THE OPEN: Johnson leads after calamitous day

BY BRENDAN JAMES AT ST ANDREWS

Mother Nature has delivered her worst at this year’s Open Championship, but now, after three days, Dustin Johnson can sleep a little easier as the halfway leader.

For the second consecutive day, play was suspended at St. Andrews on Saturday morning, but this time it was because of high winds that made the Old Course unplayable.

Saturday’s suspension of play, which began at 7.32am (local time) and remained until 6pm, means Championship will now finish on Monday. It will be the first Monday finish at an Open Championship since Seve Ballesteros prevailed at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 1988. The third round of this championship will be played on Sunday and the entire final round will be completed on Monday.

Dustin Johnson talks with a rules official on the 15th green as play is suspended due to high winds during the second round.
Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images.

The wind suspension came 24 hours after Friday’s second round was delayed for three hours and 14 minutes because torrential rain flooded some fairways. Tee times were pushed back, leaving 42 players – including co-leader Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day – to finish their second rounds at 7am Saturday.

Play did start on Saturday morning, but it only took 32 minutes before play was suspended as winds gusted up to 60km an hour (45 mph), making it impossible to play as balls were blown off greens and, at best, were oscillating as players tried to putt.

R&A officials were heavily criticised for beginning play in the first place, as the high winds had buffeted the coastal town all night.

Louis Oosthuizen and Tiger Woods laugh as Oosthuizen's ball moves due to high winds on the 13th green before play is suspended. Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

During the 32 minutes of play before the suspension, 52 holes were played by the 42 players left out on the course, with a combined score of 21-over par with just three birdies made.

The calamitous situation could have cost the likes of Johnson, Spieth and Louis Oosthuizen a chance of winning the Open had they continued, which is why they were angry that they even had to start.

“Why did we even start!?” Johnson called to an R&A rules official.

“We shouldn’t have even started,’’ Spieth added as they left the course.

Queensland’s Scott Hend double bogied the 8^th hole before play was called. He angrily said the R&A was a disgrace and the decision to play in the conditions had cost him making the cut.

*Read Scott Hend's blast at the R&A here

Johnson began the morning with a one shot lead at 10 under, with his ball marked near the front of the green on the par-5 14th hole. He hit a chip that, before he had a chance to mark it, was caught by a gust of wind and pushed off the putting surface back passed where he was standing. He bogied the hole to drop back to nine and tied with England’s Danny Willett, who was probably tucked up in bed sleeping soundly.

Playing partner, Spieth, had four three-putts in 14 holes. This from a guy who had only 11 three putts for his previous 1008 holes played.

Dustin Johnson recovered to take the halfway lead in the championship. Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images.

In a statement, the R&A said officials were on the course at 6am (local time) to assess whether the course was playable.

“Balls were not moving on the greens and while the conditions were extremely difficult, we considered the golf course to be playable,’’ the statement said.

R&A chief executive Peter Dawson addressed the media after play resumed and said: “Well, clearly with the benefit of hindsight, it would have been better if play hadn't started, but the decision was taken based on the evidence at the time. I supported it fully, was an integral part of it, and I believe it was the right decision given the facts at the time we took it.

“When you're out at the far end of the course and balls are not moving on the 11th green, although it's a tough day with a big wind, it's the right decision to play. It proved that as the wind increased that we would have been better not starting, but we did start.”

Johnson recovered from his wind-affected bogey at the 14^th hole by making birdie at the last to take sole possession of the lead, one stroke ahead of Willett, with 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie a further shot back.

Adam Scott and Jason Day are among six players at seven under in a tie for fourth place. Steven Bowditch and Geoff Ogilvy are two shots back at five under and tied for 14th. Matt Jones and Greg Chalmers are at three under, while Brett Rumford has fired rounds of 71, 71 to be two under.

Day advanced his chances with some great play in the tough conditions. He said he wasn’t allowing the dramas of the restart or the tough conditions get to him.

Jason Day as again well poised at a major championship. Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images.

“I just can't afford to get frustrated and stew over it,” he said. “There's another 36 holes to be played after this round. I really want to win a major so bad that I just can't afford to let it frustrate me.

“I've just got to keep moving forward and take it hole by hole and get this done, and I played pretty solid, shot one under, which was good in that wind, but it's over now, and I've got round 3 and round 4 to go.”

In all, 11 out of the 15 Australians who started this Championship made the cut. The last Aussie into the next two rounds was Sydneysider Scott Arnold, who looked to be heading home early before reeling off a string of four birdies starting at the 12^th hole. Despite a bogey at the hard 17^th, he parred the last to make the cut.

“Well, 24 hours ago I was thinking I've only got five hours' sleep and I've got to get up, and now I’m pretty much over the moon really,” he said. “I can't really put into words how good I feel at the moment.”

* For the full leaderboard, click here.