Farmers Insurance Open: Ludvig Aberg and Lanto Griffin share lead after fierce winds disrupt second round | Golf news

Ludvig Aberg and Lanto Griffin share the lead at the Farmers Open insurance as raging winds forced a 90-minute delay and prevented dozens of players from completing the second round.

First-round leader and Swedish Ryder Cup star Aberg battled to a six-over 75, while Griffin shot a 72 to leave them both at six under overall.

Aberg made three bogeys in five holes on the front nine and added a double on the 14th, and American Griffin managed three birdies on the back nine as he managed a level par 72, despite describing some shots as “brutal” in the conditions.

Danny Walker was shot in third and Chris Gotterup’s 69, the joint best score of the day, dropped him to fourth, along with Hayden Springer and Sungjae IM in four under.

Players battled strong, inconsistent wind gusts measured at more than 35mph on the famous Torrey Pines coastal courses better known for misty sea layers than disruptive weather. Some flurries dislodged stationary balls and ripped hats from heads before the Marshals suspended play.

“Throw the score out the window,” said Griffin, who earned his PGA Tour Card at Q-School last month.

“[On] A normal day, 72 is good on this golf course and today was just a grind. Walking up to the 13th teen, he probably started crowding 35mph, so there are certain shots like the 13th teen that was just brutal, the nine teenth blowing straight down the left.

“It was kind of for dear life, try to save Pars on most holes and sprinkle in a birdie or two.”

The delay began just after 2pm local time and lasted until 3.31pm, forcing players to play quickly in barely reduced winds for a shot at the end of their rounds.

The northern course is more exposed to the ocean, so the wind was particularly brutal for players like world no. 4 Hideki Matsuyama, who could only watch abominations as his well considered windows went nowhere near their intended destination. Matsuyama still managed a 75 and made the cut at one under.

In the opening round, the results on the easier northern track (70.2) were significantly better than on the southern track (72.5). Thanks to the wind, the South Course (75.3) actually played easier than the North (75.6) on Thursday.

“It was extremely difficult,” said Eric Cole, who was three shots off the lead after managing to complete his second lap 71 moments before the stoppage.

“It started getting really windy like our second or third hole, so we had a solid six holes of really heavy winds. Then it almost died and switched the instructions for a couple of holes.

“Very tricky and very unique. I know it can be a little windy here, but it just felt like an extra rush and (was) kind of switching directions for a little bit, so that was tough.”

No one had a bug-free lap as they battled winds that blew clouds of dirt and sand into the Pacific Ocean all afternoon.

A brush fire also broke out about four miles south of Torrey Pines and burned three acres near the UC San Diego campus, but 175 firefighters quickly halted forward progress, according to San Diego Fire Rescue.

Some players didn’t wait for play to resume: Max Homa, the event’s 2023 champion, retired during the stoppage with just three holes left to play, citing illness late in his second blank round.

Amateur Luke Clanton, a junior at Florida State, moved up the board on the front nine before making three bogeys amid the worst of the wind conditions. He decided to call it a day with his teenage shot at the 17th sitting in the right rough, where he will continue his second round on Friday.

Defending champion Matthieu Pavon had another poor day as he carded an eight-over 80 in the second round to finish well outside the projected cut and 2023 winner Max Homam withdrew due to illness during a wind delay on the back nine.

Watch the third round of Farmers Insurance on Friday from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or Cover the PGA Tour, Majors and more without a contract.