Play suspended at The Renaissance Club
The third round of the Genesis Scottish Open was suspended due to dense fog, leading to an overnight postponement. Play at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick was halted on Saturday evening, marking the second delay of the day. The round is scheduled to recommence at 7:00 a.m. local time on Sunday morning.
The final round will not begin before 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, with players set to tee off in threesomes from one tee. This schedule suggests a lengthy Sunday for the golfers, particularly for those who were leading after 36 holes and will need to complete more than 27 holes.
McIlroy loses ground as Fitzpatrick climbs
Rory McIlroy, who had been among the overnight leaders, experienced a challenging third round before play was suspended. He slipped five shots off the pace after eight holes amidst difficult conditions. McIlroy’s round included three bogeys on holes three, five, and seven, bringing his score to six-under par when he returned to the clubhouse.
This performance was described as uncharacteristic for McIlroy, who had previously shown strong form during the week, even calling his opening round of 65 a ‘complete performance’. On Saturday, he faced difficulties with various aspects of his game, including a tee-shot on the par-three fifth hole that landed 125 yards to the fringes of the front of the green. Later, on the seventh hole, he hit a driver into the rough and then a recovery shot out of a bush, only for it to land back in the rough nine yards in front of him. He ended his day scrambling for par on the eighth hole after missing his approach shot to the left of the green.
While McIlroy struggled, his European Ryder Cup teammate, Matt Fitzpatrick, advanced to share the lead. Fitzpatrick is tied with American Michael Thorbjornsen at 11-under par. Thorbjornsen made significant progress on Saturday, moving up 12 places on the leaderboard after scoring five under through 13 holes before his round was cut short by the fog.
Thorbjornsen commented on the unusual conditions, stating he had never seen anything like the dense fog that enveloped the course throughout the day. He noted that towards the end of his round, he lost sight of his ball in the air after hitting a couple of drivers, having to rely on trusting his shots.
Chasing pack and Open Championship implications
A group of players is closely trailing the leaders at 10-under par. This group includes American Johnny Keefer, who is the third alternate for next week’s Open Championship. Keefer’s low third-round score of 64 propelled him 22 places up the leaderboard. He shared his mindset for the week, acknowledging that conditions could change and preparing for colder weather and shifting wind directions.
Joining Keefer at 10-under par are fellow Americans Kevin Roy, Wyndham Clark (through 15 holes), and Chris Gotterup (through 10 holes). Additionally, Australian Min Woo Lee (through eight holes) and England’s Jordan Smith (through seven holes) are also just one shot behind the leaders. Clark, who was four under through 15 holes before play was called off, expressed disappointment about not being able to finish his round, noting the preference for playing in twosomes on Sunday for a shorter night.
A strong finish for Kevin Roy on Sunday could secure him one of the remaining spots at the Open Championship. The top three players in this tournament who are not already exempt for the final major of the season at Royal Birkdale will earn a place in the field. Elsewhere on the course, former Scottish Open champion Robert MacIntyre moved to within two shots of the leaders after making two birdies on his front nine. Tom Kim, who had shared the 36-hole lead with Smith and McIlroy, maintained his score at nine-under par by making par on all seven of his opening holes.
The third round of the Genesis Scottish Open was suspended at 7:55 p.m. (BST) on Saturday.
Read Also
Source: skysports.com
As NewsGB.org's Sports News Writer, Theo Marsden reports on rugby union, golf and boxing for readers across the country. He began on a regional sports desk in Yorkshire. He holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Hull and completed an NCTJ diploma. Theo lives in Hull, where he follows the European Tour and amateur rugby. “Sport moves fast; readers deserve it right the first time.”