Royal & Ancient CEO Peter Dawson on Saturday night accepted -- with hindsight -- that play "should never have restarted on the third morning at St Andrews," according to Derek Clements of the SUNDAY TIMES.
The late-running second round of the championship "was suspended due to high winds just 32 minutes after it restarted at 7am on Saturday."
Officials "were anxious to get play under way to complete round two after heavy rain interrupted proceedings for more than three hours on Friday, but it soon became apparent it was impossible." With balls being blown out of position on greens as players tried to address putts, a "decision was made to call a halt to the action."
Some players, including world No. 2 Jordan Spieth, "expressed frustration that play had even started and Dawson accepted that, but insisted a sound decision was made at the time." He said, "We spent an hour at the far end of the course, before play started, assessing whether it was playable. Balls were not moving on the greens and while the conditions were extremely difficult, we considered the course to be playable." That cut "little ice" with Lee Westwood when he came off the 16th. He tweeted, "Bit of a strange decision here at The Open. They seemed to stop play out on 11 and allowed the rest of us to carry on playing."
Canada’s David Hearn, one of several competitors trying to cope with the conditions on the par-three 11th, said, "I am more than disappointed in the R&A. Some groups hit only one shot, while others played on. It needs to be a fair contest and it wasn’t this morning" (SUNDAY TIMES, 7/19).
