Hurricane Bob MacIntyre serves up one of career best rounds at $5m Dunhill event to tame Storm Amy

In dreadful conditions for the second round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, MacIntyre played the entire back nine in heavy rain and a blustery wind, yet he somehow managed to card a six-under-par 66. Matching his opening effort at Carnoustie, it left the Oban man sharing the lead when play was suspended for the day.

It was claimed by some that a call should have been made earlier but, with the possibility of Saturday’s play being wiped out completely if the wind being forecast does indeed blow around 60mph, it was clear that tournament officials were trying to squeeze as much as they possibly could in a far from ideal situation.

Helped by the worst of Storm Amy blowing through overnight, the second round was completed after an 8am restart at 8am, with the third round then being a shotgun start at 12.30pm on all three courses. MacIntyre is heading to St Andrews for his next assignment in the $5 million DP World Tour Pro-Am in good fettle.

“It was almost a perfect round of golf, especially once the weather came in,” admitted the 29-year-old, now a two-time Ryder Cup winner after helping Europe keep a grip on the trophy with a 15-13 victory in New York last week, after signing for birdies at the 11th, 12th and 14th on his outward journey at the Fife venue before adding gains at the first, third, fifth and ninth coming home. His sole dropped shot came at the par-3 second.

“It’s difficult when it gets windy,” he added, “but that’s as good as I have golfed my ball in a long time. I was having to try and fight the wind on certain holes and wasn't comfortable. But I hit some beautiful shots.”

Did one in particular stick out? “Aye, the 4-iron into six,” said the world No 9. “I am standing on that hole with the wind out of the right and all I am seeing is gorse bushes up the left from 185 and I’m just trying to chip draw this 4-iron. As soon as it landed, I said to Mike ‘that’s the perfect golf shot’. I also hit a lovely rescue wood into seven.”

It was a day when keeping warm was just as important as staying dry. Though he’d probably get stick if he turned up with it for shinty training, MacIntyre had an ace not so much up his sleeve but on it in that respect. “It’s a thing I’ve seen a lot of them using in the US,” he said, laughing, of a white muff. “It’s brilliant but almost too hot (laughing). I’ll not give away too many of my secrets, though. Hopefully not many of them saw what it was. It was a case of doing anything possible to keep your hands dry, keep your hands warm when it’s like that.”

In a post on social media, Craig Connelly described it as being “easily the wildest and wettest day” he’d had on a golf course. The Scot also claimed that the horn being blown at 4.15pm as all three courses became unplayable was “two hours too late” and felt players who only had three holes to go should have been allowed to finish. “Very poor decision from whoever makes them,” he claimed.

Asked if he relished tough conditions, MacIntyre said: “I think it depends on your mindset. I’m lucky that I’m in a mindset of feeling very calm and see where this takes me. It’s a big team effort. It is literally doing everything as a team with Mike [Burrow, his caddie]. It takes a lot longer when it is like that, but it’s about staying dry and staying as warm as you can and just being disciplined.”

Sitting on 12 under par, MacIntyre shares the lead with South African Richard Sterne, the pair are a shot ahead of Sterne’s compatriot, 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthiuizen, with Scott Jamieson, who is battling to retain the DP World Tour card he’s held for the last 15 seasons and, therefore, a four-under 68 at Carnoustie to back up an opening 66 at St Andrews, was just what the doctor ordered, in a group on ten under.

“Yeah, we are in a good spot,” admitted MacIntyre, who is making his sixth appearance in the event, having finished between 20th and 26th on each occasion apart from missing the 54-hole cut in 2021. We obviously don’t know what the weather is going to do. I don’t think it is looking great for tomorrow. I’m right there where I want to be. I am playing nicely. I thought I played well last week as well. Yeah, coming into another stroke-play event, especially here, where I’ve not had the greatest record around these places. But hopefully we can change that this weekend.”

Helped by his great day’s work, MacIntyre and his amateur partner, US businessman Brett Overman, sit joint-28th in the team event on 15 under alongside Andy Murray and Eddie Pepperell after playing in the same group for the second circuit.

Tennis legend Murray was left red-faced as he played a shot in a bunker, catching the ball with the toe of his club and sending it sideways. With the ball still in the sand, the two-time Wimbledon winner let his head drop and clutched his knees as though he couldn’t believe what he’d done on his eagerly-anticipated debut in the event. “I didn’t see it as I was up at the top of the hill,” said MacIntyre when asked about that. “But I thought he played nicely and it was a good group.”