Eddie Pepperell: English golfer in Open 2015 contention after incredible round at St Andrews

24-year-old on eight-under in clubhouse after third round

Eddie Pepperell (GETTY IMAGES)

With the eyes of most English golf fans on Danny Willett, Eddie Pepperell snuck into contention on Sunday with a fantastic third round at St Andrews.

Having ended the first day even-par, Pepperell negotiated the dreadful weather with nine holes of his second round on Friday and the other nine on Saturday to complete a round of two-under. That round of 70 gave him a share of 38th place and put him under level-par - the requirement to make the cut this year.

But on Sunday, the 24-year-old from Abingdon in Oxfordshire shot a stunning round that at the 16th made him the joint leader with Dustin Johnson on -10. Unfortunately, Pepperell dropped two shots on the 17th but still managed to get into the clubhouse in an impressive six-under, putting him at eight-under overall and in contention for the claret jug.

It's been an incredible weekend for Pepperell considering this is his first Open since turning professional in 2011. He managed to qualify for the tournament at St Andrews thanks to an impressive display at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in May, in which he lost a three-man sudden-death play-off. It was his best ever showing on the European Tour but one he will be hoping to top on Monday.

His only other major appearance to date came at the 2013 US Open, in which he failed to make the cut.

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