Sergio Garcia was given a choice Saturday during the height of the storm at the British Open.
Would he rather take his current position of being in at 2 under or still be on the course at 4 under?
“What do you think?” asked a thawing Garcia. “I don’t want to be out there, even if I’m 11 under.”
When the weather turned bad about 2 p.m. Saturday, Muirfield became a combat zone for the players still on the course. There were only a few survivors.
None of the last 58 players managed to break par. A bunch didn’t break 80, including Tiger Woods (81) and Colin Montgomerie (84).
This is the 131st British Open. Weather often is the story line, but few could remember more severe conditions. Blowing rain and 30 m.p.h. gusts sent windchills into the 30s.
Welcome to summer in Scotland.
“It was awful,” said Nick Price, playing in his 24th British Open. “I can’t remember playing professional golf [in such conditions]. Maybe the Dunhill Cup at St. Andrews in October. You expect it then, but not at Muirfield in July.”
The weather posed several challenges. The wind made players hope they could hit their drivers 200 yards on some holes. Ernie Els said he barely made the fairway with his drive on the par-5 fifth.
“I hit the drive very solid,” said Els, who had a 72.
Garcia said he adjusted by trying to rely on punch shots.
“I tried to keep the ball as straight as possible,” said Garcia, who is among the seven players tied for third at 2 under. “You want to be able to hit in the fairway and hit as many greens as you can. You just try not to make any mistakes.”
That became an impossible task with the club slipping out of players’ hands. In an effort to stay dry, Woods said he went through 12 gloves.
Scott McCarron cracked that he had so many jackets with him, his caddie thought he would need a cart to carry the extra clothing.
It was even tough for Andrew Coltart, a native of Scotland.
Coltart said the hardest part was “staying warm. Everything was soaking wet, and it was all about keeping your hands and body warm and trying not to let the bad shots you were going to hit affect you.”
The bad shots were inevitable. That’s why the players who escaped with minimal damage felt fortunate.
Garcia maintained his 71 was more like a 65 or 66, given the conditions. McCarron also was pleased to be at 2 under after a 72.
“I think 72 feels like a good score, that’s for sure,” McCarron said.
Garcia was happy to get off the course when he did. He planned to watch the tournament on television. But he had one priority.
“I’m going to take a hot bath,” he said.
