Floods, fireworks and farewells were the order of the day as a rain-interrupted second round ended with Dustin Johnson occupying first place on the leaderboard in the 144th Open Championship on Friday.
The big-hitting American was 10-under for the championship through 13 holes, one stroke clear of England’s Danny Willett (69), when darkness ended play just before 10pm with several groups still out on the course.
“I feel great and I am in a good spot,” Johnson told reporters. “I will get a good night’s rest and get back out here tomorrow.”
Photo: AFP
After an early-morning deluge caused play to be suspended for more than three hours, it was inevitable the second round would have to be carried over.
Sharing third position with a score of eight-under were 1999 champion Paul Lawrie (12 holes) of Scotland and Australian Jason Day (11).
Jordan Spieth, 21, bidding to become the first player since fellow American Ben Hogan in 1953 to triumph in the opening three majors of the season, was five-under through 13 holes.
The US’ fourteen-time major winner Tiger Woods, who has slumped from first to 241st in the rankings in the past 14 months, was five-over for the championship through 11 and looks certain to miss yet another halfway cut.
However, the day belonged to five-time Open champion Tom Watson and triple former winner Nick Faldo.
Watson, playing in golf’s oldest major for the last time, missed the cut on his swansong appearance, but he was given an emotional send-off by the crowd when he walked off the final green with flashbulbs illuminating the gloaming.
“Last year I asked the R&A [Royal and Ancient organizers] if they would grant me one more year of exemption for this old guy to walk the Old Course,” the 65-year-old American said after an 80 gave him a 12-over total of 156. “I do feel very thankful, for this place is special, the history of St Andrews is documented, it goes back 400 years and will always be the golf course people think about when they think of links golf.”
Faldo, who turned 58 yesterday, also failed to qualify for the weekend on his last outing at a St Andrews Open, although he refused to close the door unequivocally on his major championship career.
“I think that might be my last week [in an Open Championship],” the Englishman said after returning a 71 for 154.
The fireworks were supplied by Englishman Willett, who took advantage of the calmest conditions of the day to reel off five birdies in a three-under-par round that left him on nine-under 135.
“I said yesterday it could be Armageddon today and it was this morning,” he said. “Luckily we did not have to play in the rain. The wind was a good wind for St Andrews, a 20 to 30-yard wind. It was playable, you can certainly hit golf shots and it was not too ridiculous.”
Johnson, who also led after Thursday’s first round, again sent out a series of big, booming drives as he birdied the fourth, fifth, seventh and 10th holes before dropping his only stroke of the day at the 11th.
Play was suspended yesterday morning after strong winds started moving the golf balls on the greens.
About 45 minutes of play was possible, but it proved a costly spell for Johnson as he returned at 7am to try and complete his second round.
Placing his ball down behind the marker he left just short of the par-five 14th green on Friday evening, the American paid the price for a poor chip and then three-putted to drop a shot.
That moved him back into a share of the lead with Willett.
However, play was soon suspended when 2010 champion Louis Oosthuizen’s ball was blown across the 13th green, causing organizers to call the players in.
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