Bob MacIntyre digs deep after finding back against wall in Canadian Open title defence

The Oban man had started the day in joint-ninth, just four shots off the overnight lead, after carding a bogey-free five-under-par 65 in the opening circuit on the North Course at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.

After opening with a birdie from 11 feet at the par-4 tenth, MacIntyre looked as though he was set to take up where he’d left off on Thursday only to quickly find himself on the back foot.

His tee shot at the par-3 11th found the water, leading to a double bogey and, for the next couple of hours, it turned into a tough struggle for the Scot.

He also dropped a shot at the par-5 18th then the second and third as well and, at that point in his round, was facing an early exit after slipping to one under for the tournament.

Not for the first time recently, though, MacIntyre showed that he can rise to the challenge when his back is against the wall. He rolled in a 20-footer for a birdie-3 at the par-4 fifth then hit his tee shot at the 220-yard par-3 seventh to five feet.

He found sand off the tee at the ninth then was just off the green with his approach but got up and down to save par, signing for a two-over 72 to sit on three under and make it through to the weekend sitting joint-53rd.

It wasn’t what he’d have been looking for setting out but, on the plus side and a potential big one at that, the left-hander avoided what would have been a big disappointment heading into next week’s 125th US Open at Oakmont.

On the back of two encouraging performances in the Charles Schwab Challenge and the Memorial Tournament, he’s up to 12th on Europe’s Ryder Cup points list and, importantly in his bid to make Luke Donald’s team again after being part of a winning side in Rome in 2023, can now maintain his momentum.

Shane Lowry, who was playing in the same group as MacIntyre, followed his opening 64 with a 68 to sit on eight under, four shots behind the halfway leader, Cameron Champ, after the American added a 66 to his first-day 62.

Former Dunhill Links champion Ryan Fox, who recently landed his maiden breakthrough win on the PGA Tour, is heading into the weekend alongside Lowry after carding a brace of 66s, but it was an event to forget for Masters champion Rory McIlroy as he crashed out on nine over following an error-strewn second-round 78.

On the DP World Tour, meanwhile, breaking par proved a tough task in windy conditions for the second round of the KLM Open at The International in Amsterdam, where play was halted for more than two hours in the middle of the afternoon.

After carding a splendid 68, Swede Joakim Lagergren posted the clubhouse target with an eight-under total, with Connor Syme just three behind after battling to the bitter end for his 72.

The Drumoig-player holed a six-footer for a bogey at the ninth - his final hole - and was delighted with his day’s work. “It was so, so hard,” said Syme. “Every single part of it was tricky. I think overall I missed it in the right spots.

“I could be annoyed with a couple of three-putts, but I made a couple of good saves as well and I am happy to make the putt for bogey as the ninth is a really tough hole. It would have been sore to finish with a double considering how well I battled and it was a pretty good score.”

The 29-year-old, who is chasing a maiden win on the main tour, added: “As it was a late finish last night, it was a case of getting a quick bowl of pasta then trying to rest as much as possible and get a good sleep. You hoped it was going to be calmer than was being forecast, but it was pumping straight from the start today.

“It was so tough. You’ve just got to try and control your ball the best you can as it was very, very tricky. Anything around par is a great score.”

More of the same weather-wise is on the cards for Saturday. “I won’t say I love playing in these conditions, but I am very used to it as trying to keep the ball under the wind is what we were brought up playing in,” said Syme. “We obviously don’t play in conditions like these that much on tour, but I’ll just try to keep battling on over the weekend.”

Richie Ramsay, who opened with a 66 on his return to action after being laid low by a “virus” in recent weeks, was among the players who returned on Saturday morning to complete their second circuits, signing for a 72 to sit one behind Syme.

On the Ladies European Tour, Lorna McClymont followed a first-day 70 with a 73 to sit joint-20th on one under at the halfway stage in the Tenerife Ladies Open at Abama Golf, where Laura Beveridge also progressed to the weekend after a second-round 70 left her on level par.

In the amateur ranks, Scottish duo Cameron Adam and Niall Shiels Donegan both made solid starts in the St Andrews Links Trophy as the first-round action took place on the Jubilee Course.

Adam, the 2023 Scottish Amateur champion from Royal Burgess, covered the last seven holes in three under to card a four-under 68, with California-based Shiels Donegan matching that effort with a round that contained five birdies.

Crail’s Andrew Davidson, winner of the Battle Trophy at his home club earlier in the year before then finishing joint-third in the Lytham Trophy, opened with a 70, making four birdies in a row from the second before having the wind taken out of his sails by a triple-bogey 8 at the 11th.