New England weather wreaks havoc at the 2024 U.S. Senior Open

Despite their best efforts to pull ahead of impending bad weather, the U.S. Senior Open will finish on a Monday for the first time since 2016. Newport (R.I.) Country Club and the U.S. Golf Association (USGA) tried to avoid stretching the senior tour major to another day by scheduling Round 4 play early on Sunday, with an 8:20 a.m. hoped-for start time.

But New England had other plans, with heavy fog having seeped in and forced the delay of play at the historic country club, which had been founded 131 years ago in 1893. Finishing play by 3:30 p.m. was the USGA’s original plan, but with dangerous storm conditions setting in during the mid-afternoon, play was halted at 3:01 p.m.

Can anything arrest Hiroyuki Fujita’s momentum at the U.S. Senior Open?

Just like he did at the close of each day of tournament play at the 2024 U.S. Senior Open, Japan’s Hiroyuki Fujita has held a commanding lead, except for the first round when he tied Australia’s Richard Green in first place. At 16-under, Fujita retains three strokes over England’s Richard Bland, with Green one stroke behind Bland and 2019 champion Steve Stricker in fourth place at 10-under par. All four were finishing hole 11 when fog horns signaled the halt to play due to the emergency weather conditions. Fujita, Green and Bland had just teed off at the 11th, while Bland — who was playing with the group ahead — was yet to finish the same hole.

“I'm just trying to take in -- just trying to enjoy the fact that I'm out here, and I feel very lucky to be here. ” Fujita said after play on Saturday during the press conference.

Like he’s done since Day 1 of the event, the 55-year-old Fujita has dictated momentum at the Newport golf course, with almost perfect play. Only two bogeys have blemished an 18-birdie performance over the course of the four days of the tournament, including an impressive seven earned in Round 1. The 18-time Japan Golf Tour winner is trying to become the first male player from his country to win a USGA championship. Fujita also won last year’s Japan Senior Open.

“I personally don't feel that comfortable out here. I mean, that's not a major factor,” Fujita said after the third round on Saturday. “You usually can't put that much spin on the ball, but here I feel like I can. It plays similar to a course I play in Japan.”

He then also added: “Take that back.

“I usually feel like I have to put spin when I come from overseas. I don't have to put that much spin out here. So that plays to my advantage and makes me feel comfortable out there.”

Bland trying to make it back-to-back

Fifty-one-year-old Bland is bidding for a second consecutive senior major, having won the Senior PGA Championship at the Harbor Shores Resort back in May. If he manages the feat, it would be even more remarkable considering both tournaments are the only two he has participated in on the PGA Tour Champions. At age 48, Bland’s first title on the European Tour (now DP World Tour) at the 2021 Betfred British Masters made him the oldest first-time winner of the tour.

“The confidence is pretty good,” said Bland on Friday, after excellent play in the second round, which included an eagle off of Hole 2. “I came off a good week last week in Nashville,” on the LIV Tour, which he joined last year. “If I can just kind of give myself some better looks at some putts … then I think there's still a couple of good scores for me this weekend. No illusions this weekend. I've got to go out and play my best. Hopefully, if I do that, that will be good enough.”

The final day of play of the 2024 Senior Open Championship is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. Monday. It will be a non-ticketed event with just credentialed personnel and guests allowed entry. The broadcast of the penultimate round will be shown on the Golf Channel.