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Adam Scott's hopes of pushing up the third round leaderboard at the Open amid more ideal conditions at Royal St George's failed to materialise as he shot a 73.

Adam Scott's hopes of a Greg Norman-style weekend charge at Royal St George's have failed to materialise as the former Masters champ was stymied by two double-bogeys in a disappointing third round at the 149th British Open.

The day after his 41st birthday, Scott had hoped to take advantage of further sunny and fairly benign conditions at the Kent links course as he began Saturday's "moving day"at one under par, 10 off the record-breaking pace being set by South African Louis Oosthuizen.

Instead, he only plummeted further down the board with his two calamities at the fourth and last holes ensuring he ended up with a three over par round of 73 that left him at two over for the Championship.

Scott had set himself the weekend target of two more rounds of 66 - the same as he'd recorded on his birthday on Friday - to drag himself into contention, saying he was out to produce the sort of round Norman did here in 1993 when he was the last Australian to win the Claret Jug.

But even if the winds were not quite as becalmed as Friday afternoon's near-perfect conditions, Scott failed to cash in on the opportunities he carved out and also suffered a putting calamity at the fourth to reach the turn an underwhelming one-over 36.

It left him at even par for the Championships, with his assertion that he'd need a "miracle" to contend looking more accurate by the hole.

Scott's fine iron play earned him birdie shouts at each of the first three holes but his missed putts were followed by his woes at the par four fourth, where he hit one long uphill putt so weakly that he rolled all the way back to his feet.

Partnered by his fellow former world No.1 Justin Thomas, who also looked a bit flat as he went on to record a 71 to leave himself at even par for the week, Scott did recover to birdie the next hole but time was already running out for the Adelaide-born Queenslander to make any real impact.

On the inward stretch, he again couldn't convert any of his chances and hit more trouble on the last to end with another six.