Rage against the serene as Lawrie pans his putting
Should be all smiles after second 67 but short game has top Scot on a short fuse
PAUL LAWRIE may have been leading the home challenge as the cut was made at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open yesterday but it was impossible to tell from his stormy demeanour.
The 1999 Open champion had to lay out a towel and put himself through an on-course work-out to deal with the groin strain that has been niggling him, but that was nothing to the discomfort that, once more, his putter caused him as he failed to capitalise yet again on excellent play from tee to green.
Grateful for the support he received, he acknowledged that his reaction to the galleries may have puzzled them after a second consecutive round of 67. “They’re magic out there,” he said. “They all want you to do well and obviously they’re looking at you looking as though you’re 10 over and you’re actually three-under for the day and they’re thinking ‘I’d like to be three-under for the day putting poorly.’ So it’s how it is, but the support’s been great as it is every year.
“There aren’t many guys shooting three under and having 32, 33 putts, so you’ve just got to get some putts in the hole. I’m putting nicely as well, they’re just not going in and I’m so grumpy, I can’t help it out there. You just get so frustrated.
“People are shouting ‘smile’ at you but it’s the last thing I’m going to be doing out there when I’m missing putts. I was rather grumpy today to be fair.”
This tournament has become something of a Holy Grail for the man who has won the Dunhill Links Championship and the Johnnie Walker Championship as well as the Open on home soil and he feels he has a chance.
“I’ve had good success in Scotland and my biggest wins have all been in Scotland, so it would be nice to one day win the Scottish Open but if it doesn’t, happen it doesn’t happen,” he said. “You’ve just got to play your golf and see what happens, but we’ll give it a good go at the weekend.”
Russell Knox, the American-based, Inverness-born 30-year-old was next best placed of the Scots on five-underpar after a battling 68 and, rather less familiar to the home galleries, he was pleased to be getting a bit more recognition in spite of his disappointment with his play.
“I am delighted with shooting two under as quite often you play terribly and shoot an awful score,” he said. “I feel more people are getting to know who I am and the quickest way to get more people following me is if I play well.”
“That is going to be down to me but the support has been incredible so far and I hope I give them something to cheer about over the weekend.”
Following an appalling run that has included 11 missed cuts in his last 16 European Tour events plus a disqualification at the BMW PGA Championship, David Drysdale meanwhile seemed relieved to have some overdue evidence that the hard work he has been putting in with coach Jamie Gough – brother of former Rangers captain Richard – may be set to be rewarded after a five-under-par 65 transformed his prospects.
“I’m a local lad, near enough, so it’s a bit special to be involved in the weekend here,” said the 40-year-old from Cockburnspath. “I was out at half six yesterday morning but had loads of friends and family out watching me. It does help having so many people out there, but they probably wonder what I’ve been doing over the past few weeks, shooting 76s!”
Marc Warren also got through with room to spare after a 67 and he drew inspiration from how playing partner Phil Mickelson caught him at threeunder for the tournament with a run of three consecutive birdies from the 14th.
“On the back nine, we had a good laugh and he had a great finish,” said the 34-year-old. “It was nice to see something like that in full flow. His attitude is incredible, bad shots simply do not bother him at all.
“You can see he is really grinding it out with every shot and really trying. It’s something to learn. Phil has been one of the best players in the world for 20 years and it’s special walking the same fairways as him. Every pitch he has, you see his focus narrowing. Off the tee, he tees it high and gives it a rip, but he gets a wedge in his hand and it looks as though he’s determined to hole it and expecting to hole it.
“You take a bit from that in that when you hit bad shots, the short game can save you. Phil is the perfect example of that.”
Greg Hutcheon meanwhile showed his fighting quality with a birdie at the last for a 68 to get in on the cut line as the last of the Scots to qualify for the weekend alongside countryman Craig Lee who made it with a fine four-underpar round of 66.