Rory McIlroy was slipping out of rivalry as Matt Fitzpatrick took a share of the lead when play was suspended because of fog within the third spherical of the Genesis Scottish Open.
Beginning the day among the many in a single day leaders, McIlroy slipped 5 pictures off the tempo after eight holes in tough circumstances at The Renaissance Membership in North Berwick earlier than play was halted at 7.55pm (BST).
Event organisers introduced the third spherical will recommence at 7am on Sunday morning and the ultimate spherical is not going to be performed earlier than 10.15am on Sunday, with gamers set to tee off from one tee.
McIlroy, who had held a share of the lead following his first and second rounds, began his third spherical in poor vogue, making three bogeys on holes three, 5 and 7 earlier than he walked again into the clubhouse at six-under par.
It was an uncharacteristic begin from the Northern Irishman, who has been in red-hot type this week, dubbing his medical opening spherical of 65 the ‘full efficiency’.
However on Saturday, McIlroy struggled with a number of elements of his recreation, notably chunking a tee-shot on the par-three fifth gap 125 yards to the fringes of the entrance of the inexperienced.
On the seventh gap, McIlroy reduce a driver into the tough, earlier than hacking a restoration shot out of a bush and onto the green 9 yards in entrance of himself, again into the tough.
It was an uncharacteristic efficiency from McIlroy who had began the week in flying vogue
The 37-year-old ended his day scrambling for par on the eighth gap, after lacking his method shot left of the inexperienced.
As McIlroy struggled, his European Ryder Cup team-mate Matt Fitzpatrick climbed his method to take a share of the lead alongside American Michael Thorbjornsen at 11-under par.
Thorbjornsen rose 12 locations up the leaderboard on Saturday, after he posted a rating of 5 beneath via 13 holes, earlier than his spherical was reduce quick.
Matt Fitzpatrick took a share of the co-lead at 11-under par
Requested what he considered the murky fog that had engulfed The Renaissance Membership on Saturday, Thorbjornsen informed Sky Sports activities: “I might have expected to see a little bit just in the mornings, but I didn’t know that fog was this much in play throughout the whole day.
“Yeah, that is loopy. I’ve by no means seen something like this.”
Thorbjornsen said towards the end of the day he couldn’t see his ball in the air when he hit off the tee.
“In direction of the top of the spherical, during the last three holes, I hit a few drivers up into the air and overpassed them earlier than they reached the apex. You simply need to belief your self that you’ve got hit good pictures.”
“It was powerful. However for essentially the most half it was okay.”
Michael Thorbjornsen joined Fitzpatrick to take a share of the lead
Behind them, a chasing pack of gamers follows at 10-under par, together with American Johnny Keefer, the third alternate for subsequent week’s Open Championship, whose low third spherical rating of 64 propelled him 22 locations up the leaderboard.
“I think I had the mindset this week that anything can change,” Keefer stated. “I knew that it was going to be a little colder, so I could kind of prep a little bit. Yeah, the wind has gotten up. It’s switched directions three times in the week that we’ve been here.”
Fellow People Kevin Roy, Wyndham Clark (via 15 holes), and Chris Gotterup (via 10 holes) joined Keefer at 10-under par, whereas Australian Min Woo Lee (via eight holes) and England’s Jordan Smith (via seven holes) additionally sit one shot again off the leaders.
“It’s more disappointing that we didn’t get to finish tonight,” Clark, who had gone 4 beneath via 15 holes earlier than being known as off the course, stated.
Wyndham Clark stated he was disillusioned to need to stroll off the course prematurely
“Who knows what they will do. It’s just always nice playing twosomes on Sunday.
“It makes for a shorter night time. However no matter. It’s what it’s.”
A big finish for Roy on Sunday could see him snag one of the last spots available at the Open Championship, with the top three players this week, not already exempt for the final major of the season at Royal Birkdale, gaining a spot in the field.
Elsewhere, a former Scottish Open champion, Robert MacIntyre, made two birdies on his front nine to move to two shots back of the leaders, while Tom Kim, who had shared the 36-hole lead with Smith and McIlroy, made par on all seven of his opening holes to keep his score at nine-under par.
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