Andy DevaneyCasey Jarvis has spent much of this year making unfamiliar territory look increasingly comfortable. Now he has another rather pleasant problem to solve: how to sleep on a two-shot lead before a Sunday on the Old Course.
Jarvis will begin the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on 18 under par after a 65 at St Andrews, a score built on an explosive opening and, more importantly, the sort of control that tends to become rather useful when the wind starts interfering with everyone’s plans.
The South African has already collected back-to-back DP World Tour victories this year, made his first appearances at the Masters and The Open, and finished tied sixth in the latter. Another victory would add a particularly handsome line to that growing résumé.
“It’s a dream to be leading a tournament going into a Sunday on the Old Course,” said Jarvis.
“I’m just looking forward to walking these fairways on Sunday in the lead. I think whatever happens, I’m just going to give it my all and have fun.”
An eagle before everyone had settled in
Jarvis did not exactly creep into Saturday’s round.
Starting on the par-four 10th, he holed his second shot for eagle. Some golfers prefer a gentle opening hole to establish the rhythm of the day. Jarvis apparently saw no great need for all that administrative work.
Three birdies followed across his next four holes, turning a promising position into something considerably more serious before much of the round had been played.
He added another two birdies on his second nine and, crucially, avoided giving much back.
The resulting 65 carried him to 18 under and left him two strokes clear heading into the final round.
The scoring was impressive. The manner of it may have been more significant.
Jarvis wins his argument with the wind
Links golf has a useful habit of exposing whatever part of the game a player would prefer not to discuss.
For Jarvis, Saturday’s awkward left-to-right wind presented a familiar problem off the tee. Rather than spending the afternoon fighting it, he managed it.
“I just felt like I was in total control today. I normally struggle with the left to right wind off the tee and I managed it really well, and was really solid tee to green. And then luckily I rolled in a couple of good putts, so I’m very pleased,” he said.
There is a difference between playing brilliantly because everything happens to suit your eye and producing a low score while dealing successfully with a condition you know can trouble you. Jarvis managed the latter at precisely the moment the tournament demanded it.
The eagle will understandably attract attention. The control that followed is probably the more revealing part of his round.
A breakthrough year reaches St Andrews
A victory on Sunday would scarcely be an isolated flash of form.
Jarvis arrived at this point after back-to-back DP World Tour wins earlier in the year and a tied-sixth finish at The Open, with first appearances at both the Masters and Open also added to his season.
There are years when a player makes progress and years when progress begins arriving with trophies, major championships and Sunday pressure attached.
Jarvis is experiencing the second kind.
Now the Old Course offers him the opportunity to become only the second South African to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, following Branden Grace’s victory in 2012. Doing so in the championship’s 25th anniversary edition would add another layer to an already considerable Sunday.
Sunday pressure, with something to lean on
Jarvis is not pretending the final round will feel like any other stroll around St Andrews.
Nor does he need to.
The value of those victories earlier in the year may become most apparent when the lead, the Old Course and the prospect of another title all start competing for his attention.
“It would be unbelievable to join a player like Branden as a winner of this tournament, but whatever happens happens. I’m just going to try and have a good night and then come out and give it my all on the final day. We all feel pressure leading a final round and I know the pressure will be there – it’s just about managing it. I know that winning earlier this year though will definitely help me.”
That may be the task reduced to its most useful form.
Jarvis does not need to manufacture another breakthrough on Sunday. He has already had several of those.
He needs to do what Saturday suggested he is becoming increasingly good at: manage what is in front of him, trust the golf that put him there and let the Old Course provide the complications.
