The Open 2024: Bob MacIntyre tames Royal Troon ‘beast’

“I didn’t hole the putts that I hoped to, but it’s difficult with the winds,” last week’s Scottish Open winner told BBC Scotland. “Tee to green, it was close to perfect.

“Would I have taken one over before I went out? Probably.”

And with that, he was off to his “a dozen putts, then relax with a coffee and a couple of biscuits” before returning for his 14:37 BST tee time on Friday.

Another Scottish player who was more than happy with his day’s toil was amateur Calum Scott.

Out in the second group, he took advantage of the slightly more benign conditions to compile a level par 71 and raise hopes of making the cut and claiming the Silver Medal for the leading amateur.

The other two Scots in the field are not entirely without hopes of prolonging their weeks either.

Jack McDonald outperformed former Troon champions Justin Leonard and Todd Hamilton in the first group of the day to post a 76.

And Ewan Ferguson, out in perhaps the worst of the weather, returned to the sanctuary of the locker room with a 74.

The recent BMW International Open champion made par just once in an eventful nine-hole stretch from the 6th to 14th, rolling in four birdies across the day.