The Latest: Second round of British Open is done _ finally!
Jul 18, 2015, 1:24 PM
A scoreboard near the 18th hole announces that play has been suspended due to high winds during the second round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Saturday, July 18, 2015. Play was suspended on Saturday as high winds caused players golf balls to move on some greens. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
(AP Photo/Jon Super)
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — The Latest from the 144th British Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews (all times local):
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9:18 p.m.
Finally! The second round of the British Open is over — nearly 39 hours after it began.
Play was suspended more than three hours on Friday because of heavy rain, and then halted for nearly 10 1/2 hours on Saturday by high winds.
The third round is now set for Sunday, followed by the first Monday finish at the Open since 1988.
American Dustin Johnson is the 36-hole leader with a 10-under 134, one shot ahead of England’s Danny Willett, and two ahead of Scotland’s Paul Lawrie, the 1999 Open champion.
Jordan Spieth is still in the mix after winning the Masters and the U.S. Open. Despite a shaky putter, he’s within five shots of the top spot.
Tiger Woods? He’s headed home, shooting a 7-over 151 that left him tied for 147th. It’s the first time in Woods’ professional career that he’s missed the cut in consecutive majors.
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8:50 p.m.
Late in the day, after most fans had already called it a day, there were still a couple of intriguing stories out on the Old Course.
David Duval, the 2001 British Open champion, bounced back from a three-putt bogey at the 17th for a tap-in birdie at the 18th that gave him the even-par score he needed to make the cut.
For Duval, whose career quickly went downhill after his only major title, this will be the first chance to play 72 holes at the Open since 2008.
Meanwhile, Australian qualifier Scott Arnold made four straight birdies on the tough back nine to slip through, also with a score right on the cut line.
There are a couple of groups still to finish, but it looks as though 80 players will head to Sunday’s third round.
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7:50 p.m.
Remember Paul Lawrie?
Sixteen years after becoming one of the most improbable winners in British Open history, Lawrie will go to the third round just two shots behind leader Dustin Johnson.
The 46-year-old Scot shot a 70 on Saturday, pushing his score on the Old Course to 8-under 136 at the midway point.
Back in 1999, Lawrie rallied from 10 shots behind on the final day and won in a playoff at Carnoustie. Of course, that Open is largely remembered for Jean van de Velde throwing away a three-shot lead with a triple-bogey on the 72nd hole.
Since then, Lawrie has missed the cut eight times and hasn’t finished higher than 26th in golf’s oldest championship.
Now, he’s positioned to make another run at the claret jug, though he’ll have to do it without any help from Van de Velde.
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7 p.m.
After waiting around most of the day to finish the second round, Dustin Johnson was rewarded for his patience.
He’s the leader at the British Open through 36 holes.
Johnson finished out a 3-under 69 with a birdie at the 18th hole Saturday evening, giving him a two-round total of 10-under 134. That puts him one shot ahead of Danny Willett, who finished the second round on Friday.
Johnson wasn’t able to complete the round, which was halted by rain, and was only able to play 32 minutes early Saturday before high winds suspended play again.
After a 10
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