the lead, which is currently shared by American trio Spieth, Kevin Kisner and Xander Schauffele.

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We’ll keep you up to speed over the course of the evening!

Missed birdie opportunity for McIlroy (-4) on the fourth, and he’s forced to tap in for par.

Of the chasing pack, only Tommy Fleetwood (-6) and Erik van Rooyen (-5) are under-par thus far today.

Joint leader Kevin Kisner (-9) is in big trouble on the second, while Spieth (-9) and Schauffele (-9) have both just poked home for par on the same hole. The three-way tie at the top is about to become a two-way tie.

The Open Championship 2018 - Day Four - Carnoustie Golf Links Jane Barlow Jane Barlow

Kisner hits a 6 on the second hole and is now two shots off the lead at -7. He’s still one clear of Kevin Chappell and Francesco Molinari. Spieth and Schauffele are your leaders on -9.

Three pars to start with for Tiger Woods, who remains five-under and four shots off the lead.

McIlroy bogeyed the fifth and has dropped to three-under, six shots off Spieth and Schauffele.

The Open Championship 2018 - Day Four - Carnoustie Golf Links David Davies David Davies

It’s all going wrong for Kevin Kisner early doors in this final round. The American has dropped another shot on the third, leaving him three off the lead he shared when he teed off half an hour ago.

Your leaderboard as it stands

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You can also follow The Open’s live leaderboard here.

TIGER! The 42-year-old rolls one in for birdie from 15 feet on the fourth, and he’s now tied with Kisner, Molinari and Chappell at -6!

That putt was greeted by some roar from the crowd at Carnoustie.

The Open Championship 2018 - Day Four - Carnoustie Golf Links PA Wire / PA Images PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images

McIlroy saves par on the sixth with a 20-footer from the edge of the green. He needs to get something going – could that be the spark? He remains three-under for the tournament, two-over for the round.

Here’s that Woods birdie on 4.

McIlroy (-3) parred, birdied and birdied the seventh in his opening three rounds, but his drive on the same hole today has found a rotten-looking hedge. Spieth and Schauffele have both parred the fourth and remain tied for the lead on -9.

England’s Eddie Pepperell shot a final-round, four-under-par 67 to finish on -5. He’s going to stick around, he says, as the wind picks up at Carnoustie. “You never know.”

BIRDIE on 6 for Tiger Woods, and he’s out on his own at -7, two shots back from Spieth and Schauffele.

Matt Kuchar has two birdies in three holes after bogeying 1 and 3. He’s back to -5.

Tommy Fleetwood’s challenge seems to have collapsed: he’s four-over for his last four holes having bogeyed 5 and 7, and double-bogeyed 6.

Joint leaders Spieth and Schauffele have both bogeyed the fifth. They are now just one shot clear of their compatriot Tiger Woods.

Stick the kettle on.

British Open Golf Peter Morrison Peter Morrison

Kevin Kisner chips out of the bunker for birdie at 6 and joins Woods on seven-under. Cracking shot.

And suddenly, despite a disastrous start, things aren’t looking too bad for the American.

McIlroy birdied the ninth and is now just four shots off the lead on four-under.

Your leaderboard as it stands

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Woods pars again on 8.

Spieth, meanwhile, has found gorse on 6 and has had to drop a ball. Looking at bogey. Joint leader Schauffele in a spot of bother on the same hole.

Kisner misses a gimme par putt on 7 to drop back to six-under, one behind Woods and two behind the leaders.

Wow. Double bogey for Spieth. Bogey for Schauffele.

Tiger Woods and Xander Schauffele lead The Open.

Your leaderboard as it stands

Tiger, Tiger, burning bright…

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Kisner, by the way, has had another wobbler on 8.

BIRDIE for McIlroy on the 11th, and he is well and truly back in the hunt. Now just two shots off the lead.

Double bogey for Schauffele on 7.

Tiger Woods has taken the outright lead at The Open

Woods (-7) leads Jordan Spieth and Francesco Molinari (-6 each), while Rory McIlroy, Kevin Kisner, Kevin Chappell, Eddie Pepperell and Xander Schauffele (-5) are a shot further back.

Oh dear. An untimely bogey for McIlroy on 12 pushes him back to three off Woods’ lead.

Woods finds the spectators with his approach on the 11th. He’s in a spot of bother.

Kevin Chappell grabs his first birdie of the day on 10 to move to -6, one shot off the lead.

Credit to Woods, who took some flak for not signing an autograph for a kid earlier in the week: he signs a glove and hands it to the spectator whom he hit with his approach on 11. Chap looks chuffed. Probably a bit sore, but chuffed.

Woods, now, facing his first crisis of the round. Has a 10-12-footer uphill for bogey on the 11th green.

Double bogey for Woods. Molinari, Chappell, Kisner and Spieth move into the lead on -6. Woods one shot back on -5 alongside Pepperell, Schauffele and Justin Rose, who has hung tough to join the chasing pack. Rose is one-under for the round thru 14.

Your leaderboard as it stands

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Xander Schauffele birdies 10 to move into a five-way share of the lead on -6.

MCILROY WITH THE EAGLE! Rory joins the leaders on six-under with a stunning putt. What a Sunday we’re having!

Tiger Woods’ challenge looks to be fading, however. He’s now two shots off the lead after a bogey on 12.

‘If only McIlroy could putt…’

Kisner moves back to five-under with a bogey on 12.

Woods is back in the mix with a birdie on 14 which takes him to -5, but Francesco Molinari is now your outright leader on -7.

Justin Rose is in the clubhouse at six-under, and he’ll no doubt be sticking around in case he gets summoned back out for a playoff.

Slow and steady is currently winning the race for Molinari, however.

Your leaderboard as it stands

Only one shot separates the top seven. Could the Claret Jug be heading to Italy for the first time in its history?

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Molinari has company! Xander Schauffele has joined him in the lead on -7 with a birdie on 14.

Spieth has a putt to join them both but it swings agonisingly around the 14th hole, and the champion remains on -6.

McIlroy joins Rose in the clubhouse on -6 after a round of 70.

The wait goes on for Tiger Woods but a final-round 71 sees him finish on five under par. A stellar four rounds for the 14-time major winner.

Francesco Molinari leads The Open after shooting a final-round 69

Molinari…BIRDIES the 18th! The Italian is the new clubhouse leader on eight-under.

A superb 69 to follow yesterday’s 65, and only Xander Schaufelle can prevent him from becoming Italy’s first ever Open champion, now. The American is currently seven-under with two holes remaining.

It looks like it will be…

Schaufferle bogeys 17 and is now two shots off Molinari’s clubhouse lead. With one hole remaining for the American, it’s looking seriously good for ‘Frankie’.

Francesco Molinari is The Open champion!

Italy has its first ever British Open champion. Francesco Molinari has his first ever major. Eight under par. 37 holes without a dropped shot. A worthy winner of a compelling Open Championship.

Your final leaderboard

So there you have it. ‘Frankie’ reigns supreme in Carnoustie on a marvelous final day.

Thanks for joining our coverage today. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

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