Hatton's dazzling round on Saturday came as Australia's overnight leader Cameron John slipped well down the leaderboard, finding Carnoustie, one of the three links courses being used in the Scottish European Tour event, a formidable obstacle as he went round in a two-over 74.
Hatton, a two-time winner of this event that pairs professionals and amateurs from the celebrity and business world, is in line for his hat-trick as he's on pace to break his 72-hole tournament record from his 2017 victory.
Hatton took a little off his seven-iron and hit it to three feet on the fabled Road Hole 17th for birdie and then finished with a 10-foot birdie on the closing hole.
That put him at 22-under 194, low scoring that reflects the benign conditions at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. Hatton holds the tournament record of 24-under par.
"I knew when I holed that putt on 17, I had actually shot 10 under here before. I really wanted to birdie the last. That's actually my lowest round on tour, as well," said Hatton.
"Good putt and thankfully it went in. It was a cool day."
Colsaerts had a cool moment of his own. He was at Kingsbarns and made an albatross two on the par-five 16th hole. His six-iron bounded well past the pin up a slope, stopped and then rolled back down into the cup.
Rory McIlroy had reason to think he was headed for a special day when he went out in 29 at St. Andrews with seven birdies in nine holes. He drove the green on the par-four 10th and had just over five feet for another birdie.
McIlroy missed the putt and didn't make a birdie on the back nine. He was 10 shots worse — a 39 on the inward nine — for a 68 that left him 12 shots behind.
Romain Langasque had a 61 at St. Andrews in 2022, while Ross Fisher was the first to set the Old Course mark in 2017. The lowest at St. Andrews for the British Open is 63.
The pins typically are easier for the Dunhill Links to not make it overly difficult for amateur players.
The power brokers in golf — PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia — won't be around for Sunday's final round at St. Andrews. Their teams finished well outside the 20 pro-am teams that advance.
Tom Vaillant of France had a 64 at Kingsbarns and was in third, three shots behind, while Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen had a 61 at Kingsbarns and was five behind.
But Australian John's grand week stuttered at Carnoustie, as he slipped down to joint 22nd overall at 12 under, alongside his compatriot David Micheluzzi, who went round in 70 on the same course.
