The third round of the Genesis Scottish Open was suspended due to dense fog, impacting play at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick. Matt Fitzpatrick moved into a share of the lead, while Rory McIlroy experienced difficulties, falling behind after strong initial rounds. Play was halted twice on Saturday, first in the morning and then again in the evening, with 22 players unable to complete their rounds.
The conditions, described as haar, a cold, wet sea fog, caused significant delays. Play was initially suspended at 10:45 BST for nearly two and a half hours, with leading groups not starting until after 18:00. The fog then rolled back in, leading to a second suspension at 19:55 BST.
Fitzpatrick’s strong start amid McIlroy’s struggles
Matt Fitzpatrick had an excellent start to his round, recording four birdies in seven holes, which propelled him to 12 under par. Despite a bogey on the eighth hole, his final hole of the day, he ended tied overnight at 11 under par with Michael Thorbjornsen. Thorbjornsen climbed 12 places on the leaderboard, achieving five under through 13 holes before play was suspended.
In contrast, Rory McIlroy, who had shared the lead after the first two rounds, struggled significantly. He made three bogeys in his eight completed holes, leaving him five shots behind Fitzpatrick at six under par. His difficulties included a three-putt bogey on the third hole and a chunked iron shot on the par-three fifth. On the par-five seventh, a hole he had birdied in previous rounds, he bogeyed after missing a short putt.
McIlroy’s performance was described as uncharacteristic, especially given his strong form earlier in the week. He faced challenges with multiple aspects of his game, including a tee-shot on the fifth hole that landed well short of the green and a recovery shot on the seventh that ended up back in the rough after hitting a bush.
Clubhouse leaders and resumption of play
Johnny Keefer set the clubhouse target at 10 under par after completing a third-round 64, which moved him up 22 places on the leaderboard. He expressed a flexible mindset regarding the challenging conditions, noting that anything can change in links golf.
A group of players, including Kevin Roy, Wyndham Clark, Chris Gotterup, Min Woo Lee, and Jordan Smith, are also at 10 under par, chasing the leaders. Wyndham Clark, who was four under through 15 holes, expressed disappointment about not being able to finish his round.
Play is scheduled to resume at 07:00 BST on Sunday morning. The fourth round is expected to begin no earlier than 10:15 BST, with golfers teeing off in threesomes from one tee. This schedule indicates a potentially lengthy Sunday for the players, particularly for those who were leading after 36 holes, as they will need to complete more than 27 holes.
Among those yet to complete 54 holes at 10 under are defending champion Chris Gotterup, US Open winner Wyndham Clark, and Jordan Smith. Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre is one shot further back.
Michael Thorbjornsen commented on the unusual fog, stating he had never seen anything like it, and that visibility was so poor towards the end of the day that he lost sight of his ball in the air after hitting it.
The top three players in the tournament who are not already exempt for the final major of the season at Royal Birkdale could secure a spot in the Open Championship.
Tom Kim, who had shared the 36-hole lead with Smith and McIlroy, maintained his score at nine under par after making par on his opening seven holes.
The third round of the Genesis Scottish Open will recommence at 7am on Sunday morning.
Source: bbc.co.uk
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