Early in the day Saturday at the Castle Stuart Golf Links it was perfect, totally ripe for scoring.
Later it started getting dark, the winds beginning to blow.
By time the leaders at the Scottish Open hit the back nine, the rains and wind hammered them.
Welcome to golf in Scotland.
Alex Noren was the best man in those bad conditions. He birdied three of his final five holes, including a 14-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole that put him in command after 54 holes at the Scottish Open.
The Swede fashioned a 68, a super score considering the conditions, that got him to 12-under par, good for a two-shot lead.
Matteo Manassero, once the 16-year-old darling of the European Tour who fell on tough times with unsuccessful swing changes the past two years, had a chance to finish within one of Noren but he missed a two-foot putt at the 18th and ended up with 68. He’s 10-under with Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, who shot 66 in the easier morning conditions.
Danny Lee will go into Sunday three shots back after shooting 70. He’s at nine-under with Justin Walters of South Africa, whose 65 in the morning was the best round of the day.
