Ryder Cup rookie Robert MacIntyre was wasting little time leaving Versailles after a most disappointing display at the Cazoo French Open.
The top-ranked Scot was the only member of Luke Donald’s European Team to enter the prestigious DP World Tour event on the outskirts of Versailles but unlike the visit to the city by King Charles and Queen Camilla, there was no fanfare for MacIntyre as his visit turned horribly pear-shaped posting disappointing scores of 71 and 77 for a six-over-par tally, and just a week out from the start of the 44th Ryder Cup in Rome.
MacIntyre’s second day score is his highest all season in 75 rounds over the course of 22 events, and the poorest since a second day 78 to miss the halfway cut in July 2022 at the Porsche European Open.
MacIntyre had travelled to the host course for the 2018 Ryder Cup and the famed Le National course no doubt looking to feed off the vibes of European stunning seven point success but it never happened for the Oban lefty.
He gestured in closing his round on Thursday in looking to hurl his putter into the water guarding the 18th green, and this after a round that included four birdies but also just as many hurtful bogeys, and with MacIntyre finding water in bogeying both the ninth and 10th holes.
Friday’s flop included being four-over after just four holes, and not helped by finding water with his second shot into the par-4 13th MacIntyre was playing as his fourth hole.
MacIntyre did birdie the next, and the par-5 14th for a second day running, but it would prove a rare bright spot for the Scot in a miserable round that included bogeying the par-3 16th for a second day ahead of finding water guarding the green with his second shot into the 18th that he was playing as his ninth and trudging off with a double-bogey ‘6’ and plunge to six-over for his round and a similar score for the tournament.
His inward nine was a little brighter with birdies at the third and seventh hole or his 12th and 16th but alas, it was far too late for MacIntyre.
However, to add insult to injury, and just had MacIntyre done a day earlier, he bogeyed the eighth and ninth holes in a six-over 77 for a six-over tally, trudging from the course dropping 22 places to be then sharing 117th place.
MacIntyre’s French Open effort also comes a year after his bright share of eighth, and in his only other appearance in the French tournament.
Up front and England’s Jordan Smith birdied five holes in succession from his second to set-up a stunning seven-under 64 and move three shots clear of the field at 12-under-par.
The 30-year-old reigning Portugal Masters champion, and looking to secure a third DP World Tour title, is clear of Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson, who superbly regrouped from an opening hole double-bogey and sign for a 67 as he also seeks a third Tour title. Ferguson capping his round at the last, landing a 142-yard second shot over water and to just 18-inches.
Overnight leader Tom Kim dropped five shots over the closing three holes, including a ‘7’ at the last, in a round of 73 to be back at five-under and sharing 13th spot.
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