The British Open will end on a Monday for the first time since the late Seve Ballesteros won at Royal Lytham in 1988 after high winds caused havoc yesterday.

The Royal and Ancient (R&A) organisers announced their plan for the third round to be played today and for the final round to be contested tomorrow.

It will be only the second Monday finish in Open history.

A howling 45mph gale forced play to be suspended around half an hour after the golfers had returned to St Andrews at 7am to try to complete their second rounds.

When 2010 champion Louis Oosthuizen’s ball began blowing wildly across the 13th green organisers called a halt to proceedings, although a few groups managed to finish the holes they were on.

Yesterday’s brief passage of play was a damaging one for leader Dustin Johnson who had returned to the edge of the 14th green that he had reached in two the previous night.

A poor chip and a three-putt dropped him to a share of the lead on nine-under-par with England’s Danny Willett who was safely in the clubhouse.