Rain and fog dampen spirits in Scotland

For the third day running the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland - at Stg£3

For the third day running the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland - at Stg£3.5million Britain's richest-ever golf event - suffered at the hands of the weather today.

More fog delays meant the second round had still to be completed by the time the third round was due to start. Heavy rain is back as well.

With a celebrity-packed cast led by Hollywood star Michael Douglas for the pro-am tournament it now seems highly appropriate that one television channel chose his film 'Coma' for Thursday night.

The event has yet to spark into life, with spectators few on the ground and those who did turn up having difficulty working out who might be playing where and when.

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Three courses - St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns - are in use for what is described by the organisers as "a celebration of links golf", but has so far been more like a reminder of the weather in Scotland at this time of year.

The plan was for the leading 60 professionals plus the top 20 teams to qualify tonight for the final round over the Old Course tomorrow.

But further delays brought the likelihood of the third round spilling into Sunday and the possibility of play extending to Monday.

Added to this less than spectacular inauguration was the controversy over some of the amateurs' handicaps.

The championship committee changed 39 on the eve of the event, but country and western star Clay Walker was not told before he teed off, so his better-ball 59 with Steve Elkington on Thursday had to stand even though he played off 11 rather than seven.

In the race for the £551,000 first prize Ireland's Paul McGinley led by two from Londoner Brian Davis and Zimbabwe's Tony Johnstone at 13 under.

But all three had Carnoustie, the toughest test of the three courses, to come, while Ernie Els, joint sixth on nine under, was waiting to tee off at St Andrews and was probably favourite to win.

PA