Harrington rolls back years to share Scottish Open lead
Dubliner tied with Shinkwin and Knappe Frustrated Mcilroy misses cut by one shot after a 71
On a benign day of low-scoring pyrotechnics on the Ayrshire coast, there were good news stories aplenty at the Scottish Open.
There were storming performances by Ian Poulter and Padraig Harrington, two veterans whose year has been ravaged by injury. Dundonald also witnessed the unexpected sight of German Alexander Knappe and former boxer Callum Shinkwin, who has never been ranked in the world’s top 200, sharing the tournament lead.
Yet a week before the Open at Royal Birkdale, all eyes were on Rory Mcilroy as he tried to avoid a second missed cut after finishing 118th at the Irish Open. With an opening round of 74, thanks to a display of wedge play that would shame a 12-handicapper, for most of yesterday Mcilroy, still struggling to recover from a rib injury, looked as if he would avoid the ignominy of another missed cut.
Three birdies in the outward nine put him on one-under, a position from which his involvement today seemed assured. But when he found a fairway bunker on the 13th, then took two shots to get out as he recorded a double bogey at the hole for the second successive day, his day took a dramatic turn for the worse. His drive at the par-five 14th ended up mired in deep rough; he made par but it underlined his nervousness.
As it became clear the cut would be at par, while Mcilroy remained becalmed on one-over, he became increasingly ragged. At the 18th, a hole he needed to birdie to make the cut, his approach shot veered into the crowd, only to hit a greenside spectator and bounce back on to the fringe. A good chip and run took him to within five feet of the flag but a woefully awry putt that assured an early exit just about summed up his week.
“I’m frustrated but I thought I saw some good signs out there, certainly compared to last week,” said Mcilroy. “I shot one-under today so I’m close. It’s not like I’m shooting 76s and 77s.
“I’m just waiting for something to go right because the last couple of weeks have been hard, but I’m going to keep plugging away because the difference between shooting one under par and four or five under par isn’t that great. I felt pretty good until I got to 13.”
Asked whether he felt he had played enough competitive rounds ahead of Birkdale, Mcilroy laughed wryly. “No, and it’s tough, but I still feel like I’m more than capable of going down there and shooting something in the 60s and getting myself into contention.”
If Mcilroy was unable to make the most of the favourable conditions, the same was not true of his superannuated countryman. Harrington, who turns 46 next month, defied a year of injuries and his advancing years to put in a wonderfully controlled four-under-par round of 68 to end the day as one of the three joint leaders on nineunder.
Even when the experienced Dubliner’s game frayed at the edges, he found a way to keep his score down, and although he missed a couple of birdie opportunities, especially at the par-three sixth, he also saved several pars, his sublime up-and-down at the eighth a thing of beauty.
The unrivalled links experience of a man who has played in three Walker Cups and won two Opens means he is in the box-seat, but there are challengers. Late charges by Shinkwin and Knappe saw both of them join Harrington on nineunder to take a share of the lead.
Knappe’s seven-under round of 65 included an eagle, seven birdies and two bogeys, and at one stage he went on a run of birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie, birdie.
While Shinkwin’s round didn’t contain a similar hot streak, four birdies in the back nine put him joint top.
There were several other stellar performances yesterday, with Frenchman Alexander Levy and Spaniard Adrian Otagui both shooting six-under rounds to end on sixunder and five-under respectively.
But the presence of the four big names shadowing the leading trio will give Harrington most cause for concern.
Poulter’s year has been ruined by an arthritic big toe on his right foot, but he was back to his mercurial best with a combative round of 69 that started with one of three bogeys and six birdies.
Rickie Fowler, who won this tournament two years ago but didn’t defend his title last year, reaffirmed his love of links golf with a smooth two-under 70 to finish on seven-under alongside Belgian Ryder Cup player Nicolas Colsaerts, while Matt Kuchar finished three shots adrift of the leaders on six-under.