Gullane, Scotland ? The cold wind and driving rain that gave Muirfield a true British Open feel did more than wreck Tiger Woods’ bid for a Grand Slam.

The brutal weather blowing off the Firth of Forth handed the advantage in this British Open to the European-based golfers used to playing in such wintry conditions.

Golfers sported waterproof wear and several layers of clothing, and umbrellas bent in the fierce wind that blew through the third round of the Open on Saturday.

Americans used to sunbaked greens, dry fairways and ankle-deep rough struggled in the adverse conditions.

Woods, looking to follow victories at the Masters and U.S. Open with a win in the season’s third major, began his third round as a downpour started. He opened the two strokes off the lead, but shot an 81 his worst round as a professional and finished at 6-over 219, in a tie for 67th place.

With Woods out of contention, Ernie Els, schooled on European courses, shot a 72 for a two-round total of 5-under 208, good for a two-stroke lead over Soren Hansen, a Dane who won the Irish Open last month.

Des Smyth, a 49-year-old Irishman bidding to become the oldest winner of a major, Thomas Bjorn of Denmark, Sergio Garcia of Spain, Justin Rose of Britain were three strokes off the lead, along with Americans Justin Leonard and Scott McCarron and Japan’s Shigeki Maruyama.

Woods was one of eight Americans who shot 80 or more.

“It’s obviously an advantage to have played in severe weather conditions,” Bjorn said. “That’s what you get in this part of the world and it’s a lot of credit to the guys who hung on to get a decent score.”