About 45 minutes of play was possible but it proved a costly spell for leader Dustin Johnson as he returned at 7am to try and complete his second round which had been held over from the night before.
Placing his ball down behind the marker he left just short of the par-five 14th green on Friday evening, the American paid the price for a poor chip and then three-putted to drop a shot.
That moved him back into a share of the lead with England's Danny Willett on nine under par. Playing partner Jordan Spieth managed a par to stay at five under.
However, play was soon suspended when 2010 champion Louis Oosthuizen's ball was blown across the 13th green, causing organisers to call the players in.
Winds are expected to remain strong until around 4pm local time so a second successive late finish is in store at golf's oldest major.
Organisers said no play would be possible for at least two hours.
