Video: British Open 2023 Briefly Delayed by Rare Species of Toad Entering Course

It's not uncommon for animals to interrupt a golf tournament, but it is unusual to have play delayed because of a toad instead of something like a bird or squirrel.

There was a brief stoppage of play on the 13th hole during the third round of the 2023 Open Championship because a rare species of toad was hopping around on the green.

The Natterjack toad, according to the Wildlife Trust (h/t Golf Digest), is one of the rarest amphibians in the United Kingdom that is "mainly found in sand dunes and saltmarshes around the coasts of north-west England and the Solway Firth in Scotland."

Natterjacks "breed in shallow, usually temporary pools of water." The Golf Digest story noted new breeding pools have been created on the seaward side of Royal Liverpool Golf Club and have been "attracting a spring symphony of male Natterjacks."

There was rain early in the day when the third round of the Open Championship got underway. It didn't cause a delay to the start of the round, but forecasts do say it could be heavy throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday.

The toad was able to be removed from the course safely and play resumed.