Storm delays leaders in Paris

A three-and-a-half-hour thunderstorm delay meant the leaders did not tee off until 3.15pm in the final round of the French Open at Le Golf National near Paris today.

But far from upsetting Jean van de Velde, trying to get back on the European tour six years after he blew the 1999 Open with a closing triple-bogey seven, he sank an eight-foot birdie putt on the first and then holed a bunker shot on the next.

The 39-year-old, who late last year did not even know for sure that he had a future in the sport following a second knee operation, went to 11 under par.

Defending champion and fellow Frenchman Jean-Francois Remesy was one behind after making a matching two on the second thanks to a 30-foot putt and Argentina’s Eduardo Romero, at 50 trying to be the oldest-ever winner on the tour, three back along with Dane Soren Hansen after an opening bogey.

The complication of the delay was that many of the field are due at Sunningdale tomorrow for Open championship qualifying.

Van de Velde and Romero were among them, but first or second place today could earn them places direct into the starting line-up at St Andrews next month off a mini-Order of Merit.

The Royal and Ancient Club announced that because of the situation at the French Open, tee-off times for Sunningdale tomorrow were being pushed back two hours, with those affected being given extra time.

It meant an 8.30am start instead of 6.30am, but as a result the last second round tee-off time would be an incredible 6.11pm.

They would be unlikely to finish before 10pm – and if a play-off was necessary it could well have to be staged on Tuesday.