Some golfers pray for sunshine, a gentle breeze, and perhaps a strategically placed divot to avoid. Michael Stewart, however, apparently subscribes to the "scorched earth" policy. Sitting outside the cut line for what felt like forever, the Ayrshireman figured a bit of apocalyptic weather was his golden ticket to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. "Hopefully, some catastrophic weather comes in and they cancel it for the next three days," he chucked, probably picturing himself on a beach with a pint. Naturally, the heavens remained clearer than a freshly polished putter, delivering a postcard-perfect autumn day instead. Because, of course, they did.
Stewart, who snagged a last-minute invite that probably felt more like a consolation prize, apparently decided that pre-tournament recon laps of Carnoustie were for chumps. "These courses don't change," he stated, as if golf courses are like a fine single malt that just magically improves with age. And he's not entirely wrong, are they? They're still the same infuriatingly difficult beasts they were last year, and the year before that. Yet, here he was, not just surviving, but actually near the pointy end of the leaderboard.
He then proceeded to card a seven-under 65 at Carnoustie. To put that in perspective, that's a score usually reserved for guys who actually, you know, practice. Stewart, on the other hand, had been busy with another event, proving that sometimes, not bothering is the actual practice you need. He rattled off an eagle and four birdies in a row, a burst so hot it makes you wonder if he bribed the weather gods for those perfect conditions after all. Or maybe he just got ridiculously lucky. Let's be honest, it's probably the latter.
This puts him tied at the top with Jack Buchanan, who also managed a tidy 65. It seems the universe, in a rare moment of whimsy, decided to throw a couple of golf nerds a bone. Stewart, currently languishing at world No. 979, is now staring down a significant chunk of that $5 million prize pot. Funny how life works, isn't it? You wish for the apocalypse, and you get a career-defining round. Go figure.
Meanwhile, Robert MacIntyre apparently had a slightly less enjoyable day. He was quite miffed about a drone buzzing around, which, let's face it, is a pretty modern problem. A drone. In 2023. Who could have possibly foreseen such a piece of noisy technology interfering with a perfectly good round of golf? It's almost as if the future is here, and it's incredibly annoying.
Stewart, with absolutely nothing to lose, is treating this whole thing as a "free hit." He's not sweating about keeping his card; it's basically a vacation with a giant cheque at the end if he doesn't spectacularly implode. We all know how this usually shakes out for guys like Stewart, but for now, he's leading. Enjoy it while it lasts, mate. The golf gods are fickle. And they probably hate drones too.