While Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns were blasting Birkdale birdies here, there and everywhere at the top of The Open leaderboard, Robert MacIntyre couldn’t seem to buy one.
In fact, he probably would’ve returned empty handed had they been flogging them in the official merchandise tent.
It took him 14 holes to register his first birdie of a trying day. When a round that demanded patience and discipline was over, MacIntyre was still handily placed heading into the weekend.
A one-under 69 left the Scot on a four-under aggregate and four shots off the lead. There’s plenty to play for with 36-holes to go.
After a sturdy 67 to open his account on Thursday, MacIntyre was keen to keep advancing but a leaked shot on the third got him hot and bothered in the Southport sunshine.
“I was being a bit aggressive,” he said of an approach that went over the green. “I was trying to get it in tight to that back right pin, knowing that just long was ok, but it ran that couple yards further on into the rough.”
The frustrations continued to build as the round went on. “It was getting out of hand,” added MacIntyre of this challenging spell which saw him treading water.
“When I make a mistake, I’m not nice to myself and I felt, for a couple of holes, we switched off.”
MacIntyre did get switched on eventually and that much-needed birdie on 14, after a good putt over 20-feet, steadied the ship.
It got even better on the par-five 17th with the bonus of an eagle. “It was lovely,” he cooed. “I think I got lucky. I think it's landed up the left, bounced round the bunker and then came on to the green that way.”
MacIntyre made the most of that little break and trundled in a raking putt of almost 40-feet for a three.
“It was going like a steam train,” smiled the Oban man of a putt that probably still would’ve been running today had it not hit the cup and dropped in. “But it was dead centre.”
After that unexpected boost to morale, MacIntyre’s day ended on a groaning note as he missed a short par putt on the 18th.
Despite that sighing sign off, the Ryder Cup player was content with his position heading into the weekend.
“Great spot,” said the world No 15. “It's where I want to be. My game’s in a good place. I'm missing it in the right spots, the short game is sharp, the putting is decent.
“I just need to hit a few more greens when it's like this and make life a little bit easier.”
Life certainly wasn’t easy for Jack McDonald as he scrapped to make the cut in his second Open appearance.
After an encouraging first round of 70, the Ayrshireman had to hang around until 4:10pm to get round two underway.
McDonald battled hard and enjoyed a memorable moment on the 10th when he holed his second shot from 114 yards for a thrilling eagle.
He birdied the 12th to keep himself inside the qualifying mark but a bogey on the 13th led to more nail-nibbling. McDonald, though, kept it steady as the light faded and the clock tick-tocked towards 9:30pm.
With the pressure mounting, the 33-year-old reeled off a stream of pars on the run-in to safeguard his position inside the mark.
“After the heartbreak of missing the cut at Troon by a shot (in 2024) this is a huge achievement,” beamed McDonald after a 71 for a one-over total. He could breathe out too.
