At the 2017 ISPS HANDA Australian Open in Sydney he played in the final group on the last day and faded, and last year at The Australian he hit the lead midway through his round but threw in a double bogey to extinguish his fire.

On Sunday, we will all find out exactly how much the Victorian has improved because in the whole world, there is no other tournament outside a major that he would rather win.

Especially at home, with family and friends in tow, on a course where he often played pennant for Commonwealth as a teenage prodigy from the provincial city of Bendigo.

Herbert shares the lead with American rookie pro Ryggs Johnston at 14-under through three rounds having cobbled a third-round 72, even-par, despite not bringing his best in wet conditions that encouraged low-scoring on soft greens.

“A little bit frustrating, but sort of no ground lost really,” he said. “I’m still in the lead, might just let a few more people back in the tournament, but still leading, still where I want to be.”

Melburnian Jasper Stubbs, Queenslander Elvis Smylie (who threw his golf ball to an Elvis impersonator behind the 15th green), defending champion Joaquin Niemann (64 today), China’s Wenyi Ding and Finland’s Oliver Lindell are all well-placed at 12 under, just two from the lead.

Another local favourite Marc Leishman (68 today) is in the group at 11-under who are also well within reach. There are 11 players within three shots at the top heading into what will be a pulsating Sunday at Kingston Heath.

Herbert begin with a four-shot lead and was quickly reeled in, then overtaken by Ryggs, the 24-year-old from upcountry Montana who’s hanging out to go back to America for a spot of fishing in a few weeks’ time.

Johnston, whose Christian name comes from Mel Gibson’s character in the Lethal Weapon movie, made five birdies in six holes from the fourth and held the lead outright for a stretch.

But Herbert made a great birdie on the par-4 ninth and parred the last nine holes. That was enough for a share of the lead thanks to the American’s meltdown double bogey at the 14th when he drove into the mulga.

He’s a different player now; more settled than he used to be, and physically stronger since he’s found the weight room for the first time in his life. His success on the PGA Tour and his switch to LIV Golf have made him wealthy; but an Australian Open win would be priceless for him.

Riggs is playing just his second pro tournament having graduated through DP World Tour school and said that the experience had helped him. “That final round (at tour school) is one of the most pressured. I mean, it’s a different type of pressure there and I did pretty well. So I just try to take that with me and use it as something we’ll look back on to kind tell myself that, ‘hey there, a lot of people watch it and a lot of pressure, but you can still do this’.”

Herbert, his playing partner, certainly noticed a certain freedom to the American’s play. “It looks so easy for Ryggs who doesn’t probably care about the Australian Open as much as I do, with no disrespect to him. It just means so much being my home national Open, I’d love to put one of these on my resume.”

One Australian who won’t lift the Stonehaven Trophy is Cameron Smith (76 today), who at one point on Friday was 11-under, but who from that point played 25 holes without a birdie.

PHOTO: Lucas Herbert drives during round three at Kingston Heath. Image: Daniel Pockett