Robert MacIntyre holds the joint lead of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship as play was suspended after Storm Amy wrought havoc on Friday.
MacIntyre battled brutal conditions, hitting seven birdies and a solitary bogey in the worst of the weather, to grab a share of the clubhouse lead on day two of the tournament which is played across three courses at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.
Scotland’s leading golfer is hoping to return to home soil in style with a victory following Team Europe’s heroic Ryder Cup win in New York and the 29-year-old was one of the players who got the better of the elements before the second round was brought to a halt early.
South Africa’s Richard Sterne joined MacIntyre in a share of the clubhouse lead at 12 under par, with his compatriot Louis Oosthuizen, who won the 2010 Open Championship at St Andrews, a shot further back.
MacIntyre, though, was pleased with his performance as he shot a six-under 66 at Kingsbarns to the delight of the hardy punters who braved the weather to watch.
Andy Murray failed to get out of the bunker on the fourth hole in a hilarious moment at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
“It was almost a perfect round of golf, especially once the weather came in, just a lovely round,” said MacIntyre.
“It’s difficult when it gets this windy. It’s hard to hit the ball good with the wind.
“I was having to try and fight the wind on certain holes and wasn’t comfortable. But I made some beautiful shots. Yeah, putted solidly in the wind.”
Ryder Cup stars in hunt heading into final day at Alfred Dunhill Links
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MacIntyre is not the only Ryder Cup hero in the hunt heading into the final day of the tournament, with three other members of Luke Donald’s team well-poised to make a charge.
Matt Fitzpatrick is four shots behind the leaders, as the Englishman shot a 69 to follow his 67 from Thursday to sit eight under par.
One shot further back is the defending champion, Tyrell Hatton, who started the day level with MacIntyre but couldn’t keep pace as the man from Oban charged to the front despite the conditions.
Tommy Fleetwood completed the trio of English players holding hopes of victory on Saturday. He sits with Hatton on seven under par.
Spain’s Joel Moscatel holed-out from 104 yards for eagle at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Fellow British hopes for this tournament are Scotland’s Scott Jamieson and Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin, who are both in a large group of players sitting at nine under while American Brooks Koepka is a shot further back.
Matthew Jordan, the Englishman who led field on Thursday night, fell back on Friday with a three-over par 75 to move back to six under but there was better news for Nathan Kimsey, who made nine successive birdies at the Old Course to write his name into the DP World Tour record books as only the third player to achieve the feat after Matt Wallace and James Nitties.
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