ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — The Latest from the 144th British Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews (all times local):
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10:35 a.m.
The head of the International Olympic Committee is feeling sorry for Tiger Woods.
The world’s most famous golfer is mired in the worst slump of his career, raising doubts that he will qualify when golf returns to the Olympic program at the 2016 Rio Games. Woods is ranked No. 241 in the world and shows no signs of turning things around at the British Open, where he will likely miss the cut.
IOC President Thomas Bach is in St. Andrews to promote Olympic golf. He says he spoke with Woods this past winter and expressed hope that he’ll be at the Rio Games. He says Woods replied that he would “love to play” and will do “everything to qualify,” but he’s not sure if he’ll be able to make the 60-player field for the Olympics.
If Woods doesn’t qualify, Bach says he would “really feel sorry for him.” But the IOC chief doesn’t think it will hurt the Olympics if Woods isn’t there.
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9:10 a.m.
The R&A is defending its decision to resume the second round of the British Open in blustery conditions.
Play re-started at 7 a.m., only to be halted just 32 minutes later. Thirty-nine players still have to complete the round, including co-leader Dustin Johnson and the winner of the last two majors, Jordan Spieth.
After several players, including Spieth, complained about the R&A’s call, the governing body issued a statement. It said officials spent an hour at the far end of the course, assessing whether the course was playable. After determining that balls were not moving on the greens, play resumed even though the R&A concedes “conditions were extremely difficult.”
Shortly afterward, the wind began gusting even more. The R&A says “this could not be foreseen at the time that play was restarted and made a material difference to the playability of the course.”
Gusts of up to 40 mph (64 kph) are projected through much of the day. The R&A hasn’t announced when play will resume.
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8:35 a.m.
Thirty-nine players have yet to complete the second round of the British Open, including some of the biggest names in the field.
Among the leaders, Dustin Johnson (9 under), Paul Lawrie (8 under), Louis Oosthuizen (7 under), Charl Schwartzel (6 under), Hideki Matsuyama (6 under), Jason Day (6 under) and Jordan Spieth (5 under) still have holes to play.
So does Tiger Woods, though he has little chance of making the cut at 5 over with six holes remaining. At the moment, the cut is projected at even par.
This will be Woods’ third missed cut in the last four majors, continuing a slump that has dropped him to No. 241 in the world rankings. He’s missed the cut in only one other British Open, back in 2009 at Turnberry.
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8:10 a.m.
There’s plenty of grumbling at St. Andrews after play was halted again for high winds.
Jordan Spieth is among the players saying the R&A never should have resumed the second round of the British Open at 7 a.m. Saturday in conditions that made it tough to keep the ball from moving on the greens.
Winds are gusting up to 40 mph, and are not expected to calm significantly until the afternoon. As Lee Westwood tweeted, “This is going to be a long day.”
Dustin Johnson began the morning with a one-shot lead, but he took a bogey at the par-5 14th after needing four shots to get down from alongside the green. He tried a pitch with his first attempt into the wind, only to have it blown back. He putted three more times to take a 6, leaving him tied for the top spot with Danny Willett at 9 under.
Spieth also three-putted at the 14th for a par and is four shots off the lead.
Willett completed the second round on Friday after heavy rain caused a delay of more than three hours. He shot a 3-under 69 for a 135 at the midway point.
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7:45 a.m.
There’s another delay at the British Open.
Several dozen players returned to the course early Saturday morning to complete the second round after a rain delay of more than three hours the previous day.
But after only 32 minutes, play was halted again because of high winds.
Some players, including Jordan Spieth, are complaining that the R&A never should have re-started play in such blustery conditions. Spieth three-putted at his first hole of the day, the par-5 14th, for a par. Leader Dustin Johnson wound up making a bogey at that hole after being alongside the green in two shots.
Johnson dropped to 9 under, leaving him tied for the top spot with Danny Willett. Spieth is four back.
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