The Genesis Scottish Open’s third round was suspended for a second time on Saturday as thick coastal fog rolled in off the North Sea, sending players from The Renaissance Club and leaving overnight co-leader Rory McIlroy to fall away from the pace after a bogey-bogey start.
According to Golfweek’s live coverage from North Berwick, play was first halted at 10.45am local time before officials sent groups back out shortly after 1pm, only for a second delay to strike in the afternoon as visibility deteriorated again. The conditions were described as haar, the cold sea fog that regularly rolls onto Scotland’s eastern coastline, with only a handful of players out when the round was first stopped.
Michael Thorbjornsen And Matthew Fitzpatrick Move Into Contention
Michael Thorbjornsen and Matthew Fitzpatrick were tied for the lead when play was halted, a shot clear of a congested chasing pack that included defending champion Chris Gotterup, fresh off victory at the John Deere Classic, who birdied the sixth to push into that group as he chases a second straight PGA Tour title.
McIlroy, who had shared the overnight lead alongside Jordan Smith and Tom Kim, opened his delayed round with bogeys at the third and fifth to slip back, a stumble that comes three months on from his career Grand Slam at the Masters. It follows Scottie Scheffler’s own missed-cut exit from the same tournament a day earlier, and comes less than 24 hours after McIlroy himself had shared the opening lead at The Renaissance Club.
With round three unfinished, the leaders must complete their rounds on Sunday morning before any final-round assault can begin.
