RAHM RAIDER
World No1 shrugs off tee intruder to share lead at Renaissance Club... but Rory misses the cut
We all love the unpredictability of links golf. The odd bounces, the funny hops, the changeable winds, the pot bunkers...
But what about random intruders wandering on to the tenth tee to take practice swings? With a club ‘borrowed’ from one of the most famous players on the planet.
The fact that yesterday’s dramatic security breach at the Scottish open did not end in a serious incident will obviously be a source of great relief to organisers.
With their strict rules on access to tournaments’ inner and outer bubbles, the european Tour have moved heaven and earth to protect competitors from even breathing the same air as the general public.
Yet a spectator was able to simply stroll on to the tee and have a rummage around rory mcIlroy’s bag.
With the Northern Irishman and playing partner Jon rahm looking on, the intruder — who had failed to extract rory’s driver — then proceeded to take a couple of fresh-air swipes with an iron.
although world No1 rahm was ultimately as amused by the incident as bemused, his admission that ‘me and rory didn’t say anything — he was holding a six iron and I didn’t want to get hurt’ revealed how serious things might have turned.
What if the players or caddies had challenged the guy, instead of waiting for trained security staff to intervene? Who’s to say what would have happened?
The truth is, of course, that golf is one of those sports where players simply rely on the public to behave.
a thin blue rope is all that separates galleries from some of the most famous sports people in the world. It’s a testament to the general law-abiding nature of the population that, as a rule, nothing worse than the odd rowdy shout ever crosses that line.
rahm, who proceeded to shoot the lights out with a 65 that put him at 11 under par and joint leader for the tournament, didn’t believe the incident unsettled mcIlroy — who signed for a level- par 71 that saw him miss the cut.
‘I don’t think so,’ said the Spaniard. ‘He hit probably one of the best drives of the tournament on that hole.
‘It didn’t put anyone off. If anything it put a smile on our faces. It will be a pretty good story to tell in the future.’
rahm’s charge to the top of the leaderboard added more than a dash of glamour to a tournament boasting some of the biggest names in the game.
The US open champion is looking good ahead of next week’s open Championship at royal St George’s.
of particular concern to his rivals for the Claret Jug might be the answer he provided when asked, following yesterday’s round, if he felt there was one specific part of his game that needed work.
‘I think everything can get a little better,’ he said, in what might come to be seen as a prophetic statement of intent by next weekend.
on a day when Belgium’s Thomas Detry matched rahm’s 65 to join him at 11 under alongside first-round leader Jack Senior, the early starters definitely had the better of the weather.
By mid-afternoon, a haar had settled in to bring the temperature down and add a bit of moisture to the atmosphere, while the wind also picked up.
Scotland’s David Law didn’t let it bother him as he carved out a second successive round of 67 to put himself at eight under, just three off the lead. Whether or not he can lead the home charge to become the first Scottish winner of this tournament since 1999, Law is very much in the hunt for one of the three open Championship places up for grabs here this week.
Senior’s 67 saw him lead an english charge that includes Lee Westwood and matt Fitzpatrick, both just a shot off the lead at ten under par, ryder Cup great Ian Poulter, Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood.
Westwood’s stunning four-iron approach from 246 yards left him with a tap-in eagle on the 16th and the 48-year-old also birdied the 17th and 18th to remain firmly in the hunt for a second Scottish open title, 23 years after his first.
‘I’m really pleased,’ he said. ‘I had to show a lot of patience out there. I played similar to yesterday and just did not hole a lot of putts until the last couple of holes and when you finish eagle, birdie, birdie it leaves a sweet taste in your mouth and gives you momentum going into tomorrow.’
Fellow veteran Poulter, happy to be competing with some of the big-hitting youngsters, said: ‘I’m 45 and I feel I’m in good shape. I feel my game’s pretty strong. mentally I feel fresh already, which is probably the most important thing, albeit the body is getting older and my son’s hitting it past me.
‘I just have to keep telling myself that I’m young at heart and young in the head — and let’s just keep going.
‘I like links golf. It’s kind of home from home. I have to use every bit of grey matter I have. There’s not a lot in there!’
Former USPGa and Fedex Cup champion Justin Thomas is nicely placed at eight under par.
Playing alongside rahm and mcIlroy in a group that played the back nine first, he was still on the putting green while all the drama was unfolding on the tenth tee.
on his own performance, Thomas said: ‘I’ve had some good and some bad.
‘It’s kind of been an average couple of days, just not really much fireworks, not much bad — but just a couple things I need to tighten up on.’
Home favourites robert macIntyre and Grant Forrest are six shots off the lead after shooting 69 and 70 respectively.