Tournament organisers the R&A were forced to push back by 24 hours the conclusion of golf's oldest major after Saturday's scheduled third round was completely wiped out by an 11-hour delay due to high and gusting winds.

Tiger Woods in action today. Picture: PA

With heavy rain on Friday meaning the second round could not be completed on time, 39 players attempted to resume their rounds on Saturday morning at 7am only for those plans to be blown away along with several golf balls as it quickly became clear the Old Course was unplayable on the more exposed areas of the ancient links.

Johnson, who would birdie the 18th to complete a three-under-par 69 late into the evening to give him a one-shot 36-hole lead over England's Danny Willett, saw his overnight lead slip away before play was suspended, bogeying the par-five 14th.

He had elected to chip rather than putt rom off the green and after failing to mark his ball on the green in time and seeing it blown off the putting surface, almost colliding with playing partner Jordan Spieth's ball as the Masters and US Open made a failed lunge towards his ball in a desperate effort to mark his before the potential collision.

It was a comical moment that had both rivals smiling although Johnson paid the price with a dropped shot and Spieth was left fuming that morning play had begun at all.

“We should never have started,” Spieth said to an R&A official on told of the inevitable suspension at 7.35am.

Louis Oosthuizen had the smile removed from his face on the 13th green when first his ball was blown closer to the hole and then another gust sent it further away again. He would return to nervelessly sink the putt 11 hours later and will begin his third round on Sunday three shots back off the lead on seven under par, tied for sixth after carding a 70.

Scotland's Paul Lawrie is a shot better off, two shots behind Johnson after posting a 70 while Spieth, chasing a third consecutive major this season to match Ben Hogan's feat in 1953, had to settle for a level-par 72 which left him at five under par.

“I believe I'm still in contention,” Spieth said. “I still believe I can win this tournament. I need a really solid round tomorrow, though, because Dustin is not letting up.

“He's the only one I can speak of, he and Hideki (Matsuyama, six under par) because I saw it first hand. Dustin is going to shoot a good round tomorrow with less wind, and I'm going to need to shoot a great round to really give myself a chance.

“To fall from two back to five back isn't exactly what I wanted on a Friday, but it could have been worse, could have been better. It is what it is, and if I can shoot something like 10-under in the last two rounds, I think I'll have a chance to win.”

It is Johnson, though, that is sitting pretty, reaching the clubhouse in great spirits with his birdie three at the last.

“I'm very pleased with my score in round two,” the leader said. “I guess yesterday when we started the round, it was difficult on the way out, and then coming back in, it even played more difficult. This morning when we started, it was almost impossible, but managed to hang in there, and then when we just went out and restarted, it was very tough, but managed to make some good pars and then birdie the last hole. So it was a good way to finish the day.”

While Johnson still has victory in his sights, Paul Dunne will go into the last two rounds as leading amateur and the leading Irishman, at six under par, with two-time champion Padraig Harrington also enjoying a day off on Saturday as he too finished his second round at three under for the tournament on Friday evening.

Graeme McDowell will begin his third round at level par, but 2011 Open winner Darren Clarke joined Shane Lowry on the wrong side of the cutline. Clarke resumed his second round on one under with five to play but carded a bogey-double-bogey run between 15 and 17 and a birdie at the last was too little, too late to save the day, the Irishman finishing two over for the week after a second consecutive 73.

Also exiting St Andrews was three-time Open champion Tiger Woods, twice a winner on the Old Course, who signed for a three-over 75 to bow outt at seven over for the tournament.