North Berwick: Genesis Scottish Open play halted b...

By Bilal Ahmed — 12 July 2026 — 3 min read

The third round of the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick was suspended due to fog, impacting several players including Rory McIlroy. Play was halted at 7:55 PM (BST) on Saturday, with Matt Fitzpatrick and Michael Thorbjornsen sharing the lead at 11-under par. Tournament organisers have announced that the third round will resume at 7:00 AM on Sunday morning.

Rory McIlroy, who was among the overnight leaders, experienced a challenging third round. He made three bogeys on holes three, five, and seven, dropping to six-under par after eight holes. This performance marked a contrast to his earlier rounds, where he had described his opening round of 65 as a “complete performance.” McIlroy struggled with various aspects of his game, including a tee-shot on the par-three fifth hole that landed 125 yards from the green and a recovery shot on the seventh hole that went from rough to fairway and back into the rough.

Meanwhile, Matt Fitzpatrick, a European Ryder Cup teammate of McIlroy, moved into a share of the lead. He is tied with American Michael Thorbjornsen, who climbed 12 places on the leaderboard after being five-under through 13 holes before play was suspended. Thorbjornsen commented on the unusual fog conditions, stating he had “never seen anything like this” and that he lost sight of his ball in the air towards the end of his round.

Chasing Pack and Open Championship Implications

A group of players is close behind the leaders at 10-under par. This group includes American Johnny Keefer, who moved up 22 places on the leaderboard with a third-round score of 64. Keefer is the third alternate for the upcoming Open Championship. Other Americans at 10-under par are Kevin Roy (through 15 holes), Wyndham Clark (through 15 holes), and Chris Gotterup (through 10 holes). Australia’s Min Woo Lee (through eight holes) and England’s Jordan Smith (through seven holes) are also one shot back from the leaders.

Wyndham Clark expressed disappointment about not being able to finish his round, stating, “It’s more disappointing that we didn’t get to finish tonight.” He had gone four-under through 15 holes before play was called off. A strong finish for Kevin Roy on Sunday could secure him one of the final spots at the Open Championship, as the top three players not already exempt for the major at Royal Birkdale will gain entry.

Image:Matt Fitzpatrick took a share of the co-lead at 11-under par Credit: skysports.com

LIV Golf Players’ Progress

Among the LIV Golf players competing, Tyrrell Hatton of Legion XIII made significant progress on Saturday, completing his third round with a three-under 67. This moved him to seven-under overall and into a tie for 16th place, making him the highest-ranked LIV Golf player heading into Sunday. His teammate, Tom McKibbin, also finished his third round with a three-under 67, bringing him to five-under and tied for 32nd.

Victor Perez of Cleeks Golf Club, who had played 10 holes of his third round before the suspension, is currently one-over for the round, six-under overall, and tied for 25th. Perez will return on Sunday morning to complete his third round, with a potential spot in next week’s Open Championship at stake. Jon Rahm, captain of Legion XIII, posted a two-under 68 to sit at four-under and tied for 44th, while Laurie Canter of Majesticks Golf Club carded an even-par 70, remaining at three-under and tied for 50th.