Play in the second round of the 144th British Open at St Andrews has been suspended due to heavy rain and winds.

Overnight downpours have flooded parts of the course, forcing officials to suspend play indefinitely.

Dustin Johnson takes the lead into the second round after the American fired 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.

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 – are in red figures but with the weather turning nasty it is expected the Old Course will bite back.