TROON, Scotland — It’s been all hands on deck in this Open Championship. Wind and rain from all directions. Rory and Tiger missed the cut. Phil and Rickie made cut. The world’s number one player is lying in wait. So is number two. The long-distance leader through 18 holes. The sweet leader through 36 holes. Is Billy Horschel the only one ahead through 54 holes?

There’s a sense that something special is brewing at Royal Troon. Something chaotic, even. “There’s a front-foot mentality tomorrow,” Justin Rose said, predicting that one of the five players tied at three under will play well. Which one? We have some ideas below.

We decided on this under five This will put you in the playoffs in this crazy Open, with 24 players six strokes behind the leader. Six-under wins the tournament outright. Here are the nine best ways the Open Championship will end on Sunday night.

9. Sam Burns shoots 68 to redefine how we think about tournament golf

On the 11th hole of this championship — you know, three days ago — Sam Burns was seven over par. SEVEN over. Since then, by some miracle, he has made 13 birdies and only three bogeys. Shortly after 5 p.m. local time on Saturday, he completed his third round as the leaders headed to the 6th hole. Three hours later, he’s one shot behind. If he can pull that off, we’ll have to think about Thursday rounds very differently in the future.

8. Justin Rose Shot 68 and Got His Hall of Fame Ticket

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the guys in their early 40s. Adam Scott, who nearly won the Genesis Scottish Open last week. Sergio Garcia, who won the LIV Valderrama last week. And now Rose is doing what Rose did at Royal Troon. He made just one bogey in the first 36 holes and gritted his teeth through the worst conditions on Saturday night.

Another thing you’ll notice about the players above, besides their ages, is that each of them is just One major. That puts each of them right in the middle of Hall of Fame lock status. Rose will book his ticket to the right side of history with a win tomorrow.

There was a time when a two-time major champion emerged from a long slump to return to the spotlight with an epic Sunday at the Open Championship. His name? Jordan Spieth. What if the same thing happened to his friend Justin Thomas?

JT has been showing signs of greatness lately, but he hasn’t been able to do it in 72 holes. He shot his round Thursday morning and said it was “close.” But then he shot a 45 on the front nine on Friday and we forgot all about him. Thomas is only four behind after a 67 in good conditions on Saturday. He’s on the offensive Sunday. If Thomas can do that, we’ll have to rethink everything we think about him.

6. Billy Horschel shoots 70 with a backwards hat

One way to mobilize European golf fans? Play the Open Championship with your hat on backwards. But circumstances demanded it, quite a bit from Justin Rose on Saturday and especially from our leader, Billy Horschel. Horschel changed his hat for this event years ago and got burned on social media for it.

But it’s 2024 and if you put the Claret Jug away we’ll let it happen. Horschel will find no shortage of love in England, given his love of cricket, West Ham United and the DP World Tour. If he keeps his hat up, even more so.

5. Daniel Brown scores 68 points, wins with a cigarette between his lips

You’ve heard of him by now, that mysterious man with a generic name. DP World Tour pro Dan Brown, 29, faced Shane Lowry on Saturday and is now just one stroke behind. He also did it by stealing for a cigarette or two.

Brown calls it a bad habit and tries to hide it from his parents, but when you do it in the final match of the Open Championship, they’ll probably see it. Sunday’s round will be just as stressful, given the stakes, but if he pulls it off, his parents will have to ignore it.

4. Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa shoot 65s, make playoffs for immortality

Looking at the roster of pros above, these two names stand out. Both are looking for their third majors. Rahm is aiming for the extra leg of his career slam. Morikawa will take his season from really good to really epic. Maybe better than anyone except Scottie Scheffler.

Rahm has shown some fantastic moments in this week’s conditions. Morikawa has been a silent assassin, operating under the radar. If the wind picks up as the day progresses — as it did on Saturday — we could easily see one of these guys take the lead from the clubhouse. Why not both at the same time? Pick your winner.

3. Shane Lowry bounces back, shoots 67, poses with cameraman he swore at

Lowry had an up-and-down week. He was the only player invited inside the media center for multiple press conferences. But that’s what happens when you run a tournament for that long. But his loose finish — and the multiple F-bombs he’s thrown at others inside the ropes — have him on edge. The best-case scenario he can come up with is four front-nine birdies, followed by a steely, par-laden finish that includes a curse or two for the cameramen. Get down. All way in.

2. Xander Schauffele scores 68 points, plans strange vote

Schauffele is not the sexiest champion. He is not the best player in the world. He certainly does not talk like one. Most of his golf is so good, so consistent, so solid, that it borders on Ho, hmm. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be a great winner. A win by Schauffele on Sunday would be our first double major season in the men’s game since Brooks Koepka in 2018.

What would that do to PGA Tour Player of the Year voting? It would ask pros to choose between two majors and an epic, dominant, one-major year. That’s what I’m here for.

1. Scottie Scheffler shot 67, won in playoff

This would be his masterpiece. His chef d’oeuvre. His greatest masterpiece. Winning all over America and on the PGA Tour is one thing. Falling behind the elements at the Open Championship? It would be a crowning achievement unlike any other. If he can hit par on Sunday, even with no rain in the forecast, Scheffler will win this tournament and mark this season as one of the best we’ve seen in PGA Tour history.

Admit it, you want to see this.