The wait for a local player to feature on the weekend in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship continues after Camiko Smith, Nick Jones and Eric West failed to make the cut at Port Royal Golf Course yesterday.

Smith, the top local qualifier, finished three shots shy of the mark at one over, with amateur Eric West bowing out on three over and Jones ending at five over.

Had the Bermudians made it to the weekend they may well have had to deal with suspensions of play with the PGA Tour issuing a weather advisory last night, warning about the possibility of play being called to a halt this afternoon because of high winds.

“There is a threat of severe weather starting around noon, specifically dangerously high winds,” a PGA Tour statement read.

“The safety of everyone involved with the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, including spectators, volunteers, players, caddies and staff, is our first and most important priority.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we are preparing for the possibility of suspending third-round tournament play on Saturday afternoon. This may include a stoppage of play and/or an order of evacuation from hospitality structures and from Port Royal Golf Course.

“Everyone coming to the course Saturday should take this information under advisory and plan accordingly.”

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In calm conditions after completing his first round early yesterday, Smith started his second round at two under after carding an opening-round 69 but struggled with consistency on the way to a 74, which included four birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey.

“It was an up-and-down day and I am a little disappointed because I had it [the cut] within my grasp and let it slip,” Smith told The Royal Gazette.

“I was two under after my first round which was great and figured we had a good day ahead of us; let’s go make a couple more birdies or play even par golf, and I bogeyed a couple of holes and had a double bogey on 7.

“I gave away a couple of shots pretty early into the round and fought back; got them back, gave them away and got them back again.

“I fought pretty hard; hit some good shots, gave myself birdie chances but missed a few putts.”

Smith struggled on his front nine for the second straight day, carding three of his four bogeys and a double bogey at the par-five 7th hole after hitting out of bounds and failing to save par.

He eventually found his groove on the back nine with back-to-back birdies at Nos 13 and 14 putting him at even par and still within striking distance of making the cut with four holes to play.

However, it ultimately was not to be as a bogey and double bogey put paid to those hopes, despite a birdie on No 17.

West carded the lowest round of the local trio of two-over 73 but was also left to rue missed opportunities.

“I was right there and just made too many mistakes,” he said. “I missed four putts inside three feet, hit that ball out of bounds yesterday; gave away about seven shots and in a PGA Tour event you can’t do that.

“I feel like in some ways I let myself down a little bit but it is what it is.

“I played well enough to make the cut. I shot three over par and feel like I should have been seven shots better pretty easily.”

The former Tour de las Americas player was even at the turn but came undone on the back nine where he carded three bogeys.

“My preparation was really good and I got my game pretty much where it needed to be to do what we wanted to do, which was make the cut,” West added.

“I figured the cut would be between one or two under par. I feel like to get it two under with the conditions would have been really, really solid, and I am right there.”

Jones got to within two shots of making the cut after rattling in a birdie on the 1st hole at the start of his second round but struggled thereafter and finished well shy of the mark.

“I was one over at the end of the first round and feeling confident. I birdied my first hole to get back to even par and just let it slip,” he said.

Jones carded six birdies which were offset by three bogeys, a triple bogey and two double bogeys.

“I made six birdies but couldn't get rid of the high holes,” he added. “My putter was feeling really good, my swing was OK but just struggled off the tee a little bit today.”

Justin Lower, who shared the overnight lead with fellow American Hayden Springer, still tops the field by two shots through 36 holes after firing a six-under 65, which included seven birdies and a solitary bogey.

“It felt good most of the day; pretty solid for the most part, a little unlucky at times.” he said.

“I had a bad break on 6 and 9. To not get the par fives when they're all kind of reachable, other than No 2 just being into the wind, that part kind of sucks.

“It would have been nice to get one of those last two putts to go in on 17, 18, but still a great round and I'm happy where I'm at.”

Tied for second are Americans Robby Shelton and Ryan Moore, followed by compatriots Sam Ryder and Kevin Kisner, who are joint fourth, a further shot off the lead.

Ryder was a model of consistency on the way to carding the day’s lowest round of nine under 62, which included ten birdies and a single bogey on the last hole when he was gunning for the course record.

“Got out of the gates solid and was able to turn in five under and kind of kept it going on the back,” he said.

“Gave one back on the last, but all in all it was a really solid, steady day.”

• See the third round tee times in Related Media