Suspension of play a break for Rory after he loses the lead

LATEST NEWS: Play in the Open resumed at 3.45pm after a suspension of 1hr 5min.


FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By ALLAN MACKIEWinds gusting over 40mph today caused play to be suspended during the second round of the Open Championship at St Andrews.
The wind was strong enough to cause balls to move on the more exposed greens of the Old Course, with officials halting play shortly before 2:40pm.
R&A rules secretary David Rickman said: "A number of greens just became unplayable. We had problems at the 12th, 13th, 10th, 11th and seventh, those out at the far end near the estuary.
"The odd ball oscillating happens, the odd ball moving happens, but when you have a series of incidents in close succession that's the time when play is just not possible."
The suspension was possibly good news for Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who was on the fourth fairway when the hooter sounded.
McIlroy had enjoyed a two-shot overnight lead after taking full advantage of the near-perfect conditions available to yesterday's early starters, equalling the lowest round in major championship history with a stunning 63.
But by the time he teed off this afternoon, the 21-year-old found himself three off the lead and the blustery wind was picking up.
South African Louis Oosthuizen, second overnight, had added a 67 to his opening 65 to set a testing clubhouse target of 12 under par, equalling the Open record in relation to par established by Nick Faldo and Greg Norman in 1990.
McIlroy began confidently enough, opening with three pars to remain nine under and outright second, with 1989 winner Mark Calcavecchia surprisingly alone in third place on seven under, the 50-year-old having completed a flawless 67 in the first match out at 6:30am.
English duo Lee Westwood and Paul Casey were a shot further back after rounds of 71 and 69 respectively, although both had reason to be slightly disappointed with their position.
Westwood carded 17 pars and just one birdie as he saw several other chances narrowly miss, most noticeably on the ninth.
The world number three was already moving towards the hole to pick the ball out when he saw his birdie attempt catch the hole and spin out – much to his disbelief.
Casey carded five birdies in an outward half of 31 alone, but then ran up a triple-bogey 7 on the famous 17th, taking two shots to hack out of heavy rough to the left of the fairway.
"That's the thickest rough on the golf course and I would just like it thinned out," said Casey unsurprisingly, although he at least birdied the 18th to partially make amends.