– As the weather forecast predicted, the second day of the Alfred Dunhill Links was marked by an unrelenting storm of wind and rain that increased in crescendo throughout the day, to the point that play had to be suspended with more than fifty players still on one of the three courses where this unique tournament takes place: Carnoustie, St. Andrews, and Kingsbarns.
– From Carnoustie, the northernmost course of the three, to Kingsbarns, which is the southernmost, all on the East coast of Scotland, there are roughly thirty kilometres of coastline, skilfully bypassing the Tay estuary. Well, there can be no complaints or anyone feeling disadvantaged, because the wind and rain have battered all three venues equally. A quintessentially Scottish day where, no matter how prepared you are, the cold usually wins: the chill from the water and wind seeps into your bones from one hole to the next, almost without warning, and there’s no shaking it off.
– Robert MacIntyre (-12), in any case, managed to card a 66 at Kingsbarns and seize the co-lead, alongside Richard Sterne (-12), who returned a 67 at the Old Course. Neither escaped the storm, but there are degrees worth noting: this Friday, in that corner of Scotland, the tee time of each player did have some significance, as conditions worsened as the hours passed, so the early groups played more holes in more manageable conditions. Sterne, for instance, teed off in the first group of the day from the 10th hole at the Old Course. Later, when the wind became truly fierce, with gusts reaching fifty kilometres per hour, it also mattered which side of each of the three courses you were on: with the wind against or with you, crosswind or a bit of everything… In any case, fortunately, golf is still played outdoors, and one knows what to expect when stepping onto the British Isles, regardless of the month.
– It also happens, when these extraordinary golfers are in action, that exceptions are commonplace. There were, for example, those who faced the back nine of the Old Course with a headwind but came with a bag full of birdies and then managed to minimise the damage in the midst of the storm. This was the case for young Frenchman Tom Vaillant (-10), who ended up with a notable score of 69 and remained at the top of the leaderboard.
– MacIntyre, in any case, deserves all the credit and even admiration. Fresh from Bethpage, it would have been relatively easy for him to give up, but not only did he not do so, he also carded the best score at his course, Kingsbarns, by a landslide. The Scot, who also didn’t have the best tee time, made seven birdies and one bogey. With a slightly worse tee time, it’s true, as he teed off three-quarters of an hour later, Dustin Johnson (-3) ended up battered with a score of 77. That said, Robert has Scotland in his veins, and probably a day like today is more inspiring for him than anything else…
– Jorge Campillo (-7) and Ángel Ayora (-6) were the only two Spaniards who beat the course, both at the Old Course. They might still be able to fight for victory and end the Spanish Armada’s black legend in this tournament, although tomorrow they finish the rotation at Carnoustie, and the weather forecast doesn’t look promising, quite the opposite…
– Indeed, Saturday could be even worse, as strong winds are expected throughout the morning and afternoon on all three courses, although they might escape the rain, which is undoubtedly a relief. Tomorrow, starting at eight in the morning, those who couldn’t finish their round today before the suspension will have to do so. Then, after midday, at 12:30 (local time), there will be a shotgun start on all three courses.
