Mother Nature decided to intervene at the 2021 U.S. Senior Open.
The start of Saturday’s third round was delayed because of some storm damage at the Omaha Country Club. Several trees were uprooted and knocked over. Some spectator seating and a TV tower were also brought to the ground by the high winds.
Then, at 1:49 p.m. local time, the U.S. Golf Association blew the horn and suspended play for two hours, 55 minutes.
Just another obstacle for the golfers to navigate as they battle for the fourth senior major of 2021.
Jim Furyk, aiming for his first senior major championship, woke up on Saturday with a two-shot lead over Stephen Ames and a three-shot cushion over Miguel Angel Jimenez. Furyk birdied the 4th and 5th holes and by the time he made the turn, he had a four-shot lead. He closed with birdies on 16 and 18 for a 66 and kept that lead at four shots after 54 holes.
“I’ll take a 66 any day at the U.S. Open,” he said. “I started off real well, kind of got on a roll and then the rain delay. Coming out of the delay, I lost my rhythm, kind of put myself in some awkward spots.”
But he grinded out some pars from those spots and he said that was the real key to his round on Saturday.
Furyk, one of five past U.S. Open champs in the field, is vying to become the eighth player to win both the U.S. Open and the U.S. Senior Open.
U.S. Senior Open: Leaderboard
Stephen Ames made a birdie putt on 18 from about 10 feet out for a 68 to get him into the final group with Furyk. Ames is at 4 under.
Retief Goosen, also a past U.S. Open champ, made birdies on 17 and 18 to cap of a round of 66 and sits in solo third. “Finishing birdie-birdie on the last two holes was big,” he said, adding that the par he saved on the 16th felt like a birdie.
Steve Flesch had the round of the day, firing a 6-under 64, matching Furyk’s second-round 64 for round of the week. He had just one bogey and seven birdies on his scorecard and is solo fourth.
“U.S. Opens aren’t my thing,” Flesch told Golf Channel after his round. “I don’t drive it that straight, but I just made some putts. If I get the putter going and get the irons close I can run out some birdies.”
Omaha Country Club is hosting the U.S. Senior Open for a second time.