Scottie Scheffler produced a masterclass of controlled golf to seize a commanding four-shot lead heading into the final round of The Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

The world number one carded a flawless bogey-free 67 to reach 14-under par, leaving the rest of the field with diminishing hopes of catching him.

The American's third round featured an eagle at the seventh hole and birdies at the eighth and 16th, with no blemishes on his scorecard. His relentless precision included several crucial par saves, notably from 10 feet at both the 11th and 14th holes.

"A clean card around a major championship golf course is nice, no bogeys is always a good thing," Scheffler said after his round.

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China's Haotong Li emerged as Scheffler's nearest challenger, sitting four shots back at 10-under after mixing four birdies with two bogeys in his 69. The Chinese star will partner Scheffler in Sunday's final pairing.

Matt Fitzpatrick, who had briefly held the outright lead during his round, slipped to third place at nine-under following a 71.

The Englishman had surged to 10-under with four consecutive birdies on the back nine but faltered with three bogeys, including a missed three-footer at the 17th.

"I'm giving myself an opportunity to win the golf tournament, but there's still a hell of a long way to go," Fitzpatrick said.

The 2022 US Open champion acknowledged Scheffler's dominance, adding: "He's an exceptional player. He's world number one and we're seeing Tiger-like stuff."

Rory McIlroy produced one of the most dramatic rounds of the championship, carding a 66 to reach eight-under and trail Scheffler by six shots.

The Northern Irishman experienced what he called "one of the most bizarre moments I've ever had on a course" at the 11th hole.

Playing from the rough, McIlroy's shot dislodged a second ball that had been buried, which popped up and landed at his feet. The incident left him asking his caddie: "Have you ever seen anything like that?"

McIlroy then delivered the shot of the day at the 12th, holing a spectacular 56-foot eagle putt that sparked what he described as "one of the largest roars I've ever heard on a golf course".

The hometown hero birdied three of his first four holes but couldn't sustain the momentum needed to seriously threaten Scheffler's lead.

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Scheffler's pursuit of a fourth major title appears increasingly likely given his formidable record when holding 54-hole leads.

The 28-year-old has converted his previous major championship leads into victories at the Masters and US PGA Championship, winning by margins of three, four and five shots.

"When I watch Scottie play a lot, he just looks blacked out to me, just doing his thing," defending champion Xander Schauffele observed.

"He's just in his own world and nothing's going to bother him. He gets to that place often, which is a good thing for him."

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Victory would give Scheffler his second major of 2025 and leave him requiring only the US Open to complete the career Grand Slam.

The last world number one to lead after 36 holes at The Open was Tiger Woods in 2006, who went on to claim the Claret Jug.

Tyrrell Hatton provided a moment of magic when he holed out from 138 yards for an eagle at the seventh, finishing on eight-under alongside McIlroy after a 68. The LIV golfer's spectacular shot from the fairway briefly had him smiling before returning to his characteristic chuntering.

Scotland's Robert MacIntyre sits two shots further back after a 70, during which he threw one club and smashed another into his bag in frustration. "Scottie's by far the best in the world," MacIntyre conceded.

Defending champion Xander Schauffele struggled to mount a challenge, finishing the day eight shots behind Scheffler.

Chris Gotterup and Harris English joined the group at eight-under, whilst Lee Westwood produced a remarkable back nine of 29 to finish on five-under.