R&A forced to suspend Open play yet again
Golf has been played on the Old Course at St Andrews for centuries. And it feels like the second round of this year´s Open Championship has taken another century…
What a chaotic couple of days at St Andrews but, at the end of the day, a splendid decision by the R&A to suspend play yet again today. Weather conditions in Scotland at this year’s Open have been extreme, to say the least.
Late starters on Friday appeared to get a raw deal early this morning as they literally got blown off the course attempting to complete their second rounds which had been severely delayed yesterday due to a huge deluge of rain. The early starters today included Open Championship co-leader Dustin Johnson and twice Major winner this year, Jordan Spieth. Playing together, both Americans promptly dropped a shot as they resumed play of their second rounds, this time in hurricane conditions. The R&A once again had to abandon play.
After hours of frustration and a good dose of patience, this half of the draw finally teed-off again and miraculously had the advantage of a perfect summer’s evening for golf.
All in all, a very testing couple of days for the players and caddies, the R&A, the greenkeeping staff, and the thousands of volunteers and golf fans. In the end, it took 39 hours to play the second round. For only the second time in Championship history, the final round will be played on Monday. The last time that happened was at Royal Lytham St Annes in 1988 when Seve Ballesteros won the Claret Jug for the third time.
In more ways than one, it looks like the 144th Open Championship at St Andrews is going to be another for the record books.
Wendy Hoad
Photograph: R&A Chief Executive, Peter Dawson