Play resumes at wet, windy British Open

Overnight downpours have flooded the Old Course at St Andrews but after a near three-and-a-half-hour delay, play is back underway at the British Open.

After starting at 6.32am local time, play was called just 14 minutes later but resumed at 10am.

Grounds keepers were forced to sweep tonnes of standing water on the opening hole into the famous burn as the home of golf was bucketed with rain and high winds making play impossible.

Puddles have formed elsewhere on the historic links including the famous valley of sin in front of the 18th green which has temporarily become the lake of sin.

American Dustin Johnson takes the overnight lead into the second round after firing his equal-lowest round at a major with a sizzling seven-under-par 65 on Thursday.

Johnson grabbed a one-stroke buffer on a jam-packed and star-studded leaderboard with compatriots Zach Johnson and Robert Streb, Australian Jason Day, South African Retief Goosen, Englishman Danny Willett and Scotland’s 1999 champion Paul Lawrie also taming the famous Old Course on the opening day.

Johnson will now have to wait until 5.48pm local time before starting round two in what weather officials are predicting will be 40-60 km/h winds.

Australia’s best starter in Day also has a long wait, now due out at 6.10 pm.

It doesn’t get dark at the Old Course until about 10pm local time.

Chasing the fabled grand slam, Masters and US Open champion Jordan Spieth is among five players two shots adrift after signing for a five-under 67 as the world’s elite golfers embarked on a first-day birdie blitz.

All up, 63 players – almost half the field – were in red figures after day one but with the weather turning nasty it is expected the course will bite back today.

Steven Bowditch will be the first Australian out in round two at 10.30am after a two-under 70 on Thursday.

Matt Jones (-4), Adam Scott (-2), Marc Leishman (-2), Greg Chalmers (-2), Geoff Ogilvy (-1), Brett Rumford (-1) and John Senden (E) all start inside the current cut mark of top 70 and ties while Marcus Fraser (+2), Scott Hend (+2), Adam Bland (+3), Scott Strange (+5) and Rod Pampling (+5) have work to do.

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