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| Venue: St Andrews, Scotland Dates: 14-17 July |
| Coverage: BBC TV, radio and online, on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button, BBC Radio 5 live, BBC Sounds, BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport mobile app. Full coverage details. |
Wind was the problem for Bob MacIntyre at St Andrews. Not, mercifully, brought about by any nervousness at shouldering the hopes of the home crowd at the 150th Open Championship, but rather because of his left-handedness.
As he lolloped on to the 13th tee, the 25-year-old Scot was four under. He trailed only playing partner Cameron Young, who was not so much compiling a round as curating an exhibition on his way to posting a 64.
Within a quarter hour, MacIntyre had etched an ugly six on his card after “an absolute nightmare of a hole”. His round never recaptured that previous promise, as he signed for a 70.
The Oban native’s torment started with near-300 yard clatter which found a bunker well out to the left. He could only howk out sideways before a lashing his third to the centre of the green. His first putt had to travel almost far enough to merit an Uber, but settled seven feet from the hole before his bogey attempt slipped past.
“It’s the only hole we don’t really have a plan on,” he said, ruefully. “I don’t know how you hit the fairway. To create an angle to that pin you’ve got to hit it left, but the wind’s going… It’s not pretty coming in for a left-hander.”
Birdie chances came and went on 14, 15 and – most notably – 16, where MacIntyre missed from five feet, before another three putt on 17 threatened to entirely derail his day. However, a frustration-fuelled lash left him with two putts to claim a closing birdie and finish two-under par.
The Scot was sanguine afterwards, lots of talk of picking out the positives and being glad to still be in the mix, but it wasn’t too hard to detect a little angst about what might have been.
“If someone had given me two-under before I had started, I would have taken it for sure,” he said. “I knew where I could take my chances, but the back nine is tough for me.”
Birdies at two, three, eight, 10 and 12 – marred only by a missed par putt from seven feet at six – franked that sentiment as MacIntyre responded to the warmth of the home crowd by giving them plenty to cheer.
“I had goosebumps walking over this morning,” he said. “Every tee I walked on I was getting clapped on and every green I walked on I was getting applauded. It’s what I dreamed of as a kid, and I’ve got to live the dream.”
By the time MacIntyre walked on to that first tee, compatriot Paul Lawrie had long since sent his yellow ball scurrying down the opening fairway to get the championship under way.
The 1999 champion had an eventful morning, with just eight pars on a card that included a double bogey on four and a eagle on 18, and acknowledged he will need to score considerably better on Friday to prolong his stay in Fife after a 74.
“I thought two-over was harsh; I didn’t do much wrong,” he said, before addressing the curious sight of a yellow ball bounding down the fairways of The Old Course.
“I’m 53, not 23, so my eyesight’s not the best and I just see it better when it’s flying,” he said. “When I’m in the rough as much as I am, it stands out. I never thought I’d play with a yellow ball, but I actually quite like it.”
Lawrie’s protege David Law – the third Scot in the field – had a more profitable time of it later in the day.
The 31-year-old was two over at the turn on his tournament debut, but picked up shots at 12, 14 and 16 before his run was spoiled a touch by bogey at 17. Still, the Aberdonian signed for a level par 72 to give himself a sturdy platform on which to build on Friday.
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