AMID the most treacherous conditions of the first half of The Open Championship, York-born Simon Dyson showed true Yorkshire resilience.

St Andrews was transformed from first-day benign lady to snarling hag yesterday when raging winds were so fierce play had to be suspended for more than an hour.

The 32-year-old Dyson was playing right in the teeth of the fiercest gusts, but displayed admirable character to rally from five bogeys as the elements roared to bag a brace of birdies, which enabled him to make the cut.

Dyson was in superb star-par groove with a flawless opening five holes.

However, that consistent run ended with a dropped shot on the par-four sixth.

As he and the other players in the three-ball – America’s Jason Dufner and Norwegian Soren Hanson – reached the seventh green, play was halted.

The seventh green was among several of the more exposed playing surfaces and with balls beginning to move on the putting surface, the decision was taken by Royal & Ancient officials to suspend play.

The stoppage lasted just over an hour and Dyson returned to putt out on the seventh for another par, only then to follow with his second dropped shot on the par-three 175-yard eighth, which, because of the gales, was playing far from its name of the Short hole.

Recovering with a par at the ninth, Dyson was out in a two-over 38, which increased at the tenth, where the winds were at their highest velocity, with a bogey wiping out his three-under 69 of the opening round.

But as in the first round the world number 73 liked the 12th hole, nabbing a birdie for the second successive day.

Two holes later on the Old Course’s second par-five, the 608-yard Long hole, the Malton & Norton GC ace racked up another cherished birdie.

If the 12th was his favourite hole, the 16th was proving his nemesis with a bogey matching that of the first day and followed by a further dropped shot on the toughest hole, the par-four Road hole.

But a par on the last ensured Dyson finished on 75 – two shots clear of the cut.