Bob MacIntyre hails 'almost perfect round' to share lead with Richard Sterne
Bob MacIntyre, the golfing pride of Scotland, shot one of the greatest rounds of his career to defy the worst of some challenging weather and surge to the top of the Alfred Dunhill Links leaderboard.
MacIntyre carded a quite brilliant 66 at Kingsbarns, showcasing his extraordinary skills and moving alongside South Africa’s Richard Sterne on 12-under-par.
It was a second successive 66 for the man from Oban, following his six- under-par opener at Carnoustie in much more clement conditions, and MacIntyre called it “almost a perfect round of golf”.
He added: “It was just a lovely round, especially once the weather came in. It was so difficult in the wind, but I controlled my flights really well and hit some beautiful shots.”
Louis Oosthuizen, who won the 2010 Open Championship at St Andrews, is just one stroke behind MacIntyre and Sterne on 11-under-par. His second round 68 at Kingsbarns was another superb effort, though he had completed 12 holes before the worst of the wind and rain which made it more about holding on to a score.
Not for Bob. The 29-year-old left-hander, and world No 9, carded seven birdies and just one bogey despite finishing just 45 minutes before play had to be suspended with a number of groups still to complete their second rounds.
MacIntyre has received a hero’s welcome from Scottish golf fans this week following Europe’s Ryder Cup victory against the United States on Sunday, as have his three teammates Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick.
But there is no doubt who is the crowd’s favourite and MacIntyre added: “I’m where I want to be after two rounds and I’m playing nicely.
“But it was a big team effort out there with my caddie Mike, keeping everything dry and staying warm. I’m also lucky my mindset was very calm and we could just see where it got us.”
Sharing the lead with MacIntyre is South Africa’s Richard Stern who was pleased with his round, believing the draw he received helped him today. “After all the years of playing here, you get good draws and bad draws, and today I got a good draw, I’m pretty happy with that.”
The Team Championship is proving to be a thriller with a four-way tie as the second round is almost complete. Overnight leaders Jack Senior & Dery Desmond are tied on 24-under-par with Wenyi Ding & David MacFarlane, Harrison Crowe & Cian Foley and Alejandro Del Rey & Matthew Goode.
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is a celebration of Links golf, played over the Old Course St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, three of the greatest Links courses in the world, culminating in the final day on the Old Course on Sunday.
With a prize fund of US$5 million, the Alfred Dunhill Links incorporates two separate competitions - an Individual Professional tournament for the world's leading golfers and the Team Championship in which the professionals are paired with amateur golfers which creates a unique atmosphere.
Among the celebrity amateurs playing are Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Bill Murray, Matthew Goode, Ronan Keating, Tom Chaplin, Dave Farrell, Mike Rutherford, Huey Lewis, Piers Morgan, Peter Jones, Andy Murray, Wayne Gretzky, Kelly Slater, Steve Redgrave, A.P. McCoy, Kevin Pietersen, Michael Vaughan, Allan Lamb, Mark Nicholas, Schalk Burger Jnr, Morne du Plessis and Rob Louw.
This is the 40th year that Alfred Dunhill has supported golf at St Andrews – first in the Alfred Dunhill Cup from 1985, then in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship from 2001. During that time, many millions have been raised for charity.
In June 2011 the Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation was established as the official Foundation of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The Foundation is committed to developing young amateur golfers in Scotland and South Africa and also supports the University of St Andrews and the St Andrews Pilgrim Foundation, which refurbishes and preserves historical monuments in the town.
