When it comes to golf, you normally have a pretty good idea on Saturday evening of who's going to win the tournament, or at least who is going to be in serious contention come the final holes.

Golf tournaments start on Thursday, and they end on Sunday, with 72 holes in between. That's the way it goes. Not this one.

A mix of bucketing downpours and sustained strong gales over Friday and Saturday have pushed back the 2015 Open a day. But that doesn't mean there's nothing to talk about. In fact, this British is wide open, and you'll have to just forgive me that pun.

A fond farewell

The British Open is the one major each year played in Europe. It's also the one major each year that that is contested on a links style golf course, meaning that the obstacles are fescue grass, pot bunkers, burns and undulations, instead of trees and lakes like on traditional, or parkland golf courses.

America's Tom Watson is the best links player in the modern era. And he chose this year to say goodbye to the competitive game forever.

He was last place in the field over the first two days, but anyone who cares about that should be shown the door. Watson won The Open five times, in a blaze of British victories between 1975 and 1983 never seen before - or since. Only Harry Vardon has won it more times. He can now rest assured that he will remain the Open King for some time to come.

"Not a single tear," Watson said after his final round when asked about his emotions coming up the 18th. He then paid tribute to Bobby Jones, the only player in history (1930) to win all four major tournaments in one year, the Grand Slam.

"When Bobby Jones won the Grand Slam, he came back and played a friendly here [St Andrews]. I'm not putting myself in the same shoes as Bobby Jones but walking up that 18th fairway, as the legend goes, he was engulfed by thousands of people who had come out and heard that he was on the golf course. When I was going up there, I think I had an inkling of what Bobby Jones probably felt."

Historic depths

Tiger Woods missed the cut again.

From the spring of 1998 until the spring of 2005, Tiger Woods never missed a cut. He went 142 straight tournaments without being sent home after two days because he was too far off the lead. Now it's happened twice in a row at a major championship. Of all the depressing precedents he has been setting lately, this one seems to have a particular sting.

Before the week began at St Andrews (incidentally one of Tiger's all-time favorite courses), Woods was telling the media about how confident he was about his game. About how well he was hitting the ball. On the first tee on Thursday morning, he hit more ground than ball. And then proceeded to dump his next shot into the burn in front of the first green. He then went on to bogey the next hole, and Golf Digest is absolutely right in saying his tournament was already over at that point. The wind was gone from his sails - if it was ever there to begin with - and that at a tournament that has been literally marred by wind.

Johnson looking solid

It's very difficult to say who will be kissing the Claret Jug on Monday evening, given the bouquet of great players within striking distance with 36 holes to play.

However, Dustin Johnson, who has a one-shot lead over the field at the half-way point, is looking very solid. He played the first two rounds with Jordan Spieth - who won the year's other two major tournaments - and bettered him by five shots without appearing to think twice.

And, given the weather conditions of the first two/three days, Johnson should have been at a disadvantage. With winds hovering around speeds of 30 miles per hour, it should have been exceedingly difficult to control his high ball style. It wasn't. He drove it straight, hit most greens in regulation and putted well. Those are very good things to be doing with two rounds left.

According to the latest weather report, the next two days will be benign in Fife. Sunshine and a soft breeze may mean that Dustin Johnson will finally lift his first major trophy. He, of all the candidates currently waiting to get into that elusive club, is ultimately the most deserving - judging by his threatening play over the past months and years.