2010 British Open Round 2
Strong winds forced a 65-minute suspension during the second round of the 2010 British Open from 2:40p.m. until 3:45 p.m. Play was suspended due to darkness at 9:45 p.m., with 30 players yet to complete their round. Those players will be back in position at 6:30 a.m. Saturday. The third round will begin
approximately one hour after the second round concludes.
Prior to Friday, the last wind delay at the British Open came at Royal Birkdale in 1998, when winds reached 40 mph and forced a 38-minute delay during the second round – the same day Justin Rose fired a 66 to equal the lowest score in Open history by an amateur.
First-round leader Rory McIlroy posted an 8-over 80 on Friday to fall to 1-under 143. Rory McIlroy’s 63 on Thursday represented the 24th time a player carded that number in a Major Championship. His 80 on Friday marks the highest score in the following round by any of those players.
Louis Oosthuizen, a 27-year-old native of Mossel Bay, South Africa, posted a 5-under 67 on Friday to move to 12-under 132 after 36 holes of the 2010 British Open. He currently holds a five-stroke lead over Mark Calcavecchia and a six-stroke lead over Paul Casey, Lee Westwood and Steven Tiley (thru 10 holes).
Should it hold up when the second round concludes, Oosthuizen’s five-stroke lead would be the largest 36-hole cushion at the British Open since Bobby Clampett held the same lead at Royal Troon in 1982.
The last time a player led by as many as five strokes after 36 holes on the PGA TOUR was in 2006 when Tiger Woods held a five-shot lead at the WGC-American Express Championship. Earlier that season, Phil Mickelson led by six at the BellSouth Classic. The largest 36-hole lead so far in 2010 is four strokes, held by Jason Bohn at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and Justin Rose at the Travelers Championship.
Mark Calcavecchia, a 50-year-old member of the Champions Tour, carded a 5-under 67 to move to 7- under 137 through two rounds, while playing partner and fellow Champions Tour member Peter Senior posted a 1-under 71 to move to even-par 144.
Tom Lehman posted a 4-under 68 to move to 5-under 139 through two rounds, equaling his third-best 36-hole total at the Open Championship.
Defending champion Stewart Cink followed up a 2-under 70 with a 2-over 74 to fall to even-par 144 in his 13th start at the British Open and third at St. Andrews (T41-2000, MC-2005).
